With 10 percent saved, down payment assistance often costs more than it helps, so run the math before assuming it's a win. Start with what most assistance actually is: a silent second mortgage secured by a lien on your home. It generally has to be repaid, often carries a higher rate on that second, and comes with restrictions attached. Free money it is not. Program quality varies enormously. Candidly, most of the assistance programs we've seen in California have underwhelmed us, while genuinely good ones exist elsewhere, including a truly forgivable program we've seen in another state. Forgivable is the key word. A program you never repay is a very different proposition from a silent second you carry. With 10 percent in hand, you already have a straightforward path to a standard conventional loan, so assistance may add cost and complexity for a benefit you don't need. Put the two options side by side on paper: the plain 10-percent-down conventional loan versus the same purchase using the assistance program, including that second lien's rate and terms. Take the assistance only if the numbers actually come out ahead. We're glad to build that comparison with you in the free Roadmap conversation, about 20 minutes where we run your real numbers.