See programs you qualify for

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

Homebuyer Programs in Plymouth, MN (2026)

Population: 79,220 | Median home price: $447,000 | Est. closing costs: $9,000 - $13,500

Plymouth is the largest of the affluent western Twin Cities suburbs and one of the highest-income cities in Minnesota, sitting in northwest Hennepin County roughly 14 miles from downtown Minneapolis. The median home value in Plymouth is around $447,000, which puts it well above the metro average and means buyers usually need every dollar of assistance they can get. The Plymouth HRA's First-Time Homebuyer Program offers a zero-interest deferred loan up to $25,000 (with component caps for down payment, closing costs, and principal reduction) for households at or below 80% AMI. Hennepin County's HRA Homebuyer Assistance Program adds up to $30,000 forgivable for the lowest income tier when funding is available, and Minnesota Housing layers on first mortgages and $11,500-$18,000 in DPA via the Deferred Payment Loan, Monthly Payment Loan, and First-Generation Homebuyer Loan. NeighborWorks Home Partners offers metro-wide options too: Community Keys Plus Impact (up to $25,000) and Welcome Home (up to $50,000). Stacking city, county, state, and nonprofit assistance, qualified Plymouth buyers can sometimes pull together more than $50,000 in combined help.

City Programs in Plymouth

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
Plymouth First-Time Homebuyer Program	Deferred Loan	Up to $25,000 in zero-interest deferred loan; combined cap up to $35,000 across down payment, closing costs, and principal reduction components	Yes	View →

Plymouth First-Time Homebuyer Program

Type:: Deferred Loan
Amount:: Up to $25,000 in zero-interest deferred loan; combined cap up to $35,000 across down payment, closing costs, and principal reduction components
First-time only:: Yes

County Programs in Hennepin County

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
Hennepin County HRA Homebuyer Assistance Program	Forgivable Loan	Up to $30,000 for households at or below 60% AMI; up to $20,000 for households at 61-80% AMI	Yes	View →

Hennepin County HRA Homebuyer Assistance Program

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Up to $30,000 for households at or below 60% AMI; up to $20,000 for households at 61-80% AMI
First-time only:: Yes

State Programs in Minnesota

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
Minnesota First-Generation Homebuyer Loan Program	Deferred Loan	—	Yes	View →
Minnesota Housing Deferred Payment Loan	Deferred Loan	—	Yes	View →
Minnesota Housing Monthly Payment Loan	Repayable Loan	—	No	View →
Minnesota Housing Start Up Program	Government-Insured Mortgage	First mortgage with as little as 3% down	Yes	View →
Minnesota Housing Step Up Program	Government-Insured Mortgage	First mortgage; can also be used to refinance	No	View →

Minnesota First-Generation Homebuyer Loan Program

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

Minnesota Housing Deferred Payment Loan

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

Minnesota Housing Monthly Payment Loan

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

Minnesota Housing Start Up Program

Type:: Government-Insured Mortgage
Amount:: First mortgage with as little as 3% down
First-time only:: Yes

Minnesota Housing Step Up Program

Type:: Government-Insured Mortgage
Amount:: First mortgage; can also be used to refinance
First-time only:: No

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
Community Keys Plus Impact Down Payment Assistance	Deferred Loan	—	No	View →
Homes Within Reach Community Land Trust	Deferred Loan	Subsidized purchase price; CLT removes the cost of land from the home price, typically saving tens of thousands per purchase	No	View →
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program	Repayable Loan	Affordable mortgage with monthly payments at or below 30% of household income; option to use TruePath Mortgage on the open market or purchase a Habitat-built or Habitat-renovated home	No	View →
Welcome Home Down Payment Assistance	Forgivable Loan	Varies by household need	Yes	View →

Community Keys Plus Impact Down Payment Assistance

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

Homes Within Reach Community Land Trust

Type:: Deferred Loan
Amount:: Subsidized purchase price; CLT removes the cost of land from the home price, typically saving tens of thousands per purchase
First-time only:: No

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program

Type:: Repayable Loan
Amount:: Affordable mortgage with monthly payments at or below 30% of household income; option to use TruePath Mortgage on the open market or purchase a Habitat-built or Habitat-renovated home
First-time only:: No

Welcome Home Down Payment Assistance

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Varies by household need
First-time only:: Yes

Free eligibility check

18 programs available in Plymouth. See which ones you qualify for.

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How to Apply

Step 1: Check your eligibility. Plymouth's First-Time Homebuyer Program requires household income at or below 80% AMI and that the borrower has not owned a home in the past three years.

Step 2: Complete homebuyer education. A HUD-approved course such as Home Stretch or Framework is required by Plymouth's program and most other Minnesota Housing-related assistance.

Step 3: Contact the Plymouth HRA. Reach out to the Plymouth Housing Division at 763-509-5410 or housing@plymouthmn.gov to request the application packet and the list of participating lenders. Their office is at 3400 Plymouth Boulevard.

Step 4: Get pre-approved with a participating lender. The Plymouth program requires you to use a lender from their approved list and pairs naturally with a Minnesota Housing Start Up first mortgage.

Step 5: Apply for stacked assistance. Buyers at lower income tiers should also apply through NeighborWorks Home Partners (651-292-8710) for Hennepin County HRA assistance, Community Keys Plus Impact, and Welcome Home.

Step 6: Find a home within Plymouth city limits, submit a complete application before making an offer when possible, and close with the HRA loan recorded as a subordinate mortgage. Funding for the Hennepin County countywide program is paused until summer 2026, so confirm timing with NeighborWorks before relying on that piece.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The Plymouth HRA First-Time Homebuyer Program offers up to $25,000 as a zero-interest deferred loan (with component caps of $5,000 toward down payment, $7,500 toward closing costs, and up to 15% of purchase price toward principal reduction). Hennepin County HRA can add up to $30,000 forgivable for buyers at or below 60% AMI when funding is open. Minnesota Housing programs add another $11,500-$18,000 in DPA, and NeighborWorks programs (Community Keys Plus Impact up to $25,000 and Welcome Home up to $50,000) can stack on top. Most qualified buyers in Plymouth can assemble more than $40,000 in combined assistance.

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

Yes, for the Plymouth city program. A first-time homebuyer is defined as someone who has not owned a home in the past three years (with an exception for buyers displaced by divorce). The Hennepin County HRA program and Minnesota Housing Start Up first mortgage also require first-time buyer status. Minnesota Housing's Step Up first mortgage does not require it and is available to repeat buyers and refinances.

What is the maximum income to qualify for Plymouth's program?+

The Plymouth First-Time Homebuyer Program limits household income to 80% AMI or less, adjusted for household size. As of 2026, that translates to roughly $86,000 for a one-person household and $122,000 for a four-person household in the Minneapolis/St. Paul HUD area, but the limits update annually — verify current numbers with the Plymouth HRA before applying.

What homebuyer education is required?+

A HUD-approved course is required for the Plymouth city loan, the Hennepin County HRA program, and most Minnesota Housing assistance. Local providers include NeighborWorks Home Partners (651-292-8710) and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, both of which offer Home Stretch (in person) and Framework (online) courses.

Can I use the Plymouth program with a Minnesota Housing first mortgage?+

Yes — pairing the Plymouth HRA second mortgage with a Minnesota Housing Start Up or Step Up first mortgage is the most common stacking strategy in this market. Minnesota Housing-approved lenders are familiar with both programs and will coordinate the closing so the city loan records as a subordinate lien.