10/06/2026
Down payment assistance answers the cash question. It does not answer the first of the month.
Getting to closing and staying comfortable afterward are two completely separate questions. And most buyers only see one of them coming.
Here is what the monthly payment actually looks like on a $350,000 home with 3.5 percent down on a 30-year FHA loan.
Principal and interest: $2,135. This is the loan itself. The only piece most people picture and the only piece that is fixed for 30 years.
Property taxes: $321. Set by your county not your lender. Collected monthly into escrow and reassessed over time.
Homeowners insurance: $150. Required by the lender. Also escrowed and climbing in many markets.
Mortgage insurance: $155. Applies when you put down less than 20 percent. On many loans it can be removed later. On FHA it usually cannot.
HOA dues: $0 in this example. Condos and planned communities can add several hundred dollars.
What actually leaves your account every month: $2,761.
And that number does not include utilities or maintenance. A good rule of thumb is to set aside roughly one percent of the home's value per year for repairs. On this home that is about $290 a month even in the months nothing breaks.
One more thing worth knowing: not all assistance works the same way on the monthly side. A grant applied to your down payment shrinks the loan and lowers the payment. A repayable second mortgage adds a separate payment of its own. Both are good deals. They are not the same deal and the difference belongs in your budget before you shop.
Let's run your real number.
Jet Timmons, Jet Mortgage.
Figures shown are an illustration using assumed rates, taxes, and insurance, not a quote, an approval, or a commitment to lend. Your payment will differ based on credit, location, loan type, and current rates.