Buncombe County DPA: Down Payment Help via Local Partners
Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance Program (Partner-Delivered)Administered by Buncombe County Community Development DivisionDeferred loanNorth Carolina
Reviewed by Tyler Thompson, holds real estate licenses in North Carolina and South Carolina
Published · Facts verified against the official source
What Is Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance?
Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance is a North Carolina homebuyer program that gives down payment assistance as a deferred loan of up to 10% of the purchase price of an affordable home. The Buncombe County Community Development Division funds it, and partner organizations deliver it to buyers in Buncombe County. The loan is secured by a lien on the home you buy.
What sets it apart is that you do not apply to the county directly. The county tells buyers to contact the service providers.
Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance Program (Partner-Delivered) at a glance
- Maximum help
- Up to 10% of the purchase price.
- Kind of help
- A deferred loan.
- Interest and forgiveness
- 0% interest.
- Income limit
- Household income up to 80% of the area median income for your county and household size.
- Home price limit
- An affordable unit for sale must have a maximum sales price as described in HUD's HOME and Housing Trust Fund Homeownership Sales Price Limits Table in effect at the time of sale, or may sell at a higher price if only the first mortgage is affordable to the buyer based on income.
- Where
- Buncombe County.
- Homebuyer education
- Required.
- Current funding status
- Funding status could not be confirmed.
- Who runs it
- Buncombe County Community Development Division
What that could look like in dollars
| Home price | Up to |
|---|---|
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
| $250,000 | $25,000 |
| $300,000 | $30,000 |
| $350,000 | $35,000 |
| $400,000 | $40,000 |
Illustration only. Up to 10% of the purchase price. The administrator decides the actual amount.
Check your eligibility
Answer a few quick questions to see whether Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance Program (Partner-Delivered) and other North Carolina programs may fit you.
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How Much Down Payment Assistance Does Buncombe County Give?
The assistance can cover up to 10% of the purchase price of the affordable home. The county's guidelines state the same cap as 10% of the cost per affordable unit. The record does not give a dollar maximum.
Who Qualifies for Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance?
These are the rules the county states. Each partner organization may set its own criteria on top of them.
- Income: Household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income, adjusted for household size. The county's posted table uses HUD FY 2026 income limits.
- Property: An affordable unit for sale. The county defines this as a unit sold as affordable, at a cost not above 30% of the buyer's income.
- Price limit: HUD's HOME homeownership sales price limits in effect at the time of sale apply. A higher price can work if only the first mortgage is affordable to the buyer based on income.
- Occupancy: You must live in the home as your residence.
- Homebuyer education: You must complete a homebuyer education course.
- First-time buyers: The record does not say whether first-time status is required.
- Credit score: The record does not state a minimum.
Only the county and its partner organizations decide who qualifies.
Is Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance a Grant or a Loan?
It is a deferred loan, not a grant. The record gives the interest rate as 0%.
The county describes it as a non-forgivable loan. It is secured with a lien on the home you buy.
Do You Have to Pay Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance Back?
Yes. The loan is not forgiven over time. It comes due if you no longer live in the home, sell it, or refinance it.
The record does not give a loan term or a forgiveness schedule.
Where Is Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance Available?
It applies to home purchases within Buncombe County. The county's page names Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity and Mountain Housing Opportunities as providers, while its FY2027 budget also names the Asheville-Buncombe Community Land Trust.
How to Apply for Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance
Start with a delivery partner, not the county office. The county says criteria vary by organization and advises homebuyers to contact the service providers directly.
Plan on completing a homebuyer education course. The record does not list a single application link or the documents you will need, so ask the partner what to bring. Questions for the county can go to the Community Development Division at 828-250-5560.
Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance Example: Household of Two
A two-person household in Buncombe County earns $58,000 a year and is buying an affordable home for $240,000. They would ask a partner organization whether the program fits.
Illustration only
- Where
- Buncombe County
- Household
- 2 people
- Income
- $58,000 a year
- Home price
- $240,000
About $24,00010% of the purchase price
May fit, with a question on the rules below, checked against the current record.
- Where: Covers their county.
- Property: A single-family home.
- Income: Within the limit of $65,550 for a household of 2 in their county (80% of area median income).
- First-time buyer: They count as a first-time buyer.
- Home price: No maximum home price is stated.
- Who it is for: Open to anyone.
- Funding: Funding could not be confirmed.
An example household, not a quote. Only the administrator decides who qualifies and for how much.
Questions about Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance Program (Partner-Delivered)
What is the income limit for Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance?
Household income must be at or below 80% of Area Median Income, adjusted for household size. The county's table uses HUD FY 2026 income limits.
How much does Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance give?
Up to 10% of the purchase price of an affordable home. The record gives no dollar maximum.
Do you have to repay Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance?
Yes. It is a non-forgivable loan at 0% that comes due if you stop living in the home, sell it, or refinance it.
How do you apply for Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance?
Contact a delivery partner directly. The county names Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity and Mountain Housing Opportunities, and you must complete homebuyer education.
Is funding available right now?
The record shows funding status as unknown, last checked September 24, 2026. The county's sources do not say whether applications are open.
Can repeat buyers use Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance?
The record does not say whether first-time buyer status is required. Ask the partner organization, since criteria vary by organization.
Is Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance available outside Buncombe County?
No. The assisted home must be within Buncombe County.
Complete Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance Program (Partner-Delivered) program record
The nineteen things a buyer needs to know, in the same order on every program page, each checked against the program’s official sources. Where the program does not state one, this says so.
- 19 program details reviewed; 14 stated by the program
- 7 official sources checked from Buncombe County, U.S. Census Bureau
- Last verified September 25, 2026
- Current funding status could not be confirmed
View all 19 verified program details ↓Hide the program details ↑
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Program name
Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance Program (Partner-Delivered)
From the official source
“Buncombe County’s Affordable Housing Services Program (AHSP) is intended to ensure comprehensive opportunities for affordable and safe housing are available. AHSP supports the: • Downpayment Assistance Program (Loan);”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1336 · page 1, Background; page 6, Section VII
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Who runs it
Buncombe County Community Development Division
828-250-5560
From the official source
“The CD Division is authorized to: • Administer funds budgeted by the Board of Commissioners for the AHSP; • Contract with community partners, including AHSP applicants and recipients, on behalf of Buncombe County”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1336 · page 1, Section III Administration
“Affordable Housing”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/308/Affordable-Housing · Affordable Housing page, Qualifying for Housing Services / department page
“Phone: 828-250-5560”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/321/Homeowner-Resources · Contact Us, Community Development / Affordable Housing
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Kind of help
A deferred loan.
Downpayment assistance for an affordable home purchase, delivered through funded partner organizations and secured by a lien on the assisted property.
From the official source
“Buncombe County provides funding for Downpayment Assistance to organizations that support homeownership for income-eligible households.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/321/Homeowner-Resources · Resources for Potential Homeowners, What is Downpayment Assistance?
“This loan is secured with a lien on the property being assisted, provided the County takes or shares a first lien position, or where the County accepts a second lien position, subject to the amount of loan funds financed.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/316/Affordable-Housing-Funding · Downpayment Assistance Program, Terms & Interest Rates
“The Downpayment Assistance Loan is a non-forgivable loan with a 0% interest rate with a term that is due under the following circumstances: the homeowner no longer lives in the unit, sells the unit, or refinances the unit.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/316/Affordable-Housing-Funding · Downpayment Assistance Program, Terms & Interest Rates
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Maximum amount
Up to 10% of the purchase price.
Assistance could cover up to 10% of the affordable home purchase price; the governing guidelines state a maximum loan amount of 10% of the cost per affordable unit.
From the official source
“Assistance is provided in the form of a non-forgivable 0% interest loan that could cover up to 10% of the affordable home purchase price.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/321/Homeowner-Resources · Resources for Potential Homeowners, What is Downpayment Assistance?
“Maximum Loan Amount: 10% of the cost per affordable unit”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1336 · page 6, Section VII Downpayment Assistance Program
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Amount tiers
The program does not state this. Ask the administrator before relying on it.
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Forgiveness, interest and term
0% interest.
Non-forgivable 0% loan due if the homeowner no longer lives in the unit, sells the unit, or refinances the unit; secured with a lien on the assisted property.
From the official source
“Interest Rate: 0%”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1336 · page 6, Section VII Downpayment Assistance Program
“Term: Due in the event the homeowner no longer lives in the unit, sells the unit, or refinances the unit”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1336 · page 6, Section VII Downpayment Assistance Program
“Form: Non-forgivable loan, secured with a lien on the property being assisted, provided the County takes or shares a first lien position, or where the County accepts a second lien position, subject to the amount of loan funds financed.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1336 · page 6, Section VII Downpayment Assistance Program
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Income limit
Household income up to 80% of the area median income for your county and household size.
Household income must be at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI), adjusted for household size. Buncombe County's current homeowner-resource page identifies its posted table as HUD FY 2026 income limits.
From the official source
“Benefit an eligible homebuyer (a homebuyer with a household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) adjusted for household size);”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1336 · page 6, Section VII Downpayment Assistance Program, Uses
“Source: HUD FY 2026 Income Limits Documentation System - Affordability Requirements & Rents for Affordable Housing Services Program and Community Oriented Developments.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/321/Homeowner-Resources · Qualifying for Housing Services, introductory paragraph
“To be eligible for Buncombe County supported Downpayment Assistance, potential homebuyers must be income eligible, and make less than or equal to 80% AMI.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/321/Homeowner-Resources · How Do I Qualify for Downpayment Assistance?
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First-time buyer rule
The program does not state this. Ask the administrator before relying on it.
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Maximum home price
An affordable unit for sale must have a maximum sales price as described in HUD's HOME and Housing Trust Fund Homeownership Sales Price Limits Table in effect at the time of sale, or may sell at a higher price if only the first mortgage is affordable to the buyer based on income.
From the official source
“Have a maximum sales price as described in HUD’s HOME and Housing Trust Fund Homeownership Sales Price Limits Table in effect at the time of sale or sell at a higher price but only the first mortgage is affordable to the buyer based on their income.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1336 · page 3, Section IV Definition of Affordability
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Other must-know rules
You must live in the home as your primary residence.
The assisted purchase must be an affordable unit for sale. County guidelines define an affordable unit for sale as sold as affordable, not to exceed 30% of the buyer's income, and sold to an eligible homebuyer; delivery-partner eligibility criteria may vary by organization.
From the official source
“To be considered affordable units, units for sale must be: • Sold as affordable (not to exceed 30% of the buyer’s income); • Sold to an eligible homebuyer (a household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) adjusted for household size”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1336 · page 3, Section IV Definition of Affordability
“It is important to note eligibility criteria varies by organization, to learn more about each program it is best to contact each service provider below directly.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/321/Homeowner-Resources · How Do I Qualify for Downpayment Assistance?
“Term: Due in the event the homeowner no longer lives in the unit, sells the unit, or refinances the unit”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1336 · page 6, Section VII Downpayment Assistance Program
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Where it applies
Buncombe County.
Eligible activities must take place within Buncombe County.
From the official source
“Eligible activities must take place within Buncombe County.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1336 · page 3, Section III Activities
“37021 | Buncombe, NC”
https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/lehd-snapshot-doc/S2024/appendices/value_labels.html · Geography Codes, county code list
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Current funding status
Funding status could not be confirmed.
Buncombe County's current homeowner-resource page states that the County provides funding for Downpayment Assistance. The FY2027 adopted budget authorizes DPA-related funding for Asheville Habitat for Humanity and Asheville-Buncombe Community Land Trust, but the official sources reviewed do not state a current uncommitted household-level balance or that applications for County-funded assistance are presently open.
Checked 2026-09-24.
From the official source
“Buncombe County provides funding for Downpayment Assistance to organizations that support homeownership for income-eligible households.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/321/Homeowner-Resources · Resources for Potential Homeowners, What is Downpayment Assistance?
“Asheville Habitat for Humanity | Tried Street Construction Loan to Downpayment Assistance Loan | FY2027 Funding Request $816,301 | FY2027 Authorized Funding $500,000”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7469/FY2027-Adopted-Budget-in-Brief · page 30, Buncombe County Affordable Housing Funding Authorizations, FY2027 Loan and Grant Applicants
“Asheville-Buncombe Community Land Trust | ABCLT Homeownership Downpayment Assistance Loan | FY2027 Funding Request $300,000 | FY2027 Authorized Funding $30,000”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7469/FY2027-Adopted-Budget-in-Brief · page 30, Buncombe County Affordable Housing Funding Authorizations, FY2027 Loan and Grant Applicants
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How to apply
Buncombe County says eligibility criteria varies by organization and advises prospective homebuyers to contact the service providers directly. Its current Homeowner Resources page names Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity and Mountain Housing Opportunities as providers of Downpayment Assistance for income-qualified households in Buncombe County.
From the official source
“Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity and Mountain Housing Opportunities provide Downpayment Assistance for income qualified households in Buncombe County.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/321/Homeowner-Resources · How Do I Apply for Downpayment Assistance?
“It is important to note eligibility criteria varies by organization, to learn more about each program it is best to contact each service provider below directly.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/321/Homeowner-Resources · How Do I Qualify for Downpayment Assistance?
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Official source
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Dates
In effect since 2025-12-02.
The current Affordable Housing Services Program Description, Requirements and Guidelines were approved December 2, 2025. The current Homeowner Resources page identifies its affordability table as HUD FY 2026 Income Limits Documentation System data.
From the official source
“Approved 12/02/2025”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1336 · page 1, cover
“Source: HUD FY 2026 Income Limits Documentation System - Affordability Requirements & Rents for Affordable Housing Services Program and Community Oriented Developments.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/321/Homeowner-Resources · Qualifying for Housing Services
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Report a mistake
Use the form on this page.
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Credit requirements
The program does not state this. Ask the administrator before relying on it.
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Eligible loan types
The program does not state this. Ask the administrator before relying on it.
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Homebuyer education
Required.
The Downpayment Assistance loan must benefit a homebuyer who has completed a homebuyer's education course; funded program applicants must coordinate homebuyer education or require participants to complete it.
From the official source
“Benefit a homebuyer that has completed a homebuyer’s education course;”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1336 · page 6, Section VII Downpayment Assistance Program, Uses
“The applicant must either coordinate homebuyer’s education classes or require participants complete a homebuyer’s education course.”
https://www.buncombenc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1336 · page 6, Section VII Downpayment Assistance Program, Eligible Applicants
Report a mistake
If a figure here does not match the program’s own terms, tell us. Every report is read by a person and checked against the official source before the record changes.
Other North Carolina down payment assistance programs
Programs differ in how much they give, who they are for, where they apply and how they are repaid. These may be worth comparing.
Assistance
Housing Authority of the City of Asheville Homeownership ProgramHousing Authority of the City of Asheville
Deferred loan
Community Partners Loan Pool (CPLP)North Carolina Housing Finance Agency
Forgivable loan
NC Home Advantage MortgageNorth Carolina Housing Finance Agency
Repayable loan
Self-Help Loan Pool (SHLP)North Carolina Housing Finance Agency
Assistance
Asheville Regional Housing Consortium HOME Down Payment Assistance (Dodd Meadows)City of Asheville Community Development Division
Assistance
Burlington HOME Consortium Homebuyer AssistancePiedmont Triad Regional Council
Official sources for Buncombe County Downpayment Assistance Program (Partner-Delivered)
The facts on this page were taken from these sources. Read the program’s own terms there before you rely on a figure.
Visit the official source →Program rules can change. Confirm current terms with Buncombe County Community Development Division or a participating lender before you rely on a figure. Record version 1.
Educational information, not a loan offer or an eligibility decision. Read the disclaimer or how we verify programs.