Who Actually Qualifies for ADFA Assistance
Program and regulatory figures verified October 6, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Arkansas has two first mortgages with different gates, so the honest first question is not whether you qualify but which programme you qualify for.
The gates, by programme
| Gate | StartSmart | Move-Up |
|---|---|---|
| Credit | 640 | 640 |
| Income | County + household size | $142,000 statewide |
| Buyer status | First-time, with two exits | No requirement |
| Price | $500,000 | Conforming limit |
| Property | Primary residence, max 5 acres, business use under 15% | |
★ Buyer status, and its two exits
StartSmart's first-time rule means not having owned your principal residence in the 3 years before closing. ADFA publishes two exceptions and both are easy to miss:
- Veterans and spouses of veterans with proper documentation, anywhere in Arkansas.
- Thirty named counties, for any buyer.
And if neither applies, Move-Up has no first-time requirement at all. Very few Arkansas buyers are genuinely shut out on buyer status; most who think they are simply have not been told about the exits.
Income: two completely different shapes
StartSmart runs county limits, topping out at $106,900 in Benton for one to two members. Move-Up runs one statewide number: $142,000.
★ That gap matters. A household at $120,000 fails every StartSmart county limit in Arkansas and clears Move-Up comfortably. Being over the StartSmart limit is not the end of the conversation — it is the start of a different one. The county table.
Credit: 640, and the loan underneath
640 on both. As everywhere, that is a threshold rather than a target, and the first mortgage underneath — FHA, VA, RD or conventional — brings its own requirements that have to be met alongside ADFA's. How that works.
Property rules are more specific here than most states
Primary residence only. No more than 5 acres of land. A business may not occupy more than 15% of the residence. Duplexes only when buying both sides, FHA only, occupying one side, and at least five years old — except in targeted counties, where newer duplexes are allowed. The detail.
And the thing to factor in before you start
The assistance is a second mortgage matching your first over 10 years, so it carries a monthly payment. That belongs in your affordability maths from the beginning. Why Arkansas differs.
Frequently asked questions
Who qualifies for down payment assistance in Arkansas?
A buyer with a 640 credit score buying an owner-occupied primary residence in Arkansas who qualifies for either the StartSmart or Move-Up first mortgage. StartSmart adds county income limits, a $500,000 price cap and a first-time buyer requirement with two exceptions; Move-Up has no first-time requirement and a $142,000 statewide income cap.I earn too much for StartSmart. Can I still get ADFA assistance?
Very possibly. StartSmart county limits top out around $106,900 for one to two members, while Move-Up uses a single statewide cap of $142,000. The assistance pairs with both programmes, so a household between those figures can still receive it through Move-Up.What credit score do I need for ADFA in Arkansas?
640 on both StartSmart and Move-Up. The first mortgage underneath, whether FHA, VA, Rural Development or conventional, carries its own separate requirements that apply alongside ADFA's.Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content about financing, not a loan commitment and not tax or legal guidance. ADFA program terms, income limits and purchase price limits are set by the Arkansas Development Finance Authority and change; figures here carry the date we verified them against ADFA's published documents. ADFA down payment assistance is a second mortgage matching the first mortgage over a 10-year term, which means it carries a monthly payment; it is not a grant. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualification.