Great Choice Home Loan (with Great Choice Plus down payment assistance)
Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) — the state housing finance agency, via THDA-approved participating lenders
Amount: Two DPA options paired with the Great Choice first mortgage: (1) Deferred/forgivable second mortgage of up to $6,000 at 0% interest with no monthly payments, forgiven at the end of the loan term (THDA's own pages show some inconsistency, citing both a 10-year and a 30-year forgiveness/deferral period — verify current term with a THDA-approved lender before relying on it); full repayment is required if the home is sold or refinanced before the term ends. (2) Amortizing second mortgage of up to 5% of the sales price, capped at $15,000, repaid monthly over 30 years at the same interest rate as the first mortgage.
Type: Deferred forgivable loan (0% interest, no payments) OR amortizing second mortgage — borrower's choice
Minimum credit score of 640 for all borrowers on the loan. Must generally be a first-time homebuyer (defined as not having owned a home in the past 3 years), though repeat buyers can qualify if purchasing in a targeted county or if they qualify under the Homeownership for Heroes carve-out (active-duty military, veterans, law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, full-time K-12 teachers, which also waives the first-time-buyer requirement). Household income and home purchase price must fall under county-specific limits set by THDA (these vary by county and household size — e.g., one secondary source cited a general range of roughly $56,100–$95,900 depending on location/household size, but exact figures must be checked on THDA's official county-by-county income/purchase-price chart at thda.org, as they are not a single statewide number). Required completion of a THDA-approved homebuyer education course (in-person or online, fee up to $99) prior to closing. Most loans are FHA- or USDA-RD-insured, allowing financing up to 96.5% (or up to 100% for qualifying VA/USDA-RD military buyers).
The Housing Fund Down Payment Assistance
The Housing Fund, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) serving the greater Nashville/Middle Tennessee region (not a state program — cited because Tennessee's state THDA program often gets layered with this regional one for Nashville-area buyers)
Amount: Loans of up to $35,000 toward down payment, prepaid items, and closing costs. The organization reports having provided over $41.8 million in down payment assistance loans to more than 4,560 first-time homebuyers to date.
Type: Second-mortgage loan (structure/terms such as interest rate and forgiveness are set case-by-case; not fully published — confirm directly with The Housing Fund)
Serves households up to 120% of Area Median Income (AMI). Minimum credit score of 600 for loan requests under $10,000, and 620 for loan requests between $10,000 and $35,000. Home must be the buyer's primary residence. Buyer must already be approved with an FHA-approved first-mortgage lender in Tennessee. Completion of homebuyer education through a THDA-certified counselor is required before closing. Serves the Nashville area (Davidson County and surrounding Middle Tennessee counties).