You may be eligible for
Up to $22,000 to buy your first home in New Jersey.
The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) First Generation Homebuyer Program provides qualified borrowers with $7,000 towards down payment and/or closing costs when paired with NJHMFA First Mortgage Loan and Down Payment Assistance program. Depending on the county, total assistance can vary from $17,000 to $22,000. The best part is that the assistance has no monthly payment and is forgiven if you live in the property for 5 years and the loan has not been refinanced in that time.
No cost to check. No impact to your credit. Cliffco, Inc. NMLS 65328 is a participating lender with the NJHMFA and Loan Officers are licensed by the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance.
See if you qualify. It takes 2 minutes.
Prefer to talk? Call (908) 370-1575
$22,000
Maximum combined assistance
1989
Cliffco has been lending since
21 / 21
NJ counties covered
5 years
Until the loan is fully forgiven
If none of this feels familiar, that's the point
Saving a down payment is harder when nobody handed you a head start.
If you're the first person in your family to buy a home, you're doing it without the things that make it easier for other buyers: no family down payment gift, no one who's been through the process to ask, and often the assumption that assistance programs are for someone else.
New Jersey built a program specifically for this. Not a general assistance fund you might not qualify for, one designed around exactly your situation.
Who you'll talk to
Two licensed New Jersey loan officers, not a call center.
Eddie Morais
Branch Manager · NMLS #243926
23 years in mortgage lending. Speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
(908) 370-1575
Gary Johansen
Regional Sales Director · NMLS #339278
Over 30 years in mortgage lending, more than $15 billion closed.
(585) 703-8862What you actually get
Real assistance, with terms you can plan around.
Up to $22,000
Toward your down payment, closing costs, or both. Your exact amount depends on which NJ county you're buying in.
No monthly payments
The assistance is a 0% interest loan with no monthly bill, on top of your regular mortgage payment.
Forgiven after 5 years
Stay in the home as your primary residence for 5 years without refinancing, and the assistance loan is forgiven.
Every NJ county is eligible
All 21 counties are covered. Some qualify for $22,000, others for $17,000. Income limits will apply and all loans are subject to NJHMFA underwriting guidelines.
Takes 2 minutes · no cost · no credit impact
How the program works
Three NJHMFA programs, combined into one.
The First Generation Homebuyer Program provides $7,000 on its own. Paired with NJHMFA's Smart Start Down Payment Assistance Program (up to $15,000, depending on county) and an NJHMFA first mortgage, qualified buyers get up to $22,000 total toward their down payment or closing costs.
Both assistance pieces are structured as 0% interest loans with no monthly payment, forgiven after 5 years of living in the home as your primary residence. Cliffco originates the first mortgage and helps you apply for both assistance programs as one process, not three separate applications.
First Generation
$7,000
Smart Start DPA
up to $15,000
Total assistance
up to $22,000
$22,000 counties (12)
$17,000 counties (9)
The process
Four steps, one application.
See if you qualify
A first-generation homebuyer is a first-time buyer whose parents don't currently own a home, or someone who was in foster care or experienced youth homelessness. Takes 2 minutes to check.
Talk to a real loan officer
Eddie Morais, NMLS 243926, and Gary Johansen, NMLS 339278, are both licensed in NJ and will walk you through exactly what you qualify for. No cost, no obligation.
One combined application
Your mortgage, the Down Payment Assistance loan, and the First Generation grant are all part of the same NJHMFA application, not three separate processes.
Close and move in
Occupy the home as your primary residence within 60 days of closing, and the 5-year forgiveness clock starts.
What Cliffco clients say
Real reviews from real borrowers.
Rated 4.9/5 on Experience.com from 3,617 verified reviews · 5.0/5 on Zillow · A+ with the BBB.
“It was a smooth, straight and less stressful process. I see it as a miracle. Everything was moving as planned. The agent with me gave me all the necessary info to make the process easy and I moved by her advice and it paid off. My first time buying a home was a great experience! Cliffco Mortgage is the ideal. I will use them again and again.”
“Seamless process. No surprises. And minimum fees for closing.”
“I had a great experience with Cliffco. From the very beginning, the team was responsive, supportive, and thorough, walking me through the process and answering all of my questions with care.”
Before you ask
The questions we hear most, answered directly.
My parents used to own a home. Doesn't that disqualify me?
Not necessarily. The rule is about present ownership, not history. If your parents don't currently own any residential real estate, anywhere, you can still qualify even if they owned a home in the past and sold it. A Cliffco loan officer can confirm your specific situation.
Is this actually free money?
It's a forgivable loan, not a grant: $0 interest, no monthly payment, and forgiven if you live in the home as your primary residence for 5 years without refinancing. If you sell, move out, or refinance before then, the assistance becomes repayable.
What if my county isn't one of the ones offering $22,000?
Every county in New Jersey qualifies for this program. Twelve counties (including Bergen, Essex, Middlesex, and Union) offer the full $22,000. The remaining nine offer $17,000. Either way, you're getting real assistance toward your purchase.
Do I need excellent credit to qualify?
You'll need to meet NJHMFA's credit score and debt-to-income guidelines, which are more flexible than many buyers assume. Checking your eligibility costs nothing and doesn't affect your credit.
Will I have to deal with multiple lenders or agencies?
No. Your Cliffco loan officer originates the NJHMFA first mortgage and handles the Down Payment Assistance and First Generation Homebuyer paperwork as one combined application.
Takes 2 minutes · no cost · no credit impact
Common questions
First Generation Homebuyer Program FAQ.
What exactly is the NJHMFA First Generation Homebuyer Program?
It's a New Jersey state program that provides $7,000 toward a down payment or closing costs, on top of NJHMFA's Smart Start Down Payment Assistance Program. Combined, qualified buyers can receive up to $22,000, depending on the county. It must be paired with an NJHMFA first mortgage.
Is it a loan or a grant?
It's structured as a forgivable loan: 0% interest, no monthly payments, and forgiven in full after 5 years of owner-occupancy without refinancing or otherwise conveying the first mortgage.
Who counts as a first-generation homebuyer?
A first-time homebuyer whose parents or legal guardians have no present ownership interest in any residential property anywhere, and whose spouse or domestic partner hasn't owned a primary residence in the past 3 years. It also includes anyone who was ever in foster care in New Jersey, was an emancipated youth, or was a homeless or unaccompanied youth under the McKinney-Vento Act.
How much assistance is available in my county?
Twelve counties qualify for $22,000 total: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Union. The remaining nine counties qualify for $17,000 total: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem, Sussex, Warren.
How do I apply?
Talk to a licensed Cliffco loan officer serving New Jersey. Eddie Morais and Gary Johansen both originate NJHMFA loans and can confirm your eligibility and county amount at no cost.
See what you qualify for. It takes 2 minutes.
Tell us a little about your situation and a licensed New Jersey loan officer will confirm your eligibility and county amount, no cost, no obligation.
- ✓ No cost to check eligibility
- ✓ No impact to your credit
- ✓ A real, licensed loan officer responds within 1 business day