Your Guide to Buying Your First Home in New York
Free tools, plain-English guides, and county-specific resources to help you understand the costs and programs available to New York first-time homebuyers.
Estimate My Cash Needed →What You'll Find Here
Everything a New York first-time buyer needs in one place
Affordability Calculator
See how much home you may afford, get a full monthly payment breakdown, compare SONYMA vs. a conventional 30-year loan, and view an amortization schedule.
Cash-Needed Calculator
Estimate your down payment, closing costs, and total cash required at closing based on your purchase price.
SONYMA DPAL Guide
Learn how the Down Payment Assistance Loan works, how much you can receive, and what strings are attached.
SONYMA vs FHA
Side-by-side comparison of SONYMA and FHA loans to help you understand which may be better for your situation.
Buy a Duplex with SONYMA?
Thinking about house hacking? Learn what SONYMA says about 2-family homes and what the rules require.
First-Time Buyer Checklist
A step-by-step checklist covering everything from credit to closing, so you don't miss a critical step.
Capital Region County Guides
Local context for Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Rensselaer counties — market trends, programs, and tips.
Why This Site Exists
Buying your first home in New York is exciting — and complicated. Between SONYMA programs, FHA loans, down payment assistance, closing cost credits, and county-specific quirks, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. This site collects the most useful information in one place so you can ask better questions of your lender, attorney, and real estate agent. It is not a substitute for those professionals, and the numbers are estimates only. Use this as a starting point, then work with licensed professionals to finalize your plan.