Are There First-Time Homebuyer Programs in Bucks County (and Philly)?

by Nick Rau

Up to $10,000 at 0% interest, with no monthly payment, is sitting on the table for first-time buyers in Bucks County. Yes, Bucks County has its own first-time homebuyer program, Pennsylvania's housing finance agency (PHFA) adds statewide down payment and closing cost help on top of its own mortgages, and on the Philadelphia side of the line the city's Philly First Home grant offers up to $10,000 or 6% of the price, whichever is less. All three require homebuyer counseling, and the county and city want it done before you sign an agreement of sale.

So here's what each program offers as of Nov. 3, 2026, who qualifies, the price caps that decide which houses work, and the step that comes first. Every number below comes from the county, PHFA and city documents as of Nov. 3, 2026, linked so you can check them.

Bucks County's First Time Homebuyer Program

The county's program, run with Bucks County Housing Group in Warminster, is a second mortgage of up to $10,000 at zero percent interest, with the principal deferred. You don't make payments on it, but it comes due when you sell, transfer title or take on additional debt, and you have to keep the home as your primary residence until it's repaid, according to the county's 2026 program guidelines. Counseling through Bucks County Housing Group is required, and the county recommends doing it before you go under contract.

To qualify, at least one adult needs six months of Bucks County residency or a year of continuous work at a Bucks County job (waived for active military), and you can't have owned a home in the past three years. Household income has to be at or below 100% of area median income, counting everyone in the household whether or not they're on the loan. The limits effective June 1, 2026 are:

• 1 person: $85,900
• 2 people: $98,200
• 3 people: $110,500
• 4 people: $122,700
• 5 people: $132,600 (the table runs up to $162,000 for 8)

The number that shapes your search is the price cap. Effective June 1, 2026, the maximum purchase price is $392,000 for new or existing homes in Bucks County, and you'll bring at least 3% of the price yourself (VA loans excepted), though First Front Door grants or grants through your lender can count toward that 3%. The guidelines also require a fixed-rate first mortgage of 15 years or longer and an escrow account for taxes and insurance. With the county's September median at $515,000, per the Bucks County Association of Realtors, that cap rules out many listings, so check prices against it early. See my Levittown and Bristol guides for local listings.

PHFA: the statewide layer

PHFA's help comes attached to its own first mortgages, and the limits are roomier. For the Keystone Home Loan, reservations on or after July 1, 2026 in Bucks County can go up to a $588,800 purchase price, with income limits of $122,700 for one or two people and $141,100 for three or more, according to PHFA's county limits table. Philadelphia is a PHFA target area, so its limits are higher: $730,600, with income limits of $147,200 and $171,700.

PHFA offers two main assistance loans for first-time buyers. The Keystone Advantage Assistance Loan covers down payment and closing costs with 4% of the price or value or $6,000, whichever is less, as a 0% loan repaid monthly over a decade. K-FIT, which pairs with the Keystone Home Loan, gives 5% of the lower of the price or appraised value with no dollar cap, and it's forgiven 10% a year over a decade. On a $392,000 house, that's $19,600 from K-FIT versus $6,000 from Keystone Advantage. Both need a 660 credit score from every borrower and limit your liquid assets to $50,000 after closing, and you pick one, because neither can be combined with another PHFA assistance program. PHFA requires homebuyer education too: face-to-face counseling if anyone's score is under 680, or online education for one borrower if everyone is 680 or higher, per PHFA's programs at a glance.

On the Philly side: Philly First Home

If you're weighing Northeast Philadelphia too, the city's Philly First Home program is a grant, not a loan: up to $10,000 or 6% of the purchase price, whichever is less, for down payment and closing costs, while funding lasts. It covers single-family homes and duplexes in the city (no condos), and you have to finish one-on-one counseling with a City-funded agency before you sign the agreement of sale. The grant has to be repaid if you move or refinance within 15 years. Income limits are the same 100% of area median as the county's, from $85,900 for one person to $162,000 for eight, per the city's income guidelines. If you're comparing the two sides of the line, my post on Northeast Philly vs. Bensalem walks through the taxes, and this one covers the transfer tax gap.

Before you start

Counseling is the one step every program here shares, so it's worth booking before you tour. Then ask Bucks County Housing Group and your lender which programs fit your purchase, and whether the county loan can be used with the PHFA loan you're considering. Once you know your budget, my closing costs breakdown shows where the cash goes. Common mistakes include signing an agreement of sale before counseling (which rules out the Philly grant), assuming you earn too much without checking the household table, forgetting that the county counts everyone's income in the household, and shopping above the $392,000 county cap. Program rules and funding change, so confirm everything with the program, your lender and, for anything legal or tax-related, a real estate attorney or tax professional.

Quick answers

Does Bucks County have a first-time homebuyer program?

Yes. The Bucks County First Time Homebuyer Program offers up to $10,000 as a 0%, deferred second mortgage, with counseling through Bucks County Housing Group, a $392,000 maximum purchase price and income at or below 100% of area median (2026 limits).

What is the income limit for first-time homebuyer help in Bucks County in 2026?

For the county program, $85,900 for one person, $98,200 for two, $110,500 for three and $122,700 for four, effective June 1, 2026. PHFA's Keystone Home Loan allows up to $122,700 for one or two people and $141,100 for three or more in Bucks.

How much is the Philly First Home grant?

Up to $10,000 or 6% of the purchase price, whichever is less, for a first home in Philadelphia. You must complete City-funded counseling before signing the agreement of sale.

Do I have to be a true first-time buyer?

Not always. The county program and Philly First Home both count you as eligible if you haven't owned a home in the past three years.

Before you see the first house, browse my Bucks County neighborhoods guide and run a payment with my mortgage calculator.

Note from Nick

Here's how first-time buyers in Bucks County and Philly can tap up to $10,000 or more in help, and the one step to take before you start touring. I'm Nick Rau, President of Sales with the Rarity Real Estate Team, ranked in the Top 1% of agents nationally (RealTrends 2025, individual), with more than 135 Google reviews, and I live right here in Bucks County.

Rarity Real Estate Team, 1100 N Delaware Ave Suite A, Philadelphia, PA 19125 · (215) 593-7498 · [email protected]

Questions about buying your first home? Call (215) 593-7498 or email [email protected].

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Featured image: Bristol Borough Hall. Photo (cropped): Mr. Matté, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons.

Sources (checked Nov. 3, 2026): County of Bucks, First Time Homebuyer Program guidelines and income limits (effective June 1, 2026); Bucks County Housing Group, housing resources; PHFA Keystone Home Loan purchase price and income limits (July 2026); PHFA Keystone Advantage; PHFA K-FIT; PHFA assistance programs at a glance (Aug. 2026); City of Philadelphia, Buy your first home; City of Philadelphia DHCD income guidelines; BCAR Local Market Insight, September 2026.