What is the Hometown Heroes Housing Program?
The Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program makes homeownership affordable for eligible community workers.
This program provides down payment and closing cost assistance to first-time, income-qualified homebuyers so they can purchase a primary residence in the community in which they work and serve.
The Florida Hometown Heroes Loan Program also offers a lower first mortgage rate and additional special benefits to those who have served and continue to serve their country.
One of the top benefits of using the Hometown Heroes Program is tax exemption, saving you thousands of dollars. For each $100,000 of your home purchase price, this exemption can potentially save you approximately $2,000 in documentary stamp tax and intangible tax.
- Eligible full-time workforce, employed by a Florida-based employer can receive lower than market rates on first mortgage, reduced upfront fees, no origination points or discount points.
- Borrowers can receive up to 5% of the first mortgage loan amount (maximum of $35,000) in down payment and closing cost assistance.
- Down payment and closing cost assistance is available in the form of a 0%, non-amortizing, 30-year deferred second mortgage.
Program Requirements
- All Borrowers must have a minimum FICO of 640 (Manufactured housing require a minimum 660) and maximum DTI of 50% (Maximum DTI with manufactured housing is 45%).
- Borrower(s) must be employed full-time by a Florida-based employer and work 35 or more hours per week.
- The property the borrower(s) is purchasing will be their primary residence and they will be a Florida resident.
- The borrower(s) are first-time homebuyers which means, a borrower(s) must have had no present ownership Interest in a principal residence at any time during the three-year period prior to the date on which the Mortgage Loan is executed.
- Borrower(s) must not exceed the maximum Income & Loan Limit requirements, household size, for the county in which the property is being purchased.
Learn About Your County
- Alachua County
- Baker County
- Bay County
- Bradford County
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- Broward County
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- Charlotte County
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