See programs you qualify for

By Tyler Thompson · Licensed Real Estate Agent · Updated April 15, 2026

Homebuyer Programs in Bartlett, IL (2026)

Population: 39,992 | Median home price: $420,000 | Est. closing costs: $8,500 - $12,500

Bartlett is a northwest Chicago suburb of roughly 40,000 residents that straddles three counties — primarily Cook and DuPage, with a small portion extending into Kane. Home prices are solidly suburban — around a $420,000 median — so most buyers here need meaningful down payment assistance to close. Which county portion of Bartlett you buy in matters: Cook County residents can tap the Cook County Down Payment Assistance Program, which offers up to $25,000 (5% of sale price) as a forgivable second loan. DuPage County buyers can use the DuPage Homestead Program through H.O.M.E. DuPage, pairing a reduced-interest first mortgage with an interest-free second. Kane County residents may qualify for the Kane-Elgin HOME Consortium First-Time Homebuyer Program. Statewide IHDA programs layer on top — IHDA Access Forgivable (4% up to $6,000), IHDA Access Repayable (10% up to $10,000 zero-interest), IHDA SmartBuy (student loan payoff), and the Mortgage Credit Certificate (25% federal tax credit on mortgage interest). Stacking county DPA with IHDA assistance is the most common path to making a Bartlett purchase affordable.

County Programs in Cook, DuPage, and Kane Counties

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
Cook County Down Payment Assistance Program	Forgivable Loan	—	No	View →
Kane-Elgin HOME Consortium First-Time Homebuyer Program	Deferred Loan	—	Yes	View →

Cook County Down Payment Assistance Program

Type:: Forgivable Loan
First-time only:: No

Kane-Elgin HOME Consortium First-Time Homebuyer Program

Type:: Deferred Loan
First-time only:: Yes

State Programs in Illinois

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
FHLBank Chicago Downpayment Plus (DPP)	Grant	Up to $10,000 forgivable grant (lesser of $10,000 or 25% of the first mortgage amount)	No	View →
IHDA Access Deferred	Deferred Loan	—	Yes	View →
IHDA Access Forgivable	Forgivable Loan	—	Yes	View →
IHDA Access Repayable	Zero-Interest Loan	—	Yes	View →
IHDA Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)	Tax Credit	—	Yes	View →
IHDA SmartBuy	Forgivable Loan	—	Yes	View →
IHDAccess Home	Deferred Loan	—	Yes	View →
Opening Doors / Abriendo Puertas	Forgivable Loan	—	Yes	View →

FHLBank Chicago Downpayment Plus (DPP)

Type:: Grant
Amount:: Up to $10,000 forgivable grant (lesser of $10,000 or 25% of the first mortgage amount)
First-time only:: No

IHDA Access Deferred

Type:: Deferred Loan
First-time only:: Yes

IHDA Access Forgivable

Type:: Forgivable Loan
First-time only:: Yes

IHDA Access Repayable

Type:: Zero-Interest Loan
First-time only:: Yes

IHDA Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)

Type:: Tax Credit
First-time only:: Yes

IHDA SmartBuy

Type:: Forgivable Loan
First-time only:: Yes

IHDAccess Home

Type:: Deferred Loan
First-time only:: Yes

Opening Doors / Abriendo Puertas

Type:: Forgivable Loan
First-time only:: Yes

Federal Programs

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
FHA Loans	Government-Insured Mortgage	Up to FHA county loan limits ($541,287 floor to $1,249,125 ceiling for single-family in 2026)	No	View →
Good Neighbor Next Door (HUD)	Government Property Sale Program	50% discount off the list price of HUD-owned homes	Yes	View →
Home Possible Mortgage (Freddie Mac)	Government-Guaranteed Mortgage	Up to conforming loan limits ($832,750 standard / $1,249,125 high-cost in 2026); 3% minimum down payment	No	View →
HomeReady Mortgage (Fannie Mae)	Government-Guaranteed Mortgage	Up to conforming loan limits ($832,750 standard / $1,249,125 high-cost in 2026); 3% minimum down payment	No	View →
HUD $100 Down Program	FHA-Financed HUD REO Purchase	Only $100 down payment required (vs. standard 3.5% FHA down payment). HUD may also pay up to 3% of buyer's closing costs.	No	View →
USDA Rural Development Loans	Government-Guaranteed Mortgage	100% financing (no down payment required); loan amount up to appraised value	No	View →
VA Loans	Government-Guaranteed Mortgage	No loan limit for veterans with full entitlement (0% down at any price); partial entitlement subject to conforming limits ($832,750 standard in 2026)	No	View →

FHA Loans

Type:: Government-Insured Mortgage
Amount:: Up to FHA county loan limits ($541,287 floor to $1,249,125 ceiling for single-family in 2026)
First-time only:: No

Good Neighbor Next Door (HUD)

Type:: Government Property Sale Program
Amount:: 50% discount off the list price of HUD-owned homes
First-time only:: Yes

Home Possible Mortgage (Freddie Mac)

Type:: Government-Guaranteed Mortgage
Amount:: Up to conforming loan limits ($832,750 standard / $1,249,125 high-cost in 2026); 3% minimum down payment
First-time only:: No

HomeReady Mortgage (Fannie Mae)

Type:: Government-Guaranteed Mortgage
Amount:: Up to conforming loan limits ($832,750 standard / $1,249,125 high-cost in 2026); 3% minimum down payment
First-time only:: No

HUD $100 Down Program

Type:: FHA-Financed HUD REO Purchase
Amount:: Only $100 down payment required (vs. standard 3.5% FHA down payment). HUD may also pay up to 3% of buyer's closing costs.
First-time only:: No

USDA Rural Development Loans

Type:: Government-Guaranteed Mortgage
Amount:: 100% financing (no down payment required); loan amount up to appraised value
First-time only:: No

VA Loans

Type:: Government-Guaranteed Mortgage
Amount:: No loan limit for veterans with full entitlement (0% down at any price); partial entitlement subject to conforming limits ($832,750 standard in 2026)
First-time only:: No

Nonprofit Programs

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
DuPage and Chicago South Suburbs Habitat for Humanity	Zero-Interest Loan	Below-market home with 0% interest Habitat mortgage	No	View →
DuPage Homestead Program	Silent Second Mortgage	Reduced-interest first mortgage plus an interest-free second mortgage	Yes	View →
HOME DuPage Housing Counseling	Grant	HUD-approved pre-purchase counseling, homebuyer education, financial coaching, and foreclosure prevention	No	View →

DuPage and Chicago South Suburbs Habitat for Humanity

Type:: Zero-Interest Loan
Amount:: Below-market home with 0% interest Habitat mortgage
First-time only:: No

DuPage Homestead Program

Type:: Silent Second Mortgage
Amount:: Reduced-interest first mortgage plus an interest-free second mortgage
First-time only:: Yes

HOME DuPage Housing Counseling

Type:: Grant
Amount:: HUD-approved pre-purchase counseling, homebuyer education, financial coaching, and foreclosure prevention
First-time only:: No

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How to Apply

Step 1: Confirm which county your target home is in. Bartlett spans Cook, DuPage, and Kane — county lines run through the village, and eligibility for county DPA depends on where the property physically sits. Your real estate agent or the village assessor can confirm.

Step 2: Check your eligibility. Cook County DPA uses 120% AMI (approximately $143,880 for a family of four) with a 620 minimum credit score. DuPage and Kane-Elgin programs target low-to-moderate income buyers.

Step 3: Complete HUD-approved homebuyer education. H.O.M.E. DuPage provides HUD-approved pre-purchase counseling and is a required step for the DuPage Homestead Program. Kane County requires HUD-certified homebuyer counseling. Online courses like Framework or eHomeAmerica are accepted by most IHDA lenders.

Step 4: Get pre-approved with a participating lender. For Cook County DPA, work with a Club 720 network lender. For the DuPage Homestead Program, contact H.O.M.E. DuPage. For Kane County, apply through the Kane County Office of Community Reinvestment. IHDA maintains a separate approved lender list at ihda.org.

Step 5: Verify current funding. Cook County DPA has exhausted funding in past cycles — always confirm program status before you make offers dependent on it.

Step 6: Make an offer on a home within program limits. IHDA purchase price caps vary by county but typically exceed Bartlett's $420,000 median.

Step 7: Layer the assistance at closing. Your lender coordinates the county DPA second lien, the IHDA first mortgage, any MCC, and FHLBank Chicago DPP grants so everything closes together.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much down payment assistance can I get in Bartlett?+

Cook County buyers can stack Cook County DPA (up to $25,000) with IHDA Access Forgivable (up to $6,000) and an FHLBank Chicago DPP grant (up to $10,000) — potentially over $40,000 in layered assistance. DuPage County buyers combine the DuPage Homestead Program (reduced-rate first mortgage plus interest-free second) with the same IHDA and FHLBank layers. Kane County buyers qualify for up to $10,000 through the Kane-Elgin HOME Consortium. In all cases, IHDA SmartBuy can add $5,000 DPA plus $40,000 toward student loan payoff for eligible buyers.

Do I have to be a first-time homebuyer?+

Cook County DPA is open to both first-time and repeat buyers. IHDA and Kane-Elgin programs generally require first-time buyer status (no primary residence ownership in the last 3 years), with exceptions for federally designated target areas. DuPage Homestead and Habitat programs have their own eligibility rules — confirm with each administrator.

What is the maximum home price I can buy?+

Cook County DPA does not publish a hard purchase price limit — income limits drive eligibility. IHDA county purchase price caps typically run in the $400,000-$500,000 range across the Chicago metro, at or slightly above Bartlett's $420,000 median. Confirm the current cap with your IHDA-approved lender before making offers.

Which county program applies to my Bartlett home?+

It depends on the property's physical location. Bartlett straddles Cook, DuPage, and Kane County. Check the county assessor's record or your title commitment to confirm. If your home is in Cook County, use Cook County DPA. If in DuPage, look at DuPage Homestead. If in the small Kane County portion, the Kane-Elgin HOME Consortium applies. You cannot mix county DPA programs — you use whichever one your property sits in.

What homebuyer education is required?+

Cook County DPA requires homebuyer education through a program-approved provider. DuPage Homestead specifically requires H.O.M.E. DuPage pre-purchase counseling. Kane-Elgin requires HUD-certified homebuyer counseling. IHDA-backed loans require HUD-approved education; online options like eHomeAmerica or Framework satisfy the requirement for most lenders.

How long do I have to stay in the home?+

Cook County DPA is forgiven over a 5-year term — leaving or refinancing early may trigger repayment of the unforgiven portion. IHDA Access Forgivable is forgiven at 10 years. DuPage Homestead's interest-free second has its own repayment/retention rules set by H.O.M.E. DuPage. Kane-Elgin's zero-interest deferred loan is repaid when you sell, transfer title, or the home stops being your primary residence.

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