If you are buying your first home in Las Vegas, the programs most likely to save you real money are not the ones your lender leads with. Federal FHA and VA loans get all the attention because every lender offers them. The programs that actually move the needle, grants and silent second mortgages that cover your down payment and closing costs, live one layer deeper. Most are state-run or county-run, and a lot of first-time buyers never hear about them until after closing.
Here is the full picture of what is available in Clark County right now, how each program works, and the combinations that deliver the most value for the widest range of buyers.
Home Is Possible (HIP) â the Nevada flagship
Run by the Nevada Housing Division, HIP provides a grant of up to 5 percent of your loan amount toward down payment and closing costs. On a typical $420,000 Las Vegas home financed with an FHA loan, that is roughly $20,000 in free money you never repay.
Requirements are moderate. Credit score 640 or higher, household income under $128,000 in Clark County, a short online homebuyer education course, and the home has to be your primary residence. The purchase price cap sits around $766,550 in most of the Las Vegas Valley.
One quirk that works in your favor: HIP is not strictly first-time only. If you owned a home more than three years ago and have been renting since, you qualify as a “first-time buyer” for the program. This catches a lot of buyers returning to the market after a life event.
Home Is Possible for Teachers, Nurses, and First Responders
If you work as a licensed teacher, nurse, firefighter, or law enforcement officer in Clark County, ask about the professional version of HIP. Same structure as the standard program but with larger grant amounts and more generous income caps. A Clark County School District teacher can typically qualify for $7,000 to $10,000 more in assistance than a general buyer earning the same income. Tell your broker your occupation on day one and this changes the math significantly.
HOME Plus
HOME Plus is a Clark County program providing a deferred-payment second mortgage of up to 3 percent of your loan amount. You do not make monthly payments on it, and you only repay when you sell, refinance, or pay off the first mortgage. That structure makes HOME Plus effectively free money as long as you stay in the home.
Income limits are tighter than HIP, capped at 80 percent of Clark County area median income, which translates to roughly $79,000 for a one or two-person household in 2026. HOME Plus does not stack with HIP directly, so your broker will run the math both ways to see which delivers more net benefit for your specific situation. For buyers right at the income cap, HIP usually wins. For buyers comfortably below 80 percent AMI, HOME Plus often wins when you factor in the deferred repayment.
WISH Matching Grant
The Workforce Initiative Subsidy for Homeownership is a 4-to-1 matching grant administered through Federal Home Loan Bank member institutions. You save $2,000 in a dedicated account, the program adds $8,000, and you close with $10,000 toward your down payment.
Two things to know about WISH. First, it is funded in cycles and runs out during the year, so availability is not guaranteed. If you are planning to buy in the next six months, ask about WISH in the first conversation so your broker can reserve funding. Second, it has to be requested through a participating lender. Millennium is one of the Nevada brokers with WISH access, which matters because not every lender has the relationship to pull from this particular funding pool.
Clark County HOME Investment Partnerships Program
Separate from HOME Plus, the county’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program provides up to $60,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance for buyers under 80 percent AMI. It is the most generous of the four in raw dollars, and also the most restrictive.
Qualification requires an eight-hour HUD-approved homebuyer counseling course (not the same as the short HIP course), the property has to meet specific condition standards, and you commit to owner-occupying the home for at least 15 years. If you move before 15 years, the assistance is recaptured on a sliding scale.
Because of the long commitment, HOME makes sense for buyers with a clear long-term plan in Las Vegas: a CCSD teacher with tenure, a Metro officer, a nurse at Sunrise or UMC. For someone expecting to relocate in five years, the recapture rules usually make the program a net loss.
Employer-assisted housing
A smaller but growing category worth asking about: some Las Vegas employers offer homebuyer assistance as a benefit. MGM Resorts, Caesars, Station Casinos, and UMC Helth have all run versions of this in recent years, providing grants or forgivable loans to employees buying homes within commuting distance. Amounts range from $2,500 to $15,000. Check with your HR department before you start shopping. Even a small employer grant stacks on top of HIP or HOME Plus and reduces your out-of-pocket further.
Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)
Not a grant but worth knowing. An MCC lets first-time buyers claim a federal tax credit equal to 20 percent of their annual mortgage interest, up to $2,000 per year. Over a 30-year loan that is a $60,000 tax benefit. MCCs are issued by the Nevada Housing Division and allocated on a limited basis, so availability varies. If you owe federal taxes each year, an MCC functionally reduces your effective mortgage rate by 0.5 to 1 percent.
How to stack programs
The programs above are designed to combine in specific ways. HIP plus WISH works well for buyers right at the income limit. HOME Plus plus WISH works for lower-income buyers. An MCC stacks with every other program because it is a tax credit, not cash. Employer assistance stacks with anything.
What does not stack: HIP and HOME Plus cannot be used on the same loan. Clark County HOME cannot be combined with HIP. Your broker has to model out which combination delivers more total benefit for your specific income, credit, and price point. This is the single most valuable thing a local broker adds to the process.
A representative stack for a Clark County teacher earning $72,000 buying a $410,000 Summerlin home: FHA loan, 3.5 percent down, HIP Teachers grant covers the down payment, MCC provides $2,000 annual tax credit, employer assistance from CCSD covers a portion of closing costs. Total out-of-pocket under $3,000 on a home with full ownership.
The documentation you will need
Every assistance program wants the same baseline documents, so gather them once and reuse. Two most recent pay stubs, two years of W-2s or tax returns, two months of bank statements, a government-issued photo ID, and a completed homebuyer education certificate. Some programs also require a budget worksheet and an asset statement covering retirement accounts and other investments.
The homebuyer education course is the step most people underestimate. HIP accepts eHomeAmerica’s online course (about 6 hours, $99). Clark County HOME requires a HUD-approved 8-hour in-person course, which has a waiting list at most Las Vegas housing counseling agencies. If HOME is in your plan, book the class the same day you start pre-approval.
Assistance by income band â what to actually expect
Below 50 percent AMI (roughly $49,000 for a one-person household in Clark County): Clark County HOME is your biggest lever at up to $60,000. HOME Plus layers for another 3 percent. If you commit to staying 15 years, this combination can make homeownership cost less per month than continued renting in Summerlin or Henderson.
50 to 80 percent AMI ($49,000 to $79,000): HOME Plus plus WISH plus an MCC is usually the strongest stack. Expect $15,000 to $22,000 in combined assistance on a $350,000 to $420,000 home. HIP is also an option if HOME Plus funds run short.
80 to 100 percent AMI ($79,000 to $98,000): HIP plus WISH plus an MCC. Total assistance typically $18,000 to $25,000. This is the most common band for first-time buyers in Las Vegas and the sweet spot where HIP delivers more net value than HOME Plus.
100 to 135 percent AMI ($98,000 to $128,000): HIP only, but the grant is larger because your loan amount is typically higher. Expect $18,000 to $30,000 in grant dollars on a $500,000 home.
Above 135 percent AMI: You have aged out of most assistance programs, but MCCs and seller concessions are still available. Your strategy shifts toward negotiating aggressively on price and asking for 2 to 3 percent in seller-paid closing costs. Your broker’s rate shopping matters more in this band because you lose the grant leverage.
Where to start
Before any program paperwork, confirm which loan type you are targeting. FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional all layer with these programs differently. The pre-approval conversation is where program strategy gets mapped out. Bring your income details and a rough price range and we will tell you exactly which combination makes the most sense for your situation. Most first-time buyers can qualify for $15,000 to $30,000 in layered assistance. You do not know which programs you qualify for until someone actually models your file.
Call Millennium Mortgage Group at (702) 946-1413 or start your pre-approval at mmtggroup.com. We cover the program research and paperwork; you focus on finding the home.