A first-time buyer reviewing the numbers

Georgia Dream

Down payment help, not a grant

Georgia's assistance for first-time buyers is a zero-percent second mortgage you repay when you sell or refinance. I will show you where it fits and where the limits sit.

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See how it works

A deferred second mortgage, not a grant

Georgia Dream is the state's down payment help for first-time buyers. It is a second mortgage at 0 percent with no monthly payment. You repay the full balance when you sell, refinance, or move out. There is no forgiveness clause.

Standard gives up to $10,000 or 5 percent of the price. The PEN tier for public-service workers and the CHOICE tier for disability households each give up to $12,500.

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How it works and who qualifies

First-time buyer, none owned in 3 years (waived in a targeted area)
640 minimum credit score
Income under $137,555 for 1-2 people
Income under $158,188 for 3 or more
Purchase price under $625,000 in metro
Liquid assets capped at $20,000 or 20% of the price, whichever is greater
Layers on FHA, VA, or conventional
8-hour HUD class before you close
One tier per purchase, mutually exclusive

Two of those rules have more give than they look. The first-time buyer requirement is waived entirely when you are buying in a DCA-designated targeted area, so a repeat buyer can still qualify depending on the census tract. And the liquid asset test is not a flat $20,000: DCA sets it at $20,000 or 20% of the sales price, whichever is greater, measured at closing. On a $250,000 home that is $50,000, not $20,000. Ask your lender to check the address against the targeted-area map before you rule yourself out. Source: Georgia DCA, Georgia Dream program FAQs, retrieved 2026-08-24.

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What this means in Clayton

The pitfall most buyers miss is the refinance trigger. Refinancing the first mortgage later repays the full Georgia Dream balance at closing unless DCA grants a subordination, which is uncommon.

Most of my Riverdale buyers stack Georgia Dream with the Clayton County DPA on an FHA first. A PEN buyer with Clayton Enhanced reaches $22,500 in total assistance. That is the top of the range, not the middle. The Clayton side caps at 80 percent of area median income, well under the Georgia Dream limit above, so check both before you count on the full number.

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Working out which tier you actually land in is the first thing we do at the Clayton County first-time buyer workshop. Dates are not set yet — I am building the list first.