Who is a mortgage loan originator serving Franklin and Middle Tennessee?

Keith Goeringer is a Loan Originator at Barrett Financial Group, NMLS #488023, serving buyers in Franklin, Williamson County, and Middle Tennessee. Call or text (615) 955-0461 or email keith@keithgo.com.

How much down payment assistance can I get through THDA?

Deferred Plus is published at up to $6,000 or $10,000 at 0%, forgiven after 10 years. Amortizing Plus is up to 5% of the price, max $15,000. Confirm current amounts on THDA.org. This is not The Housing Fund's $35,000 second.

What are the income limits for Nashville and Middle Tennessee?

On the May 18, 2026 chart, Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Sumner, Wilson, Robertson, Cheatham, and Dickson were $137,760 (1–2 persons) and $160,720 (3+). Maury and Montgomery were lower. Confirm the live chart for your county.

What is the maximum home purchase price?

$500,000 statewide on that May 2026 chart. Confirm current. A Franklin listing above that number needs a different structure.

Do I have to be a first-time homebuyer?

Usually you must not have owned a home in the past three years, unless you fit a published exception such as certain military status or a targeted county. Williamson County is not targeted.

What credit score do I need?

640 for every borrower. Sitting on 640 is a tightrope because THDA re-pulls near closing. Build a cushion or we pick a different DPA.

Do I have to take a homebuyer education class?

Yes if you use Great Choice Plus assistance. Use a THDA-approved course. Do not wait until the week of closing.

Tennessee buyersUp to $15K

Down Payment Help in Tennessee

THDA Great Choice is a 30-year fixed first mortgage. Great Choice Plus can cover down payment and closing costs with a deferred 0% second or an amortizing second up to $15,000. 640 credit for every borrower. $500,000 purchase-price cap. Income limits apply. Confirm the current THDA chart.

See if THDA fits (615) 955-0461

Who qualifies

First-time buyer, or you have not owned a home in the past three years. Military and targeted-area exceptions exist. Williamson County is not targeted.
Minimum 640 credit score for every borrower on the application.
Household income within THDA limits for that county.
Purchase price at or below $500,000 statewide on the published May 2026 chart. Confirm current.
THDA-approved homebuyer education if you use down payment assistance.
Primary residence in Tennessee.

How it works

1
You apply for a THDA Great Choice first mortgage: 30-year fixed, usually FHA or USDA.
2
You pick Great Choice Plus help: deferred or amortizing.
3
Deferred: up to $6,000 or $10,000 as a 0% second, forgiven after 10 years per the published structure.
4
Amortizing: up to 5% of the price, max $15,000, as a 30-year second at the same rate as the first.
5
Assistance can cover down payment, closing costs, or both.
6
You close and move in.

Saving 3.5% plus closing costs in Nashville is the thing that keeps people renting. THDA is the state trying to close that gap. It is a real program. It is also picky.

Great Choice is the first mortgage. Great Choice Plus is the help. You do not get the second without the first. Homeownership for Heroes is a 0.50% rate cut on Great Choice for veterans, firefighters, EMTs, law enforcement, and K-12 teachers (added May 2026). Confirm current Heroes rules on THDA.org.

Income and price limits, May 2026 chart

THDA updates limits. The figures below are from the official chart dated May 18, 2026. Every listed county had a $500,000 purchase-price cap. Confirm before you write.

Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Sumner, Wilson, Robertson, Cheatham, and Dickson: $137,760 for 1–2 persons, $160,720 for 3+ persons. Maury: $113,040 / $131,880. Montgomery: $98,994 / $113,843.

Those Nashville-area numbers surprise people. This is not only a low-income product. It still has a cap. Over the cap, we look at The Housing Fund, HUD $100-down on eligible REO, gift funds, or a regular FHA.

The 640 trap

Everyone on the application needs 640. THDA re-pulls credit and re-underwrites near closing. A Verizon collection that reports two days out can drop a 640 to 621 and kill the file. That is not a hypothetical. It is a published story on this site.

If you are sitting on 640, we talk about building a cushion, a lender-backed DPA with no late re-pull, or bringing your own 3.5%. Reliability can beat a slightly cheaper THDA rate.

Williamson County and first-time rules

Williamson is not a THDA targeted county. Repeat buyers in Franklin usually need the three-year first-time test or a military exception. Targeted-area shortcuts that work in some Tennessee counties do not automatically work in Franklin. Read the Franklin THDA guide before you tell a client 'THDA will cover it.'

How it compares to Standard FHA

Feature	THDA / DPA	Standard FHA
Cash to close	Assistance can cover down payment and costs	3.5% plus closing costs from you, a gift, or a seller
Credit	640 for every borrower. Re-pull near closing.	HUD 580 floor for 3.5% down
Income and price	County income caps. $500,000 price cap on the May 2026 chart.	FHA county loan limits. No THDA income cap.
Education	Required for the assistance	Not a HUD education requirement

Common myths

Down payment assistance is only for low-income buyers.
The May 2026 Nashville-area cap was $137,760 for a 1–2 person household. That is not poverty. It is still a cap. Confirm the current chart.
It is too complicated to use.
Education class, extra second-lien docs, and a 640 floor. It is more steps. It is not a maze if we start before you write the offer.
You cannot combine it with other loans.
Great Choice is usually FHA or USDA. That is the combination. It is not a second you slap on any random conventional jumbo.

Sources and what to verify

This is general mortgage education, not a commitment to lend. Rates, programs, overlays, and eligibility depend on the borrower, the property, and investor guidelines. Confirm current terms with Keith Goeringer or the official agency (HUD, VA, USDA, FHFA, THDA, CFPB). NMLS #488023. Barrett Financial Group.

Questions about THDA / DPA?

Keith Goeringer will tell you what you qualify for and what it will cost. No call center.