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Home buyer help · Arkansas

Buying a home in Arkansas: the help you may qualify for.

Down payment assistance, property tax exemptions and veteran benefits in Arkansas, gathered from official state sources and explained in plain English. Every program has its own rules, so check with the agency before you count on it.

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Last checked November 11, 2026Sources state agencies

Down payment and closing cost help

From the Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA).

  • ADFA Down Payment Assistance

    $1,000 to $15,000

    Repayable 10-year second loan, with an ADFA StartSmart or Move-Up first mortgage. Move-Up has no first-time buyer requirement (income up to $142,000, credit score 640+).

Who qualifies: Through an ADFA participating lender.

Property tax exemptions and credits

Exemptions lower your home’s taxable value or your bill. Most aren’t automatic: you apply with your county assessor. Arkansas’s official exemptions information.

For homeowners who live in the home

  • Homestead property tax credit

    Up to $600 a year (from 2026 tax bills)

    For a home you own and live in; the credit can't be more than the tax you owe.

    How to apply: With your county assessor, by October 15 of the year after the assessment. (Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration)

For homeowners 65 and older

  • Assessment freeze (65+ or disabled)

    Freezes your home's taxable value

    Your taxable assessed value is frozen at the next assessment after you turn 65 or become disabled.

    How to apply: With your county assessor. (Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration)

For veterans

  • Disabled veteran exemption

    Full exemption on your home

    For veterans with a total and permanent service-connected disability, and unremarried surviving spouses.

    How to apply: With your county assessor. (Ark. Code ยง26-3-306)

Want to see which ones fit you? Answer a few questions in the property tax exemptions checker.

If you serve or served

  • VA home loan: available in every state, often with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance. You’ll need a Certificate of Eligibility. See VA home loans.
  • Property tax: veterans in Arkansas may qualify for Disabled veteran exemption. See the details above.

Your next steps

  1. Work out a monthly cost you’re comfortable with in the home cost calculator. It also lists Arkansas’s programs with the loans you may qualify for.
  2. Talk with a free or low-cost HUD-approved housing counselor. Find one near you.
  3. Ask each lender which of these programs they work with, and compare Loan Estimates from at least three.
  4. Follow the step-by-step home buyer’s guide from budget to keys.

Common questions

Does Arkansas have down payment help for home buyers?

Yes. Programs from the Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA) include ADFA Down Payment Assistance. Through an ADFA participating lender. Funding and rules change often, so check with the agency or a participating lender.

Does Arkansas have a homestead or property tax exemption for homeowners?

Yes. Homeowners who live in the home may qualify for: Homestead property tax credit. Apply with your county assessor; most exemptions aren't automatic.

Is there help for veterans buying a home in Arkansas?

VA home loans are available in every state, often with no down payment. Veterans may also qualify for property tax benefits such as Disabled veteran exemption.

Sources: Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA) and Arkansas’s property tax office, linked above. Last checked November 11, 2026. Programs, amounts, income limits and funding change often, sometimes every year. Know Before You Own doesn’t recommend lenders or take referral fees. This page is general education, not legal, tax or lending advice. See other states.