mortgage rates
First-Time Homebuyer &
Target Area Loan Programs
5.00% mortgage rate (unassisted)
5.50% mortgage rate with down payment assistance grant
5.00% repayment information here
4.75% Ohio Heroes mortgage rate (unassisted)
5.25% Ohio Heroes mortgage rate with down payment assistance grant
Homebuyer Advantage Program (second mortgage)
Rate on second mortgage will be 1% higher
than unassisted rates above
request a speaker
Request an OHFA homeownership expert to speak at your next event.
Lender Resources 
Welcome to OHFA's resource center for lenders. We are pleased to partner with a network of Ohio lenders to help make homeownership affordable for qualified homebuyers with low or moderate incomes. OHFA finances its mortgage programs by selling tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds to investors. We also provide Mortgage Credit Certificates (MCCs) to help households retain more of their income to afford their mortgage payment. We count on our lending partners to make our mortgage programs available to Ohioans throughout the state.
OHFA's Mortgage Revenue Bond Loan Programs
OHFA's affordable loan programs include:
- First-Time Homebuyer Program for low- to moderate-income Ohioans
- Target Area Loan Program for buyers purchasing homes in HUD's designated target areas
- Ohio Heroes Program for first-time homebuyers who work in critical professions
These programs offer qualified buyers access to:
- Low, competitive mortgage rates on 30-year, fixed-rate loans
- Down payment and closing cost assistance in the form of a Down Payment Assistance Grant, Grants for Grads, or Homebuyer Advantage Loan
- 1% origination fee
- Generous purchase price limits
OHFA's Mortgage Credit Certificate Program
Through the Mortgage Credit Certificate Program, OHFA made $12.5 million in Mortgage Credit Certificates available to approximately 1,000 qualified homebuyers. MCCs can be combined with your existing fixed-rate loan products, offering qualified borrowers an opportunity to take a direct tax credit for a portion of their mortgage interest.
- 20% credit for properties in non-target areas
- 25% credit for properties in target areas designated by HUD
- 30% credit for Real Estate Owned (REO) properties (single family properties purchased from HUD, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, VA, USDA-RD, or a financial institution that acquired the property through foreclosure)
The MCC Program cannot be used in conjunction with OHFA's First-Time Homebuyer Program.
Become an OHFA Lending Partner
Are you interested in becoming a participating lender for OHFA’s homeownership programs? Learn how you can take advantage of our programs and resources to help more Ohioans get into homes of their own.
Become a Mortgage Revenue Bond Program participating lender
Become a Mortgage Credit Certificate Program participating lender
Already a Lender?
OHFA offers a number of tools to help you use our programs more efficiently.
Lender Online
Participating lenders can use our password-protected online system to submit loan reservations, check loan status, download pre-filled program forms, and view updates and special program announcements. Visit Lender Online to log on and get started now.
Informational and Advertising Resources
Whether you are a veteran lender or a newcomer to our programs, use the links to the left or download the files below for more information about our programs and loan requirements. Participating lenders can also download and customize a variety of program fact sheets to help market OHFA’s loan programs to your eligible buyers. For more information about advertising OHFA’s programs, please download our advertising guidelines below.
Downloading Files
The following files are in Adobe PDF file format and must be viewed with Adobe Reader. If you do not have Adobe Reader, a free version can be downloaded from Adobe's web site.
Advertising Guidelines
It’s important for lenders and OHFA to work together to make sure interested buyers get accurate information about our loan programs. Please review these guidelines to ensure your communications efforts are as effective as possible.
- OHFA Advertising Guidelines (145 KB Adobe PDF File)
Program Requirement Information
Applicants for OHFA’s mortgage loans and Mortgage Credit Certificates must meet federal income limits and properties must meet purchase price limits to be eligible.
- Maximum Income Limits for Homeownership Programs (1.1 MB Adobe PDF File)
- Maximum Purchase Price Limits for Homeownership Programs (236 KB Adobe PDF File)
Target Areas
Target areas are counties and census tracts which are determined by HUD to be areas of chronic economic distress. Homebuyers do not have to meet the first-time homebuyer requirement in these areas. Download Ohio's target areas below or visit our target area maps page.
- Ohio Target Areas (388 KB Adobe PDF File)
Interactive Fact Sheets
Type your name, company, and contact information in the designated space, then print these materials and use them to provide your clients with important information about OHFA’s homeownership programs.
- First-Time Homebuyer Program (1.3 MB Adobe PDF File)
- First-Time Homebuyer Program – Helping Veterans (643 KB Adobe PDF File)
- Ohio Heroes Program (792 KB Adobe PDF File)
- Down Payment Assistance (982 KB Adobe PDF File)
- Mortgage Credit Certificate Program (350 KB Adobe PDF File)
For additional downloads, visit our download center.
