Key takeaways
- Georgia’s statewide program is Georgia Dream, run by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA), with a 30-year fixed mortgage through a participating lender.
- Down payment help is a 0% second mortgage with no monthly payments: up to $10,000 for most buyers and up to $12,500 for protectors, educators, nurses and health care workers, active military, and households with a family member who has a disability.
- You’ll need a 640 credit score, a $1,000 contribution of your own (or a documented gift), a homebuyer education course and income under the area limit.
- The help isn’t free money: you repay it when you sell, refinance or stop living in the home.
Georgia doesn’t hand out grants statewide, but its Georgia Dream program comes close. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) pairs a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a down payment assistance loan that charges 0% interest and needs no monthly payments. You repay it only when you sell, refinance or move out.
On a $300,000 home with an FHA loan, the 3.5% down payment is $10,500. Georgia Dream’s standard help covers $10,000 of it, and your required $1,000 covers the rest with $500 left for closing costs. A nurse, teacher or police officer could get $12,500, leaving $3,000 toward closing costs. Here’s how each program works, who qualifies and how to apply.
Georgia homebuyer programs at a glance
Rates and terms checked: Nov. 11, 2026. They change often, so confirm with the provider before you apply. How we review lenders
| Program | Help | Loan types | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Dream (Standard) | 5% of the price or $10,000, whichever is less | FHA, VA, USDA, conventional | First-time buyers (no home owned in 3 years), veterans, buyers in targeted areas |
| Georgia Dream PEN | 6% of the price or $12,500, whichever is less | FHA, VA, USDA, conventional | Public protectors, educators, health care workers and active military |
| Georgia Dream Choice | 6% of the price or $12,500, whichever is less | FHA, VA, USDA, conventional | Households with a member living with a disability |
| Peach Plus | 3.5% or $10,000 (4% or $12,500 for PEN/Choice), whichever is less | FHA and VA | First-time and repeat buyers; higher income and price limits |
| Peach Advantage | 0%, or 2% to 5% of the first mortgage | Conventional (Fannie Mae HFA Preferred, Freddie Mac HFA Advantage) | First-time and repeat buyers with income up to 150% of area median |
| Peach Select VA | No down payment help; a low starting rate instead | VA | Veterans who qualify for a Georgia Dream VA loan |
Georgia Dream: Standard, PEN and Choice
Georgia Dream is the main program. You get a 30-year fixed-rate first mortgage (FHA, VA, USDA or conventional) from a participating lender, plus a Georgia Dream second mortgage for the down payment and closing costs. That second mortgage has a 0% rate, no monthly payments and deferred repayment.
- Standard: 5% of the purchase price or $10,000, whichever is less.
- PEN (Protectors, Educators and Nurses): 6% or $12,500, whichever is less, for public protectors, educators, health care providers, people who work in those fields, and active military.
- Choice: 6% or $12,500, whichever is less, when a member of your household lives with a disability.
DCA’s current limits (effective July 8, 2026) for Georgia Dream:
| Area | Max home price | Max income, 1–2 people | Max income, 3+ people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell HUD Metro | $625,000 | $137,555 | $158,188 |
| Athens MSA (Clarke, Madison, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Morgan) | $525,000 | $118,152 | $135,875 |
| All other Georgia counties | $475,000 | $101,700 | $116,955 |
Conventional Georgia Dream loans are capped at 80% loan-to-value, so most buyers who need down payment help use FHA (up to 96.5%), VA or USDA (up to 100%).
Peach Plus: higher limits, repeat buyers welcome
Peach Plus is for FHA and VA borrowers who don’t fit the traditional Georgia Dream rules, including repeat buyers and people who earn too much for the standard limits. The help is a little smaller as a percentage: 3.5% of the price or $10,000, or 4% or $12,500 for PEN and Choice borrowers, whichever is less. It’s also a 0% deferred second mortgage.
| Area | Max home price | Max income, 1–2 people | Max income, 3+ people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell HUD Metro | $725,000 | $206,333 | $237,282 |
| Athens MSA | $650,000 | $177,228 | $203,813 |
| All other Georgia counties | $575,000 | $152,550 | $175,433 |
Peach Advantage: conventional loans up to 150% of area median income
Peach Advantage, launched in 2025, uses Fannie Mae HFA Preferred or Freddie Mac HFA Advantage conventional loans. You can choose no assistance or 2% to 5% of the first mortgage amount. The assistance is a 0% loan with no monthly payments, due in full when you sell, refinance or stop living in the home; it isn’t forgiven. Income can be up to 150% of area median income, there’s no first-time buyer rule and no minimum contribution, and the debt-to-income limit is 45% for credit scores of 640 to 699.
Tip: Peach Advantage’s percentage is based on the loan amount, and Georgia Dream’s is based on the price with a dollar cap. On a higher-priced home, 5% through Peach Advantage can be worth more than Georgia Dream’s $10,000 cap, but compare the first-mortgage rate too. A bigger assistance loan doesn’t help if the rate on the main loan is higher.
Peach Select VA
Peach Select VA gives veterans who qualify for a Georgia Dream VA loan a low introductory interest rate instead of down payment assistance. DCA lists a $625,000 maximum price and the same income limits as Georgia Dream in the Atlanta metro. You can’t use it together with Georgia Dream’s own assistance, though DCA may approve other non-Georgia Dream help on top.
Who qualifies
- First-time buyer: for Georgia Dream, you haven’t owned and lived in a primary residence in the past three years. The rule is waived in targeted areas and for veterans who haven’t used bond-financed mortgage help before. Peach Plus and Peach Advantage are open to repeat buyers.
- Credit score: 640 minimum (660 for manufactured homes). FHA and VA loans can be manually underwritten when you have no credit score.
- Debt-to-income: up to 45% with a 640 to 699 score; with 700 or higher, it follows the lender’s automated approval. Manually underwritten loans are held to 28% for housing and 36% total.
- Your own money: at least $1,000 for Georgia Dream and Peach Plus ($500 for Peach Select VA). A documented gift can count.
- Asset limit: no more than $20,000 or 20% of the price, whichever is greater, in liquid assets after closing.
- Homebuyer education: required for every Georgia Dream loan, from a HUD-approved housing counseling agency or the eHome America online course (about $50 to $100).
- Home: a single-unit home you’ll live in as your primary residence. You can’t own other residential property at closing.
How to apply
- Check your budget with the home affordability calculator and your debt-to-income ratio.
- Find a Georgia Dream participating lender on DCA’s lender list, or call DCA at 800-359-4663, and ask which program fits.
- Take a HUD-approved homebuyer education course. The certificate must be dated within 12 months of closing.
- Get preapproved, then shop within your area’s price limit. Lenders can reserve funds for up to 75 days.
- Compare Loan Estimates and closing costs; estimate yours with the closing cost calculator.
Before you sign: repayment, assets and the recapture tax
Georgia Dream’s help is a loan, not a grant. The balance is due when you sell, refinance or move out, so factor it into your plans if you might sell within a few years. Because Georgia Dream is bond-financed, DCA notes that the federal recapture tax applies for nine years after closing. It’s generally owed only if you sell within that window at a gain and your income has grown past set limits; ask your lender how it works for you. And the liquid-asset cap ($20,000 or 20% of the price) means buyers with large savings may not qualify for Georgia Dream or Peach Plus.
Federal loan options that work with Georgia programs
The state programs sit on top of standard loans: FHA (3.5% down), VA and USDA (0% down for eligible buyers) and conventional loans. Compare them in our first-time homebuyer programs guide and our FHA vs. conventional comparison, and run payments in the mortgage calculator.
First-time home buyer programs in other states
California Florida Illinois Michigan New York North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania Texas
Compare FHA, VA, USDA and 3%-down loans nationwide →
Down Payment Assistance Finder: see which programs fit you and about how much →
Frequently asked questions
How much down payment assistance can I get in Georgia?
Georgia Dream offers 5% of the price or $10,000, whichever is less. Protectors, educators, nurses and health care workers, active military and households with a member who has a disability can get 6% or $12,500, whichever is less. Peach Advantage offers up to 5% of the loan amount.
Do I have to pay Georgia Dream assistance back?
Yes. It’s a 0% second mortgage with no monthly payments, but the full amount is due when you sell, refinance or no longer live in the home.
What credit score do I need for Georgia Dream?
A 640 middle credit score, or 660 for a manufactured home. FHA and VA loans can be manually underwritten for buyers with no score.
Can repeat buyers use Georgia’s programs?
Yes, through Peach Plus (FHA and VA) or Peach Advantage (conventional). Georgia Dream itself requires that you haven’t owned a home in three years, unless you buy in a targeted area or are an eligible veteran.
Sources: Georgia Department of Community Affairs (Georgia Dream Loan Program page, Georgia Dream Standard, Peach Plus and Peach Advantage program matrices v. 2026-7-8, Peach Plus and Peach Select VA program pages, Georgia Dream Loan Program FAQs and Lender FAQs). Program terms checked Nov. 11, 2026; terms, limits and availability change, so confirm with a participating lender or DCA. This article is for educational purposes and isn’t financial advice.
Written by Chanchala
Founder & Lead Writer · B.Sc. Mathematics (Honors) · 9 years in banking & lending
Chanchala is the founder and lead writer of FinInfoBlog. She holds a B.Sc. in Mathematics (Honors) and has 9 years of experience in banking and lending. She writes plain-English guides on savings, CDs, loans, credit and personal finance for U.S. readers, and makes sure every example shows the math behind the money decision. How we research and fact-check.