See programs you qualify for

By Tyler Thompson · Licensed Real Estate Agent · Updated April 4, 2026

Homebuyer Programs in Barnstable, MA (2026)

Population: 49,709 | Median home price: $780,000 | Est. closing costs: $15,500 - $23,500

Barnstable is the largest town on Cape Cod and the county seat of Barnstable County, encompassing the villages of Hyannis, Centerville, Osterville, and several others. With a median home price around $780,000, Cape Cod's housing market presents real affordability challenges, but Barnstable buyers have access to an unusually strong set of assistance programs. As a designated Gateway City and MassDREAMS community, eligible first-time buyers can receive up to $50,000 in grant funding through MassDREAMS, up to $30,000 in deferred down payment assistance through MassHousing, and affordable fixed-rate financing with no PMI through the ONE Mortgage Program. Locally, the Hyannis Homebuyer Assistance Program (HHAP) offers up to $75,000 as an interest-free deferred loan, while the Barnstable County HOME Loan Program provides up to $20,000 in zero-interest assistance. The MAHA STASH First-Gen Home Program (up to $20,000) and Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod round out the options. By stacking multiple programs, qualified Barnstable buyers could potentially access substantial combined assistance to help bridge the affordability gap on Cape Cod.

City Programs in Barnstable

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
Hyannis Homebuyer Assistance Program (HHAP)	Deferred Loan	Up to $75,000 per loan (two loans available)	Yes	View →

Hyannis Homebuyer Assistance Program (HHAP)

Type:: Deferred Loan
Amount:: Up to $75,000 per loan (two loans available)
First-time only:: Yes

County Programs in Barnstable County

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
Barnstable County HOME Loan Program	Deferred Loan	Up to $20,000	Yes	View →

Barnstable County HOME Loan Program

Type:: Deferred Loan
Amount:: Up to $20,000
First-time only:: Yes

State Programs in Massachusetts

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
MassDREAMS Down Payment Assistance Grant	Grant	Up to $50,000 for buyers earning up to 100% AMI; up to $35,000 for buyers earning 100-135% AMI	Yes	View →
MassHousing Down Payment Assistance	Deferred Loan	Up to $30,000 (below 60% AMI at 0% deferred); up to $25,000 (60-80% AMI at 2%); up to $25,000 (80-135% AMI at 3%)	Yes	View →
ONE Mortgage Program	Zero-Interest Loan	30-year fixed-rate mortgage with 3% down payment and no PMI; qualified borrowers below 80% AMI receive an additional subsidy to lower monthly payments	Yes	View →

MassDREAMS Down Payment Assistance Grant

Type:: Grant
Amount:: Up to $50,000 for buyers earning up to 100% AMI; up to $35,000 for buyers earning 100-135% AMI
First-time only:: Yes

MassHousing Down Payment Assistance

Type:: Deferred Loan
Amount:: Up to $30,000 (below 60% AMI at 0% deferred); up to $25,000 (60-80% AMI at 2%); up to $25,000 (80-135% AMI at 3%)
First-time only:: Yes

ONE Mortgage Program

Type:: Zero-Interest Loan
Amount:: 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with 3% down payment and no PMI; qualified borrowers below 80% AMI receive an additional subsidy to lower monthly payments
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
Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod Homeownership Program	Zero-Interest Loan	Affordable home purchase at approximately $170,250 with deed-restricted mortgage; monthly payment around $800	Yes	View →
MAHA STASH First-Gen Home Program	Grant	Up to $10,000 grant in Boston; up to $20,000 in other Massachusetts cities	Yes	View →

Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod Homeownership Program

Type:: Zero-Interest Loan
Amount:: Affordable home purchase at approximately $170,250 with deed-restricted mortgage; monthly payment around $800
First-time only:: Yes

MAHA STASH First-Gen Home Program

Type:: Grant
Amount:: Up to $10,000 grant in Boston; up to $20,000 in other Massachusetts cities
First-time only:: Yes

Free eligibility check

14 programs available in Barnstable. See which ones you qualify for.

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How to Apply

Step 1: Check your eligibility. Most programs require you to be a first-time homebuyer (no homeownership in the past 3 years) and meet income limits based on your household size and area median income (AMI). As a Gateway City, Barnstable buyers can earn up to 135% of AMI for several state programs. The HHAP and Barnstable County HOME programs require income below 80% AMI.

Step 2: Complete homebuyer education. Enroll in a first-time homebuyer education course through the Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC), Cape Cod's only HUD-certified housing counseling agency. Contact HAC at (508) 771-5400. Most programs require completion of homebuyer education before you can apply for assistance.

Step 3: Meet with a housing counselor. The Housing Assistance Corporation offers free one-on-one housing counseling including financial literacy, budgeting, and credit counseling. They can help you determine which programs you qualify for and how to stack multiple forms of assistance.

Step 4: Get pre-approved for a mortgage. Work with a MassHousing-approved lender or a ONE Mortgage participating lender to get pre-approved. Cape Cod 5 and the Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod are local lenders experienced with these programs. Your lender can help you apply for MassHousing DPA, MassDREAMS, and the ONE Mortgage Program simultaneously.

Step 5: Apply for the Hyannis Homebuyer Assistance Program. Contact the Town of Barnstable Housing and Community Development department at 508-862-4956. The HHAP provides up to $75,000 as an interest-free deferred loan for properties in the Hyannis area with a maximum purchase price of $325,000.

Step 6: Apply for the Barnstable County HOME Loan Program. Through HAC, apply for up to $20,000 in zero-interest, zero-payment down payment and closing cost assistance. This loan is repaid when the property is sold.

Step 7: Find a home and close. Search for properties that meet program requirements. The HHAP has a $325,000 purchase price limit for Hyannis properties. Your lender will coordinate applying all approved assistance at closing. Typical closing costs in Barnstable range from $15,500 to $23,500.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Barnstable buyers can access significant assistance by stacking multiple programs. MassDREAMS provides up to $50,000 as a grant for buyers earning up to 100% AMI. MassHousing offers up to $30,000 in deferred down payment assistance. The Hyannis Homebuyer Assistance Program provides up to $75,000 as an interest-free deferred loan for Hyannis-area properties. The Barnstable County HOME Loan Program offers up to $20,000 in zero-interest assistance. The MAHA STASH First-Gen Home Program provides up to $20,000 in matched savings grants. The ONE Mortgage Program offers a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with only 3% down and no PMI.

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

Most programs available in Barnstable require first-time buyer status, meaning you have not owned a home in the past three years. The MassDREAMS grant, MassHousing DPA, ONE Mortgage, HHAP, Barnstable County HOME program, and MAHA STASH all require first-time buyer status. Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod also requires no homeownership in the past three years. However, some federal programs like FHA loans are available to repeat buyers.

What is the Hyannis Homebuyer Assistance Program?+

The HHAP is a Town of Barnstable program that offers two interest-free loans of up to $75,000 each to first-time homebuyers purchasing in the Hyannis area. Buyers must earn less than 80% of area median income, complete homebuyer education, contribute at least 1.5% toward the purchase, and buy a home priced at or below $325,000. The loans are issued as second mortgages repaid to the town when the property is sold. Contact the Housing and Community Development department at 508-862-4956 for more information.

What homebuyer education is required?+

Most programs require completion of a HUD-approved homebuyer education course. The Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) is Cape Cod's only HUD-certified housing counseling agency and offers first-time homebuyer workshops. Contact HAC at (508) 771-5400 to register. The MAHA STASH program requires 8 hours of financial literacy and homebuyer education. Complete your education early in the process, as most lenders and assistance programs require a certificate before processing your application.

Are there affordable homeownership options on Cape Cod beyond DPA programs?+

Yes. Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod has built over 150 affordable homes across all 15 Cape Cod towns, with home prices around $170,250 and monthly payments around $800. Applicants must have household income between 45% and 65% of AMI and contribute 240-360 sweat equity hours. Additionally, MassHousing recently provided $10 million for Cornerstone Homes in Hyannis, delivering 46 new condos for moderate-income first-time buyers. Contact Habitat at habitatcapecod.org or HAC at (508) 771-5400 for current opportunities.