First Time Home Buyer Programs in Naperville: IHDA, Limits and Steps

What help is there for a first-time homebuyer in Naperville? The main source is the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA).

Its IHDAccess Home loan offers first-time buyers 6% of the purchase price, up to $15,000, as a second mortgage with no monthly payment, and three other IHDAccess loans, with lower dollar caps, are open to repeat buyers too.

In DuPage and Will counties, IHDA’s general limits outside targeted areas are $170,100 of income and a $666,354 price for a one-unit home, for reservations dated July 1, 2026 and after. A DuPage County program is only proposed, and the City of Naperville’s own site is the place to check for City programs.

I am Dan Firks, Founder and CEO of the Dan Firks Team at Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group here in Naperville. My Illinois real estate broker license is 475.141739.

This guide covers assistance programs only, not neighborhoods or schools; to confirm the district for an address, see how to check a Naperville school district by address. For questions about buying, call or text me at 630.637.9009 or email Dan@Naperville.com.

Sources were checked on September 29, 2026 unless dated otherwise. This is general information, not legal, tax or lending advice; only an IHDA participating lender can say whether you are eligible.

In this guide

• Programs a Naperville buyer can use
• IHDA assistance amounts
• Who counts as a first-time buyer
• DuPage and Will County limits
• Naperville prices and the limits
• Credit score and requirements
• Homebuyer education
• City and county programs
• FHA, conventional and VA loans
• Reservation timing and checklist
• FAQ

What first-time home buyer programs can a Naperville buyer use?

A Naperville buyer can use IHDA’s four statewide IHDAccess loans today; county and City options are either proposed or need to be checked at the source.

In my experience, buyers have fewer surprises when they raise IHDA assistance in their first lender conversation, because the program shapes both the loan type and the purchase price limit.

To find a lender that offers these programs, use the IHDA Mortgage lender search. IHDA says all of its lenders “are required to offer the same interest rates.” I do not recommend specific lenders.

How much down payment assistance does IHDA offer?

IHDA’s four IHDAccess loans offer 6% of the purchase price up to $15,000 (Home), 5% up to $7,500 (Deferred), 4% up to $6,000 (Forgivable) or 10% up to $10,000 (Repayable).

None of them is a grant: each is a second mortgage that is repaid, deferred or forgiven.

IHDA says the IHDAccess Home assistance “can be used to pay your down payment, closing costs, or both.”

Each loan’s percentage reaches its dollar cap at a $250,000 price for IHDAccess Home, $150,000 for Forgivable and Deferred, and $100,000 for Repayable. Above those prices the cap is the amount, so at Naperville’s recent median sale price every product is at its dollar cap.

Who counts as a first-time home buyer for IHDA?

IHDA defines a first-time homebuyer as someone who “does not currently retain, or has not retained within the last three (3) years, an ownership interest in a principal residence.”

That test matters most for IHDAccess Home. IHDA’s homebuyers page says every borrower and non-borrowing spouse must be a first-time homebuyer, a “qualified veteran (as evidenced by a COE or DD214 certificate showing honorable discharge),” or a “non-first-time homebuyer purchasing a new primary residence within a targeted area.”

If you owned a home years ago, the three-year look-back is the rule, and your lender applies it to your history. IHDA’s Getting an IHDA Loan page describes the other three loans as “Available to first-time and repeat homebuyers statewide.”

Targeted status is an address question, not a neighborhood one. Enter the address in the targeted area lookup on IHDA’s Income and Purchase Price Limits page; IHDA’s homebuyers page notes that “most properties are not located within these areas.”

What are the IHDA income and purchase price limits in DuPage and Will County?

For reservations dated July 1, 2026 and after, IHDA’s general limits outside a targeted area are the same in DuPage and Will counties: $170,100 of income and a $666,354 purchase price for a one-unit home.

IHDAccess Home uses its own limits, lower on every price row and on income, except for households of 3 or more in a targeted area, where it matches the general income limit.

The IHDAccess Home limits “apply solely to the IHDAccess Home Program”; the general figures cover IHDA’s other programs. Three rules from IHDA’s limits page:

• The property’s county decides the column. Limits “are determined by the county where the home being purchased is located, not the homebuyer’s current residence.” Naperville lies in both DuPage and Will counties, so confirm the county for the specific property through the DuPage County Supervisor of Assessments property lookup or the Will County Supervisor of Assessments property search.
• IHDA counts income its own way. Its figure “may vary from the amount used in AUS,” the lender’s automated underwriting system, so lenders run IHDA’s Income Calculator.
• Targeted is not always higher. The DuPage targeted general income limit is lower than the non-targeted one on the current table, so read the column for the specific property.

Two-unit homes add loan-type rules on IHDA’s education page: “USDA: Two-unit property types are not allowed,” a Freddie Mac loan requires landlord education on top of homebuyer education, and a Fannie Mae loan requires it only when the loan-to-value exceeds what Fannie Mae’s HomeReady allows.

I do not tie these limits to any Naperville street or subdivision; IHDA’s address lookup is the way to check a specific home.

How does the Naperville median sale price compare with the IHDA purchase price limits?

Naperville’s median sale price was $655K over the three months reported by Redfin as of August 2026, about $11,000 below IHDA’s $666,354 general limit for a one-unit home outside a targeted area and about $89,000 above the $566,354 IHDAccess Home limit.

So outside a targeted area, a median-priced purchase is under the price limit for the Forgivable, Deferred and Repayable loans but over the one for IHDAccess Home.

A median is the midpoint of recent sales, so about half closed above it, and Redfin had the median up 4.7% year over year. The gap between typical prices and the general limit is narrow, and either number can move.

The limit is one program rule among several, not a verdict on any home or buyer. In my experience, it is easy to lose track of once showings start, so I suggest setting your search’s price ceiling at the limit your lender quotes.

To run numbers, use the Naperville mortgage calculator for payment math, add an estimate from the Naperville property tax calculator, and search Naperville homes for sale with a price filter.

What credit score and other requirements does IHDA list?

IHDA requires a credit score of 640 or higher, a debt-to-income ratio (DTI) of 50% or lower, a borrower contribution of at least 1% of the sale price or $1,000, whichever is greater, and the purchase of a primary residence.

For the score, IHDA’s homebuyers page says lenders use the “middle score”: with scores from all three credit bureaus, “the highest and lowest scores are set aside,” and with fewer than three, “the lowest score (or only score) is used.” Confirm with an IHDA participating lender how it applies to your credit file.

• Primary residence. IHDA “cannot finance a vacation home or other property that will not be your primary residence within 60 days of close.”
• DTI of 50% or lower. IHDA counts the new housing payment and debts such as car payments, credit cards and student loans, divided by gross monthly income.
• Your own contribution. IHDA says it can include items like earnest money, appraisal fees and prepaid homeowners insurance. At a $655,000 price, 1% is $6,550.
• Also required: income and price within the county’s limits, education before closing, and, for IHDAccess Home only, first-time status or an exemption.

A second DTI line applies to education: “all borrowers on transactions with a debt-to-income ratio > 45.00% must complete” the Finally Home pre-purchase course, and “DTI is determined per final AUS run.” Confirm with an IHDA participating lender how your ratio is calculated.

If you have heard of a Mortgage Credit Certificate, ask IHDA whether one is offered now, and ask a tax professional how it would apply to you.

Meeting a published minimum is not an approval; only the lender decides.

Is homebuyer education required, and where do you take it?

Yes. Every borrower must take a pre-purchase course from a provider on IHDA’s approved list at IHDAmortgage.org/edu, and it must be “completed prior to closing and no more than one year prior to the closing date.”

It applies “for ALL borrowers on the transaction, regardless of first-time-homebuyer status or current homeownership,” and courses must “meet standards defined by HUD, or the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling.”

Where to take it:

• A course from IHDA’s approved provider list, which includes online courses and HUD certified housing counselors (find one with HUD’s Find a Housing Counselor search). Check each provider’s fee.
• A Community First Housing Counseling Resource Program agency. IHDA partners with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago on this program and says its sessions are “offered free or low-cost,” in person and virtually.
• The Finally Home homebuyer education course, which IHDA requires when the DTI is above 45.00%. IHDA notes that Finally Home Credit Essentials, a different course, does not satisfy the requirement.

The deadline has no workaround: “Files that do not complete pre-purchase education prior to close are not eligible for delivery to IHDA, we are unable to make any exceptions on this policy.”

In my experience, finishing the course early takes one hard deadline off the list before the busy weeks between contract and closing.

Does the City of Naperville or DuPage County have its own down payment program?

DuPage County has proposed one but not launched it, and for the City of Naperville the current answer is on the City’s own website, not here.

DuPage County: proposed, not yet available

NCTV17 reported on September 24, 2026 that Board Chair Deborah Conroy’s proposed $710 million FY2027 county budget uses $5 million from the Housing Innovation Fund for a first-time homebuyer program with IHDA: up to $15,000 from the county and up to $15,000 from IHDA.

That fiscal year runs December 1, 2026 to November 30, 2027. As of September 29, 2026 this is a budget proposal, not a program with an application, so watch dupagecounty.gov for the final budget and any program terms.

Will County and local counseling agencies

For homes on the Will County side, I could not confirm county purchase-assistance terms from a primary source. Ask the Will County Land Use Department, Community Development Division.

For counseling you can call now, IHDA’s Community First agency list includes DuPage Homeownership Center (H.O.M.E.) at (630) 260-2500 for DuPage County and Will County Center for Community Concerns at (815) 722-0722 for Will County. I name them because IHDA lists them, not as a recommendation.

Local agencies may run income-qualified programs of their own, so ask whether a program applies to a Naperville address; HUD’s search finds others.

City of Naperville

Start with the City’s Community Development Block Grant page and contact the City about any current program. I do not describe City program terms because I could not confirm them.

Can you combine IHDA assistance with an FHA, conventional or VA loan?

Yes, through IHDA’s own first mortgage: every IHDA program comes with a 30-year fixed-rate first mortgage, which IHDA lists as available as an FHA, VA or USDA loan or as a conventional HFA loan through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

IHDA’s two websites name the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac products differently, so ask your IHDA participating lender which conventional option it offers. Which loan type to use is a question for that lender.

For FHA, HUD’s 2026 one-unit limit is $541,287, “effective for FHA case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026,” in DuPage and Will counties alike (HUD’s 2026 loan limit announcement). That is HUD’s national floor, and HUD’s county limit lookup lists it for every Illinois county, so none is an FHA high-cost area.

The limit caps the loan, not the price, and sits about $113,700 below Naperville’s $655,000 median and about $25,100 below the IHDAccess Home price limit. On a median-priced home, an FHA loan at the limit leaves about $113,700 for the down payment, and the largest IHDAccess amount is $15,000.

USDA’s location rule largely excludes Naperville. Eligibility map tools built on USDA’s map report that “the urbanized cores of Chicago, Aurora and Naperville are excluded,” and they showed ZIP codes 60564 and 60565 as about 100% ineligible on September 29, 2026. Those tools are third-party, so check a specific address on USDA’s own property eligibility map.

Buying a condo? See whether you can use an FHA or VA loan on a specific Naperville condo complex.

When do you reserve IHDA funds and finish homebuyer education?

Your IHDA participating lender reserves the funds after running IHDA’s Income Calculator; IHDA requires your education certificate to lock the loan, and the course must be finished before closing, with no exceptions.

A typical order follows; your lender sets the exact sequence.

1. Talk to an IHDA participating lender. Say you plan to use IHDA assistance when you ask for a pre-approval, then bring that pre-approval to your first meeting with a buyer’s agent.
2. Take the education course. Every borrower finishes it before closing and within one year of the closing date.
3. Make an offer. Keep the price within your program’s limit, and have a licensed Illinois real estate attorney review the contract.
4. Your lender reserves the funds. IHDA tells lenders to run its Income Calculator “to determine eligibility prior to reserving funds,” and the reservation date sets which limit table applies.
5. Your lender locks the loan. IHDA requires the education certificate to lock. If the course is not finished by then, the lender may upload a letter stating which course you intend to take and when, but the course must still be completed before closing.
6. Close. For the steps in between, see what happens after an offer is accepted in Naperville.

Printable IHDA assistance checklist

• Confirm the property’s county (Naperville lies in both DuPage and Will) and read that column on IHDA’s limits page.
• Check the address in IHDA’s targeted area lookup.
• Find an IHDA participating lender through IHDA’s lender search.
• Ask which IHDAccess loan, first mortgage type and price limit the lender is quoting.
• Review the 640 minimum credit score (the middle of three scores), the 50% DTI limit and your own DTI with the lender.
• Plan for your contribution of at least 1% of the sale price or $1,000, whichever is greater.
• Take an approved education course, or the Finally Home homebuyer education course (not Credit Essentials) if your DTI is above 45.00%, within a year before closing.
• Save the completion certificate, with every borrower named on it or on a separate certificate.
• Have a licensed Illinois real estate attorney review the contract.

When you are ready to look at homes with an IHDA program in mind, call or text me at 630.637.9009, email Dan@Naperville.com, or send a note through our real estate inquiry form.

Dan Firks is the Founder and CEO of the Dan Firks Team at Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group in Naperville, a Realtor® and broker who represents buyers and sellers across Naperville and the western suburbs. Read more about Dan Firks.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an Illinois first time home buyer grant?

Not in the current IHDA lineup. IHDA offers down payment assistance as second mortgage loans. IHDAccess Forgivable comes closest: 4% of the purchase price, up to $6,000, forgiven over 10 years unless the home is sold or refinanced first.

How much is IHDA down payment assistance in 2026?

IHDAccess Home offers 6% of the purchase price, up to $15,000. IHDAccess Forgivable offers 4%, up to $6,000; Deferred offers 5%, up to $7,500; and Repayable offers 10%, up to $10,000.

Do I count as a first time home buyer if I owned a home before?

IHDA looks back three years. It defines a first-time homebuyer as someone who does not currently retain, or has not retained within the last three years, an ownership interest in a principal residence. Your IHDA participating lender applies the rule.

What are the IHDA income limits for DuPage and Will County?

For reservations dated July 1, 2026 and after, the general limit outside targeted areas is $170,100 in both counties. IHDAccess Home limits are $121,500 for a 1 to 2 person household and $139,725 for 3 or more. Targeted areas use different figures.

What credit score does IHDA require?

IHDA requires a credit score of 640 or higher. Lenders use the middle of three bureau scores, or the lowest score when fewer than three are available. IHDA also lists a debt to income ratio of 50% or lower.

Does DuPage County have a down payment assistance program for first time buyers?

Not yet. A $5 million DuPage County program with IHDA, offering up to $15,000 from the county plus up to $15,000 from IHDA, was proposed in the FY2027 county budget, as NCTV17 reported on September 24, 2026.

When do I have to finish IHDA homebuyer education?

Before closing, and no more than one year before the closing date. Files without education completed before closing are not eligible for delivery to IHDA.