Does Florida have a first-time homebuyer grant or program?
Yes. The main one is Florida Hometown Heroes, run by Florida Housing Finance Corporation, and it's a loan, not a grant. For 2026 it lends eligible full-time Florida workers up to 5% of the first mortgage, from $10,000 to $35,000, as a 0% second with no monthly payment. You repay it in full when you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage, sign over the deed or move out.
Florida's down payment help comes as a second mortgage that you pay back later. The number to watch is the first mortgage rate. Florida Housing sets it, so we price your loan both ways and show you the monthly difference. The same goes for rent-to-own programs in Florida, which deserve a hard look before you sign anything.
What Homebuyer Assistance Costs
1. The Rate on Your First Mortgage
The second mortgage itself charges 0%. The cost sits in the first mortgage's rate, and over 30 years even a small difference there adds up.
2. When You Pay It Back
Hometown Heroes is recorded as a second mortgage behind your first, and it isn't forgiven. You repay it in full when you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage, sign over the deed or move out.
3. When Another Route Costs Less
If family can help or the seller will pay closing costs, a standard FHA loan with 3.5% down may cost less each month. FHA lets a relative gift the down payment, and the seller can put up to 6% of the price toward your closing costs.
See Your Numbers With and Without Hometown Heroes
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Choose the loan program for your own reasons, not because it helps someone else close faster. We'll show you the cash to close and the monthly payment with Hometown Heroes and without it, and you pick the one that fits. Lower rates. Better service. Real results.
We'll give you a straight answer based on your real numbers, even if the answer is no.
Call 888-601-8344, under ten minutes, answered the same day. No application, no hard credit inquiry.
Text 954-816-8820 if that's easier.
AAA Capital Funding, Inc. · NMLS #374739 · Jason J. Sarji, NMLS #374700