To get Georgia Dream down payment assistance, you apply through a DCA-approved participating lender, not the state. Check that you meet the 640 credit score and the income and price limits for your county. Then complete homebuyer education, send your documents to the lender and put in at least $1,000 of your own money. The assistance closes as a 0% second mortgage.
Georgia Dream is the homeownership program run by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). It pairs a 30-year fixed first mortgage, at a rate DCA sets, with a down payment loan that closes alongside it. DCA's FAQ is blunt about where to start: "You do not apply directly to DCA for the Georgia Dream Homeownership program." Everything goes through a lender. The amounts also changed recently. New figures took effect July 8, 2026, and they're higher than what many older guides still show.
How much assistance you can get in 2026
DCA's Georgia Dream page lists two levels of down payment assistance (DPA), effective July 8, 2026:
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Standard: 5% of the purchase price or $10,000, whichever is less.
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PEN and CHOICE: 6% of the purchase price or $12,500, whichever is less.
The percentage and the cap work together, so the smaller number wins. A Standard buyer purchasing a $180,000 house in Macon gets 5% of $180,000, which is $9,000, not the full $10,000. On a $250,000 house, 5% would be $12,500, so the $10,000 cap applies. The Standard cap starts to bind at a $200,000 price. For PEN and CHOICE buyers it binds at about $208,333.
PEN covers public protectors, educators, healthcare providers, people who work in those industries, and active military. CHOICE applies when a member of the buyer's family is living with a disability. If either fits your household, tell the lender at the first conversation so the loan is set up for the higher amount.
For context, DCA's April 15, 2024 announcement put the Standard DPA at 3.5% of the price and PEN/CHOICE at 4%, with the same dollar caps. The July 2026 figures on the Georgia Dream page are a real increase for buyers below the caps.
The assistance is a loan you'll repay
Georgia Dream DPA isn't a grant. DCA's lender FAQ describes it as "a 0% interest rate concurrent second mortgage," which means a second lien recorded against the home at the same closing as your first mortgage.
The terms, per the DCA FAQ: "The down payment assistance is a 0% interest loan with no monthly payment." And: "It is due when you sell, refinance or no longer occupy the home as your primary residence." DCA's steps page adds that it isn't forgivable and is repaid if you sell, refinance or transfer the title. Some third-party guides describe it differently. Go by DCA.
The lender FAQ also includes this line: "Our programs may have an IRS recapture tax of 9 years from the closing date." Ask your loan officer to explain whether it could apply to you before you sign.
Step 1: Check whether you qualify
According to DCA's FAQ and Georgia Dream page, you need to clear these tests:
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Buyer status: a first-time buyer, defined as someone who hasn't had an ownership interest in a primary residence in the past three years, or a buyer purchasing in a targeted area. DCA defines a targeted area as an entire county or a census tract that meets an income test.
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Credit: a minimum middle credit score of 640. DCA's lender FAQ sets 660 for Peach Advantage loans on manufactured homes.
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Income and price: both under the limits for your area (table below).
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Liquid assets after closing: no more than $20,000 or 20% of the sales price, whichever is greater. On a $180,000 house, 20% is $36,000, so that's your ceiling. The DCA FAQ notes that large gifts count as liquid assets.
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Loan type: FHA, USDA-RD, VA or conventional, all 30-year fixed.
Georgia Dream Standard price and income limits
DCA splits the state into three tiers. If you're buying in Savannah, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Valdosta or the mountains, you're in the "all other counties" tier.
| Area | Max purchase price | Income limit, 1-2 persons | Income limit, 3+ persons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell HUD Metro (24 counties) | $625,000 | $137,555 | $158,188 |
| Athens MSA | $525,000 | $118,152 | $135,875 |
| All other Georgia counties | $475,000 | $101,700 | $116,955 |
The Atlanta tier covers Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Heard, Henry, Jasper, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Rockdale, Spalding and Walton counties. The Athens MSA tier covers Clarke, Madison, Oconee, Oglethorpe and Morgan.
Step 2: Find a participating lender
DCA's participating lender list has about 89 companies, with links to their websites, plus a table of 12 top-producing loan officers. Ameris Bank, Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group, Guild Mortgage Company, SWBC Mortgage Corporation and Renasant Bank are among the names. The list isn't sorted by county and carries no date, so you'll have to do some legwork.
Being on the list and closing these loans every month aren't the same thing. When you call, ask how many Georgia Dream loans the loan officer closed recently and whether they've worked with PEN or CHOICE files. Georgia.gov's steps begin with getting pre-qualified with one of these lenders.
Compare fees too. DCA's lender FAQ caps origination fees at 2% of the first-mortgage base loan amount on conventional, FHA and USDA loans, and at 1% to the borrower on VA loans. That's a cap, not a required charge. If you get stuck, DCA's Office of Homeownership answers at 404-679-4840 or 1-800-359-HOME (4663).
Step 3: Complete homebuyer education
DCA's counseling page says: "Homebuyer counseling is required for ALL Georgia Dream Loans." That includes every borrower on the loan. You can take a workshop or do one-on-one counseling with a DCA-certified or HUD-approved agency, or take the eHome America online course, which DCA lists at $50.
Income-based vouchers can cover the cost. Your lender requests them using a Certification of Income Form, so ask about it before you pay. To find a HUD-approved agency near you, DCA points to HUD's website or HUD's line at 1-800-569-4287. Do the course early. A missing certificate shouldn't be the thing that holds up your file in the last week.
Step 4: Gather your documents
Between Georgia.gov's apply page and DCA's steps page, expect your lender to ask for:
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IRS transcripts for the three most recent consecutive years
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Your most recent signed tax returns
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Pay stubs covering the last 30 days
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W-2s from the last two years
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Bank statements from the last 60 days
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A gift letter, if any of your funds are a gift
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A signed Georgia Dream Application Affidavit
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A signed letter explaining your prior addresses and that you haven't owned a home (or IRS no-record results for 1098 transcripts covering the past three years)
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A credit report (the lender pulls this)
If you own 25% or more of a business, or work for a family member, add two years of personal and business tax returns and a year-to-date profit and loss statement. DCA's lender FAQ says income and asset verifications must be dated within 120 days of the underwriting decision. If your search drags on, expect to send fresh pay stubs and statements.
Step 5: Put in your own money
The DCA FAQ says you must contribute at least $1,000 of your own money or documented gift funds. The lender FAQ applies that $1,000 minimum to Standard Georgia Dream and Peach Select. DCA's steps page gives a range of $500 to $1,000 across Georgia Dream products, so confirm the exact figure for your loan with the lender. Keep the money in an account you can document. Cash that appears without a paper trail tends to cause problems in underwriting.
Step 6: Shop, make an offer and lock your rate
Once you're under contract, your lender locks the Georgia Dream rate. DCA's steps page says the lock generally runs 75 calendar days. As of November 5, 2026, DCA's rate page listed the Georgia Dream first mortgage at 6.750%, with or without DPA. DCA updates these rates, so check the page and your lender's quote before you sign anything.
After your lender underwrites the file, it goes to DCA for a compliance review. DCA says that takes at least 10 business days and can run longer in spring and summer. Your lender issues final approval only after DCA issues its commitment. That's why a Georgia Dream contract needs a realistic closing date. Georgia.gov says the process averages about 60 days from application to closing. DCA's FAQ says many purchases close in about 30 to 45 days. If you're buying in April or May, plan on the longer end.
Step 7: How the assistance shows up at closing
Your Closing Disclosure should arrive at least three days before closing. It will show the DPA as a second loan, and at the table you'll sign for both mortgages. DCA's lender FAQ says "DCA requires a wet closing (funding the same date as the closing)," so the money moves the day you sign. Make sure your closing attorney and seller expect a same-day funding.
If you don't fit Georgia Dream Standard
DCA runs two related programs for buyers who don't meet traditional Georgia Dream eligibility.
Peach Plus is for FHA and VA borrowers and has higher limits: a $725,000 price in the Atlanta metro, $650,000 in the Athens MSA and $575,000 elsewhere. Income limits are $206,333 and $237,282 (1-2 and 3+ persons) in Atlanta, $177,228 and $203,813 in Athens, and $152,550 and $175,433 in the rest of the state. DCA's Peach Plus page lists DPA at 3.5% for Standard and 4% for PEN/CHOICE. The Peach Plus rate on DCA's November 5, 2026 sheet was 7.250%, half a point above the Georgia Dream first mortgage.
Peach Advantage is conventional only. DPA ranges from 2% to 5% of the first loan amount, income can go up to 150% of area median income, and price limits match Peach Plus. DCA's June 30, 2025 launch release named Lakeview Loan Servicing as the sponsor and buyer of these loans. Its rate is posted on a separate daily sheet, so ask a lender for the current number.
Veterans who don't need DPA can also ask about Peach Select VA, which DCA listed at 5.750% on November 5, 2026, with no down payment assistance.
After you close
DCA's steps page tells new owners to file a homestead exemption as soon as possible after buying. Don't put it off. It can lower your property tax bill.
Keep the DPA balance in mind for later. Because the second mortgage comes due when you refinance, a future refi has to pay it off too. When rates fall and someone pitches you a refinance, add that balance to the math before you work out how long it takes to break even. The same goes for selling: the DPA comes out of your proceeds.
Related reading
Sources
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Georgia Dream Participating Lender List & Top Producing Loan Officers, Georgia DCA
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DCA Launches New Loan Program Expanding Down Payment Assistance (June 30, 2025)
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State of Georgia Introduces the New Georgia Dream Peach Plus Loan Program (April 15, 2024)
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Apply for the Georgia Dream Homeownership Program, Georgia.gov
