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Get Matched Free →Homebuyer Programs in La Porte, TX (2026)
La Porte is a waterfront community along Galveston Bay in southeast Harris County, Texas, with a median home price around $289,000. First-time buyers in La Porte can access up to $23,800 through the Harris County Down Payment Assistance Program (DAP), which covers down payment, closing costs, and pre-paids. State programs like My First Texas Home and the Home Sweet Texas Home Loan Program each offer up to 5% of the loan amount in additional assistance. Bay Area Habitat for Humanity also serves La Porte with affordable homeownership opportunities featuring zero-interest mortgages. By combining county and state programs, buyers in La Porte can significantly reduce their upfront costs.
Top Homebuyer Programs in La Porte
| Program Name | Type | Amount | First-Time Only | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris County Community Land Trust Homeownership Program | Silent Second Mortgage | Reduced purchase price (buyer purchases home only, not land) | No | View → |
| Harris County Down Payment Assistance Program (DAP) | Forgivable Loan | Up to $23,800 | Yes | View → |
| 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 → |
| 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+ | Forgivable Loan | Up to $15,000 in home purchase assistance for down payment and closing costs | 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 → |
| Bay Area Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program | Zero-Interest Loan | Affordable home purchase with zero-interest mortgage | No | View → |
| Home Sweet Texas Home Loan Program | Grant | Up to 5% of the total loan amount | No | View → |
| Homes for Texas Heroes Program | Grant | Up to 5% of the loan amount (between 3% and 5%) | No | View → |
| My First Texas Home | Forgivable Loan | Up to 5% of the first lien mortgage amount | Yes | View → |
| SETH 5 Star Texas Advantage Program | Forgivable Loan | Up to 5% of the loan amount | No | View → |
- Type:
- Silent Second Mortgage
- Amount:
- Reduced purchase price (buyer purchases home only, not land)
- First-time only:
- No
- Type:
- Forgivable Loan
- Amount:
- Up to $23,800
- First-time only:
- Yes
- 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
- Type:
- Forgivable Loan
- Amount:
- Up to $20,000 in home purchase assistance for down payment and closing costs
- First-time only:
- No
- Type:
- Forgivable Loan
- Amount:
- Up to $17,500 in home purchase assistance for down payment and closing costs
- First-time only:
- Yes
- Type:
- Forgivable Loan
- Amount:
- Up to $15,000 in home purchase assistance for down payment and closing costs
- First-time only:
- No
- Type:
- Government Property Sale Program
- Amount:
- 50% discount off the list price of HUD-owned homes
- First-time only:
- Yes
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Type:
- Government-Guaranteed Mortgage
- Amount:
- 100% financing (no down payment required); loan amount up to appraised value
- First-time only:
- No
- 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
- Type:
- Zero-Interest Loan
- Amount:
- Affordable home purchase with zero-interest mortgage
- First-time only:
- No
- Type:
- Grant
- Amount:
- Up to 5% of the total loan amount
- First-time only:
- No
- Type:
- Grant
- Amount:
- Up to 5% of the loan amount (between 3% and 5%)
- First-time only:
- No
- Type:
- Forgivable Loan
- Amount:
- Up to 5% of the first lien mortgage amount
- First-time only:
- Yes
- Type:
- Forgivable Loan
- Amount:
- Up to 5% of the loan amount
- First-time only:
- No
How to Apply
- Step 1:
Check your eligibility. Harris County DAP requires household income at or below 80% of the area median income and a minimum credit score of 580. You must not have owned a home in the past three years.
- Step 2:
Complete homebuyer education. Harris County DAP requires an 8-hour HUD-approved homebuyer education course before applying. Contact Avenue, a Houston-area HUD-approved counseling agency, at (713) 864-8099 to register.
- Step 3:
Get pre-approved with a participating lender. Contact a Harris County CSD participating mortgage lender who can pre-approve you and help you apply for the DAP program simultaneously.
- Step 4:
Apply for state programs. Ask your lender about My First Texas Home or Home Sweet Texas Home Loan Program, which provide up to 5% of the loan amount in down payment assistance.
- Step 5:
Find a home within program limits. Your home must be located in Harris County and meet the purchase price requirements of whichever programs you're using.
- Step 6:
Submit your full application. Your lender will package your DAP and mortgage applications together. Expect the approval process to take 30 to 60 days.