If you work full-time for a Florida employer, the state may cover your down payment and closing costs. Hometown Heroes is Florida's largest down payment assistance program, and eligibility is based on where you work, not your job title. I originate Hometown Heroes loans across Florida, from Key West to Jacksonville. The 2026 program relaunched in July with fresh funding, released first come, first served.
Run by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, the program pairs a low-rate first mortgage with real cash toward getting into the home. Here is the full picture.
5% of your first mortgage, with a $10,000 minimum and a $35,000 maximum, for down payment and closing costs. A loan of $200,000 or less still gets the full $10,000.
A 0% interest, non-amortizing second mortgage. No monthly payment. It is repaid only when you sell, refinance, transfer the deed, pay off the first mortgage, or move out.
No origination points and no discount points on the first mortgage, plus reduced upfront fees. That saves thousands at the closing table on top of the assistance itself.
FHA, VA, USDA, or Conventional, all through Florida Housing at a below-market rate. We pick the first-mortgage type that fits your file, then layer the assistance on top.
Full-time workers at a Florida-based employer with a physical location. Healthcare, K-12 schools, first responders, law enforcement, childcare, courts, military, and most others.
The 2026 program relaunched July 13, 2026 with $50 million, first come, first served. Money has run out in past cycles, so getting ready early is the whole game.
You need to meet all of these to use Hometown Heroes. Most full-time Florida workers check every box without realizing it.
At least one borrower works full-time for a Florida-based employer that has a physical location. Your job title does not matter, a cafeteria worker at a hospital or school counts the same as a nurse or a teacher. Self-employed and 1099 workers can qualify with the right documentation. Fully remote workers are not eligible; hybrid workers qualify if they report to a Florida location at least 3 days a week.
You cannot have owned a primary residence in the past 3 years. Two groups are exempt from the first-time rule: veterans with an other-than-dishonorable discharge, and buyers purchasing in a federally designated targeted area. Active-duty service members are not exempt.
Hometown Heroes has its own county income limits, and they are generous. The borrower-income version counts only the people on the loan. I confirm your exact county limit before we go any further, so you know where you stand on day one.
A 640 minimum FICO qualifies for the standard automated approval. The home must be a primary residence in Florida, financed with a Florida Housing first mortgage (FHA, VA, USDA, or Conventional). Single-family homes, condos, and townhomes all work.
At least one borrower takes an approved homebuyer education course. Most are online, take a few hours, and cost between $0 and $100. Your certificate is good for two years, so you can knock it out early while we work on the pre-approval.
Below are borrower-income (TBA) examples for the 2026 program year. Limits change with each program cycle, so treat these as a guide and let me pull your current county figure.
Borrower-income (TBA) version, 2026 program year. A household-income (Bond) version with lower limits and extra loan options is also available. Figures update each cycle; confirm your current county limit with me before you shop.
Monroe County carries the highest Hometown Heroes income limits in the state, which matters in a market where prices run high. If you work full-time for a Keys employer, a hospital, a school, the county, a resort, you may qualify for assistance that buyers on the mainland would price out of. This pairs well with the higher conforming and jumbo limits the Keys already carry. Ask me to run your exact number.
The assistance adds a few days to a normal mortgage timeline, and the order of operations matters. Here is how I run it.
I verify your employer qualifies, check your income against the county limit, and confirm the 3-year first-time rule (or an exemption). This takes minutes and tells us if we have a deal.
We apply for the Florida Housing first mortgage and pick the loan type that fits, FHA, VA, USDA, or Conventional. Your pre-approval letter makes your offer real to sellers.
Work with your agent to find a Florida primary residence inside the program's price and loan limits for your county. If you need an agent, I can point you to one who knows the program.
Take the approved course online, usually a few hours. Do this early so it never holds up your closing. The certificate is valid for two years.
At closing, your Hometown Heroes funds go in as a 0% second mortgage. You make no payment on it. You move in, and it sits quietly until you sell or refinance years down the road.
Hometown Heroes is a layer on top of a standard first mortgage, so it works with the programs I write every day. First-time buyers often stack it with FHA; eligible veterans pair it with VA for a true low-cash close; rural and suburban-edge buyers combine it with USDA for $0 down plus covered closing costs. New to all of this? Start on the first-time buyer page.
Hometown Heroes Eligibility Check
Tell me where you work and roughly what you earn. I confirm your employer, check your county income limit, and tell you how much assistance you can get, before you spend a weekend house hunting.