First-Time Home Buyer Programs in Nevada 2026

Two public agencies run homebuyer loans in Nevada. The Nevada Housing Division (NHD) runs Home Is Possible statewide. Its first-time track, HIP for First-Time Homebuyers, adds 2% or 4% of the loan as a no-interest, no-payment second that is not forgiven. Nevada Rural Housing (NRH) covers rural areas with Launchpad for First-Time Homebuyers, a 2% or 4% deferred second.

Which agency applies depends on the address. NRH’s programs are limited to areas with a population under 150,000, and they exclude the city limits of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson and Reno plus the unincorporated townships of Enterprise, Paradise, Spring Valley and Sunrise Manor. NHD’s programs are statewide. Both agencies work only through participating lenders. Down-payment options in more depth are in the Nevada down payment assistance guide.

Home Is Possible: the NHD menu, first-time track first

The last three rows are open to repeat buyers too. That matters because only the first-time track runs on the county price and income table. On NHD’s September 24, 2026 rate sheet, the larger assistance tier of each product carries a higher first-mortgage rate than the smaller one. Your lender quotes the current figure, so no rate appears here.

Of NHD’s four current seconds, only the teachers’ note is described as forgivable. NHD’s own history of the first-time second explains why older descriptions call it forgivable: it was forgivable over 15, 7 or 3 years at various points, then “January 2, 2024: The FTHB second changed to a no interest, no payment 30-yr non-forgivable mortgage.” NHD says the second “cannot be subordinated and must be paid off when refinancing the home.” Because the first-time track is bond-financed, NHD’s July 16, 2026 guidelines also warn that selling at a gain within the first nine years, after household income has risen above set levels, can trigger federal recapture tax.

Limits on the first-time track, county by county

HIP for First-Time Homebuyers with an FHA, VA or USDA-RD loan uses county limits, active as of June 15, 2026. Two examples:

• Clark County: price up to $566,354, and household income up to $105,500 for two or fewer people or $121,325 for three or more. NHD adds that “Certain areas within this county may have a higher income limit.”
• Washoe County: price up to $667,808, with income limits of $119,710 and $137,666.

With a conventional loan, the first-time track caps income at 80% of county AMI and price at $570,000. Clark’s 80% AMI figure is $78,560. On conventional loans, a cosigner’s income counts toward the limit. On government loans it does not.

NHD’s target-area page says HUD targeted areas carry “NO first-time homebuyer requirement” and higher limits on the first-time program. NHD’s July 16, 2026 administrator’s guidelines also waive the first-time rule for a qualified veteran (discharged other than dishonorably) who has not used the bond-financed veterans exception before. If a Clark, Washoe, Lyon or Nye County address sits in one of those tracts, ask the lender to check it before you rule the program out.

The repeat-buyer HIP-DPA track works differently. It uses one cap of $165,000 in income and $832,750 in price on government loans and on conventional loans over 80% AMI. It also allows the buyer to own one other property outside Nevada at closing.

Credit, debt and education rules shared by every HIP loan

• Credit score: 640 minimum, or 660 for a manufactured home. Manufactured homes also carry a 45% DTI cap, no manual underwriting and no single-wides.
• Debt ratio on FHA, VA and USDA loans: up to 50% with a score of 680 or higher, 45% below 680. Conventional loans allow 50%.
• Homebuyer education: required for everyone on the note or deed, including a non-purchasing spouse on title. A cosigner does not take it. The certificate is valid for 12 months. NHD pairs with Freddie Mac’s free CreditSmart course and accepts other HUD-approved courses. Since May 16, 2021, it “will no longer accept Nevada Rural Housing Authority’s homebuyer education certificate for any HIP programs.” A class taken for an NRH loan does not carry over to an NHD loan.
• Non-citizens: NHD’s lender FAQ says a non-citizen lawfully residing in the U.S. is eligible and is underwritten to the same documentation rules as a citizen. It describes DACA status in that section without ruling on it, and leaves ITIN borrowers to the lender, so confirm either case with the lender.

Teachers and essential workers

HIP for Teachers is for licensed full-time K-12 public or public charter school classroom teachers. It pays $7,500 as a note forgiven on a prorated schedule over five years, provided you stay in the home. NHD says the program “is available through December 31, 2026.” The $165,000 income cap applies on government loans, and 80% of county AMI applies on conventional loans.

Worker Advantage gives $20,000 to buyers in NHD’s essential-worker categories: health care, education, public safety and construction trades. Only one borrower needs to qualify. You need six months of Nevada residency, household income up to 150% AMI and a price up to $832,750. You cannot have used a Home Is Possible program before. The $20,000 can go to the down payment or buy down the rate, with any remainder going to the down payment or closing costs. It is still a non-forgivable 30-year second.

Rural Nevada: the NRH programs

NRH’s first-time product is Launchpad for First-Time Homebuyers. It is a 30-year fixed loan with a 2% or 4% second. The plain Launchpad version has no first-time rule and offers 3% or 5%. NRH says the Launchpad second is “never forgiven and is repayable if the borrower sells or refinances, ceases to live in the property, or at the end of the 30-year term.”

Launchpad for First-Time Homebuyers means no ownership interest in a primary residence for three years. Qualified veterans are exempt, and so are buyers in the qualified census tracts NRH lists in Clark, Lyon, Nye and Washoe counties. Its non-targeted limits, effective June 10, 2026, are the same figures NHD posts for Clark ($566,354; $105,500 / $121,325) and Washoe. The minimum score is 640, or 680 for manufactured homes.

NRH also offers two other programs:

• Rural Rocks $20K gives up to $20,000 to first-time and repeat buyers with a 620 score. NRH calls it a “30-year forgivable term with no interest and no scheduled payments.” It is forgiven only at maturity. If you sell, refinance or pay off the first mortgage earlier, the full original amount is repayable. NRH says it stays open “until program funding has been fully obligated.”
• Home At Last is NRH’s unassisted first mortgage. It has no second loan and no first-time requirement.

Mortgage Credit Certificates in 2026: paused at NRH, not on NHD’s menu

NRH says its “Mortgage Credit Certificate program paused effective January 1, 2026, and is not currently accepting new MCC applications.” Only reissues for existing certificates after a refinance continue. On the NHD side, the Home Is Possible homebuyer menu lists the four programs above and no MCC. NHD’s FAQ covers only reissuing an existing certificate on a no cash-out refinance.

For the numbers, try the mortgage calculator and how much house you can afford. Nevada’s closing costs are where much of the 2% to 5% goes. The loan underneath is covered in FHA requirements and the VA loan guide.

Nevada first-time buyer questions

Is the Home Is Possible first-time assistance forgiven after a few years?

Not anymore. Since January 2, 2024, the first-time second has been a no-interest, no-payment, non-forgivable 30-year mortgage. It is due in full if you sell, refinance, transfer or pay off the first mortgage, or stop living in the home.

I’m buying in Henderson. NHD or NRH?

NHD. NRH’s programs exclude the Henderson, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Reno city limits.

I already owned a home. Is there anything for me?

Yes. HIP-DPA, HIP for Teachers and Worker Advantage have no first-time rule, and neither do NRH’s Launchpad and Rural Rocks $20K. Qualified veterans, and buyers in a HUD targeted area, can also use either agency’s first-time track.

Can I take my NRH homebuyer class certificate to an NHD lender?

No. NHD has not accepted NRH education certificates for HIP loans reserved since May 16, 2021.

Can I get an MCC on a 2026 purchase?

Not from NRH, which paused new MCCs on January 1, 2026. NHD’s homebuyer program list does not include one.

For comparison across state lines, see Arizona, California and Utah. Everything else about buying in Nevada is on the Nevada hub.