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Ohio Heroes is open year-round: a discounted OHFA rate plus 3% to 3.5% down payment help.

Ohio down payment assistance directory

A discounted mortgage rate for the people who serve Ohio

Ohio Heroes is a 30-year fixed OHFA loan with a lower rate for teachers, first responders, healthcare workers and veterans. Add down payment assistance of 3% to 3.5% of the price, forgiven after seven years.

By the consumer desk · November 2026 · Sources: program documents, not press releases

Columbus teacher, Cleveland police officer, Cincinnati firefighter and Dayton paramedic standing together on an Ohio neighborhood street — Teachers, police, firefighters, EMTs, nurses and veterans: the jobs Ohio Heroes was written for.

A lower rate on an OHFA first mortgage, plus optional forgivable help with your down payment and closing costs. The exact rate discount is not published; a participating lender quotes it.

Ohio Heroes is a 30-year fixed OHFA mortgage with a discounted interest rate for Ohio teachers, police, firefighters, EMTs, healthcare workers and veterans. You can add optional OHFA Down Payment Assistance of 3% (conventional) or 3.5% (FHA, VA, USDA) of the purchase price, forgiven after seven years. OHFA does not publish the size of the rate discount, so a participating lender quotes it.

Ohio Heroes is only available through OHFA-approved lenders, and the rate discount is quoted by them. A loan officer who offers the program can price it against your other options, add the down payment assistance, and check whether a companion program like Grants for Grads fits you better.

Am I eligible?Match me to programs

Free. Takes about two minutes. We never pull your credit. Rather talk? (800) 555-0100

Who can use it

Start with your job. OHFA keeps the list.

OHFA lists the occupations that qualify for Ohio Heroes. You also need to meet the first-time buyer rule, the income and price limits for your county, and the credit requirements. See every eligible role.

Teachers & school staffPre-K through grade 12 teachers, administrators and counselors.
Police officersPolice officers serving Ohio communities.
Firefighters, EMTs & paramedicsCareer and volunteer firefighters, EMTs and paramedics.
Healthcare workersPhysicians, nurse practitioners, RNs, LPNs and STNAs.
Veterans & militaryVeterans, active duty and reserve members, and surviving spouses.

Check my job

The other rules, one at a time

First-time buyer: No ownership interest in a primary residence in the last three years. Honorably discharged veterans and buyers in federally designated target areas are exempt.
Eligible occupation: A teacher, administrator or counselor, police officer, firefighter, EMT or paramedic, physician, nurse practitioner, nurse, STNA, veteran or service member. See the full list.
Credit score: 640 or higher for conventional, VA and USDA loans. 650 or higher for FHA loans.
Income limit: Set by county and household size (1 to 2 people, or 3 or more). All income of the borrowers who will live in the home counts. See the limits.
Purchase price limit: $566,355 for a single-family home in most of Ohio and $618,475 in the ten Columbus-area counties (non-target areas, as of July 2026).
Homebuyer education: At least one borrower who will live in the home completes OHFA's free online course or a HUD-approved Ohio counseling course before loan commitment.

Where the money comes from

Ways OHFA helps with your purchase

Ohio Heroes rate

A discounted interest rate on OHFA's 30-year fixed first-time homebuyer loan. OHFA does not publish the size of the discount, so a participating lender quotes your rate.

OHFA Down Payment Assistance

3% of the price on a conventional loan or 3.5% on FHA, VA or USDA. Use it for the down payment, closing costs or other pre-closing costs. It is forgiven after seven years.

Grants for Grads

A companion OHFA program for people who earned a degree in the last 18 months. It also pairs a discounted rate with 3% to 3.5% assistance, forgiven after five years if you stay in Ohio.

Mortgage Tax Credit

A federal tax credit on part of your mortgage interest, up to $2,000 a year. A lender can tell you whether it can be added to your Ohio Heroes loan.

The catch

The assistance is not a grant. It is forgiven after seven years. If you sell the home within seven years, you repay all of it. It also can't cover your earnest money deposit.

Do the math

How much down payment help could you get?

OHFA Down Payment Assistance is a percentage of the purchase price, with no fixed dollar cap published. Move the slider to see what 3.5% looks like on homes you are considering.

This estimate uses 3.5% of the purchase price, the rate for FHA, VA and USDA loans. Conventional loans get 3%, so for a conventional loan multiply the price by 0.03 instead. Your price must also be under your county's purchase price limit. The assistance is forgiven after seven years and must be repaid in full if you sell within seven years. It can't be used for your earnest money deposit. A participating lender confirms your real figures.

Toledo firefighter and his daughter with a moving box outside their red-brick colonial with orange maples in Ohio

The loan itself

What you are signing up for

Ohio Heroes is a version of OHFA's first-time homebuyer loan, offered through OHFA-approved banks, credit unions and mortgage companies.

Loan types

FHA, VA, USDA or conventional
30-year fixed rate
Discounted rate quoted by a participating lender
Must be your primary residence

Homes you can buy

Existing single-family homes and conforming condos
Duplexes and homes up to four units
New spec or nearly completed homes and one-unit modular homes
Up to 2 acres inside a municipal corporation, 5 acres outside

Down payment assistance

3% of price on conventional loans
3.5% of price on FHA, VA and USDA loans
Forgiven after seven years
Repay in full if you sell within seven years

How to apply

The order things happen in

1
Check your county's income and purchase price limits and confirm your job is on the Ohio Heroes list. Our eligibility check takes two minutes.
2
Choose an OHFA-approved lender for your county. OHFA lists them on its Find A Lender page, or you can call OHFA at 888-362-6432.
3
Get pre-qualified, find a home and sign a purchase agreement. Then complete the loan application, and the lender reserves your Ohio Heroes loan and any down payment assistance.
4
Finish OHFA's free online homebuyer education after you apply and before commitment approval.
5
Your lender verifies credit, income, assets and the appraisal. Closing usually happens 30 to 45 days after the loan application.

County limits

The caps where you are buying

OHFA sets income and purchase price limits by county. Pick yours to see its numbers and local details.

County	Seat	Income cap, 1–2	Income cap, 3+	Price cap
Franklin	Columbus	$111,500	$128,225	$618,475
Cuyahoga	Cleveland	$105,000	$120,750	$566,355
Hamilton	Cincinnati	$109,900	$126,385	$566,355
Montgomery	Dayton	$103,000	$118,450	$566,355
Summit	Akron	$98,800	$113,620	$566,355
Lucas	Toledo	$98,800	$113,620	$566,355
Butler	Hamilton	$109,900	$126,385	$566,355
Stark	Canton	$98,800	$113,620	$566,355
Lorain	Elyria	$105,000	$120,750	$566,355
Warren	Lebanon	$109,900	$126,385	$566,355
Delaware	Delaware	$111,500	$128,225	$618,475
Lake	Painesville	$105,000	$120,750	$566,355
Mahoning	Youngstown	$98,800	$113,620	$566,355
Clermont	Batavia	$109,900	$126,385	$566,355
Trumbull	Warren	$98,800	$113,620	$566,355
Licking	Newark	$111,500	$128,225	$618,475
Medina	Medina	$105,000	$120,750	$566,355
Greene	Xenia	$103,000	$118,450	$566,355
Fairfield	Lancaster	$111,500	$128,225	$618,475
Portage	Ravenna	$98,800	$113,620	$566,355

City programs · Every county page · Full limits table · Every program

Also in this edition

Business owners & 1099 earners

Run your own business?

Contractors, practice owners and 1099 nurses can use OHFA's loan and its 3%–3.5% help. Your tax returns decide it, not your job title.

Lenders count profit, plus a few add-backs
Two years in business is the usual bar
Big write-offs can shrink your approval

See how lenders read your returns →

Rideshare, delivery & app-based work

Deliver or drive for apps?

App workers can use OHFA's first-time loan and its 3%–3.5% help. What counts is your profit after mileage, not your weekly payouts.

Two years of returns is the usual bar
Side gigs can add to a W-2 paycheck
Ask about the mileage depreciation add-back

See the gig worker math →

Reader questions

What people ask us about Ohio Heroes

Who qualifies for Ohio Heroes?

Pre-K through 12 teachers, administrators and counselors; police officers; firefighters (including volunteers), EMTs and paramedics; physicians, nurse practitioners, RNs, LPNs and STNAs; and veterans, active duty and reserve members, including surviving spouses. You also have to meet OHFA's income, purchase price and credit requirements.

How much lower is the Ohio Heroes rate?

OHFA does not publish the size of the discount on its consumer pages. It is lower than OHFA's standard first-time homebuyer rate, and a participating lender quotes the exact rate when you apply.

Is the down payment assistance a grant?

No. OHFA Down Payment Assistance is forgiven after seven years. If you sell the home within seven years, you repay all of it. It covers the down payment, closing costs or other pre-closing costs, but not your earnest money deposit.

How much down payment assistance can I get?

3% of the purchase price with a conventional loan, or 3.5% with an FHA, VA or USDA loan. On a $250,000 FHA purchase, 3.5% works out to $8,750. Your price has to stay under your county's purchase price limit.

Do I have to be a first-time homebuyer?

Generally yes. You can't have had an ownership interest in a primary residence in the last three years. Honorably discharged veterans and buyers in federally designated target areas are exempt. Current owners can look at OHFA's Next Home program, which offers down payment assistance but not the hero rate.

What credit score do I need?

640 or higher for conventional, VA and USDA loans, and 650 or higher for FHA. OHFA does not publish a single maximum debt-to-income ratio; it depends on your loan type.

How much can I earn?

It depends on your county and household size. As of July 1, 2026, non-target limits run from $98,800 for 1 to 2 people ($113,620 for 3 or more) in many counties up to $146,700 and $168,705 in Union County. Franklin County is $111,500 and $128,225. See the full table.

I just graduated. Is Grants for Grads better?

It might be. Grants for Grads is for people who earned a degree from an accredited school in the last 18 months. Its assistance is forgiven after five years if you stay in Ohio. OHFA does not say whether it can be combined with Ohio Heroes, so ask a lender to compare the two.

Is homebuyer education required?

Yes. At least one borrower who will live in the home completes OHFA's free online course after applying, or a HUD-approved Ohio counseling course, before commitment approval.

Can I apply directly with OHFA?

No. OHFA loans come only through participating banks, credit unions and mortgage companies. We are an independent guide, not a lender or the agency. We can match you with a loan officer who offers Ohio Heroes.

Bottom line

See if Ohio Heroes fits you

Answer six quick questions and a loan officer who offers the program will follow up with your real numbers.

Am I eligible?

Akron 911 dispatcher and her husband taking the keys to a red-brick colonial with fall maples in Summit County, Ohio