May 1, 2026 | by Katie Claflin
Categories: First Time Buyer, Homeownership
Lack of awareness about down payment assistance continues to be one of the greatest challenges facing today’s home buyers.
Despite a plethora of down payment assistance options (2,679 nationwide, according to Down Payment Resource), there are still many home buyers that do not know about these programs or only learn about them after it is too late to apply.
A recent survey conducted by New American Funding highlights the extent of the problem. According to the survey results, about 20% of respondents said they wish they had known about down payment assistance programs before purchasing a home. Another 13% indicated they didn’t realize that a 20% down payment is no longer required for most buyers.
Down payment assistance is more important than ever, as persistently high home costs and interest rates continue to plague the home buying market. According to a December 2025 report released by realtor.com, it currently takes home buyers an average of 8.2 years to save for a median down payment in Austin, 5.4 years to save for a down payment in Dallas/Fort Worth, and 3.5 years to save for a down payment in Houston.
Not only can down payment assistance shorten the amount of time it takes to save for a home, it can help homeowners keep more of their hard-earned savings to better afford the ongoing costs of homeownership, like maintenance, insurance and property taxes.
Education Resources for Home Buyers
To help spread the word about down payment assistance, TSAHC has created numerous resources to educate prospective home buyers about our programs.
Informational videos explaining the benefits and requirements of our home buyer assistance programs.
Program comparison calculators to help home buyers, lenders and REALTORS calculate loan payments and savings using our various down payment assistance and mortgage credit certificate products.
A Steps to Buying a Home guide to help walk home buyers through the process of purchasing a home.
Help Us Spread the Word
If you are lender, REALTOR or housing counselor, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with these resources and help us educate more consumers about the availability of down payment assistance options. Together, we can help ensure that home buyers have the resources they need to make informed decisions about homeownership.
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