Status note: Homes for Heroes (SB 789) is only a proposal, not law. NCHFA's 3% and $15,000 forgivable down payment options are open now.Run the 2-minute check
NC Home Advantage Mortgage with Down Payment Assistance · Cabarrus County
Cabarrus County, North Carolina: down payment help, step by step
Cabarrus County, home to Concord, Kannapolis and Harrisburg, gives its teachers and first responders full access to NCHFA's programs.
SeatConcord
Residents249,725
Cap, 3+ people$135,000
Price ceiling$525,000
Step 1: Know the local market
Cabarrus has two school districts, Cabarrus County Schools and Kannapolis City Schools. On the public safety side, the Concord Police Department, Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office, Concord Fire Department and Cabarrus County EMS are major local employers.
Harrisburg and Concord sit close to Charlotte, while Midland and Mount Pleasant feel more rural. Kannapolis straddles the line with Rowan County, so double-check which county your home is in when your lender checks the income limit for the $15,000 option.
If you've owned a home in the last 3 years, you can still use the 3% option, which is open to move-up buyers with income up to $158,000.
Step 2: Check the Cabarrus County caps
Income cap, 1 or 2 people
Income cap, 3 or more
Highest price allowed
$117,000
$135,000
$525,000
For the $15,000 option, Cabarrus homes can be priced up to $525,000. Family income can be up to $117,000 for 1 or 2 people, or $135,000 for households of 3 or more. Statewide figures are in the limits table; to test a price against your income, use the budget calculator.
Step 3: Add local help in Cabarrus County
Some local programs stack on top of the state option and some replace it. Each has its own rules, so ask your loan officer which ones you can pair.
First-time buyers (no home owned in 3 years) within HUD income limits buying in Concord city limits
Amount
$10,000 to $25,000 for down payment and closing costs
Form
Forgivable loan
Income cap
HUD income limits (80% AMI HOME limit for Cabarrus 4-person $93,900 per NCHFA 2026 HOME table)
Price cap
$340,000 existing; $364,075 new construction
Only first-time buyers?
Yes
Other conditions
Five-year forgivable second mortgage; 8-hour HUD-approved homebuyer education (online allowed, but at least 4 in-person hours with a HUD counselor); $1,000 of the buyer's own funds; City-approved lender; signed contract at least 45 days before closing; single-family and manufactured homes only (no condos or mobile homes).
'Funds are limited and provided on a first-come first-serve basis.' The page says the HOME Consortium (Concord, Cabarrus County, Iredell County, Kannapolis, Mooresville, Salisbury, Statesville, Rowan County) funds DPA for first-time buyers through its members and CHDOs. Member-specific programs in Iredell and Rowan weren't verified.
Step 4: Book your homebuyer class near Cabarrus County
Plan on a homebuyer class; most programs want the certificate in hand before you close. Below are HUD-approved agencies within driving distance of Cabarrus County, with the services, languages and meeting formats each one lists.
Pulled from the HUD housing counseling directory. Ask before you enroll, because programs differ on which classes count.
Which class counts? Ask a loan officer who handles North Carolina programs. They can name the right class and begin your pre-approval in the same call. Start the eligibility check
Major public employers in Cabarrus County
Some of the larger schools and public safety agencies here:
