Tell Us How Long You Expect to Stay
Program and regulatory figures verified September 26, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Most lenders ask what you earn. The question that changes a Missouri recommendation is how long you plan to be there.
What to send
- The county, or an address. The county sets the income row, and four areas carve out named counties that fall to the floor. An address also lets us check the targeted tract and the flood zone.
- Household income for everyone who will live in the home and be on the loan.
- How many people will live there. MHDC steps at the third person and then holds flat.
- Ownership history over the past three years, and whether any of your last three tax returns show mortgage interest or a real estate tax deduction on Schedule A. That is MHDC's actual test.
- Veteran status. It exempts you from the first-time requirement on First Place.
- Whether a co-signer is possible. Their income is excluded from the MHDC limit.
- How long you expect to stay. See below.
Why the last one matters here
Because MHDC forgives nothing for five years. A household planning to stay fifteen years and a household expecting a job move in three should get different advice about the same 4%, and most of the time nobody asks.
If you tell us three years, we will show you what you would repay and let you decide with the number in front of you. Sometimes the answer is still take it, because liquidity at closing is worth a known future repayment. Sometimes it is take the Non-DPA option instead. Either way it should be a decision. The schedule.
What you get back
Which program fits, First Place or Next Step. The income row that applies to your county and household. Whether the address is in a targeted tract and whether it is in flood zone A or V. What the 4% would come to at your price point. And what you would still owe at year three, year five and year seven.
Plus the honest answer if it does not work yet, and what would change that.
The three questions we get most
I already own a home. Am I out? No. Next Step takes repeat buyers and carries higher limits. Next Step.
Is it really forgiven? Yes, at year ten, and not at all before year five. The schedule.
Can I add the tax credit? The MHDC MCC has been paused indefinitely since January 1, 2026, and First Place could never be combined with one. The correction.
Reach us
MHDC publishes its own program information at mhdc.com. Call (480) 296-6513 or send the form. Our team reviews every Missouri scenario and reaches out shortly.
Mike Certo, NMLS #260555. Cornerstone First Mortgage, NMLS #173855. Equal Housing Lender.
Frequently asked questions
What information do you need to tell me if I qualify for MHDC?
The county or an address, household income for everyone who will live there and be on the loan, how many people will live in the home, and your ownership history over the past three years including whether your recent tax returns show mortgage interest or a Schedule A real estate tax deduction. Veteran status and whether a co-signer is possible are both worth mentioning too.
Why does it matter how long I plan to stay in the home?
Because MHDC forgives nothing during the first five years. A household staying fifteen years and one expecting a job move in three should get different advice about the same 4% assistance. If you tell us three years, we show you what you would repay and let you decide with the figure in front of you, rather than discovering it at the sale.
Is there any obligation if I contact you?
No. We will tell you which MHDC program fits, the income row for your county, whether the address is in a targeted tract or a flood zone, what the 4% comes to and what you would still owe at years three, five and seven. That includes the honest answer if it does not work yet and what would change it.
Do you lend across all of Missouri?
Yes, statewide across all 115 counties, which all sit at the same $832,750 conforming loan limit. What varies is the MHDC income row, from $97,100 for a one to two person household in most of the state up to $139,560 in the Columbia MSA on the Next Step column, and whether a specific address is in a targeted census tract or an ineligible flood zone.
How quickly will someone respond?
Our team reviews every Missouri scenario and reaches out shortly, usually with the program that fits, the income row that applies and a read on the forgiveness exposure for your timeline. If something is time sensitive, calling (480) 296-6513 is faster than the form.
Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content about financing, not a loan commitment and not legal or tax advice. MHDC program terms, income limits and purchase price limits are set by the Missouri Housing Development Commission and change; figures here carry the date we verified them against MHDC's published documents. MHDC down payment assistance is a forgivable second loan, not a grant, and selling or refinancing inside ten years can require repaying all or part of it. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualification.