Wyoming first-time homebuyer grants and down payment assistance (2026)

Which WCDA first mortgage unlocks which DPA loan

WCDA’s March 2026 loan matrix ties each DPA product to specific first mortgages ⁠²:

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Standard FTHB and Spruce Up are funded with tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds. That is why they carry federal first-time buyer, income and price rules, and why they can trigger recapture tax if you sell within the federal window ⁠¹⁠². Edge is funded with taxable bonds, and Advantage loans are pooled into Ginnie Mae securities. Neither has a price cap. Both cap income at a single $138,320 figure, measured as qualifying income from underwriting rather than total household income ⁠²⁠³. Advantage does not allow manufactured homes ⁠². Spruce Up rolls repairs into the first mortgage. Plumbing, heating, roofing, energy and accessibility work all qualify, and the matrix requires both an as-is and an after-improved appraisal ⁠¹⁠².

Every WCDA home must sit on 10 acres or less. It must be a one-unit home with a single utility meter, which can be a townhome, twin home, approved condo or permanently affixed manufactured home. Duplexes to fourplexes, second homes and investment property are excluded ⁠¹⁠². You must move in within 60 days of closing ⁠².

How Home$tretch and Amortizing DPA are repaid

Neither WCDA product is forgiven. The difference is when you pay it back ⁠¹⁠²:

• Home$tretch (deferred loan). It carries 0% interest and no monthly payment. WCDA lists a 0.080% APR based on its average loan of $5,500. The full balance is due when you sell, refinance, or reach the 30-year maturity. You must keep living in the home until both the first mortgage and the Home$tretch note are paid off.
• Amortizing DPA (repayable loan). It has a fixed interest rate set on WCDA’s rate sheet and is fully repaid in monthly installments over 1 to 120 months. Its payment counts toward the 45% debt-to-income cap. Occupancy is required for at least one year.

Both cap out at $15,000. The lender must first take the first mortgage to its maximum loan-to-value before sizing the DPA loan, and the combined loans can reach 106% of value (105% on HFA Preferred) ⁠². DPA money can pay the down payment, closing costs, prepaids, inspection fees, the homebuyer education fee and a buyer-paid home warranty. It cannot pay for repairs ⁠². The lender’s origination fee on the DPA loan cannot exceed 1% ⁠². You must put in at least $1,500 yourself, and that money may be a gift ⁠¹⁠².

WCDA quotes its first-mortgage and Amortizing DPA rates daily on its website. Standard FTHB and Spruce Up borrowers may also qualify for its Military Preference and Home Again reduced rates ⁠². The rate page loads through a script we could not capture, so no rates are quoted here.

County income and price limits for WCDA loans and the MCC

WCDA’s limit table is dated June 16, 2025. It was the file posted on WCDA’s limits page in May 2026 (named “March 2026”), and it applies to Standard FTHB, Spruce Up and the MCC. Income here means total family household income for everyone 18 or older who will live in the home ⁠³⁠⁴⁠⁶. The price cap is $544,232 in every county except Teton ⁠³.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

For WCDA Advantage and Edge the limit is $138,320 of qualifying income for any household size in every county, with no price cap ⁠³. WCDA’s limits page links an income calculator worksheet and points to the FFIEC map for checking whether an address is in a targeted tract ⁠⁴. HUD and IRS figures usually update each spring, so ask your lender whether a newer table has replaced this one.

Wyoming’s Mortgage Credit Certificate and how it stacks

The MCC is a federal income tax credit, not cash at closing. WCDA’s quick reference sets the credit at 40% of yearly mortgage interest on loans of $125,000 or less, then 30% and 20% on larger loans. The 40% and 30% rates are capped at $2,000 of credit a year, and the 20% rate has no cap ⁠⁵. That sheet words the upper tier boundaries inconsistently, so ask your lender which rate your loan amount gets. Unused credit carries forward up to three years ⁠⁶.

WCDA’s public notice for the 2025 MCC Program, signed February 19, 2026, set $43,653,742 of total credit authority, issued first come, first served through participating lenders until it runs out ⁠⁶. An MCC cannot be combined with a tax-exempt bond loan, so it cannot go with Standard FTHB or Spruce Up ⁠⁵⁠⁶. It works with HFA Preferred, Advantage and, per the quick reference, Edge ⁠¹⁠⁵. You must be a first-time buyer (veterans and targeted areas excepted) and complete homebuyer education ⁠⁵⁠⁶. Selling within nine years can trigger federal recapture tax, and WCDA says MCC holders who pay it can be reimbursed by WCDA ⁠¹⁠⁶.

Credit, debt and education rules that apply to every WCDA DPA loan

Credit score. You need a 620 middle score whenever you use Home$tretch or Amortizing DPA. Advantage and Edge require 620 even without DPA. HFA Preferred requires a 620 average median score ⁠². Anyone with a past WCDA foreclosure, deed in lieu or short sale is ineligible ⁠².

Debt-to-income. The cap is 45% with any WCDA DPA loan, with no exceptions ⁠². Without DPA, the FHA, VA or RD guideline applies.

Education. At least one first-time buyer on the loan must complete homebuyer education ⁠². WCDA names Wyoming Housing Network, Inc. (WHN) in Casper as its provider ⁠¹⁠⁷. The course has two parts: an online class on the Framework platform for $75, then a one-on-one session in person or by phone. You schedule that session after submitting WHN’s form at least 24 hours ahead ⁠⁹. WCDA says both certificates stay valid for 18 months ⁠⁷. WHN’s page does not state whether it is HUD-approved, so check with WHN if a lender asks for a HUD-approved certificate.

Lenders. Only WCDA participating lenders can originate these loans. WCDA’s searchable list showed 113 loan officer entries in April 2026, from Cheyenne and Casper to Jackson, Afton and Torrington ⁠⁸.

Teton County’s $200,000 deed-restriction trade

Teton County’s income and price limits run far above the rest of the state ⁠³. The Jackson/Teton County Affordable Housing Department runs its own Housing Preservation Program for that market. A household that works full time locally and earns at least 75% of its income locally can get up to $200,000 toward a market-rate home. In return, it records a permanent Workforce Ownership deed restriction ⁠¹⁰. The restriction limits appreciation to CPI, at no more than 3% a year, so the home’s future resale value is capped ⁠¹⁰. The county’s sample calculator models the county paying 20% of the sales price ⁠¹². Its program page does not describe the money as a loan to repay.

The application asks for an appraisal, an inspection, the purchase contract and final loan approval from your lender. You also need local employment affidavits, a credit report from the past year, tax returns, and proof of citizenship, lawful permanent residence or DACA status. A homebuyer education certificate is required too. No one in the household may own residential real estate in Teton County ⁠¹¹. The page states that the county has funding but gives no deadline or funding total ⁠¹⁰.

We found no city-run down payment program in Cheyenne or Casper on the official pages we checked. Buyers in those cities use WCDA.

Getting a WCDA loan with Home$tretch, step by step

1. Check your county’s limit

   Compare your household’s total income with WCDA’s table. If you are over the limit for Standard FTHB, the $138,320 Advantage and Edge cap may still fit ⁠³⁠⁴.

2. Finish WHN education first

   Take the $75 online course, submit the one-on-one form, and book your counseling session. Keep both certificates; they last 18 months ⁠⁷⁠⁹.

3. Get prequalified with a participating lender

   Search WCDA’s list by town and tell the loan officer you want Home$tretch or Amortizing DPA ⁠⁷⁠⁸.

4. Gather documents

   Plan on pay stubs, tax returns and bank statements, plus proof of the $1,500 contribution or a gift letter. Federal-rule loans also require a Family Income Affidavit and Mortgagor’s Affidavit of Eligibility at closing, and these cannot be signed by power of attorney ⁠².

5. Shop with a real estate agent

   Keep the home under 10 acres and, for Standard FTHB or Spruce Up, under the county price cap ⁠¹⁠⁷.

6. Go under contract and close

   Once you have a home, schedule a follow-up with your lender, who handles the rest of the WCDA file through closing. WCDA does not publish processing times ⁠⁷.

7. Move in within 60 days and keep the paperwork

   Keep your Home$tretch note for any future sale or refinance, and keep your MCC if you have one ⁠².

If one lender turns you down, another participating lender can review the file. Other states’ programs are on the first-time homebuyer grants page, and other Wyoming guides are on the Wyoming page.