First-Time Home Buyer in Georgia (2026)
A first-time buyer in Georgia in 2026 has three levers: Georgia Dream ($10,000 standard, $12,500 PEN and CHOICE, 0% deferred, income to $158,188, homes to $625,000); a low-down first mortgage (FHA 3.5%, conventional 3%, VA and USDA 0%); and choosing a county where the tax bill and the median price leave room. Georgia has no statewide cap on your assessed value like Florida’s Save Our Homes, so the property tax you see on a listing is close to the one you will pay, which makes Georgia easier to budget than most buyers expect.
The five steps, in order
| Step | What it is | Georgia specifics |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Credit and budget | Know your score and your monthly ceiling before you look | Georgia Dream needs 640 and a 45% DTI under 700; a participating lender can pre-qualify both loans at once |
| 2. Pick the loan | FHA, conventional, VA, USDA | VA and USDA are 0% down; FHA 3.5%; conventional 3% with income-based options. Georgia Dream layers on any of them |
| 3. Reserve assistance | Lender reserves Georgia Dream when you go under contract | Homebuyer education certificate is a closing condition; do it in week one |
| 4. Choose the county | Price, tax rate, commute | Property tax is set by county and city millage; the same house costs more to hold in some metro counties than others |
| 5. Offer and close | Inspection, appraisal, title | Georgia is an attorney-closing state: a closing attorney, not a title company, runs the closing |
What it costs to buy
| Cost | Typical range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Down payment | 0% to 3.5% (VA/USDA/conventional/FHA) | Georgia Dream covers up to $10,000 or $12,500 of it |
| Closing costs | About 2% to 4% of price | Attorney, lender, title, prepaid taxes and insurance; sellers can contribute within loan limits |
| Georgia transfer tax | $1 per $1,000 of price | Customarily paid by the seller; intangible tax on the mortgage of $1.50 per $500 is usually the buyer's |
| Property tax | Set by county and city millage | Homestead exemption reduces it after your first January 1 in the home; file by April 1 |
| Homeowners insurance | Varies by county and roof age | Lower than coastal Florida for most of the state; Savannah and the coast run higher |
Down payment assistance
Georgia Dream is the program everyone means. The full rules, tiers and income limits are here; the short version is $10,000 or $12,500 as a 0% second mortgage, repaid at sale, for buyers under $158,188 of household income buying under $625,000 with a 640 score. Every route including VA, USDA and local programs is compared here.
Where a first home fits under $625,000
Live medians from our city pages against the Georgia Dream cap. A city over the cap still has plenty of homes under it; the table tells you where the typical listing lands.
| City | Active listings | Median list price | vs $625,000 cap | Georgia Dream DPA at the median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta (Fulton) | 2,485 | $349,200 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Cumming (Forsyth) | 541 | $619,900 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Decatur (DeKalb) | 478 | $274,995 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Lawrenceville (Gwinnett) | 460 | $399,000 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Marietta (Cobb) | 392 | $480,000 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Macon (Bibb) | 356 | $183,250 | Under the cap | $9,162 |
| Brunswick (Glynn) | 354 | $320,000 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Mcdonough (Henry) | 319 | $365,000 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Gainesville (Hall) | 302 | $490,950 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Douglasville (Douglas) | 300 | $349,450 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| St. Simons Island (Glynn) | 289 | $825,000 | Above the cap | $10,000 |
| Lithonia (DeKalb) | 284 | $239,450 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Alpharetta (Fulton) | 265 | $799,000 | Above the cap | $10,000 |
| Dallas (Paulding) | 264 | $375,000 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Newnan (Coweta) | 247 | $430,000 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Covington (Newton) | 240 | $329,950 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Conyers (Rockdale) | 237 | $299,900 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Buford (Gwinnett) | 230 | $490,575 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Athens (Clarke) | 224 | $399,900 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Stone Mountain (DeKalb) | 213 | $284,999 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Acworth (Cobb) | 205 | $430,000 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Loganville (Gwinnett) | 204 | $405,000 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Canton (Cherokee) | 202 | $560,000 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Fayetteville (Fayette) | 191 | $495,000 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Snellville (Gwinnett) | 187 | $399,900 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Smyrna (Cobb) | 179 | $450,000 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Rome (Floyd) | 173 | $369,000 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Dacula (Gwinnett) | 169 | $520,000 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
| Suwanee (Gwinnett) | 160 | $627,500 | Above the cap | $10,000 |
| Griffin (Spalding) | 151 | $344,900 | Under the cap | $10,000 |
Listing counts and medians from the live MLS feed on our city pages as of 2026-09-06; the cap comparison is the city median against the statewide Georgia Dream maximum, and a city above the cap still has homes under it. DPA column is 5% of the median, capped at $10,000. Listing data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and changes daily.
Property tax: budget it by county
Georgia assesses at 40% of fair market value and applies county, city and school millage to that, with a homestead exemption reducing the taxable base for owner-occupants. Rates differ enough that the same $400,000 house can carry a different annual bill across a county line. County-by-county rates and worked examples.
Questions first-time buyers ask
What programs are there for first-time home buyers in Georgia?
How much do I need to put down as a first-time buyer in Georgia?
What credit score do I need to buy a house in Georgia?
What income counts as first-time buyer in Georgia?
Does Georgia have a first-time buyer tax credit?
Is it cheaper to buy in Georgia than Florida?
Read next
- Homes for sale in Georgia by city
- Homes for sale in Atlanta
- Cost of living in Atlanta
- Moving to Atlanta
- Georgia property tax by county
- Seller net proceeds calculator
- First-time home buyer guide for Florida
- Georgia Dream program rules and city cap table
- Every Georgia down payment assistance option, compared
Momentum Realty LLC is a Georgia real estate brokerage, not a lender, mortgage broker or the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Nothing on this page is a loan offer, a pre-qualification or a promise of approval or of continued funding. Program terms are reproduced from DCA materials dated 2026-07-08 and change; a Georgia Dream participating lender is the only place to confirm what applies to you today. Equal Housing Opportunity.