See programs you qualify for
Get Matched Free →By Tyler Thompson · Licensed Real Estate Agent · Updated April 24, 2026
Homebuyer Programs in Yakima, WA (2026)
Yakima is the largest city in Central Washington's Yakima Valley and sits about 150 miles southeast of Seattle with a median sale price around $387,000 — well below the Puget Sound average. Yakima buyers have one of the deepest local DPA benches in the state. OIC of Washington offers up to $20,000 (or 20% of purchase price) in deferred DPA after completing housing counseling, Yakima Federal Savings grants up to $15,000 to qualifying first-time buyers through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, and the City of Yakima's Office of Neighborhood Development Services runs its own First Time Homeownership Program using CDBG and HOME funds for buyers inside city limits. Statewide, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission layers on Home Advantage DPA (up to 5% of the mortgage) plus HomeChoice, Opportunity, or Veterans second mortgages worth $10,000 to $15,000. Yakima Valley Partners Habitat for Humanity provides a sweat-equity path to ownership, and the Yakima Housing Authority Homeownership Voucher lets Section 8 participants convert rental vouchers into mortgage subsidies. With Yakima's relatively low home prices, well-stacked assistance can cover most of the cash needed to close.
City Programs in Yakima
| Program Name | Type | Amount | First-Time Only | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Yakima First Time Homeownership Program | Deferred Loan | Amount not published publicly; funded through federal CDBG and HOME allocations | Yes | View → |
- Type:
- Deferred Loan
- Amount:
- Amount not published publicly; funded through federal CDBG and HOME allocations
- First-time only:
- Yes
County Programs in Yakima County
| Program Name | Type | Amount | First-Time Only | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima Housing Authority Homeownership Voucher Program | Government-Guaranteed Mortgage | Monthly Housing Choice Voucher subsidy applied to mortgage payment in place of rent | Yes | View → |
- Type:
- Government-Guaranteed Mortgage
- Amount:
- Monthly Housing Choice Voucher subsidy applied to mortgage payment in place of rent
- First-time only:
- Yes
State Programs in Washington
| Program Name | Type | Amount | First-Time Only | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covenant Homeownership Program | Forgivable Loan | Up to $150,000 (20% down plus 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 → |
- Type:
- Forgivable Loan
- Amount:
- Up to $150,000 (20% down plus closing costs)
- First-time only:
- Yes
- Type:
- Deferred Loan
- Amount:
- Up to 5% of the first mortgage loan amount
- First-time only:
- No
- Type:
- Deferred Loan
- Amount:
- Up to $10,000
- First-time only:
- No
- Type:
- Deferred Loan
- Amount:
- Up to $15,000
- First-time only:
- Yes
- Type:
- Deferred Loan
- Amount:
- Up to $15,000
- First-time only:
- Yes
- 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 → |
| 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 → |
- 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
Nonprofit Programs
| Program Name | Type | Amount | First-Time Only | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OIC of Washington Down Payment Assistance | Deferred Loan | Up to $20,000 or 20% of the home's price, whichever is lower | Yes | View → |
| Yakima Federal Savings First-Time Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance | Grant | Up to $15,000 | Yes | View → |
| Yakima Valley Partners Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program | Zero-Interest Loan | Below-market home sale paired with an affordable 0% interest mortgage | Yes | View → |
- Type:
- Deferred Loan
- Amount:
- Up to $20,000 or 20% of the home's price, whichever is lower
- First-time only:
- Yes
- Type:
- Grant
- Amount:
- Up to $15,000
- First-time only:
- Yes
- Type:
- Zero-Interest Loan
- Amount:
- Below-market home sale paired with an affordable 0% interest mortgage
- First-time only:
- Yes
How to Apply
Check your eligibility. Most Yakima programs target households at or below 80% of Yakima County area median income, though Yakima Valley Habitat caps around 60% AMI and Yakima Federal and OIC have their own thresholds. Your housing counselor will map your specific numbers.
Complete homebuyer education. OIC of Washington runs first-time homebuyer classes that also qualify applicants for the OIC DPA. The Washington State Housing Finance Commission provides free online or in-person education that satisfies its requirements for Home Advantage, HomeChoice, Opportunity, and Covenant programs. Yakima Federal requires attendance at its own first-time homebuyer class.
Contact a local housing partner. Start with OIC (509-731-5332) for one-on-one counseling and the $20,000 DPA, or with the City of Yakima ONDS (509-575-6101) for the First Time Homeownership Program. Yakima Valley Partners Habitat for Humanity (yakimahabitat.org) handles sweat-equity homeownership applications.
Get pre-approved with a participating lender. For WSHFC programs, you must use a participating lender. Yakima Federal Savings, Solarity Credit Union, and other local lenders commonly layer state and local DPA. If you are pursuing Yakima Federal's $15,000 grant, Yakima Federal must originate the first mortgage.
Find a home within program limits. WSHFC Home Advantage and Opportunity purchase price limits for Yakima County update annually — confirm current limits with your lender. Yakima's $387,000 median price is comfortably below most program ceilings.
Submit your application. Your lender submits WSHFC DPA alongside your first mortgage. Local programs like OIC or ONDS underwrite separately; allow extra time when layering multiple sources.
Close on your home. DPA funds are applied at closing to cover down payment and closing costs according to each program's rules.