What down payment may be available for a primary home in the US?

Applies to: United States.

For a primary home in the U.S., available programs may include down payments of 0%, 1%, 3%, 3.5% or 5%, depending on the area and your qualifications. There is no single minimum that applies to every applicant.

These are different program options, not a promise that you can choose any percentage. The financing team needs to match your circumstances and the property's location to a currently available program.

What should I do next?

Tell the team where you plan to buy, confirm that the property will be your primary home, and explain the down payment you expect to have available. You can review the U.S. residential programs and start an application for an individual assessment.

Investment-property financing has separate down-payment requirements. Canadian home programs also use different criteria, so these U.S. options should not be applied to those transactions.