Guest contributor Down Payment Resource says:

Preconceived ideas often keep us from investigating further. In the case of down payment assistance, myths like "it's only for first-time homebuyers" and "it's difficult to qualify" prevent potential buyers from exploring all viable paths to homeownership.

According to the 2013 National Housing Pulse Survey, more renters are now thinking about purchasing a home, up from 25 percent to 36 percent. Many of these renters have the income and credit qualifications to buy a home, but simply need to overcome the down payment hurdle. Too often, long held myths about homebuyer programs hold them back.

We debunk three more surprisingly common myths about down payment assistance. Don't miss our first installment where we debunked Myths #1 - 4.

Myth #5: Down payment assistance is only for inexpensive homes

Many people focus on the word "assistance" in down payment assistance, believing it is only for narrowly defined homebuyers and "targeted" neighborhoods of very inexpensive homes. In fact, homes in any neighborhood may be eligible with sales price limits typically ranging from $200,000 to over $700,000 in high-cost markets. On average, 70% of all homes for sale are eligible for one or more programs.

Some homebuyer programs can have income limits of up to 120% AMI and higher, which can amount to well over six-figure incomes in countless markets across the country. In addition, some may offer tiered assistance dollars at varying income levels so higher incomes might yield lower assistance amounts, but higher income isn't an automatic disqualifier. Income limits are almost always based on household size, so limits for a family of five are significantly higher than for a single person.