Florida first-time homebuyer grants and down payment assistance (2026)

Four Florida Housing second mortgages, and which one is ever forgiven

The Sept. 17, 2026 master term sheet sets the terms of all four. You can use only one Florida Housing second mortgage per purchase ⁠²:

• Florida Assist (FL Assist). $10,000 at 0% with no payments over a 30-year term. It is never forgiven. You repay it in full when you sell, transfer the deed, refinance, pay off the first mortgage or stop living in the home ⁠².
• Florida Homeownership Loan Program (FL HLP). $12,500 at 3%, amortized over 30 years at $52.70 a month. The payment counts in your debt-to-income ratio, and any unpaid balance is due on the same events as FL Assist ⁠¹⁠².
• HFA Advantage PLUS. 3%, 4% or 5% of the total loan amount, forgiven 20% a year over five years if you are not in default. If you sell, refinance or move out before year five, you repay the unforgiven balance. It works only with Florida Housing’s Freddie Mac HFA Advantage conventional loan ⁠¹⁠².
• Hometown Heroes. Covered in its own section below ⁠⁵.

Its funds pay only for the down payment and standard closing costs. They cannot cover a real estate agent’s commission, an appraisal gap or your debts ⁠². Florida Housing allows another agency’s assistance, such as SHIP or a county loan, as a third lien ⁠².

TBA or bond: the choice that sets your income test

Florida Housing funds its first mortgages in two ways, and the rules differ ⁠²:

• TBA loans (FL First for FHA, VA and USDA, and Freddie Mac HFA Advantage) count only the income of the people on the loan. They use a loan limit instead of a purchase price limit, and they are not subject to federal recapture tax ⁠²⁠³.
• Bond loans count the gross income of every household member aged 18 or older, plus a spouse who is not on the loan. Everyone on the deed must be a first-time buyer. These loans have county purchase price caps, and you may owe recapture tax if you sell within nine years at a profit while your income has risen above the limits ⁠²⁠⁴.

Florida Housing’s 2026 county limits in the largest counties

For TBA loans with FL Assist, 2026 income limits run from $113,505 for 1-2 people ($118,440 for 3 or more) up to $171,960 in Monroe County. TBA loans with FL HLP allow $138,181 to $200,621 for any household size ⁠³. For bond loans with FL Assist, 1-2 person limits start at $98,700. Non-targeted purchase price caps run from $566,354 to $1,036,005 in Monroe ⁠⁴. Homes in a Federally Designated Targeted Area get higher limits and no first-time rule. Each lender guide lists the eligible census tracts by county ⁠³.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

TBA loan limits for 2026 are $541,287 to $990,150 for FHA loans, and $832,750 for conventional and VA loans ($990,150 in Monroe). USDA loans use their own caps, such as $119,850 for 1-4 people in most counties ⁠³⁠⁶.

Hometown Heroes: up to $35,000 for Florida-employed workers

The 2026 program serves first-time buyers employed full time by a Florida-based employer as a health care worker, school staff member, first responder, public safety or court employee, or child care worker. It also covers members of the U.S. military, Coast Guard or Florida National Guard and their reserves, and veterans who work full time for a Florida-based employer ⁠⁵. Only one borrower has to hold an eligible job. Remote workers do not qualify, and hybrid workers must report to the work site at least three days a week ⁠⁷.

Assistance is 5% of the first mortgage, with a $10,000 minimum and a $35,000 cap. Any loan of $200,000 or less gets exactly $10,000 ⁠⁷. It is a 0% deferred second mortgage, never forgiven and due in full on sale, refinance, transfer or move-out ⁠⁵. Hometown Heroes has no purchase price limit, only the loan limits ⁠⁶. Active-duty military and Guard or Reserve members with a current Leave and Earnings Statement are exempt from the first-time rule ⁠⁷.

The 2025 round opened Aug. 18, 2025 with $50 million and committed every dollar by Feb. 27, 2026, an average of about $16,000 per buyer ⁠⁸. Florida Housing posted 2026 limits revised July 13, 2026 ⁠⁶. Funds go first come, first served, so ask a participating lender whether money is left before you sign a contract.

Credit, debt and education rules on every Florida Housing loan

Credit and debt. All borrowers need a 640 credit score, or 660 with manual underwriting. The debt-to-income cap is 50% with an automated Approve/Eligible finding, 43% with manual underwriting and 45% for manufactured homes ⁠². There is no asset test and no required buyer contribution ⁠².

Education. One occupying borrower must finish a pre-purchase course for a TBA loan. For a bond loan, every borrower and spouse must take it ⁠². The course must meet HUD standards or the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling. Mortgage insurer courses count, but post-closing courses do not, and a certificate is valid for two years ⁠².

Lenders and fees. Florida Housing caps lender fees at $1,750. It adds a $400 funding fee, a $275 compliance fee and an $85 tax service fee. You can use its programs only once ⁠².

SHIP and county programs you can layer on top

SHIP. Florida Housing gave $163.8 million in SHIP money for 2025-2026 to all 67 counties and 55 cities. That included $14.3 million across Broward, $12.8 million across Miami-Dade and $11.2 million across Hillsborough ⁠¹¹. At least 65% of each allocation must go to homeownership, and help can reach households up to 140% of area median income ⁠¹⁰. Each local housing assistance plan sets its own amounts and loan terms ⁠¹⁰.

Miami-Dade County. Up to $35,000 at 0% for up to 30 years, with no payments. Income must be below $95,620 for one person or $136,500 for four. You must put in 1% of the price, complete HUD-certified counseling and live in the county. If you sell, the county takes 100% of the profit in years 1-3 and 50% in years 4-6 ⁠¹³.

Orange County. $70,000 at 50% of median income, $40,000 at 80% or $10,000 at 120%. For a family of four, those 2026 limits are $57,450, $91,900 and $137,880. New applications closed Sept. 6, 2026 and are expected to reopen about Nov. 16, 2026 ⁠¹⁴.

Broward County. A 0% deferred second mortgage with a 15-year term, submitted by your lender, with a maximum price of $636,806. In April 2026, funds were available only in Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Davie, Margate, Plantation, Sunrise, Weston and Hollywood. Unincorporated Broward and 16 other cities showed “No Funds” ⁠¹⁵.

Mortgage credit certificates now come only from local HFAs

Florida Housing has not issued a Mortgage Credit Certificate since Dec. 31, 2020 ⁠⁹. The Housing Finance Authority of Hillsborough County’s Home Sweet Home program requires a 20% MCC with its first mortgage in Hillsborough, Clay and Duval counties, for loans closing through Dec. 31, 2026 ⁠¹². It also adds a 0% deferred second mortgage that is never forgiven. The amount is $15,000 in Hillsborough outside Tampa (down from $30,000 before May 11, 2026), $5,000 in Tampa and $10,000 in Duval. Hillsborough’s limits are $112,420 for 1-2 people and $126,133 for 3 or more, with a $450,000 price cap ⁠¹².

Getting a Florida Housing loan from first call to closing

1. Find a participating loan officer

   Use the Lender and Real Estate Agent Locator for your county. The loan officer checks which first mortgage and second mortgage fit you ⁠¹.

2. Check your county’s limits

   Hometown Heroes buyers use the July 13, 2026 chart. Everyone else should ask whether a TBA or bond loan gives them more room ⁠³⁠⁴⁠⁶.

3. Take homebuyer education before closing

   Use a HUD-approved or other approved course ⁠².

4. Gather documents

   For a bond loan, bring three years of tax returns or transcripts for every household adult. Veterans need a DD-214, and active-duty military need a current Leave and Earnings Statement. Hometown Heroes buyers also need employer verification for each employed borrower ⁠²⁠⁷.

5. Ask your local SHIP office

   Contact it before you make an offer. You can stack its loan as a third lien with any Florida Housing second ⁠²⁠¹⁰.

6. Let the lender reserve the loans

   The lender locks both loans in the eHousingPlus portal. The loans must be purchased within 60 days, and extension fees apply after that ⁠².

7. Close and keep your papers

   Keep the second mortgage note and any recapture notice for a future sale or refinance ⁠².

If a lender turns you down, you can apply with another participating lender. More rules are on the first-time homebuyer grants page and the Florida page.