First-Time Home Buyer Programs in Florida

Florida Housing's first mortgage programs

Florida Housing does not lend directly. It sets the program, and approved participating lenders originate the loans. Every program starts with a 30-year fixed first mortgage, and the down payment assistance is available only behind one of them, never on its own.

• Florida First. The government loan program: FHA, VA and USDA-RD first mortgages.
• HFA Preferred for TBA and HFA Advantage for TBA. Conventional first mortgages through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, with lower mortgage insurance than FHA for some lower-income borrowers, and the only first mortgages that pair with the forgivable PLUS second.
• Hometown Heroes. Any of the above plus the larger Hometown Heroes second, for eligible Florida workers.

The rate on a Florida Housing first mortgage is set by Florida Housing and changes like any other rate, so I will not print one. What matters is the whole package, rate, second mortgage, mortgage insurance and fees, against a plain FHA or conventional loan with a seller credit.

Who qualifies, as Florida Housing defines it

• First-time buyer: you have not owned and occupied a primary residence in the three years before the purchase, the IRS definition. Exceptions have applied to qualifying veterans and to federally designated target areas; confirm the current rule before you count on it.
• A minimum credit score of 640.
• Income and purchase price at or below the limits for the county where you buy.
• The home must be your primary residence; the second mortgage comes due if you move out.
• An approved homebuyer education course, completed before closing.
• A loan from an approved participating lender, and you still have to qualify for the first mortgage on credit, income and debt-to-income ratio (DTI), the share of your monthly income that goes to debt payments.

Down payment assistance in Florida: the four second mortgages

Two things people miss. Only the PLUS second is forgiven; the other three are real loans you repay when you sell or refinance, which matters if you expect to refinance in a few years. And the FL HLP second carries a monthly payment, so it can lower how much first mortgage you qualify for, while the deferred seconds do not.

The Florida Hometown Heroes program

Hometown Heroes is Florida Housing's largest assistance program and the one most searched: a second mortgage of up to 5 percent of the first mortgage, with a floor of $10,000 and a cap of $35,000, at zero percent with no monthly payment, deferred for 30 years and due when you sell, refinance, transfer the deed or move out. It is not forgivable.

• You must be a first-time, income-qualified buyer purchasing a primary residence.
• You must work full time for a Florida-based employer in an occupation on Florida Housing's eligible list, which includes health care workers, school staff, first responders, public safety and court employees and child care workers, among others. Servicemembers, reservists, Florida National Guard members and veterans employed full time by a Florida-based employer are also eligible.
• Income must be at or below the Hometown Heroes limit for your county.
• Funding is appropriated by the Legislature each year and the program opens and closes as the money is reserved. The Hometown Heroes page is the only reliable source for whether it is open today.

Florida first-time home buyer income limits and purchase price limits

Limits are set by county and by program, and they are the part of the rules that changes most. The 2026 Hometown Heroes limits took effect with reservations as of May 6, 2026. The table shows the Hometown Heroes income limit and the FHA loan limit for the counties where most of my Florida buyers shop. The income limits for the standard Florida First and HFA programs are published separately by Florida Housing; I confirm them against the current lender guide before you rely on a number.

Purchase price limits. Florida Housing sets a maximum purchase price by county for its programs. I could not verify the current 2026 purchase price table on floridahousing.org while writing this page, so I am not printing figures. They are in the program lender guide and the Florida Housing locator, and I check them on every file before the pre-approval letter goes out.

The mortgage credit certificate, and FHA in Florida in brief

Florida Housing no longer offers a mortgage credit certificate and has not issued one since December 31, 2020, according to its MCC FAQ page). An MCC is a federal tax credit for a share of the mortgage interest you pay each year, and some local housing finance authorities in Florida still offer their own, so it is worth asking in the county where you are buying.

Most Florida Housing loans are FHA loans underneath, and FHA on its own, with a seller credit toward closing costs, is the right answer for many first-time buyers over the program limits. FHA allows 3.5 percent down with a credit score of 580 or higher, accepts gift funds for the whole down payment, and lets the seller pay up to 6 percent of the price toward closing costs. For 2026 the FHA one-unit limit is $541,287 in most Florida counties and higher in Duval, Sarasota, Collier, the Miami area and Monroe. Mortgage insurance, the county table and the condo and flood specifics are on FHA loans in Florida.

Doc stamps and intangible tax on a purchase, and how to apply

Florida taxes the loan at closing, and a first-time buyer's cash to close needs to include it. The documentary stamp tax on the promissory note is 35 cents per $100 of the loan amount, and the nonrecurring intangible tax on the mortgage is 2 mills, which is 0.2 percent of the loan. The deed stamps, 70 cents per $100 of the price in most counties, are customarily paid by the seller. Rates are on the Florida Department of Revenue site; title customs and the homestead exemption are on the Florida mortgage broker hub.