Every Massachusetts loan program Mike runs
One branch manager, the full Massachusetts menu. MassHousing down payment help, ONE Mortgage, Operation Welcome Home, FHA, high-balance conforming, jumbo, self-employed, and investor financing. Pick the situation that matches yours, then send your scenario. Mike maps the numbers to your county and your credit profile.
The Massachusetts menu at a glance
Mike does not sell one loan. He fits the first mortgage to your file, then layers assistance where it helps. Massachusetts is an expensive market, so the high-cost limits and the down payment programs both do real work here. Here is the shortlist so you can find your situation fast.
| Program | Who it fits | Down payment | Key Massachusetts detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| MassHousing DPA | Buyers short on cash | Assistance covers it | Up to $30k 0% deferred, or $25k amortizing over 15 yrs; 640 to 700 FICO |
| ONE Mortgage | First-time buyers | 3% (5% on a 3-family) | No PMI, state subsidy, first mortgage |
| Operation Welcome Home | Veterans, active duty, Gold Star | Varies | MassHousing's veteran program; confirm terms |
| FHA | Lower credit, slim savings | 3.5% | Boston-metro limit $962,550; western MA floor $541,287 |
| Conventional 97 | Mid-600s and up | 3% | MI cancels at 20% equity |
| High-balance / Jumbo | Boston-metro and island buyers | Varies | Baseline $832,750; Boston-metro $962,550; islands $1,249,125 |
| VA | Eligible veterans | $0 | No monthly mortgage insurance |
| Bank-statement / 1099 | Self-employed | Varies | Qualify on deposits, not net tax income |
| DSCR | Investors | Varies | Qualify on the property's rent |
MassHousing down payment assistance: up to $30,000
MassHousing runs the state's main down payment help. Option 1 gives up to $30,000 as a 0% deferred second, with no monthly payment; the balance comes due when you sell, refinance, or pay off the first mortgage. Options 2 and 3 give up to $25,000 as an amortizing second over 15 years. The $30,000 amount is the same in every Massachusetts city and town. Credit runs 640 to 700 by loan type. Income limits reach 135% of area median in Boston and the 26 Gateway Cities, and 100% elsewhere, as of 2026. See the down payment assistance page for the details.
ONE Mortgage: 3% down with no PMI
ONE Mortgage is the flagship first mortgage from the Massachusetts Housing Partnership. It asks 3% down on a single-family, condo, or two-family home, and 5% on a three-family, with no private mortgage insurance. A state interest subsidy lowers the payment by about 20%. It is built for first-time buyers who have not owned in the last three years, and a homebuyer education class is required. Confirm current income limits at mymasshome.org before you count on the program.
Operation Welcome Home for Massachusetts veterans
Operation Welcome Home is MassHousing's program for veterans, active-duty service members, and Gold Star families. It is the state's real veteran housing product, and it is separate from MassDREAMS, which has closed. If you or your buyer served, this is the path to ask about. Terms change, so confirm the current guidelines with MassHousing before you plan around a specific benefit.
FHA loans in Massachusetts
FHA is the common landing spot when credit sits lower or savings are thin. It allows 3.5% down and treats past credit bumps more gently than conventional financing. The 2026 FHA limit around Boston, in Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex, and Plymouth counties, is $962,550, the same as the conforming figure there. In the western counties like Hampden and Berkshire, the FHA floor is $541,287. MassHousing assistance can ride on top of an FHA first mortgage.
Conventional 97 for Massachusetts buyers
Once your score clears the mid-600s, conventional financing often beats FHA because the private mortgage insurance cancels at 20% equity instead of running the life of the loan. Conventional 97 allows 3% down on a one-unit primary home. For a first-time buyer in Cambridge or Quincy with strong credit but little cash, it pairs well with a MassHousing second. Mike lays the FHA and conventional math side by side so you can see which one costs less over time.
High-balance and jumbo loans in a high-cost state
Massachusetts is expensive, so the line between conforming and jumbo matters here more than almost anywhere. The 2026 baseline is $832,750, which covers Worcester, Springfield, and the western and central counties. Around Boston, in Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex, and Plymouth counties, the high-cost conforming limit rises to $962,550. Dukes and Nantucket, out on the islands, reach the national ceiling of $1,249,125. A loan above your county's number is a jumbo, and Mike runs full-doc, alt-doc, and self-employed jumbo paths.
One correction worth flagging: the Boston-metro limit is $962,550, not the $1,249,125 ceiling. Plenty of sites stamp the top figure across eastern Massachusetts, and it is wrong. Only Dukes and Nantucket sit that high. That gap, roughly $286,575, is the difference between a clean conforming approval and a jumbo file with stricter reserves.
VA loans for Massachusetts veterans
Eligible veterans, active-duty service members, and surviving spouses can buy with zero down and no monthly mortgage insurance. Massachusetts holds a large veteran community, from Hanscom Air Force Base near Bedford to the coastal Navy and Coast Guard presence. A VA loan can also sit alongside MassHousing's Operation Welcome Home for veterans. Mike handles Certificate of Eligibility questions and entitlement restoration when you use the benefit a second time.
Self-employed and bank-statement loans
Tax returns understate what many business owners really earn, because legal deductions shrink the net figure underwriters read. Bank-statement loans fix that by qualifying you on 12 or 24 months of deposits with an expense-factor adjustment. There are also 1099 loans for contractors and agents, and asset-qualifier loans that build income from liquid accounts. These are Non-QM programs, so they sit outside standard agency rules and price on their own terms. In a state full of consultants, founders, and independent professionals, this is a big share of Mike's book.
Investor and DSCR loans
DSCR loans qualify on the rental income a property produces, not your personal tax return. That keeps investors moving without stacking personal debt-to-income limits. Mike runs standard rental and short-term-rental DSCR options, cash-out refinances for pulling equity into the next deal, and portfolio structures for buyers scaling past a few doors. Gateway cities like Worcester, Lowell, Brockton, and New Bedford draw steady rental demand at price points that still pencil.
Bridge financing to buy before you sell
Move-up buyers in tight Massachusetts markets often need to buy the next house before the current one sells. A bridge structure lets you write a clean, non-contingent offer, which reads far stronger to a seller than one that hinges on your sale closing first. In a low-inventory market like Greater Boston, that edge can win the house. Mike underwrites the bridge against your existing equity plus the new purchase, then coordinates the two closings so you are not carrying two mortgages any longer than you must.
USDA loans: limited in Massachusetts
Most of Massachusetts is not USDA-eligible. The Boston metro, most of eastern Massachusetts, and the coast fall outside the rural map. Where USDA does reach, in the western Berkshires and scattered central and southeastern pockets, it offers a zero-down loan with a household income cap. Eligibility is address-specific, so confirm your exact address at USDA's eligibility tool before you count on it. For most Massachusetts buyers, the low-down path is ONE Mortgage or an FHA loan with MassHousing assistance instead.
Massachusetts loan program FAQ
What down payment assistance does MassHousing offer in Massachusetts?
MassHousing runs two structures. Option 1 gives up to $30,000 as a 0% interest deferred second, with no monthly payment, and the balance comes due when you sell, refinance, or pay off the first mortgage. Options 2 and 3 give up to $25,000 as an amortizing second over 15 years. The $30,000 amount is the same in every Massachusetts city and town; geography only sets the income limit. Credit runs 640 to 700 by loan type. Confirm current terms at masshousing.com.
What is the 2026 conforming and FHA loan limit around Boston?
Around Boston, in Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex, and Plymouth counties, the 2026 conforming and FHA limit is $962,550, and both figures match. That is a common point of confusion, because it is not the $1,249,125 national ceiling. Only Dukes and Nantucket, out on the islands, reach $1,249,125. Worcester, Springfield, and the western and central counties sit at the $832,750 baseline. Confirm your county at the FHFA and HUD lookups.
How is ONE Mortgage different from MassHousing down payment assistance?
They are different, complementary products. ONE Mortgage is a first mortgage from the Massachusetts Housing Partnership, with 3% down on a single-family, condo, or two-family home, and no private mortgage insurance. MassHousing down payment assistance is a separate second loan, worth up to $30,000, that helps cover the down payment and closing costs. A first-time buyer can use a ONE Mortgage as the first loan and layer MassHousing assistance on top. Confirm current terms at mymasshome.org and masshousing.com.
Can self-employed buyers qualify in Massachusetts without tax returns?
Yes. Bank-statement loans qualify you on 12 or 24 months of deposits with an expense-factor adjustment, not the net figure left after deductions. There are also 1099 loans and asset-qualifier loans that build income from liquid accounts. These are Non-QM programs, so they sit outside standard agency rules and price differently. Mike matches the method to how your income actually shows up.
Is MassDREAMS still available for Massachusetts veterans?
No, on two counts. MassDREAMS has closed, because it committed all of its funds, and it was never a veterans program. It was an ARPA-funded grant for first-time buyers in the communities hit hardest by the pandemic. The veteran program is Operation Welcome Home, run by MassHousing for veterans, active-duty service members, and Gold Star families. Confirm current veteran options with MassHousing.