Georgia Dream Peach Plus Program

On a $450,000 home in Marietta, the city's median price, an FHA buyer needs a 3.5% down payment of $15,750. Peach Plus pays 3.5% of the price but stops at $10,000, so the standard award is $10,000 and the buyer covers the remaining $5,750. A teacher, nurse or police officer who qualifies for PEN receives 4%, capped at $12,500, cutting the buyer's share of the down payment to $3,250. Neither second mortgage carries a monthly payment.

Estimated closing costs in Marietta run $9,000 to $13,500. Without other help, a standard Peach Plus buyer brings $14,750 to $19,250 to closing, including the $5,750 down payment balance. DCA follows FHA's interested-party rules for seller credits, so a negotiated seller contribution toward closing costs can shrink that figure. Whatever the seller pays, the buyer must still put in at least $1,000 of personal funds.

A Marietta household earning 80.01% to 120% of area median income may also qualify for FHLBank Atlanta's Workforce Housing Plus+, worth up to $15,000 through a participating member bank with 2026 funds left. Combined with the $10,000 Peach Plus loan, that is $25,000 against roughly $24,750 to $29,250 in down payment and closing costs. Any lien from the grant must sit behind DCA's, and no cash back is allowed.

Peach Plus allows other public and private down payment and closing cost programs, as long as any lien they carry sits behind DCA's second mortgage. FHLBank Atlanta offers Workforce Housing Plus+ (up to $15,000 for households at 80.01% to 120% of AMI), the First-time Homebuyer product (up to $17,500 under 80% AMI) and Community Partners (up to $20,000 for educators, first responders, health care workers and veterans under 80% AMI). Buyers reach those grants through a member bank or credit union.

You cannot apply for or receive benefits from Georgia Dream Standard or another Georgia Dream product while using Peach Plus. Layering subordinate financing needs preapproval from DCA's Georgia Dream compliance manager, except for employer assistance programs. Borrowers cannot receive cash back at closing, and the $1,000 minimum contribution still applies with stacked help. Peach Plus also excludes conventional and USDA loans. Call 800-359-4663 or DCA at 404-679-4840 to confirm a layered plan.

Seller concessions within FHA or VA interested-party limits can cover closing costs, because the Peach Plus matrix defers to the mortgage insurer's rules. VA buyers can finance up to 100% of the price, leaving closing costs as the main cash need. Gift funds are allowed, but gifts over $5,000 count toward the $20,000 or 20% liquid asset cap. Employer homebuyer assistance skips the separate DCA preapproval step.

Peach Plus is DCA's highest-limit Georgia Dream option for FHA and VA buyers. Income limits reach $237,282 for a three-person household in metro Atlanta, 50% above Georgia Dream Standard's $158,188, and the $725,000 metro price cap beats Standard's $625,000. Repeat buyers qualify without Standard's three-year rule. The second mortgage costs nothing while you live in the home: 0% interest, no monthly payment and no prepayment penalty. PEN and CHOICE households get 4% up to $12,500, and DCA, not the lender, sets the first mortgage rate.

The biggest limitation is the smaller percentage. Peach Plus pays 3.5% versus Standard's 5%, so any home priced under $285,714 gets less than the full $10,000. The loan is never forgiven and is due in full on sale or refinance, which reduces your proceeds at exit. Only FHA and VA first mortgages qualify, and owning any other home, including a rental, disqualifies you. Buyers who meet first-time rules should compare Georgia Dream Standard, and conventional borrowers should look at Georgia Dream Peach Advantage, which allows incomes up to 150% of AMI.