Homebuyers may be missing out on a wide range of programs that can help them afford their purchases -- programs their agents either don't know about or don't want to bother with.

They go under the heading of "down payment assistance," which makes it seem as though they are strictly for low- and moderate-income buyers, or those buying their first homes. But that's hardly the case.

Most of the more than 2,300 government, municipal and nonprofit programs that are available nationwide have some kind of income and/or sales price limitations, according to Rob Chrane of Down Payment Resource, an online database that makes it easy for buyers to find and understand what's available.

But in certain high-cost markets, the income ceiling can exceed 180 percent of the median income for the area. And 36 percent don't include a first-time buyer requirement.

Even with income limits, benefits can range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands. In Miami-Dade County, Florida, for example, the 39 assistance programs currently available range in benefits from $3,000 to $100,000, according to Chrane.

In Chicago, a family of three to six people earning up to $80,000 has access to 11 different programs, including a $2,000/year federal income tax credit for the life of the mortgage, a grant of 3 percent of the loan amount to use to cover a down payment and closing costs, or an interest-free loan of $5,000 to use as part of the down payment and closing costs.

In Sarasota, Florida, a three-person household with a veteran or military applicant making $50,000 a year and buying a $175,00 house has access to 14 programs, including a two-for-one matching grant up to $5,000 for a down payment and closing costs, a below-market-rate mortgage and a tax credit.

And in San Francisco, a couple -- one person a police officer and the other a teacher, with a combined income of up to $125,000 annually -- has access to five programs, including a "silent" second mortgage for 3 percent of the loan amount plus $6,500 in down payment and closing cost assistance, and a deferred, zero-interest 30-year loan for up to $200,000 in down payment and closing cost help.

Nationally, the average down payment benefit is $7,333, according to the latest count. And across all 2,359 programs now available, the average benefit of any kind, not limited to down payment assistance, is $22,138.

Benefits like that are worth looking into!

Chrane, a longtime real estate and mortgage professional, started building his database in 2007 when his employer, HomeBanc Mortgage, shut down at the beginning of the housing debacle.

He learned about assistance programs at NationsBanc, where he worked previously and where loan officers were required to reach out to low-income buyers. At HomeBanc, on the other hand, Chrane says "almost nobody" worked with eligible purchasers on a regular basis, so loan officers tended not to bother to learn what was available.

He also found that the same is true with realty agents, who tend to work their own particular niches. Moreover, many of the programs' parameters are constantly changing, which makes them complicated and difficult to follow.

"The biggest problem with assistance programs is awareness," says Chrane. "You might not qualify, but you ought to at least look."

It took Chrane several months to "get clarity" about what he was about to wrap his arms around, he says, and more than a half-dozen years to aggregate the details of the thousands of assistance programs into a database that consumers, as well as real estate agents and loan officers, can access.

"It can be overwhelming to find all the possibilities that may work," Chrane says. "Just as we would advise buyers to get prequalified for financing, we also recommend that they determine if there are any ownership programs that fit their personal situations."

The search engine (downpaymentresource.com) tracks programs from 1,250 housing agencies, a little more than a third of which do not include a first-time buyer requirement. The site not only matches buyers to the programs that are available to them but also flags houses listed for sale that are eligible for them to purchase.

All programs are available for single-family houses, including townhouses and condominium apartments; under 17 percent of the assistance programs, two- to four-unit properties are also eligible. In many cases, the programs can be combined with each other and used with all types of loans, including those backed by Uncle Sam.

Nearly 15 percent of programs are aimed specifically at veterans, first responders, educators, persons with disabilities or other special circumstances.

Some 71 percent of the programs currently listed in the database offer help with down payments and closing costs. They include grants -- which need not be paid back -- and no-interest or low-interest second mortgages with payments that may be deferred or forgiven. There are also neighborhood stabilization programs aimed at revitalizing communities hit hard by foreclosures or unemployment.

The average cost of a wedding last year was $31,213, according to popular wedding-planning site The Knot -- a whopping amount that could have been used for a down payment, and then some, on a first house.

RealtyTrac, a real estate information company, massaged the numbers and found that, of the most expensive places to get hitched, San Francisco is the only one where a 5 percent down payment for an average house is greater than the cost of a typical wedding.

Everywhere else, the opposite is true, RealtyTrac found. It is definitely less expensive to use the money you're likely to spend on a wedding for a house instead.

But that begs the question of which is a better choice: a big, boisterous ceremony and party, or your very first home of your own?

Two experts, one on each side of that question, were asked their thoughts. Arguing for buying a home is Matt Phipps, a third-generation Realtor who has held several leadership roles within the National Association of Realtors and who hangs his shingle at Phipps Realty in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Speaking on behalf of a wedding is Leila Lewis, who runs Be Inspired, a Los Angeles-based wedding and lifestyle public relations firm.

Here's what they had to say.

HOUSE -- Matt Phipps, real estate agent:

"Since living in your parents' basement is most likely not a long-term option, it's best to have a sound long-term plan. While it is ultimately your choice whether to keep up with the Jones' expensive taste in weddings or purchase the house down the street from them, I think it's important to truly consider cost versus long-term value.

"The Knot survey found that the average cost of a wedding was at an all-time high last year -- and 45 percent of the couples exceeded their original budget. Considering that that figure doesn't include the cost of a honeymoon, there is no proverbial cherry atop your wedding cake.

"Meanwhile, the National Association of Realtors' May sales report shows that the national median price of a single-family home was $219,400. After putting 10 percent down (nearly $22,000), you'd still have $9,000 for new furniture or even some home improvement projects (before hitting the $31,000 average-wedding number).

"The most expensive part of a wedding is the 'venue/catering' aspect, which averages over $11,000, according to the website costofwedding.com. But if you were to put 5 percent down on an average house, you are spending less than $11,000.

"In other words, the one-day (or half-day) rental of a place to have a wedding is MORE than the down payment on the typical house -- a place you could live forever, or at least until you have a gang of kids and need more space.

"Simply put, wedding expenses have escalated to the point in which they are excessive for almost everyone not named Kardashian. Given the abundance of young couples saddled with debt from college loans, coupled with the nationwide increase in rent costs that makes buying cheaper than renting in most places these days, why not invest in a home with your partner rather than splurge on a wedding?

"Americans who have purchased a home in the last two to three years have experienced a median gain of $30,000 in the value of their homes, according to NAR. So which sounds more practical: Dumping $31,000 for the wedding or adding to $30,000 to your net worth?

"The numbers don't lie: Putting your savings toward purchasing a house is a much more sound investment than using those funds toward an extravagant wedding. And your greatest wedding investment should be spent on inviting your family and best friends, who won't care about the per-plate cost. Those folks will dance the night away with you at your wedding, and will be excited to visit you in your new home."

WEDDING -- Leila Lewis, wedding expert:

"Being the founder of a wedding-centric company, I have seen it all -- weddings that are large and extravagant and those that are more intimate and simple. It is an indescribable feeling to watch a bride and groom on their wedding day, surrounded by the love of their family and friends. While it is just one day, it's also a ceremonial beginning of a new life together, and should be given lots of thought and care.

"Sit down with your fiance and discuss your expense priorities together. The most important thing is to be on the same page when making big decisions that will affect your joint future.

"If you do decide to scale back the wedding and save up for your first home, take advantage of the abundant resources online in order to plan your wedding for less. And remember that your first home doesn't have to be your dream home. Homeownership is typically a building block of investments. Don't try to overreach your first time around; there will be many homes to come.

"Ultimately what makes sense for you, as a couple, will be different from what works for other couples. Take the time to have these discussions, keeping an open mind and ear to your partner's opinions.

"Whether you choose to spend a little more on your wedding day or scale back in order to save for a home, it will be the right decision as long as you and your spouse are on the same page. That's the most important start to any marriage!"

If you're serious about purchasing an energy-efficient house -- and surveys indicate that more and more people are -- you'll want to download a copy of the Checklist for Home Energy Efficient Attributes.

Produced by the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP), a regional nonprofit started a decade ago to accelerate energy efficiency in the building sector, the checklist is part of a suite of resources the group is building to assist buyers, renters, appraisers and realty agents in working with energy efficiency.

It is meant to allow real estate professionals to make "a fairly quick assessment" of a home's efficiency. But there's absolutely no reason a would-be homebuyer can't use it to do the same.

The list is organized into seven categories: lighting, appliances, HVAC, water usage, building envelope, fenestration and third-party evaluation. For those who want efficiency but have no clue about the terminology, it also has a glossary of energy efficiency terms.

You can find the checklist at NEEP's website: www.neep.org. Search for it, and then click on the big green dot.

Meanwhile, here's a sampling of what homebuyers should look for:

-- LIGHTING. Compact fluorescent bulbs use 25 percent of the electricity used by a standard incandescent bulb of the equivalent brightness. And light-emitting diodes use only 10 percent.

Of course, you can change the bulbs once you move in. But you can't change whether the home you like has natural lighting.

Here you want large, south-facing windows with large overhangs, which can keep the sun's rays out in the summer and allow them in during the winter when the sun is lower in the sky. Deciduous trees, which have a full complement of leaves in the summer but shed them in the winter, work the same way.

-- APPLIANCES. Energy Star-certified appliances are designed to save energy without sacrificing performance. A certified refrigerator is 9 to 10 percent more efficient than federal standards, dishwashers 10 percent more efficient, dryers use 20 percent less energy, and washing machines use 20 percent less energy and 35 percent less water.

These, too, can be changed out once you move in, but that is a much more expensive proposition.

-- HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING. The yellow label attached to the HVAC system -- the "V" stands for ventilation -- will tell you how efficient the system is and give you an idea of the cost to operate it on an annual basis.

Also look for a programmable thermostat and sealed and insulated ductwork. Operated properly, a programmable thermostat can save about 10 percent on your heating and cooling bills. But unsealed or uninsulated ducts can lead to an energy loss of up to 20 percent.

-- WATER. If there is a hot-water system that heats water on demand rather than a whole tank 24 hours a day, it should be certified. Again, look for the yellow label.

Other things to look for include insulation on hot water pipes and water tanks, and low-flow faucets, showerheads and toilets.

-- ENVELOPE. Check for insulation and sealing around windows, doors and any other places that enter or exit the house, such as pipes and wires. The proper sealing and insulation can cut your total energy costs by a whopping 30 percent -- and increase your comfort.

-- FENESTRATION. Known to regular folk as windows, doors and skylights. You want to look for high-performance windows, hopefully those with a coating that reflects radiant heat. Doors should be weather-stripped properly.

-- EVALUATIONS. Many utilities and private entities offer free or inexpensive energy audits that will tell you where the house falls short and make recommendations for improvements. Some utilities also offer rebates for energy-efficient appliances and other items.