See programs you qualify for

By Tyler Thompson · Licensed Real Estate Agent · Updated March 21, 2026

Homebuyer Programs in Greenville, SC (2026)

Population: 74,000 | Median home price: $330,000 | Est. closing costs: $6,500 - $10,000

Greenville is a fast-growing city in South Carolina's Upstate region with a thriving downtown, strong job market, and a median home price of approximately $330,000. First-time homebuyers in Greenville can access several assistance programs, including the City of Greenville Employee Homebuyer Assistance offering up to $50,000 in forgivable down payment and closing cost assistance for city employees, and the CommunityWorks Greenville County Down Payment Assistance providing up to $20,000 in forgivable loans for buyers in the county. The GCRA Homeownership Program builds affordable homes and offers down payment help, backed by a $2 million county allocation. At the state level, the SC Housing Homebuyer Program provides up to $10,000 in forgivable DPA with Greenville County income limits of $97,300 for 1-2 persons, the Palmetto Home Advantage offers up to 4% of the loan amount for both first-time and repeat buyers, and the Palmetto Heroes Program provides $10,000 for public service professionals and military members. Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County also partners with qualifying families on zero-interest mortgages. By combining local, state, and federal programs, Greenville buyers can stack significant assistance toward homeownership.

City Programs in Greenville

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
City of Greenville Employee Homebuyer Assistance	Forgivable Loan	Up to $50,000 in down payment and/or closing cost assistance	Yes	View →

City of Greenville Employee Homebuyer Assistance

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Up to $50,000 in down payment and/or closing cost assistance
First-time only:: Yes

County Programs in Greenville County

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
GCRA Homeownership Program	Forgivable Loan	Down payment assistance for affordable home purchase. GCRA received $2M county allocation including $1M for workforce housing DPA.	Yes	View →

GCRA Homeownership Program

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Down payment assistance for affordable home purchase. GCRA received $2M county allocation including $1M for workforce housing DPA.
First-time only:: Yes

State Programs in South Carolina

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
FHLBA Community Partners Product	Forgivable Loan	Up to $20,000 in home purchase assistance for down payment and closing costs	No	View →
FHLBA First Time Homebuyer Product	Forgivable Loan	Up to $17,500 in home purchase assistance for down payment and closing costs	Yes	View →
FHLBA Workforce Housing Plus+	Grant	Up to $15,000 in home purchase assistance for down payment and closing costs	No	View →
Palmetto Heroes Program	Forgivable Loan	$10,000 in forgivable down payment assistance	Yes	View →
Palmetto Home Advantage	Forgivable Loan	Up to 4% of the first mortgage loan amount	No	View →
SC Housing Homebuyer Program	Forgivable Loan	Up to $10,000 in forgivable down payment assistance	Yes	View →

FHLBA Community Partners Product

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Up to $20,000 in home purchase assistance for down payment and closing costs
First-time only:: No

FHLBA First Time Homebuyer Product

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Up to $17,500 in home purchase assistance for down payment and closing costs
First-time only:: Yes

FHLBA Workforce Housing Plus+

Type:: Grant
Amount:: Up to $15,000 in home purchase assistance for down payment and closing costs
First-time only:: No

Palmetto Heroes Program

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: $10,000 in forgivable down payment assistance
First-time only:: Yes

Palmetto Home Advantage

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Up to 4% of the first mortgage loan amount
First-time only:: No

SC Housing Homebuyer Program

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Up to $10,000 in forgivable down payment assistance
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
CommunityWorks Greenville County Down Payment Assistance	Forgivable Loan	Up to $20,000 in forgivable down payment and closing cost assistance	Yes	View →
Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County Homeownership	Zero-Interest Loan	Affordable home purchase with zero-interest mortgage	Yes	View →

CommunityWorks Greenville County Down Payment Assistance

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Up to $20,000 in forgivable down payment and closing cost assistance
First-time only:: Yes

Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County Homeownership

Type:: Zero-Interest Loan
Amount:: Affordable home purchase with zero-interest mortgage
First-time only:: Yes

Free eligibility check

17 programs available in Greenville. See which ones you qualify for.

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Are you a first-time homebuyer?

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Question 1 of 6

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How to Apply

Step 1: Check your eligibility. Review income limits for your household size. Most programs require first-time homebuyer status, meaning you have not owned a home in the past three years. The SC Housing Homebuyer Program has Greenville County income limits of $97,300 for 1-2 persons and $111,895 for 3 or more persons, with a $450,000 purchase price limit.

Step 2: Complete homebuyer education. The Greenville County Human Relations Commission offers free homebuyer counseling through the KEY Homeownership Program as a HUD-approved agency. Contact them at 864-467-7095. Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County also offers 25 hours of personal finance and homebuyer classes.

Step 3: Contact a local housing partner. Reach out to CommunityWorks Carolina at 864-235-6331 or hba@cwcarolina.org for the county DPA program (currently on waitlist with funds expected mid-2026). Contact GCRA at (864) 242-9801 for their homeownership program. For Habitat for Humanity, call (864) 370-4787.

Step 4: Get pre-approved for a mortgage. Work with an SC Housing-approved lender to qualify for state programs like Palmetto Home Advantage or the SC Housing Homebuyer Program, which offer below-market interest rates and forgivable DPA.

Step 5: Find a home within program limits. The CommunityWorks county program has a $425,000 purchase price cap and is only for properties outside the City of Greenville limits. The SC Housing Homebuyer Program has a $450,000 purchase price limit.

Step 6: Submit your application and close on your home. Processing times vary by program. The CommunityWorks county program is currently on a waitlist with funds expected mid-2026, so plan ahead and explore state programs that have active funding.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much down payment assistance can I get in Greenville, SC?+

It depends on the programs you qualify for. City of Greenville employees can receive up to $50,000 in forgivable assistance. The CommunityWorks Greenville County program offers up to $20,000 in forgivable down payment assistance. The GCRA Homeownership Program provides down payment help through its county-funded workforce housing program. At the state level, the SC Housing Homebuyer Program provides up to $10,000 and the Palmetto Home Advantage offers up to 4% of the loan amount. The Palmetto Heroes Program adds $10,000 for eligible public service professionals and military. Federal programs like FHA loans require as little as 3.5% down.

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

Most local programs in Greenville require first-time homebuyer status, which typically means you have not owned a home in the past three years. However, the state-level Palmetto Home Advantage program is available to first-time, move-up, and repeat buyers, not just first-time buyers. FHA and VA loans also do not require first-time buyer status.

What is the maximum home price I can pay?+

The CommunityWorks Greenville County program caps the purchase price at $425,000 for new or existing homes and $195,000 for manufactured homes. The SC Housing Homebuyer Program has a $450,000 purchase price limit for Greenville County. The Palmetto Home Advantage program has no sales price limit.

What homebuyer education is required?+

The Greenville County Human Relations Commission offers free HUD-approved homebuyer counseling and education through the KEY Homeownership Program in English and Spanish. Contact them at 864-467-7095. Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County requires 25 hours of classes covering personal finance, budgeting, mortgages, and home maintenance. Most state and federal programs also require completion of a HUD-approved homebuyer education course.

Is the CommunityWorks county program currently available?+

As of early 2026, the CommunityWorks Greenville County Down Payment Assistance program is on a waitlist. The program now offers up to $20,000 in forgivable assistance, up from the previous $10,000 tier. Funds are expected to become available mid-2026. You can join the waitlist by contacting CommunityWorks at 864-235-6331 or hba@cwcarolina.org.

Are there programs specifically for low-income families?+

Yes. Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County serves families earning under 80% of the Area Median Income, with a focus on families with children. They offer affordable homes with zero-interest mortgages. Applicants must have lived or worked in Greenville or Laurens County for at least one year and complete sweat equity hours. Visit habitatgreenville.org or call (864) 370-4787.