Up to Four Units, and an Acreage Rule With Two Answers
Program and regulatory figures verified September 25, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Ohio's property rules are more generous than most assistance programs on units and on manufactured housing, and stricter than most on land.
What qualifies
- One to four unit single family properties. Grants for Grads is limited to one unit; the other programs are not. (See the OHFA Conventional Program Guidelines.)
- Condominiums, which must appear on U.S. Bank's current active approved condo association list, or be submitted to U.S. Bank's Project Approval department, unless the lender has delegated approval authority.
- Manufactured homes, which must be at least doublewide.
- Planned unit developments.
The four-unit allowance is worth pausing on. Many assistance programs stop at two, and Illinois' IHDA does exactly that. An Ohio buyer can use assistance on a fourplex, live in one unit, and let the other three contribute. Credit and DTI tighten on three to four units: 45% DTI from 640 to 679, and 50% at 680 and above, per Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Manufactured housing, which Illinois bans outright
OHFA permits manufactured homes under both government and conventional loans, with conditions: at least doublewide, a 660 minimum credit score, 45% DTI, and no non-occupant co-signer. Leverage is capped at 95% / 105% on Fannie Mae standard manufactured and 95% / 95% on Freddie Mac manufactured, while Fannie Mae MH Advantage reaches 97% / 105%.
This is a clean contrast with Illinois, where IHDA states that no manufactured homes are permitted for any loan type. A borrower comparing the two states will find the same property type allowed on one side of the line and excluded on the other.
The acreage rule
Two acres or less within municipal corporations. Five acres or less outside municipal corporations.
That distinction catches buyers looking at the edge of a village or city. The same five-acre parcel that is fine in a township may be outside the limit if the municipal boundary happens to include it. If you are buying acreage anywhere near a corporation line, check the boundary before you fall for the property.
Occupancy, and the one-year tail
Owner-occupied properties only. Occupant borrowers must agree to occupy the home as their principal residence within 60 days of the loan closing date, and must occupy it as their principal residence for a minimum of one year after closing, unless the home is sold in the first year.
On a four-unit purchase that means living in one of them. The one-year requirement sits separately from the seven-year repayment trigger on the assistance second, so there are two clocks running on an OHFA file and they are not the same length. How the assistance clock works.
Transaction types
Purchase transactions only. Refinance loans are not permitted under the purchase programs; OHFA runs a separate refinance programme for existing OHFA borrowers with a seven-year term second mortgage.
Loans are 30-year fixed-rate and fully amortizing. Discount points are not permitted and escrow waivers are not permitted. On the conventional side the first mortgage is not assumable; on the government side the first mortgage is assumable per FHA and VA guidelines but the second mortgage is not.
See also credit and DTI and the full eligibility test.
Frequently asked questions
What properties qualify for OHFA down payment assistance?
One to four unit single family properties, condominiums, manufactured homes and planned unit developments. Grants for Grads is limited to one unit. Condominiums must appear on U.S. Bank's active approved condo association list or be submitted for project approval, and manufactured homes must be at least doublewide with a 660 minimum credit score.
Can you use Ohio down payment assistance on a manufactured home?
Yes, with conditions. OHFA permits manufactured homes under both government and conventional loans provided the home is at least doublewide, the credit score is 660 or higher, and DTI is within 45%. Non-occupant co-signers are not allowed on manufactured homes. This differs from Illinois, where IHDA states that no manufactured homes are permitted for any loan type.
How much land can an OHFA property have?
Two acres or less within municipal corporations, and five acres or less outside municipal corporations. The limit therefore depends on whether the property sits inside a municipal boundary, which is worth confirming before making an offer on acreage near the edge of a village or city.
Can I buy a fourplex with Ohio down payment assistance?
Yes. OHFA permits one to four unit single family properties on most of its programs, though Grants for Grads is limited to one unit. On three to four unit properties the credit and DTI tighten: 45% maximum DTI from a 640 to 679 score and 50% at 680 and above, per Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines. The borrower must occupy one of the units as a principal residence.
How long must I live in an OHFA home?
Occupant borrowers must agree to occupy the home as their principal residence within 60 days of the loan closing date and must occupy it for a minimum of one year after closing, unless the home is sold in the first year. That occupancy requirement is separate from the down payment assistance second mortgage, which is subject to repayment in its entirety if the property is sold or refinanced within seven years.
Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Cornerstone First Mortgage is a participating lender in the Ohio Housing Finance Agency's programs. The Ohio Housing Finance Agency is an Equal Opportunity Housing entity. Loans are available on a fair and equal basis regardless of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, military status, disability or ancestry. Please visit www.ohiohome.org for more information. Educational content about financing, not a loan commitment and not legal or tax advice. OHFA program terms and limits are set by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency and change; figures here carry the date we verified them. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualification.