Yes. The standard definition is no ownership interest in a primary residence during the past three years. Fannie Mae and HUD both use that three-year test, so you can have owned several homes in the past and still count as a first-time buyer today. There are even carve-outs: displaced homemakers and single parents who only held title jointly with a former spouse still qualify. Confirm the exact wording with each program, since definitions vary. Whether the label actually helps is a different question, and it depends on where you are buying: - In some areas it unlocks first-time-buyer grants and down payment assistance worth real money. - In high-cost markets like much of California, the benefit is often thinner than the label suggests, and plenty of bank-branded first-time-buyer programs read more like marketing than a material advantage once you compare the actual terms. Before you steer your whole plan around the label, put the specific program next to a straightforward loan and see whether it genuinely lowers your cost. Mapping which programs you qualify for and what they would save you is exactly what we do on a free Roadmap conversation (about 20 minutes).