See programs you qualify for

By Tyler Thompson · Licensed Real Estate Agent · Updated April 28, 2026

Homebuyer Programs in Bothell, WA (2026)

Population: 50,213 | Median home price: $970,000 | Est. closing costs: $19,500 - $29,000

Bothell is a North King and South Snohomish County city of about 50,213 residents, home to the University of Washington Bothell campus, with a median home price near $970,000. Because Bothell straddles two counties, buyers here can pull from program pools in both: the ARCH East King County Down Payment Assistance Loan provides up to $30,000 for the King County side, the ARCH Affordable Homeownership Program offers below-market resale-restricted homes typically tens of thousands below market, and the Snohomish County Down Payment Assistance Program provides up to $50,000 for the Snohomish portion. The Washington State Housing Finance Commission stacks on top with Home Advantage DPA up to 5% of the loan, Veterans DPA up to $10,000, HomeChoice up to $15,000 for buyers with disabilities, and the Covenant Homeownership Program up to $150,000. Habitat for Humanity Snohomish County and Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King and Kittitas Counties both serve Bothell families at 30%-80% AMI, the King County Housing Authority Homeownership Voucher Program lets eligible Section 8 households apply their voucher toward a mortgage, and credit union grants from BECU (up to $8,000) and WSECU (up to $10,000) reduce closing-day costs.

City Programs in Bothell

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
ARCH Affordable Homeownership Program	Grant	Below-market home purchase; subsidy value varies by property (typically tens of thousands to $100,000+ off comparable market-rate homes).	Yes	View →
ARCH East King County Down Payment Assistance Loan	Deferred Loan	Up to $30,000	No	View →

ARCH Affordable Homeownership Program

Type:: Grant
Amount:: Below-market home purchase; subsidy value varies by property (typically tens of thousands to $100,000+ off comparable market-rate homes).
First-time only:: Yes

ARCH East King County Down Payment Assistance Loan

Type:: Deferred Loan
Amount:: Up to $30,000
First-time only:: No

County Programs in King County / Snohomish County

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
King County Housing Authority Homeownership Voucher Program	Government-Guaranteed Mortgage	Monthly Housing Choice Voucher subsidy applied to mortgage payment in place of rent.	Yes	View →
Snohomish County Down Payment Assistance Program	Deferred Loan	Up to $50,000	Yes	View →

King County Housing Authority Homeownership Voucher Program

Type:: Government-Guaranteed Mortgage
Amount:: Monthly Housing Choice Voucher subsidy applied to mortgage payment in place of rent.
First-time only:: Yes

Snohomish County Down Payment Assistance Program

Type:: Deferred Loan
Amount:: Up to $50,000
First-time only:: Yes

State Programs in Washington

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
Covenant Homeownership Program	Forgivable Loan	Up to 20% of the purchase price (or appraised value, if lower), capped at $150,000, plus buyer-paid closing costs	Yes	View →
Home Advantage DPA	Deferred Loan	Up to 5% of the first mortgage loan amount	No	View →
Home Advantage Needs-Based DPA	Deferred Loan	Up to $10,000	No	View →
HomeChoice Down Payment Assistance	Deferred Loan	Up to $15,000	Yes	View →
Opportunity Down Payment Assistance	Deferred Loan	Up to $15,000	Yes	View →
Veterans Down Payment Assistance	Repayable Loan	Up to $10,000	Yes	View →

Covenant Homeownership Program

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Up to 20% of the purchase price (or appraised value, if lower), capped at $150,000, plus buyer-paid closing costs
First-time only:: Yes

Home Advantage DPA

Type:: Deferred Loan
Amount:: Up to 5% of the first mortgage loan amount
First-time only:: No

Home Advantage Needs-Based DPA

Type:: Deferred Loan
Amount:: Up to $10,000
First-time only:: No

HomeChoice Down Payment Assistance

Type:: Deferred Loan
Amount:: Up to $15,000
First-time only:: Yes

Opportunity Down Payment Assistance

Type:: Deferred Loan
Amount:: Up to $15,000
First-time only:: Yes

Veterans Down Payment Assistance

Type:: Repayable Loan
Amount:: Up to $10,000
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
BECU First-Time Homebuyer Grant	Grant	Up to $8,000 (the lesser of 3% of purchase price, 3% of appraised value, or $8,000)	Yes	View →
Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King and Kittitas Counties Homeownership Program	Zero-Interest Loan	Below-market home sale with zero percent interest mortgage	Yes	View →
Habitat for Humanity Snohomish County Homeownership Program	Zero-Interest Loan	Below-market home sale with zero-percent or low-interest affordable mortgage. Effective subsidy typically tens of thousands of dollars.	Yes	View →
WSECU Welcome Home Grant	Grant	Up to 5% of the home sale price, not to exceed $10,000	Yes	View →

BECU First-Time Homebuyer Grant

Type:: Grant
Amount:: Up to $8,000 (the lesser of 3% of purchase price, 3% of appraised value, or $8,000)
First-time only:: Yes

Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King and Kittitas Counties Homeownership Program

Type:: Zero-Interest Loan
Amount:: Below-market home sale with zero percent interest mortgage
First-time only:: Yes

Habitat for Humanity Snohomish County Homeownership Program

Type:: Zero-Interest Loan
Amount:: Below-market home sale with zero-percent or low-interest affordable mortgage. Effective subsidy typically tens of thousands of dollars.
First-time only:: Yes

WSECU Welcome Home Grant

Type:: Grant
Amount:: Up to 5% of the home sale price, not to exceed $10,000
First-time only:: Yes

Free eligibility check

21 programs available in Bothell. See which ones you qualify for.

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How to Apply

Step 1: Identify which side of Bothell your home is on. King County addresses qualify for ARCH and KCHA programs; Snohomish County addresses qualify for the Snohomish County DPA and Habitat Snohomish. Your title commitment will confirm the county.

Step 2: Confirm income eligibility. Most local programs require household income at or below 80% of King or Snohomish County AMI (roughly $147,400 for a four-person household in either county for 2026).

Step 3: Complete homebuyer education. The Washington Homeownership Resource Center, ARCH, and Habitat all offer HUD-approved courses. Most state and credit union programs require a certificate.

Step 4: Contact a local nonprofit. For ARCH homes and DPA, visit archhousing.org. For Habitat homeownership, contact Habitat Seattle-King and Kittitas Counties at habitatskc.org or Habitat Snohomish County at homeownerservices@habitatsnohomish.org or 425-405-7765. For Section 8 voucher homeownership, call King County Housing Authority at (206) 574-1100.

Step 5: Get pre-approved through a participating WSHFC lender. The Washington State Housing Finance Commission has a network of lenders trained on Home Advantage, HomeChoice, Opportunity, Veterans DPA, ARCH, and Covenant Homeownership programs. Call the Washington Homeownership Hotline at 1-877-894-4663 to find one. WSECU and BECU both originate WSHFC loans alongside their own grants.

Step 6: Find a home within program price limits. WSHFC and ARCH sales price limits in King County align with the conventional loan limit (well above $700,000 for 2026). Habitat homes are pre-priced below market and inventory is limited.

Step 7: Submit your loan and DPA application. State DPA and ARCH DPA are processed alongside your mortgage application. Habitat applications follow their own intake cycles, so plan ahead.

Step 8: Close on your home. WSHFC and ARCH DPA loans record as deferred second mortgages. Credit union grants apply as a credit on your closing disclosure.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Buyers can stack significant assistance. From the state, Home Advantage DPA provides up to 5% of the first mortgage, HomeChoice adds up to $15,000, Veterans DPA adds up to $10,000, Opportunity DPA adds up to $15,000, and Covenant Homeownership can provide up to $150,000 for eligible buyers. Locally, the ARCH East King County DPA adds up to $30,000 (King County side) and the Snohomish County DPA adds up to $50,000 (Snohomish County side). Credit unions add up to $10,000 (WSECU) or $8,000 (BECU). Total stacked assistance can exceed $80,000-$100,000 in many cases.

Bothell is in two counties. Which programs apply?+

Programs follow the property location, not the buyer. If your home is on the King County side, you qualify for ARCH East King County DPA, the ARCH Affordable Homeownership Program, the King County Housing Authority Homeownership Voucher, and Habitat Seattle-King and Kittitas. If your home is on the Snohomish County side, you qualify for the Snohomish County Down Payment Assistance Program and Habitat Snohomish County. WSHFC state programs, BECU, and WSECU apply to both sides.

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

Most programs require it. ARCH DPA, WSHFC Home Advantage, BECU and WSECU grants, Snohomish County DPA, and Habitat all require no homeownership in the past three years. The Covenant Homeownership Program waives the first-time buyer requirement for eligible historically excluded buyers, and the Veterans DPA does not require it for active and former service members.

What is the maximum home price?+

ARCH and WSHFC sales price limits in King and Snohomish counties typically align with the conventional loan limit (above $700,000 for 2026). Snohomish County DPA and Habitat homes are priced well below the Bothell median of $970,000. Verify current limits with your lender before making an offer, since program caps update annually.

What homebuyer education is required?+

Most state and nonprofit programs require a HUD-approved homebuyer education course plus a one-on-one pre-purchase counseling session. The Washington Homeownership Resource Center, Habitat, and ARCH all offer qualifying classes. Plan for 5 to 8 hours of coursework.

What is the ARCH Affordable Homeownership Program?+

ARCH manages an inventory of 900-plus resale-restricted homes created through inclusionary housing policies in East King County cities, including Bothell. These homes sell at prices well below comparable market-rate homes (often $100,000+ off) and stay affordable through resale restrictions. Income generally must be at or below 80% King County AMI. Inventory turns over as current owners sell, so check archhousing.org regularly.