Buying for a parent who genuinely cannot house themselves can often be financed as an owner-occupied loan rather than an investment property, and that one distinction changes the whole picture. Every one of these situations is a little different, so treat this as the framework rather than a one-size answer. The rule doing the work is the Fannie and Freddie family-opportunity-style treatment: you can get principal-residence financing on a home for a close family member who cannot provide housing for themselves. A parent whose Social Security or pension income does not stretch to local home prices is the classic case; a disabled adult child is the other. Owner-occupied financing means a lower down payment and better pricing than an investment-property loan. What makes it work: - You can already own your own primary residence and still qualify for this loan. - Your parents do not have to be on the loan or co-borrow. - The inability to qualify must be genuine and documented, with things like a Social Security award letter or pension statements. A healthy adult who simply finds housing expensive does not clearly fit. FHA has its own family-member provision with different conditions, so the specifics vary by program. Confirm the current guidelines for the one you use. For a condo in particular, add one layer early: the project itself has to meet the loan program's condo approval and warranty requirements, which can trip up an otherwise clean file. Check the specific building before you get attached to it. Tell us the family member's situation and the property, and we can map the cleanest structure in a free Roadmap conversation.