First-time home buyers often face the most significant challenge of accumulating enough money for a down payment. The good news is that you do not need to put down twenty percent to buy a property.

If you were in the military, are a rural home buyer, are a part of a credit union, or are qualified for 100% financing via certain mortgage lenders, you may be eligible to buy a house with no money down. Programs that help with the down payment also make it feasible to buy a house with very little money out of your pocket.

No-Down-Payment Mortgage Options

VA loans

There is a possibility that you or your spouse might be qualified for a loan that the Department of Veterans Affairs guarantees if one of you is a qualifying current military member or veteran.

VA loans do not require borrowers to make a minimum down payment or get private mortgage insurance; instead, borrowers must pay a funding fee, which covers the cost of foreclosure if the borrower defaults on the loan.

The VA does not establish requirements for a minimum credit score or income level, but lenders do. In addition, the property has to serve as your principal home and adhere to the minimal health and safety requirements established by the VA.

USDA loans

USDA loans are mortgages that the United States Department of Agriculture guarantees that provide first-time homebuyers in rural regions with low to moderate incomes the opportunity to purchase a house with no money down.

Although USDA loans don't legally need mortgage insurance, borrowers are obliged to pay a guarantee fee that safeguards the lender if the loan is defaulted on. Although the USDA does not have a required minimum credit score, most lenders need a score of at least 640 to qualify for a loan.

Physician loans

If you work in the medical field, you may be eligible for a physician loan that requires no initial payment. Because of the potentially high medical school debt that borrowers may have, physician loans do not require the borrower to have private mortgage insurance, generally have more flexible proof of employment requirements, and can accommodate higher debt-to-income ratios than other types of loans.

Other 100% mortgages

When it comes to house loans that need no upfront payment, your loans aren't limited to those offered by the government alone. Some mortgage lenders, although not all, provide their own in-house 100 percent financing options for borrowers. Because of the risk involved for the lender, these types of loans are rare. If you fail to make your mortgage payments and your home goes into foreclosure, the lender will lose a significant amount of money.

The mortgage lender may demand that the loan be used to purchase the borrower's principal residence, that the borrower resides in a certain location, or that the borrower has an exceptional credit score. You will be required to become a credit union member if it serves as your mortgage lender.

Low-Down-Payment Mortgage Options

FHA loans

Borrowers with credit scores of 580 or above are eligible for FHA loans, which are insured by the Federal Housing Administration and demand a down payment of as low as 3.5% of the loan's total value. If your score is between 500 and 579, you will be required to make a ten percent deposit.

The borrower and the property must satisfy the FHA's minimal criteria for the borrower to be eligible for an FHA loan. The debt-to-income ratio is another criterion. You will also be required to pay for mortgage insurance via the FHA.

HomeReady and Home Possible loans

Conventional mortgages are geared toward first-time buyers with lower incomes and demand as little as a 3% initial deposit. The HomeReady mortgage program offered by Fannie Mae enables applicants to have a credit score as low as 620. Home Possible loans from Freddie Mac need applicants' credit scores of 660 or above.

Even though you are required to pay private mortgage insurance, you will be able to get rid of the policy once your equity reaches 20% with any of these low-down-payment conventional loans. To be eligible for the loan, at least one of the borrowers has to complete a homebuyer education program, even if they are all first-time buyers of homes.

Good Neighbor Next Door

As a teacher, police officer, or fireman, you may be eligible for assistance from the Good Neighbor Next Door program that allows you to buy as little as $100 down on a property purchase.

Even if you work in an occupation that makes you eligible for a Good Neighbor Next Door mortgage, you may only use it to buy repossessed properties in neighborhoods designated for redevelopment. Because there are a limited number of homes available, you must commit to occupying the house as your principal residence for at least three years.