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About the NDHFA HomeAccess Program
The NDHFA HomeAccess Program gives North Dakota buyers who have already owned a home the same below-market, 30-year mortgage rate that first-time buyers get through FirstHome. The North Dakota Housing Finance Agency offers it through participating lenders, then buys and services the loans itself. On October 14, 2026, the rate was 6.200% on FHA, VA and USDA loans and 6.450% on conventional loans, about 0.9 points below NDHFA's own ND Roots rate.
To qualify for HomeAccess, your household must fit one of four groups. The first is a single parent with at least one dependent child living in the home 50% of the time. The others are a veteran or veteran's spouse discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, or a borrower, spouse or dependent who is permanently disabled or age 65 or older. Prior homeownership does not matter. Income limits effective June 15, 2026 are $105,730 for households of one or two and $121,590 for three or more, in every county. The purchase price cap is $500,000 for a single-family home. NDHFA sets no minimum credit score, so your lender's and loan insurer's rules apply. The rule that surprises people: NDHFA counts your spouse's income even when the spouse is not on the loan.
Every HomeAccess loan is a 30-year fixed mortgage, and you must put in at least $500 of your own or gift funds. Closing costs cannot be financed into the loan. Each quoted rate assumes a 1.5% origination fee, or you can skip the fee and take a rate 0.25 points higher. HomeAccess can be paired with DCA or Start, which add a 3% credit. Buyers outside the four groups who have owned before should look at ND Roots, which has no income limit but was priced at 7.100% on government loans.
How much assistance
Eligibility
- Income limits: Effective June 15, 2026, all counties: $105,730 for households of 1-2, $121,590 for 3 or more. DCA add-on uses lower county limits.
- Purchase price limit: $500,000
- First-time buyer required: No
- Geographic restrictions: Property must be located in North Dakota. Borrower must be a single parent with at least one dependent, an honorably discharged veteran (or veteran spouse), or have a borrower/spouse/dependent with a permanent disability.
- Homebuyer education required: No
How to Apply for NDHFA HomeAccess Program
Step 1: Confirm you fit a HomeAccess group
Gather proof of the category that qualifies you. Veterans provide a DD-214 showing a discharge other than dishonorable. A permanent disability is documented with a Social Security Disability Insurance award letter. A household member age 65 or older can use a driver's license or other legal proof of age. Single parents are confirmed through the dependents and ages listed on the loan application and the Affidavit of Buyer.
Step 2: Check income and purchase price limits
Add up the projected gross income for the next 12 months for the borrower, the spouse even if not on the loan, and any co-borrower. Compare it to the limits effective June 15, 2026: $105,730 for one or two people and $121,590 for three or more. The single-family price cap is $500,000. Duplexes go to $640,000, and the full table is at ndhousing.nd.gov/income-and-purchase-price-limits.
Step 3: Take homebuyer education if using DCA
If you plan to add DCA assistance, you must finish a homebuyer education course and receive a certificate dated before closing. NDHFA's partner course through eHome America costs $100, or $31 with the coupon code HOME30, at ehomeamerica.org/ndhfa. Freddie Mac's CreditSmart Homebuyer U and Fannie Mae's HomeView are also accepted. The class is recommended even if you skip DCA.
Step 4: Apply with an NDHFA participating lender
You cannot apply directly to the agency. Find a certified lender at ndhousing.nd.gov/find-participating-lender, then apply for an FHA, VA, USDA or conventional loan. The lender underwrites you first under that loan type's rules, since NDHFA adds no credit score or debt-to-income overlay. Conventional files need a Desktop Underwriter Approve/Eligible or Loan Prospector Accept finding, or NDHFA must grant a manual underwriting waiver.
Step 5: Choose your rate and assistance layer
Your lender reserves the loan on NDHFA's website and picks the layer that fits. HomeAccess alone priced at 6.200% government or 6.450% conventional on October 14, 2026. Adding DCA keeps that rate but uses lower county income limits. Adding Start keeps the higher limits but raises the rate to 6.700% government or 6.950% conventional. Each rate assumes a 1.5% origination fee, or 0.25 points more with no fee.
Step 6: Sign bond documents and close
Your lender uploads a compliance packet, including the Residency and Income Statement and a Recapture Tax Disclosure, and NDHFA issues a Compliance Commitment once you and the home qualify. At closing you sign a notarized Affidavit of Buyer and a Tax-Exempt Financing Rider. The lender funds the loan, and NDHFA then purchases and services it. Questions go to NDHFA at 701-328-8080.
Real Cost Example
A single veteran with one child buys a $295,000 home in Fargo, near the city's median price, with HomeAccess and a 3% down conventional loan. The down payment is $8,850 and the loan is $286,150. At the October 14, 2026 conventional rate of 6.450% with a 1.5% origination fee of $4,292, principal and interest run about $1,799 a month. Taking the no-fee rate of 6.700% instead costs about $1,846 a month.
Estimated closing costs in the Fargo area run $6,000 to $9,000, and NDHFA does not let them be financed into the loan. Choosing the no-fee rate keeps the $4,292 origination fee out of that total. With the $8,850 down payment, the buyer needs roughly $14,850 to $17,850 in cash before assistance. NDHFA requires at least $500 of that to be the buyer's own or gift funds.
Adding DCA brings a credit of 3% of the loan, or $8,584.50, at the same 6.450% rate. A two-person Cass County household qualifies for DCA with income up to $73,750. That cuts cash to close to about $6,266 to $9,266. The same loan under ND Roots at 7.350% would cost about $1,971 a month, so HomeAccess plus DCA is worth roughly $10,650 in year one: $8,585 up front and $172 a month.
Combining With Other Programs
NDHFA HomeAccess can be layered with one of NDHFA's two assistance programs. DCA and Start both provide a credit equal to 3% of the first mortgage, about $8,585 on a $286,150 loan, recorded as a second lien with no separate payment. The lien ends after 96 monthly mortgage payments. DCA keeps the HomeAccess rate but has lower income limits, such as $82,950 for three people in Cass County. Start allows higher incomes at a rate 0.5 points higher.
You can use DCA or Start, not both, and neither can be combined with any other down payment assistance program. Both are limited to one- and two-unit homes. Sell or refinance before the 96th payment and you repay a pro-rated balance, though NDHFA may forgive what thin sale proceeds cannot cover. Call NDHFA at 701-328-8080 to confirm a layer before you sign a purchase agreement.
Once you own the home, the North Dakota Primary Residence Credit offers up to $1,600 toward property taxes, with no income or age limit. The 2026 application window ran January 1 to April 1, so check tax.nd.gov/prc for the next one. NDHFA also allows Fannie Mae HomeReady and Freddie Mac Home Possible as the base loan.
Pros and Cons
HomeAccess is the only NDHFA route to FirstHome pricing for a buyer who has owned a home within the past three years. On October 14, 2026, that meant 6.200% on government loans versus 7.100% under ND Roots, about $170 a month less on a $286,150 loan. The income limits of $105,730 and $121,590 apply statewide, and the $500,000 price cap covers most North Dakota homes. NDHFA adds no credit score or debt-to-income overlay, and DCA can add 3% at no rate increase.
The biggest limitation is the gate. You must be a single parent, a veteran or veteran's spouse, or have a household member who is permanently disabled or 65 or older. The spouse's income counts even if the spouse is off the loan. Closing costs cannot be financed, the term must be 30 years, and land is capped at 10 acres. Buyers outside the four groups should compare ND Roots, which has no income or price limits, or FirstHome if they have not owned a home in three years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be a first-time homebuyer for NDHFA HomeAccess?+−
What are the HomeAccess income limits in 2026?+−
What interest rate does HomeAccess offer?+−
Can veterans use HomeAccess with a VA loan?+−
Is there a minimum credit score for NDHFA HomeAccess?+−
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Program details last verified: October 14, 2026