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 · Durham County
Durham County, North Carolina: down payment help, step by step
Durham County public servants, from Durham Public Schools teachers to Durham Fire Department crews, can use NCHFA's forgivable help today.
SeatDurham
Residents347,240
Cap, 3+ people$149,000
Price ceiling$525,000
Step 1: Know the local market
Durham Public Schools covers the whole county, so a teacher can buy in the city, or out in the rural northern areas of Bahama and Rougemont, without leaving the district. Local public safety employers include the Durham Police Department, Durham County Sheriff's Office, Durham Fire Department and Durham County EMS.
Durham sits in the Research Triangle, and many buyers here are two-income households. Keep the $158,000 income limit for the NC Home Advantage Mortgage in mind, since it doesn't rise with family size.
Parts of Durham may fall in targeted census tracts, where the first-time-buyer rule for the $15,000 option is waived. A participating lender can check any address you're considering.
Step 2: Check the Durham County caps
Income cap, 1 or 2 people
Income cap, 3 or more
Highest price allowed
$129,000
$149,000
$525,000
Durham County follows the statewide $525,000 cap for the $15,000 option. Its family income limit is $129,000 for 1 to 2 people and $149,000 for 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 Durham 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.
Up to 95% of HUD's area maximum sales price for Durham (guidelines Exhibit L; no dollar figure on the page)
Only first-time buyers?
Yes
Other conditions
0% interest, 15-year term, forgiven 1/15 per year while owner-occupied (per guidelines rev. 8/20/2024); at least 8 hours of HUD-approved homebuyer education; $1,000 minimum buyer cash; liquid assets over $25,000 must go toward the purchase; conventional, FHA, VA or jumbo first mortgage (USDA not supported); single-family homes, townhomes, condos and affixed manufactured homes; no subsidy-layering restriction. Contact 919-560-4570.
First-come, first-served 'until the $3.2 million in funding is depleted.' Lender list dated May 8, 2026. Guidelines: https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/63161/DPA-Program-Policy-and-Underwriting-Guidelines
Step 4: Book your homebuyer class near Durham 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 Durham County, with the services, languages and meeting formats each one lists.
Counseling agency
Town
Miles
Services
Spoken in
Format
Centre for Home Ownership & Economic Development Corporation
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 Durham County
Some of the larger schools and public safety agencies here:
