What is THDA?
The Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) is the state agency that helps Tennesseans buy a home, including help with the down payment.
THDA is the state agency that helps Tennesseans buy a home, including help with the down payment.
The six checks
THDA's checklist has six parts. The price and income parts depend on your county; a lender confirms all six.
Show the same facts as a list
| Check | Status |
|---|---|
| F First-time buyer, or an exception | As of 10-28-2026 |
| M Income within the county limit | As of 10-28-2026 |
| A Price within the county limit | As of 10-28-2026 |
| S A home that fits the program | Ask a lender |
| O A home you will live in | Ask a lender |
| S A credit score of 640 or higher | As of 10-28-2026 |
What it does
THDA offers home loans, and help with the down payment, through lenders it has signed up. You apply through a THDA-approved lender, not through THDA directly and not through AskResi.
The programs, in a line each
Great Choice is the main loan. Great Choice Plus adds down payment help. Homeownership Heroes is for people in certain public-service jobs. Each one has its own rules, and a lender confirms which may fit.
What AskResi adds
Plain-language pages and short quizzes, free, with no account. We are not a lender and we do not rank lenders. If THDA's own page and ours ever differ, THDA's page decides.
What this rests on
Each line below was read at thda.org on the date shown.
- THDA's minimum credit score is 640. As of 10-28-2026.
- Income and purchase price limits depend on the county and the size of the household. As of 10-28-2026.
- Great Choice Plus and Homeownership Heroes need a THDA-approved homebuyer course. As of 10-28-2026.
- A buyer who has not lived in a home they owned in the last 3 years may be a first-time buyer under THDA's rule. Repeat buyers may also be eligible in a targeted county or area, or as qualified military and spouse. THDA lists 43 counties as targeted, and designated areas in additional counties. As of 10-28-2026.
What this page holds back
Any figure marked "As of" was checked at thda.org on that day. The price limit, the county income limits and other amounts are not printed here until a person has checked them. They change, and they depend on your county and household.
Limits vary by county and change. Ask a THDA-approved lender. THDA's own limits page.
Check where you stand
First-time buyer check
Three quick taps on THDA's 3-year rule. No account needed. 3 questions, about 2 minutes
- Which loan fits: Great Choice or Freddie Mac HFA Advantage? (4 questions, about 2 minutes)
Last checked 10-28-2026 · Source: THDA's own site (thda.org)