A first-time buyer can absolutely use seller financing. The hard part is finding a seller who's able and willing to offer it. Seller financing means the seller acts as the bank, carrying some or all of the financing (or providing down payment help) in place of a traditional lender. Nothing limits it to investment property. The practical constraints are the real story: - The seller usually needs to own the home free and clear, or close to it. A seller with their own mortgage generally can't carry paper without triggering their loan. - The seller has to actually want to do it. Most don't when they can simply cash out at closing. Seller financing gets more available in slow buyer's markets, where homes sit and sellers get creative to close a deal. When properties sell quickly, there's little reason to offer it. It gets a lot of hype in "no money down" courses and creative-financing content, which makes it sound common and easy. In reality it hinges on finding that one specific willing seller, so it's uncommon for the average buyer to land. Worth understanding and keeping in your back pocket. Just don't build your entire buying plan around it, and if a deal does come together, have a real estate attorney paper it properly.