# Florida First-time homebuyers By Katherine Rivas (@katherinerivas) · Published 2026-08-20 Canonical: https://voce.com/@katherinerivas/florida-first-time-homebuyers-c0asrs --- Picture this: you find the perfect Florida home, but the thought of scraping together a 20% down payment turns the dream into a spreadsheet nightmare. Here's the secret most buyers don't know **you don't need 20% down, or often even 3%**. Florida is one of the most generous states in the country when it comes to down payment assistance, with a stack of state and local programs that can hand you **$10,000, $35,000, or even $75,000** to get you into a home sooner. As a Senior Loan Officer in Melbourne, I've closed on homes where some buyers walked in with zero out of pocket and closed with keys in hand all because I knew which doors to knock on. These programs are grants, forgivable loans, or deferred second mortgages that you don't pay monthly. They exist for one reason: to close the gap between what you've saved and what your first home actually costs. Here's your roadmap to securing them. ## The state programs that do the heavy lifting Program What it gives you How it works **Homebuyer Loan + FL Assist** Up to $10,000 for down payment & closing costs 0% interest, deferred second mortgage **FL Homeownership Loan (FL HLP)** Up to $12,500 as a 3% loan 30-year second mortgage, ~$52 monthly payment **HFA Preferred / Advantage PLUS** 3–5% of the loan, forgiven 20% forgiven each year over 5 years **Hometown Heroes** Up to 5% of loan, capped at $35,000 0% deferred second mortgage, no payment due ### Florida Assist (FL Assist): up to $10,000 that never gets a monthly bill **FL Assist provides up to $10,000** toward your down payment and closing costs as a zero-interest, deferred second mortgage. You make no monthly payments on it, the balance is simply deferred until you sell, refinance, or move out. To qualify, you'll pair it with a Florida Housing 30-year first mortgage, need a credit score of at least **640**, meet your county's income and purchase-price limits, and complete a state approved homebuyer education class. If you're a true first-time buyer (no home owned in the past three years) with fair to good credit, this is one of the fastest on-ramps to ownership. ### The Homeownership Loan Program (FL HLP): more cash when you need it If $10,000 isn't enough, **the FL HLP offers up to $12,500** as a low 3% interest loan, the difference is you'll have a small monthly payment of about **$52.70**, with the balance deferred until the home is sold, refinanced, or paid off. Because it's a fully amortizing loan, it counts toward your debt-to-income ratio, so your loan officer will factor it into how much first mortgage you can carry. ## Hometown Heroes: Florida's biggest state program **Hometown Heroes is the crown jewel of Florida housing assistance**, up to 5% of your first mortgage in down payment and closing cost help, capped at **$35,000**, plus a below-market interest rate on the loan itself. It's aimed at the people who keep communities running. Qualifying occupations span teachers, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, firefighters, childcare workers, active military, and veterans. Veterans skip the first-time buyer requirement entirely. The catch: **funding goes fast**. The program historically opens when the state fiscal year begins and money can be committed within months. If you're a frontline worker, you can't afford to wait, the moment the window opens matters. ## Brevard County (Melbourne, Palm Bay, Titusville): up to $75,000 Right here on the Space Coast, **Brevard County's SHIP Purchase Assistance Program offers up to $75,000** depending on your income tier, structured as a 0% interest, deferred-payment second mortgage that carries no monthly payment (Brevard County DPA). The standout feature is **forgiveness**: the loan is forgiven over time if you stay in the home 10 years for loans up to $57,000 and 15 years for larger amounts. And the eligibility bar is genuinely reachable. You just need: - No home ownership in the past 3 years - Household income at 80% or less of Area Median Income (AMI) - Liquid assets (savings, checking) under **$15,000** - A 5-hour homebuyer education workshop - A buyer contribution of just **$500 to $1,000** Purchase limits cap out at **$304,000** for existing homes and **$329,000** for new construction, a real world price point across Melbourne, Palm Bay, and Titusville. ## Orange County: up to $70,000 right next door For buyers willing to look a county over, **Orange County's Down Payment Assistance Program goes up to $70,000** for very low-income households, $40,000 for low-income, or $10,000 for moderate-income, all as a 0% interest, deferred second mortgage forgiven over 10 years at 10% per year. Eligibility needs a credit score of **620 or higher**, a **$500–$1,000** buyer contribution, and primary-residence occupancy. You must have lived in Orange, Osceola, Lake, Polk, Brevard, Seminole, or Volusia County for the past 12 months, and the home can't exceed a **$345,000** purchase price. Because Brevard residents qualify under the residency rule, this is a real option for Space Coast commuters shopping in Orlando's corridors. ### So, what do you really have to lose? You lose **nothing** by finding out what you qualify for. But staying on the sidelines, watching home prices and rent keep moving while taking no action? That can keep you renting a whole lot longer than you planned. 😉 You don't have to be ready to buy today, you just have to be ready to **make a move**. Let's run the numbers. Let's see what programs you qualify for. And if you're not ready yet? **I'll give you the roadmap to get there.** Whether that's improving your credit, saving a little more, paying down debt, or figuring out which assistance program fits you, we'll turn _“maybe one day”_ into an actual plan. **Stop waiting to feel ready. Get the information, make a plan, and give yourself something to work toward. Your future homeowner self will thank you. 🏡** **Katherine Rivas** Senior Loan Officer | Embrace Home Loans NMLS #1005484 📱 321-830-5845 📧 [Krivas@embracehomeloans.com](mailto:Krivas@embracehomeloans.com)