Homeownership Program (HOP)

The Homeownership Program (HOP) provides affordable mortgage financing for eligible first-time homebuyers. HOP offers down payment assistance to individuals that may qualify.

The loan is deferred, no-monthly-payment loan with zero percent (0%) interest. This second mortgage loan may be used to cover down payment, closing costs, and/or interest rate buydown costs needed to support the financing of the required first mortgage—up to $22,500, based on need.

No form of repayment is required if the home remains the primary residence of the home buyer during the five (5) year affordability period.
20% of the loan is forgiven annually, provided the home buyer remains compliant with HOP guidelines.

You May Qualify if...

You are a qualified first-time homebuyer (or have not owned a home in the past three years).
You are approved for a 1st mortgage with a HOP Participating Lender.
Your household income does not exceed the limits as shown in the chart.
All applicant buyers must participate in HUD-approved housing counseling before receiving HOP.
Home purchase price does not exceed $347,000 for existing and $371,000 for new construction homes.
Please view the HUD HOME income limit here.
Your household income does not exceed the limits as shown in the chart image included below:

2026 Adjusted Home Income Limits (effective June 1, 2026)

Household Size	Income Limits
1 person	$66,000
2 persons	$75,400
3 persons	$84,850
4 persons	$94,250
5 persons	$101,800
6 persons	$109,350
7 persons	$116,900
8 persons	$124,450

To determine if you’re eligible to qualify for the HOP down payment assistance, gather the required items from the checklist here.

Fulton Homeownership Program guides & Resources

Homeowner (Down Payment Assistance) Program Information

Homeownership Program (hop) Frequently Asked questions

Where can I apply to become an approved participating lender?

You can submit your request to DownPayment.Assistance@fultoncountyga.gov.

Where can we find the Lender Participation Agreement?

Above this, look at the dropdown under Guides & Resources. The Lender Participation Agreement is the file named HOP Lender Application Fillable 2025. Or you can submit your request to DownPayment.Assistance@fultoncountyga.gov, and someone will provide you with the process and documents.

Where can I register with Fulton County as a Vendor?

For all newly approved lenders, it is required that within five business days of confirmation of approval, the newly approved respective Closing Entity: Title Company and/or Closing Attorney Firm must register with Fulton County as a vendor. Vendor registration is required in order to process any approved HOP loan amount to be facilitated by the respective closing entity at closing. When registering, it is recommended to select ACH as the payment method. Click here to access Vendor Register.

Where can we find the following documents related to this program?

Click here to see the Program Guidelines/Program Details.

Click here to see the Customer/Lender Submission Checklists.

Are there any application fees associated with your homebuyer assistance program?

No.

Does Fulton County require a copy of the credit report from the lender?

Yes.

Would your agency be willing to accept the credit report directly from the customer versus the lender?

No. The credit report should come from the lender application submission.

Does the agency require income documents from all members in the household beyond the borrower and co-borrower?

Yes.

Would your agency be willing to accept the non-borrower income documents directly from the customer?

No. All documents are submitted in the portal by the lender.

Where can clients find the lender list?

Click here to find the lender list.

Are there certain realtors for this program, or can clients reach out to anyone?

Yes, a Georgia licensed Realtor.

How long is the application review process?

Once a complete application is submitted, it may take up to 20 days to receive an answer.