The DeVito Team · Keller Williams Realty Greater Nassau
The official programs for Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and Brooklyn: who qualifies, how much, and how to apply.
The short answer: four sources of help cover our area. SONYMA (New York State) offers first-time buyer mortgages plus a down payment loan of up to $15,000. The FHLBNY Homebuyer Dream Program gives grants of up to $30,000 through its member lenders. On Long Island, the Long Island Housing Partnership runs town and county programs of up to $50,000; on October 29, 2026 only the Town of Brookhaven program was open. In Queens and Brooklyn, NYC's HomeFirst program lends up to $100,000, forgiven over time. Each has income and price limits, and most require a homebuyer education course.
Income limits (reservations from July 6, 2026; the same in Target Areas here):
| Counties | Achieving the Dream 1–2 / 3+ people | Low Interest Rate 1–2 / 3+ people |
|---|---|---|
| Nassau and Suffolk | $157,720 / $184,010 | $197,160 / $230,020 |
| Queens and Brooklyn | $162,810 / $189,950 | $203,520 / $237,440 |
Price limits (all four counties, both programs; Target Area in brackets): 1-family $1,306,970 ($1,597,410) · 2-family $1,673,440 ($2,045,320) · 3-family $2,022,730 ($2,472,220) · 4-family $2,513,890 ($3,072,530). A new 2-family home qualifies only in a Target Area.
Last verified October 29, 2026. Source: Achieving the Dream, Low Interest Rate Program, ATD limits, LIRP limits, Target Areas and eligibility
Last verified October 29, 2026. Source: SONYMA DPAL
Last verified October 29, 2026. Source: FHLBNY Homebuyer Dream Program
The Long Island Housing Partnership (LIHP), a HUD-certified counseling agency, administers down-payment programs for Nassau County, Suffolk County and several towns, and runs free homebuyer counseling and an online education course.
Income limits (2026 guidelines, 80% of the area median):
| 1 person | $92,050 | 5 persons | $142,000 |
| 2 persons | $105,200 | 6 persons | $152,500 |
| 3 persons | $118,350 | 7 persons | $163,000 |
| 4 persons | $131,450 | 8+ persons | $173,550 |
Last verified October 29, 2026. Source: LIHP, Town of Brookhaven program and 2026 Program Guidelines
LIHP posts new rounds on its down payment assistance page. Counseling: LIHP first-time homebuyer counseling · online education course.
In East Hampton, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold, a first-time buyer can be exempt from the 2% Peconic Bay region transfer tax when the price and household income are within the State's limits, the home will be their primary residence, and the town approves the application. How the Peconic Bay tax and its exemption work.
Income limits (120% of the area median, effective June 1, 2026):
| 1 person | $142,560 | 5 persons | $219,840 |
| 2 persons | $162,840 | 6 persons | $236,160 |
| 3 persons | $183,240 | 7 persons | $252,480 |
| 4 persons | $203,520 | 8 persons | $268,680 |
Price limits for an existing home (effective December 1, 2025, until HUD issues new ones):
| 1 unit | 2 units | 3 units | 4 units | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queens | $699,000 | $894,000 | $1,083,000 | $1,342,000 |
| Brooklyn | $732,000 | $936,000 | $1,134,000 | $1,404,000 |
Last verified October 29, 2026. Source: NYC HPD, HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program
Set the limits above against what homes actually sell for. Median sale price over the last settled 12 months, whole county, from the same figures as each county's market report:
| County | Median sale price | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Nassau County | about $835K ▲ 4% YoY | 10,045 |
| Suffolk County | about $690K ▲ 6% YoY | 13,151 |
| Queens | about $750K ▲ 9% YoY | 8,254 |
Based on information from OneKey® MLS, for the period October 7, 2025 through October 7, 2026.
A county median mixes home types and prices; each county's report breaks it down by type, price range and town. Brooklyn figures are not shown here yet.
Statewide, SONYMA (the State of New York Mortgage Agency) offers 30-year fixed mortgages for first-time buyers through participating lenders, and a Down Payment Assistance Loan that can be added to them. The Federal Home Loan Bank of New York's Homebuyer Dream Program gives grants through its member lenders. On Long Island, the Long Island Housing Partnership runs town and county down-payment programs; when checked on October 29, 2026, the Town of Brookhaven program was taking applications and the Nassau County, Suffolk County and Town of Babylon programs were closed.
Each program sets its own rule, so check it with the program. The Town of Brookhaven program's 2026 guidelines define a first-time buyer as a household that has not owned a home in the three years before applying. SONYMA requires first-time buyers but makes an exception for eligible military veterans and for homes in a federally designated Target Area.
For reservations accepted from July 6, 2026, the Achieving the Dream limit in Nassau and Suffolk is $157,720 for a 1 or 2 person household and $184,010 for 3 or more. The Low Interest Rate Program limit is $197,160 and $230,020. In Queens and Brooklyn they are $162,810 and $189,950 for Achieving the Dream, and $203,520 and $237,440 for the Low Interest Rate Program. Children count toward household size.
The larger of 3% of the purchase price, up to $15,000, or $3,000, with a $1,000 minimum, and never more than your actual down payment and closing costs. It carries no interest and no monthly payments and is forgiven after 10 years. If you sell or refinance sooner, part of it may have to be repaid; that share falls by 1/120 for each month you live in the home. It can only be used with a SONYMA mortgage.
Yes. NYC HPD's HomeFirst program offers first-time buyers a forgivable loan of up to $100,000 toward the down payment or closing costs on a 1 to 4 family home, condo or co-op in any of the five boroughs. Household income can be up to 120% of the area median ($203,520 for a household of four in the table effective June 1, 2026), the price of an existing home must be within HPD's limits, at least 3% of the price must come from your own funds, and you start with an HPD-approved counseling agency.
Often, within each program's rules. SONYMA says other grants and subsidies can be included with its Achieving the Dream and Low Interest Rate mortgages with no limit. The Town of Brookhaven program says it can be paired with most other assistance and mortgages, but not with another program already funded with Brookhaven HOME funds. Each program checks the others, so tell every program and your lender about all of them.
It depends on the program, and the condition is usually that you keep living in the home. The SONYMA Down Payment Assistance Loan is forgiven after 10 years. The Town of Brookhaven program requires 10 years as your primary residence or full repayment. HomeFirst requires 10 years for a loan of $40,000 or less and 15 years for a larger loan or a City-funded one.
Yes, in East Hampton, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold. A first-time buyer can be exempt from the 2% Peconic Bay region tax when the price and household income are within the State's limits, the home will be their primary residence, and the town approves the application. Our New York transfer tax guide explains it.
The Peconic Bay tax and its first-time buyer exemption · What buyers pay at closing in New York · Buying a co-op
Joseph DeVito is a New York Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker and a New York attorney. He does not act as both broker and attorney on the same transaction: here he acts as a real estate broker only, and he is not your attorney. Real estate services provided through Keller Williams Realty Greater Nassau are not legal representation. Everything on this site is general information for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice, it creates no attorney-client relationship, and it should not be relied on as legal advice — for advice about your own situation, consult your own attorney.
This page summarizes public program information; it is not a loan offer or mortgage advice, and we do not decide eligibility. Each program and its participating lender make that decision, so confirm the current terms with them before you sign a contract.
The DeVito Team of Keller Williams Realty Greater Nassau
Joseph DeVito, NY Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker
400 Garden City Plaza Ste 438, Garden City, NY 11530 · (516) 770-3782
