Nebraska First-Time Home Buyer Guide 2026
NIFA First Home, Homebuyer Assistance, Welcome Home and Military Home compared side by side, with the full county-by-county income and purchase price limits effective July 2026, the six counties whose target-area tracts raise those limits and waive the first-time buyer rule, and what qualifying actually requires.
NIFA First Home for Nebraska Buyers
First Home is NIFA’s core first-time buyer product: a below-market first mortgage for buyers who do not need down payment help and do not qualify for Military Home. A first-time buyer, for NIFA’s purposes, is someone who has not owned and occupied a home as their primary residence in the past three years.
| Feature | First Home | First Home Targeted |
|---|---|---|
| First-time buyer required | Yes | No — requirement waived |
| Income and price limits | County non-target limits | Higher target-area limits |
| Where it applies | Statewide | Federally designated target-area tracts |
| Down payment assistance | None | None |
Target-area tracts exist in Adams, Douglas, Jefferson, Lancaster, Saline and Scotts Bluff Counties. If the home you want sits in one, the first-time buyer requirement disappears and both your income ceiling and your purchase price ceiling rise materially — worth checking before you rule yourself out.
Homebuyer Assistance (HBA)
HBA is the down payment programme. It pairs a NIFA first mortgage with a second mortgage covering down payment and closing costs, and it is the source of the “up to 5%” figure.
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Assistance amount | Up to 5% of the purchase price |
| Interest rate on the second | 1.000% |
| Term of the second | 120 months (10 years) |
| Eligible first mortgage types | Conventional, FHA, USDA RD or VA |
| First-time buyer required | Yes |
The assistance is a real second mortgage, not a grant. It carries a monthly payment at 1% over ten years, and that payment counts in your debt ratios. Factor it into what you can afford rather than treating the 5% as free money.
Welcome Home and Military Home
Not every Nebraska buyer is a first-time buyer, and NIFA has two routes that do not require it.
| Programme | Who Qualifies | Assistance |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Home | First-time and repeat buyers | None — first mortgage only |
| Welcome Home Assistance (WHA) | First-time and repeat buyers | Second mortgage at 1.000% for down payment and closing costs |
| Military Home | Active duty, reserves, and veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonourable | Government loan rate; no conventional option |
Active military must still meet the first-time buyer requirement for Military Home; qualified veterans and their spouses need not. A DD214 is required. Both Welcome Home programmes allow the lender to charge an origination fee of up to 0.50%, which First Home and HBA do not.
NIFA Income and Purchase Price Limits in Nebraska
NIFA sets both an income ceiling and a purchase price ceiling, and both vary by county and by whether the property sits in a target area. Note the household split: NIFA uses 1–2 person and 3+ person, which is not the same banding USDA uses. Limits below are effective 13 July 2026.
First Home income limits — non-target counties
| County | 1–2 Person | 3+ Persons |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur | $109,800 | $126,270 |
| Buffalo | $105,800 | $121,670 |
| Butler | $110,000 | $126,500 |
| Cass | $114,000 | $131,100 |
| Dawson | $112,920 | $131,740 |
| Douglas | $114,000 | $131,100 |
| Fillmore | $107,900 | $124,085 |
| Gosper | $112,920 | $131,740 |
| Hamilton | $113,400 | $130,410 |
| Harlan | $106,400 | $122,360 |
| Hooker | $109,800 | $126,270 |
| Lancaster | $107,500 | $123,625 |
| Otoe | $114,900 | $132,135 |
| Sarpy | $114,000 | $131,100 |
| Saunders | $118,200 | $135,930 |
| Seward | $114,200 | $131,330 |
| Washington | $114,000 | $131,100 |
| All other counties | $105,700 | $121,555 |
First Home income limits — target areas
| County | 1–2 Person | 3+ Persons |
|---|---|---|
| Adams | $126,840 | $147,980 |
| Douglas | $136,800 | $159,600 |
| Jefferson | $126,840 | $147,980 |
| Lancaster | $129,000 | $150,500 |
| Saline | $126,840 | $147,980 |
| Scotts Bluff | $126,840 | $147,980 |
First Home purchase price limits
| Number of Units | Non-Target County | Target County |
|---|---|---|
| One Unit | $398,000 | $485,500 |
| Two Units | $497,500 | $607,000 |
| Three Units | $621,875 | $758,500 |
| Four Units | $777,350 | $948,500 |
Welcome Home limits
| Limit | All Counties |
|---|---|
| Household income, all household sizes | $182,800 |
| Purchase price, one unit | $485,500 |
| Purchase price, two units | $607,000 |
Welcome Home applies a single income figure to every household size and every county, and its purchase price ceilings match First Home’s target-area limits statewide. NIFA counts all income used by the participating lender for loan approval, for every adult who will live in the home and be a borrower, co-borrower or non-borrowing spouse. Confirm current figures at the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority.
Who Qualifies in Nebraska
NIFA layers its own rules on top of whatever first mortgage you use. You have to clear both.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| First-time buyer | Has not owned and occupied a primary residence in the past three years |
| Occupancy | Must occupy as a primary residence within 60 days of closing |
| Income | Within the county limit for your household size |
| Purchase price | Within the county limit for the number of units |
| Homebuyer education | Required before closing — first-time buyers only |
| Lender | Must be a NIFA participating lender |
| Underlying loan | Conventional, FHA, USDA RD or VA, subject to that programme’s own rules |
Veterans and active military have two doors. Military Home offers a government loan rate and waives the first-time buyer requirement for qualified veterans and their spouses, with a DD214 required. Separately, a VA first mortgage can sit under NIFA’s Homebuyer Assistance second. Compare both before assuming one is better.
Buying Your First Home in Nebraska, Step by Step
| Step | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Check the limits | Confirm your county’s income and purchase price ceilings, and whether the property sits in a target area |
| 2. Choose a participating lender | NIFA loans are originated through approved lenders, not by NIFA directly |
| 3. Pick the programme | First Home, HBA, Welcome Home, WHA or Military Home, depending on assistance needs and buyer status |
| 4. Complete homebuyer education | Required before closing for first-time buyers |
| 5. Get pre-approved | Lender verifies income against both the loan programme and the NIFA ceiling |
| 6. Make an offer and close | Occupy within 60 days of closing |
Run the numbers on the assistance second before you commit to it. At 1% over 120 months it is cheap money, but the payment counts against your debt ratios — and Nebraska’s property tax escrow is already a heavier line than in most states.
