Prince William County First-Time Homebuyer Program (FTHB)

At a glance

Amount

20% of the price (30% at or below 60% of AMI) for down payment plus up to 3% for closing costs, capped at 23% or 33% of the approved sales price

Type of help

Forgivable loan

Where

Prince William County, City of Manassas, City of Manassas Park

Run by

Prince William County Office of Housing and Community Development

First-time buyer

First-time buyers only

Income limit

Yes, see below

Price limit

Yes, see below

Minimum credit score

640

Homebuyer education

Required

Your own funds

At least $1

How the forgivable loan works

A second loan with no payment that is forgiven over time or after a set number of years in the home.

• Monthly payment: None
• Forgiveness: Forgiven in full after 30 years as your primary residence.
• When you would repay: Before year 30: selling, transferring ownership, renting the home to someone else, moving out, a cash-out refinance, or any other violation of the deed of trust. The full amount plus a share of market appreciation becomes due.

Who qualifies

• First-time buyers only. No one who will live in the home may have owned or had an ownership interest in residential property in the last 3 years, anywhere in the U.S. or abroad. Co-signing or inheriting counts.
• Income. Gross household income at or below 80% of area median income, effective 2026-06-01: $74,800 for 1 person, $85,450 for 2, $96,150 for 3, $106,800 for 4, $115,350 for 5, $123,900 for 6, $132,450 for 7, $141,000 for 8. Households at or below 60% of AMI ($69,780 / $79,740 / $89,700 / $99,660 for 1 to 4 people) qualify for the larger 30% down payment tier. Income of everyone who will live in the home counts and is projected forward a year.
• Price. The county approves a maximum sales price for each buyer based on the first trust you qualify for at ratios of 32% housing and 40% total debt. The county's March 2023 announcement cited a $399,000 maximum sales price; confirm the current figure at the mandatory information session. The home must be in Prince William County, Manassas, or Manassas Park.
• Property types: Single-family detached, Townhouse, Condo. Must be your primary residence.
• You must live or work in Prince William County, the City of Manassas, or the City of Manassas Park (the towns of Dumfries, Quantico, and Haymarket are inside the county).
• Every adult in the household needs a middle credit score of 640 or higher (full-time student dependents excepted), no open judgments or non-medical collections, no late payments in the last 12 months, and no payday, cash advance, or title loans or negative bank balances in the last 6 months.
• At least 5 years since any foreclosure, deed in lieu, or short sale, and at least 2 years since a bankruptcy discharge with no late payments since.
• Bring at least 1% of the approved sales price from your own funds plus one month of housing expenses in reserves.
• The first trust must be a fixed-rate loan from a Virginia Housing approved lender with an office in Virginia, at a rate within 1% of Virginia Housing's current rate. No adjustable, balloon, or interest-only loans.
• All adults complete three sessions through Virginia Cooperative Extension Prince William: the Smart Money Management class, a one-on-one financial assessment with a HUD-certified counselor, and Virginia Housing's homebuyer seminar.
• You cannot write a contract until after the county's mandatory FTHB Informational Session.

How to apply

1. 1Complete the three required education steps through Virginia Cooperative Extension Prince William (Smart Money Management, a financial assessment, and the Virginia Housing homebuyer class) and get the Certificate of Completion for every adult.
2. 2Run the county's FTHB Readiness Self-Check to confirm income, credit, contribution, and first-time status.
3. 3Have a Virginia Housing approved lender complete the county's Pre-Qualification Lender Information Form and a Loan Estimate using the 32/37 pre-qualifying ratios.
4. 4Apply through the county's Neighborly online portal (preferred) or by paper with copies of IDs, 3 months of pay stubs, 3 years of tax returns and W-2s, bank statements, credit reports for all adults, and the certificates.
5. 5Attend the mandatory FTHB Informational Session with all adult household members, your lender, and your agent. Only then may you write a contract.
6. 6Once you have a ratified contract, the county completes final underwriting at 32/40 ratios, reserves funds, and coordinates closing. Income must stay eligible through the day of settlement.

Watch out for

• This is a 30-year commitment. Selling or moving out early means repaying the full assistance plus shared market appreciation, and the county does not subordinate to cash-out refinances or home equity loans.
• Funding comes from the county's annual federal HOME allocation and is reserved first come, first served after you complete every step. When the year's funds are gone, approved applications close and you reapply the next year.
• The credit standards are strict: no non-medical collections, no late payments in 12 months, and no payday or title loans in 6 months for any adult in the household.
• Income is projected forward and re-checked through settlement. A raise or bonus can push you over the limit late in the process.
• You cannot use the program on a home under contract before your information session. Sequence matters: education, application, session, then shop.

Straight answers

Sources

• Prince William County First Time Homebuyers Program page (read Sep 23, 2026)
• Prince William County FTHB Program Application Packet (revised 2026-06-02) (read Sep 23, 2026)
• Prince William Area 2026 Median Income Tables (effective 2026-06-01) (read Sep 23, 2026)
• Prince William County FTHB Readiness Self Check (revised 2026-06-02) (read Sep 23, 2026)
• Prince William County news release: Office of Housing and Community Development Offers Help to First-Time Homebuyers (2023-03-20) (read Sep 23, 2026)
• Virginia Cooperative Extension Prince William: First Time Home Buyer Program Financial Education (read Sep 23, 2026)

Program details are summarized from public sources and change without notice. Funding badges reflect the last time we checked, not a guarantee of availability. This is buyer education from a real estate agent, not a loan pre-approval or a commitment to lend. Eligibility is decided by each program administrator and your lender. Equal Housing Opportunity.