Quick answer · Buying
Massachusetts first-time buyers can combine state programs with city ones: MassHousing offers down payment assistance of up to $30,000 anywhere in the state, the Massachusetts Housing Partnership’s ONE Mortgage needs as little as 3% down with no private mortgage insurance, and Boston’s First-Time Homebuyer Program adds up to $50,000 for income-eligible buyers. Each works through participating lenders, has income limits, and requires a homebuyer education class first. A buyer’s agent, hired under a written agreement before you tour, finds and negotiates the home; Benjamin Realty doesn’t make loans, so your lender decides which programs you qualify for.
General information, not financial or legal advice. Benjamin Realty does not provide mortgages or financing. Program terms change; check each program’s own page. Last checked: November 3, 2026.
MassHousing offers conventional and FHA mortgages, many of them for first-time buyers, plus MI Plus, which can pay your mortgage for up to six months (up to $4,000 a month) if you lose your job.
Its down payment assistance is a second loan of up to $30,000 (deferred at 0%), or up to $25,000 repaid over 15 years at 2% or 3%. It must be repaid if you sell or refinance, or when the first mortgage is paid off.
Official sources:
ONE Mortgage is for first-time homebuyers, with financial assistance for eligible buyers. Program income limits vary by community.
The steps, in MHP’s words: take a homebuyer education class, contact a participating lender to get pre-qualified, then buy your first home. Buying a three-family? You must also complete one-on-one counseling with an MHP-approved agency before closing.
Official sources:
Homebuyer classes are run by agencies across the state; CHAPA lists those with the Massachusetts Homeownership Collaborative’s seal of approval and links to a statewide class calendar.
Official sources
For a one- to three-family home or condominium in Boston that will be your primary residence. Boston residents receive a grant; non-residents receive a 0% deferred loan, repaid on sale, refinance or transfer (for non-residents, from September 15, 2026).
Boston also runs ONE+Boston (lower fixed rates with down payment and closing-cost help), STASH (matched savings for first-generation buyers) and the Community Stabilization Fund for Fenway, Mission Hill and Roxbury.
Official sources:
For income-eligible first-time buyers in Cambridge who complete a first-time homebuyer workshop and use the home as their only residence.
Official sources:
For a home built before 1978, the seller and agents must give you the Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification before you sign a purchase and sale agreement. If a child under 6 will live there, the owner must delead or bring the home under interim control within 90 days of taking title.
Official sources
In Massachusetts an agent must tell you in writing, at your first meeting about a specific property, whom they represent. A buyer’s agent represents you exclusively: they follow your instructions, keep confidential what you tell them, and put your interests first in negotiating price and terms. A seller’s agent owes that loyalty to the seller; a disclosed dual agent works for both with both parties’ consent; a facilitator represents neither.
Compensation is negotiable The buyer agreement must state the agent’s compensation clearly (a flat fee, a percentage, or $0), not as an open-ended range. NAR’s consumer guide says it’s negotiable and not set by law.
Official sources
In September 2026 the statewide median sale price was $670,000 for a single-family home (+2.4% on a year earlier) and $525,000 for a condo, according to the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®. On November 3, 2026 our site listed 17,007 Massachusetts homes for sale, with a median asking price of $729,900 for single-family homes and $599,950 for condos.
| Town | Homes for sale | Single-family | Condo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 2,161 | $1,000,000 | $799,000 |
| Worcester | 427 | $459,900 | $309,900 |
| Newton | 264 | $2,495,000 | $1,249,000 |
| Cambridge | 249 | $3,200,000 | $875,000 |
| Somerville | 236 | $1,490,000 | $919,000 |
| Brookline | 194 | $3,750,000 | $899,000 |
| Quincy | 191 | $825,000 | $579,000 |
| Lowell | 180 | $599,000 | $350,000 |
| Medford | 157 | $889,900 | $645,000 |
| Framingham | 129 | $729,900 | $330,000 |
| Waltham | 128 | $899,900 | $739,000 |
Benjamin Realty is a family-run brokerage in Brookline that has helped people buy homes across Greater Boston for over 30 years. We represent buyers; we don’t lend, so we work alongside the lender you choose and the programs above. Tell us your budget and the towns you’re considering, and we’ll start with the homes listed now.
MassHousing offers up to $30,000 anywhere in the state for income-eligible first-time buyers with a MassHousing mortgage. Some cities add more: Boston up to $50,000 (household income under 100% of AMI) and Cambridge up to $10,000.
A Massachusetts Housing Partnership program for first-time buyers with as little as 3% down, a low fixed rate and no private mortgage insurance, offered through participating lenders after a homebuyer education class. Income limits vary by community.
For these programs, yes: MassHousing, ONE Mortgage, Boston and Cambridge all require a homebuyer education class or workshop before you get their help.
For the City of Boston’s programs, someone who hasn’t owned property in the past three years.
Since August 17, 2024, REALTORS® ask buyers to sign a written agreement before touring a home with them. It must state the agent’s compensation clearly, and compensation is negotiable.
No. Benjamin Realty is a real estate brokerage and doesn’t provide loans or financing. MassHousing and ONE Mortgage loans come through their participating lenders.
Call or email and a Benjamin Realty agent will get back to you.
(617) 734-5050 · [email protected]