Florida Hometown Heroes Mortgage Qualifying Guide

The newly revised Florida Hometown Heroes housing mortgage is making homeownership easier for first-time buyers, and now even more Florida residents are included.

Governor DeSantis announced the rollout of the Hometown Heroes Program, which helps in-state workers purchase their first home. The big change as of a few years ago is the program now includes ALL qualified working residents, not just frontline workers.

The program removes many barriers by allowing income-eligible borrowers to secure zero-interest loans to pay for their down payment and closing costs. The HTH program has been funded with $50 million for the last fiscal year.

Florida’s median house price is nearly $378,000 today, that’s an increase over 40% in just 6 years ago. Despite the rapid increase in home prices, household income has remained nearly the same. This has proved to be challenging for many first-time buyers when they set off to purchase their first home.

Most conventional and government-backed mortgage programs today require a minimum 3.5%-10% down payment, PLUS an additional 3-5% on average for closing costs and pre-paid escrows. The initial down payment and move-in costs are often the primary obstacles that restrict many first-time homeowners.

With the Florida Hometown Hero program, approved buyers can receive 5% of their total loan amount (not to exceed $35,000) in assistance. For a standard $350,000 home price, that’s $17,500 in down payment and closing cost assistance. Note, that there will also be a minimum draw amount of $10,000 for buyers purchasing a home less than $200,000.

Now let’s take a detailed look at all the eligibility and qualifying requirements for the Hometown Hero Program. Please note, that Hometown Heroes funds are limited each year by the state. Due to the popularity of the program, we are processing requests 7 days a week. Home buyers that have questions about the application process can check their eligibility below.

Please Note: If you are a homebuyer that does not meet the HTH eligibility requirements below, or purchasing in another state, please contact us to discuss other 100% down payment assistance programs available. Many other 100% financing options are available without occupation and/or income restrictions.

Florida Hometown Heroes Household Income Limits For 2026

The household must earn LESS than 150% of the area’s median income. The Florida Hometown Heroes gross income caps limits start at $148,050 and go up to $214,950 in high-cost locations like Monroe County.

Listed below are the most recent income limits for the most popular cities in Florida. The current income caps  should remain the same for rest of 2026 and likely into 2027.

• • Orlando: Orange, Osceola, and Seminole County = $172,350
  • Jacksonville: Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau County = $163,050
  • Tampa: Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco County = $172,050
  • Tallahassee: Leon County = $149,250
  • Pensacola: Escambia County= $148,050
  • Gainesville: Alachua County = $156,000
  • Ocala: Marion County = $148,050
  • Daytona Beach: Volusia County = $148,650
  • Manatee County: $171,150
  • Miami: Miami-Dade County = $204,300
  • West Palm Beach: Palm Beach County = $192,750
  • Fort Lauderdale: Broward County = $190,200
  • Sarasota: Sarasota County = $171,150
  • Naples: Collier County = $181,500
  • Fort Myers-Cape Coral: Lee County = $168,600
  • Key West / Key Largo: Monroe County = $214,950

*Most of the more rural counties not listed above will be limited to $148,050

Florida Hometown Heroes Eligibility Requirements:

• The program is only available to income eligible residents purchasing a home in the state of Florida. All borrower(s) must be employed full-time by a Florida-based employer or corporation and work full-time in an approved Hometown Heroes Occupation.
• Eligible occupations include: Healthcare and School workers, Police, Fire-Rescue, EMT and many other government workers.
• Other than military veterans, all buyers must work 35 hours or more per week to qualify.
• All active duty or reserve service members of all branches, including the National Guard. Veterans employed FULL TIME with a Florida based employer who have been discharged under other than dishonorable conditions from one of the eligible military or reserve branches.
• All borrowers must be first-time home buyers (no homeownership in the previous three years)
• The loan can be used together with standard Conventional, FHA, VA, or USDA loans. This is a great way to obtain 100% FHA or 100% Conventional financing at low market interest rates. *Borrowers must also meet guidelines for the primary mortgage type chosen – FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional.
• All borrowers must have a minimum 640 credit score.
• The program is only available for owner-occupied primary residences.
• Single-family residences, town homes, and FHA-approved condo purchase transactions are eligible. *Lot and/or land loans are not permitted.
• Refinance transactions are not eligible.
• At least one borrower must take an approved HUD homebuyer education course. *Active military /veterans are exempt from this if using a VA mortgage.

Additional Hometown Heroes Program Details:

• The Florida Hometown Heroes loan is a non-amortizing, 30-year deferred second mortgage with 0% interest and no payment. The loan is non-forgivable regardless of how long the owner(s) occupy the home. The loan is deferred (zero payment) until the time the property is sold, transferred, or payoff of the first mortgage, or refinancing of the first mortgage. At this time, the loan will become due and paid in full.
• The Hometown Heroes down payment assistance can be used to pay for the buyer’s down payment, closing costs, pre-paid tax and homeowners insurance escrows, upfront mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) and principal reduction.
• In addition to the HTH eligibility requirements listed above, applicants must meet any lender, broker, or bank mortgage pre-approval requirements, depending on the loan type chosen – please contact us to discuss. This includes fully documenting income and assets, meeting debt-to-income ratio requirements, loan amount limits, etc.
• In Florida, the 2026 conforming Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae loan limits go up to $832,750, slightly higher for Monroe County. FHA loan limits (the most common loan type) are $541,287 in most locations for a 1-unit property, slightly greater in higher-cost counties surrounding Jacksonville, Miami-Dade, Broward, Collier, and Monroe County to name a few.

💡Please note, the program funding is limited, please contact us anytime to check the current funding status. The program is only offered by Hometown Heroes participating mortgage lenders in Florida.

The application process only takes minutes and pre-approvals are generally issued on the same day. Homebuyers can complete their application at any time, but cannot officially reserve Hometown Heroes funds until they have an executed purchase contract.

Buyers who want to get started on their HTH application or learn more about qualifying are encouraged to connect with us today. Please call above, or just submit the Check Eligibility Form below for a rapid response 7 days a week.

About the author: Susan Hernandez has more than 30 years of experience in the mortgage industry, with specialized knowledge of Government mortgage and down payment assistance programs for first-time homebuyers. Her background provides a strong understanding of the programs, eligibility guidelines, and financing options that can help reduce the upfront costs of purchasing a home. Today, Susan uses her experience to create informative mortgage content that helps buyers better understand their options and prepare for successful home purchase