Portland Metro · Oregon
Down Payment Assistance in Beaverton (2026)
You did the math. Again. The spreadsheet you've been updating for eighteen months still says the same thing: you're close, but not there. Groceries cost more than they did two years ago — real money, not percentage points. Rent ticked up last year, and the year before that. Gas never fully came back down. You got a raise, maybe even a good one, and somehow the savings account looks almost exactly the same as it did when you started. That's not a discipline problem. That's what trying to save a down payment in 2026 actually feels like, and if you're targeting a home in Beaverton, you've probably started to wonder whether the finish line keeps moving faster than you can run.
There's a program most Beaverton buyers have never heard of that structurally changes that equation. It's called ONE+ by Rocket Mortgage, and the mechanics are simple: you put down 1% of the purchase price, and Rocket Mortgage contributes 2% — up to $7,000 — as a grant. Not a deferred loan. Not a second lien that resurfaces at closing when you eventually sell. A grant, which means it never gets repaid. ONE+ is available to repeat buyers as well as first-timers, as long as household income falls at or below the Washington County ONE+ limit. The program carries a $350,000 maximum loan amount — which in Beaverton's current market reaches into the condo and townhome segment, Central Beaverton's more affordable attached housing stock, and a narrow slice of older single-family inventory in Five Oaks and Downtown Beaverton.
This guide covers both the ONE+ program and Oregon's state-level bond programs, because ONE+ fits a specific slice of the Beaverton market. For buyers shopping above the $350,000 loan ceiling — which describes most of the Murrayhill, West Beaverton, and Bethany inventory — Oregon Housing and Community Services offers programs that fill that gap. What follows explains how both work, compares them honestly side by side, and helps you figure out which one matches your actual situation.
Before getting into program details, it's worth understanding what makes ONE+ structurally different from every other down payment assistance option in Oregon. Every other DPA program in this market works as a deferred second mortgage — money you borrow at 0% or low interest that gets quietly attached to your home and gets repaid when you sell, refinance, or pay it off. The assistance is real and useful, but it follows you. ONE+ doesn't work that way. Rocket Mortgage contributes 2% of the purchase price as a grant — no lien, no repayment, no recapture provision, no condition. The buyer puts in 1%. That's the whole structure.
The combined 3% satisfies the down payment requirement on a standard 30-year fixed conventional loan. On a $350,000 purchase — the program's maximum loan amount — the buyer's contribution is $3,500. Rocket's grant covers $7,000. Total down payment is $10,500, or exactly 3% of the purchase price, but the buyer's out-of-pocket cash toward the down is $3,500 instead of $10,500. That $7,000 difference is the program's core value, and because it's a grant, it never comes back.
The income limit for ONE+ in Washington County is $102,640 for a household. Beaverton's median household income sits at $98,622 — which means the typical Beaverton household falls inside the ONE+ qualifying window, though higher-income dual-income households may be right at or slightly above the ceiling. The program requires a 620 minimum credit score, uses a conventional loan only (no FHA or VA), and carries no first-time buyer requirement, which matters for move-up buyers or anyone who owned a home previously. PMI is required until the borrower reaches 20% equity, exactly as it would be on any low-down conventional loan.
| ONE+ by Rocket Mortgage | Standard 3% Conventional | |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer's down payment | $3,500 (on $350K home) | $10,500 (on $350K home) |
| Grant from Rocket | $7,000 — never repaid | None |
| Total down at close | $10,500 (3%) | $10,500 (3%) |
| Net cash out of pocket | $3,500 + closing costs | $10,500 + closing costs |
| Upfront savings | $7,000 | — |
| Repayment required | No | N/A |
ONE+ changes what I can honestly tell buyers at the front end of their search. When someone walks into a consultation with $5,000 saved and a household income of $92,000, the conversation used to involve a lot of creative math around OHCS programs and seller concessions. Now I can tell them they have a clear path to 3% down with up to a $7,000 grant covering most of the down payment contribution — and that path doesn't involve a second lien riding along to their next sale. In Beaverton specifically, I've seen ONE+ work best for buyers targeting Central Beaverton condos and townhomes, where the $350,000 loan ceiling is genuinely reachable and sellers have become increasingly familiar with grant-assisted offers over the past 18 months.
The one place I coach buyers carefully is offer competitiveness. In Beaverton's mid-range market — say $300,000 to $350,000 — the buyer pool includes other conventional offers, and a ONE+ offer is a conventional offer, which helps. The financing type doesn't stand out the way an FHA offer might in a seller's eyes. What can create friction is timeline — pre-approval from Rocket before making an offer matters enormously here. Buyers who walk in with a verified ONE+ pre-approval letter tend to have far fewer surprises at the offer stage than buyers who mention the program in passing without documentation. Get the letter first, then make the offer. If you're considering Beaverton and want insight into which neighborhoods align with your priorities and budget, I'd welcome the opportunity to share what I've learned from helping hundreds of families make this move successfully.
The $350,000 loan limit is real, and Beaverton buyers deserve a straight answer about what it actually buys in this market. The honest answer: it primarily reaches the condo and townhome segment, with limited single-family access concentrated in Central Beaverton and the Downtown corridor.
Condos in Beaverton range from approximately $235,000 for one-bedroom units to around $338,500 for two-bedroom attached homes — that range sits comfortably within the ONE+ ceiling. Townhomes across the city carry a median closer to $385,000, which pushes past the loan limit for most configurations. Single-family homes in the broader Beaverton market are largely out of reach at this price point — the citywide median sold price across zip codes runs well above $350,000, with South and West Beaverton (zip 97007) recording a median sold price of $626,000 in recent months. Central Beaverton (zip 97006) recorded a median sold price closer to $486,000, making it the most accessible corridor for buyers working within the ONE+ ceiling.
| Price Range | What's Typically Available in Beaverton | ONE+ Eligible? |
|---|---|---|
| Under $320K | 1BR condos, some older attached units in Central Beaverton | ✅ Yes |
| $320K–$350K | 2BR condos, select townhomes, older attached in Downtown Beaverton | ✅ Yes |
| $350K–$450K | Entry townhomes, smaller SFRs in Five Oaks and older Central Beaverton stock | ❌ No |
| $450K+ | Most SFRs, newer townhomes, Murrayhill, West Beaverton, Bethany | ❌ No |
Oregon Housing and Community Services administers two channels through its bond lending program, both of which reach higher purchase prices and work across loan types including FHA and VA. These programs are legitimate tools for the right buyer — structurally different from ONE+, but worth understanding clearly.
The Rate Advantage channel is available to first-time buyers, veterans, and buyers purchasing in IRS-designated targeted census tracts. The assistance takes the form of a below-market fixed interest rate rather than cash at closing — there's no upfront grant or second mortgage. The practical effect is a lower monthly payment and stronger qualifying power on higher-priced homes, which matters when you're shopping in the $450,000–$600,000 range that dominates Beaverton's SFR market. Income limits vary by county and household size, ranging roughly from $98,000 to $138,000 in the Portland metro. One disclosure that requires upfront attention at signing: the IRS recapture provision. If a borrower sells the home within nine years, and income has risen substantially, and there's a capital gain on the sale — all three conditions must occur simultaneously — up to 6.25% of the original loan amount may be recaptured. In practice this triggers rarely, but it must be disclosed and understood before closing.
The Cash Advantage channel pairs a slightly higher rate than Rate Advantage with a deferred second loan covering 3% of the first mortgage amount toward closing costs. For borrowers at or below 80% AMI, forgiveness provisions may apply. There's no monthly payment on the DPA portion while you own the home. The second loan is repaid at sale or refinance — it follows the home, not the buyer's monthly budget. Cash Advantage works across conventional, FHA, VA, and USDA loan types and has no first-time buyer requirement on the NextStep channel, making it available to repeat buyers who don't qualify for ONE+ due to price point or loan type.
The structural difference between ONE+ and these Oregon bond programs comes down to one question: does the assistance follow you to the sale, or does it disappear the day you close? Both solve the cash-to-close problem in the short term. ONE+ costs nothing on the back end — the grant is gone, done, and never revisited. OHCS programs reduce the out-of-pocket at close, but the assistance travels with the home to the exit event, whether that's a sale in five years or a refinance in three. For buyers who plan to stay long-term, that tail is manageable. For buyers who think they'll move up within a few years, it's worth running the actual numbers before choosing.
| ONE+ by Rocket | OHCS Rate Advantage | OHCS Cash Advantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assistance type | True grant — no repayment | Rate reduction only (no cash) | Deferred second loan |
| Max loan | $350,000 | Up to county limit | Up to county limit |
| Income limit | ≤$102,640 (Washington County) | ~$98K–$138K by county | ~$98K–$138K by county |
| Cash at closing | ✅ Yes — $7,000 grant | ❌ No cash benefit | ✅ Yes — 3% of loan |
| Repayment required | Never | N/A | Yes — at sale/refi |
| Recapture tax risk | None | Yes (if 3 conditions met) | Yes (if 3 conditions met) |
| First-time required | No | Yes (with exceptions) | No (NextStep channel) |
| Loan types | Conventional only | FHA, VA, USDA, Conv | FHA, VA, USDA, Conv |
| Who processes | Rocket Mortgage directly | OHCS-approved lender only | OHCS-approved lender only |
| Education required | No | Yes | Yes |
OHCS programs make more sense when the purchase price exceeds the ONE+ ceiling — which is most of Beaverton's single-family market — or when the buyer needs FHA or VA financing, or when household income falls between $102,640 and the higher OHCS ceiling of up to $138,000. Cash Advantage in particular is a strong tool for buyers who need cash-to-close help on a $500,000 home and can absorb a deferred second that gets repaid at sale. The two programs aren't competing — they serve different price points, and understanding which one matches your situation is the most important decision in this process.
Beaverton's neighborhoods vary quite a bit in terms of long-term appreciation potential, and that matters when you're layering in down payment assistance. Murrayhill and Sexton Mountain tend to attract strong buyer demand because of the established feel, quality schools, and access to major commute corridors — homes there move fast when priced well, often within days of listing. Cedar Hills offers solid value for buyers who want proximity to Portland without the Portland price tag, and well-maintained homes under $600,000 don't sit long. Understanding where you want to land geographically before you start shopping helps you match the right assistance program to a realistic price point.
Before you tour a single home, sit down with a lender and work through the full monthly picture — not just principal and interest, but property taxes, homeowner's insurance, and any HOA dues that apply. Down payment assistance can be a genuine game-changer, but I always encourage buyers to focus on a comfortable monthly payment rather than stretching to maximum approval. When the right home appears in a competitive Beaverton market, you want to move confidently, not scramble.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Purchase price | $340,000 (example) |
| Buyer's 1% down | $3,400 |
| Rocket's 2% grant | $6,800 — never repaid |
| Total down payment | $10,200 (3%) |
| Estimated closing costs | $6,500–$8,500 (varies by lender credits, title, county) |
| Buyer's estimated total cash to close | ~$9,900–$11,900 |
Beaverton's market has softened meaningfully from its 2022 peak — prices are down modestly year-over-year across most zip codes, and homes in the sub-$350,000 range are averaging closer to 92 days on market with typically one offer. That's a materially different environment than competing against six cash offers in 2022. For ONE+ buyers, that market reality is genuinely favorable: sellers in the condo and lower-tier townhome segment are increasingly open to working with assisted financing, and some are offering concessions in the 1–2% range that can further offset closing costs.
Because ONE+ is a conventional loan rather than FHA, it doesn't trigger the seller concerns around appraisal and inspection overlays that sometimes follow government-backed offers. A well-documented ONE+ pre-approval looks nearly identical to a standard conventional offer from a seller's perspective. The financing type is the advantage — buyers don't need to disclose the grant structure in a way that signals anything unusual. The limitation is purely the $350,000 ceiling, and in Beaverton, that ceiling genuinely restricts the program to condos, select attached homes, and the most affordable end of the Downtown corridor. Buyers targeting single-family homes in Cedar Hills, Murrayhill, Sexton Mountain, or Bethany should go into those searches knowing they'll likely need the OHCS Cash Advantage or Rate Advantage path instead.
Local Expert Takeaway: For a Beaverton buyer with household income under $102,640 and a target purchase in the $250,000–$350,000 range — primarily condos and select townhomes in Central Beaverton and the Downtown corridor — ONE+ is the clearest, cleanest option in this market. There's no deferred lien and no repayment event at sale, which matters more than it sounds if you plan to move up in five to seven years. If your target is a single-family home anywhere in Beaverton, the purchase price almost certainly requires a loan above $350,000, and OHCS Cash Advantage through an approved lender is the more practical path — get a side-by-side comparison before committing to either.
Is there down payment assistance available in Beaverton, Oregon?
Yes, Beaverton buyers have access to two primary channels of down payment assistance in 2026. ONE+ by Rocket Mortgage provides a $7,000 grant (2% of the purchase price on a $350,000 loan) that never requires repayment, available to first-time and repeat buyers whose household income is at or below $102,640. Oregon Housing and Community Services offers bond program assistance — including a deferred second loan through Cash Advantage and a below-market rate through Rate Advantage — for buyers whose purchase price exceeds the ONE+ ceiling.
What is the income limit for ONE+ in Washington County?
The ONE+ income limit for Washington County is $102,640, based on HUD's FY2026 80% Area Median Income figure for the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro MSA. Because Beaverton's median household income sits at $98,622, most single-income and many dual-income households in the city fall within the qualifying window. Buyers at or near the ceiling should verify their specific household income against the limit before applying, as the program uses gross annual income rather than take-home pay.
What is the difference between ONE+ and OHCS DPA?
ONE+ is a grant — Rocket Mortgage contributes 2% of the purchase price at closing, and that money is never repaid under any circumstances. OHCS programs work as deferred second mortgages: the assistance reduces your cash-to-close upfront but attaches to the home as a lien that is repaid when you sell or refinance. Both solve the cash-to-close problem, but ONE+ has no financial tail at the exit. OHCS programs reach higher purchase prices, accept FHA and VA loans, and carry higher income ceilings — making them the right tool for buyers whose price target exceeds the ONE+ loan maximum.
Explore Beaverton mortgage and homebuyer resources: Beaverton Down Payment Assistance Guide · Beaverton First-Time Homebuyers Guide · 1031 Tax-Deferred Exchange in Beaverton · Moving to Beaverton from California
Explore the full Beaverton series: The Ultimate Beaverton Relocation Guide · Is Beaverton Safe? · Cost of Living in Beaverton · Best Neighborhoods in Beaverton · Beaverton Schools & Family Life · Beaverton Youth Sports · Beaverton Parks & Recreation · Retiring in Beaverton · 1031 Tax-Deferred Exchange in Beaverton · Beaverton First-Time Homebuyers Guide · Beaverton Down Payment Assistance Guide · Moving to Beaverton from California