Florida Hometown Heroes

How much does Florida Hometown Heroes give you?

Florida Hometown Heroes provides 5% of your first mortgage loan amount toward the down payment and closing costs — a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $35,000 — as a 0% interest second mortgage with no monthly payment. You repay it only when you sell, refinance, transfer title, or stop living in the home.

How the money works

The assistance is 5% of your first mortgage loan amount, floored at $10,000 and capped at $35,000. It comes as a second mortgage that charges 0% interest and does not amortize, which means you make no monthly payment on it, ever.

The balance sits behind your first mortgage until you sell the home, refinance it, transfer title, or stop living in it as your primary residence. It layers on top of a normal first mortgage — FHA, VA, USDA or conventional — so you are still choosing the best first-lien program on its own merits.

Who qualifies

You must be employed full-time by a Florida-based employer and be a first-time homebuyer, meaning no ownership interest in a primary residence during the past three years. Veterans and active-duty military are exempt from that first-time requirement entirely.

You also need a minimum 640 credit score — 660 if the file is manually underwritten — household income within your county's limit, a primary residence in Florida, and at least one borrower must complete an approved homebuyer education course.