MassHousing and ONE Mortgage are different routes to investigate, not interchangeable names for a single Massachusetts program. ONE Mortgage is offered through the Massachusetts Housing Partnership. The right comparison is between the written financing packages for your household and property, including eligibility, cash requirements, ongoing payment and any obligations attached to assistance.
Which program distinctions should you establish first?
Start with the organization and the specific product named in the lender's proposal. MassHousing describes down payment assistance paired with its mortgage financing. Massachusetts Housing Partnership describes ONE Mortgage with a low down payment and no private mortgage insurance for qualifying borrowers. Those descriptions are starting points, not personal approvals. Confirm the current income, asset, education, property and occupancy requirements with a participating lender, and ask which exact version of the program is being offered.
MassHousing: down payment assistance.
Massachusetts Housing Partnership: ONE Mortgage requirements.
How should assistance be compared with your own cash?
Ask whether assistance is a loan or another form of support, how any interest and repayment work, and what happens when you sell, refinance or stop using the property as required. Separate assistance from cash you still need for deposits, closing charges, repairs and reserves. A smaller amount due initially can carry conditions that matter later. Compare the complete written terms rather than selecting a program from the largest advertised assistance figure or assuming all support is forgiven.
Why does the property type matter?
The local assessment categories below show how a condominium, single-family house and two-family building can represent different purchases. Eligibility and underwriting must be confirmed for the actual property, not just for the borrower. A condo adds association review; a multi-unit building adds occupancy, rent and management questions. Ask the lender and education provider what documentation is needed before an offer timetable makes it difficult to obtain. Keep the program decision connected to the building you intend to buy.
What does the local record show?
These towns provide local context for the decision in this article. The figures describe the published records and survey periods identified below. Compare the same measures across places, then confirm the details of any actual home before using them in a budget or offer.
Local Figures for This Decision
Download CSV, same columns, same definitions
Selected municipalities, shown alphabetically. Definitions below distinguish assessments, administrative benchmarks and survey estimates from current market quotes.
| Town | Single-family Assessment | Annual Tax Illustration | Condominium Assessment | Two-family Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holyoke | $262,450 | $4,603 | $148,700 | $278,700 |
| Pittsfield | $256,500 | $4,516 | $289,050 | $192,100 |
| Springfield | $267,900 | $4,181 | $165,500 | $312,200 |
What These Columns Mean
- Town
- Municipality; follow its record below for the full data and address check.
- Single-family Assessment
- Median assessed value of single-family parcels. This is a tax-roll statistic, not an asking price, appraisal or median sale price. Assessment years are identified in the sources.
- Annual Tax Illustration
- The published residential rate applied to the town's median single-family assessment, including the recorded community preservation surcharge and its general first-value exemption where adopted. Individual exemptions, special assessments and a future reassessment can change an actual bill.
- Condominium Assessment
- Median assessed value of condominium parcels in the town roll. Association fees, reserve balances, unit condition and pending assessments are outside this figure.
- Two-family Assessment
- Median assessed value of parcels classified as two-family. A tax classification does not certify lawful occupancy, current rents, vacant possession or a second unit's permit status.
Cite: RE413. “Local Figures for This Decision.” Updated September 19, 2026. https://www.re413.com/news/masshousing-vs-one-mortgage/, underlying sources at https://www.re413.com/sources/.
Holyoke's town record. Single-family assessment: $262,450. Annual tax illustration: $4,603. Condominium assessment: $148,700. Two-family assessment: $278,700.
Pittsfield's town record. Single-family assessment: $256,500. Annual tax illustration: $4,516. Condominium assessment: $289,050. Two-family assessment: $192,100.
Springfield's town record. Single-family assessment: $267,900. Annual tax illustration: $4,181. Condominium assessment: $165,500. Two-family assessment: $312,200.
What should you check next?
- Identify the organization, product and participating lender on every written proposal.
- Compare eligibility, monthly payment, cash contribution and the repayment conditions of any assistance.
- Confirm the actual property's eligibility and retain reserves for documented work and ongoing ownership expenses.
Keep the address, document date and source alongside each answer. If records disagree, identify which period and property each describes before treating the difference as a change. A missing result leaves a question open; it does not establish that a property has no problem or no cost.
Where can you continue the comparison?
Browse all housing guides by subject.
Open the linked town records for the wider context, including sources and dates. Use the property-specific records to narrow a decision, and keep current quotes separate from the historical figures used to explain it here.
Which official guidance supports this article?
- MassHousing: down payment assistance. Guidance checked 2026-09-05; confirm current requirements for your transaction.
- Massachusetts Housing Partnership: ONE Mortgage requirements. Guidance checked 2026-09-05; confirm current requirements for your transaction.
- MassHousing: homebuyer education. Guidance checked 2026-09-05; confirm current requirements for your transaction.
Sources
- MassGIS and municipal assessors. single-family assessment, annual tax illustration, condominium assessment, two-family assessment. Figures through Holyoke: FY2026; Pittsfield: FY2025; Springfield: FY2026. Checked 2026-08-21.
- Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services. annual tax illustration. Figures through Holyoke: FY2026; Pittsfield: FY2026; Springfield: FY2026. Checked 2026-08-05.
- Massachusetts Department of Revenue, community preservation records. annual tax illustration. Checked 2026-08-05.
"Figures through" is the period the publisher's data describes; "checked" is only when we last asked. The full sourcing: sources and method.