Orlando Home Loans: A Buyer’s and Owner’s Guide to the City

Name: AAA Capital Funding Mortgage Services
Brand: AAA Capital Funding, Inc.
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The City of Orlando has about 334,000 residents, and only about four in ten households own their home. That leaves a lot of Orlando renters who may be closer to buying than they think.

Two things trip people up here. Much of what gets called “Orlando” isn’t in the city at all, and the city’s buyer programs open and close with funding. We sort out both first, then cover the neighborhoods, the city’s stormwater fee, VA buyers at Lake Nona, and the loans Orlando buyers and investors ask about.

Every source for this page is listed at the bottom.

CountyOrange
PopulationAbout 334,000
City buyer programsDown Payment Assistance and Open Door
FHA limit, 1 unit$541,287 in 2026
Former Navy baseBaldwin Park
VA medical centerLake Nona, inside the city
Historic districtsLake Eola Heights and four more
Homestead filingOrange County Property Appraiser

City or county?
City buyer programs
Neighborhoods
Stormwater and taxes
Loans we close here
Questions

Is the house in the City of Orlando?

Walt Disney World, with its tens of thousands of employees, sits about 20 miles southwest of downtown and isn’t inside Orlando city limits. Neither are many of the subdivisions with an Orlando mailing address. Those homes sit in unincorporated Orange County or in other cities, and that changes which buyer programs apply, who sets your tax rate and who maintains your stormwater system.

Before you plan around a city program, check the property on the Orange County Property Appraiser’s site to confirm it’s inside the city. If it isn’t, the Orange County options and the statewide programs are where we’ll look.

City of Orlando buyer programs

Down Payment Assistance Program

The city’s program is a loan recorded as a mortgage and forgiven after 10 years if you don’t sell, rent or transfer the home. It’s for first-time buyers, with exceptions for teachers, public safety workers, single parents and city employees. You need 12 months of residency in the seven-county area, a small contribution of your own, a fixed-rate first mortgage from a city-registered lender, and a HUD-approved homebuyer workshop. The city stops taking applications when funds run out, so check whether it’s open before you count on it.

Orlando Unlocked: Open Door

This city program helps buyers of new homes built on vacant lots inside the Downtown CRA, around Parramore and downtown. It offers down payment assistance to households earning up to 120% of the area median income, with extra help for law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs and nurses. Buyers commit to living in the home for at least five years.

Orange County’s own buyer program also opens and closes in funding rounds. When none of the local programs are open, our FHA 100% option still covers the down payment for buyers who qualify, and so does Hometown Heroes when the state has it funded.

The city program has its own lender list and steps. Call when you’re ready to buy and we’ll check what’s open that week and which route gets you in sooner.

Orlando neighborhoods

College Park

College Park’s streets are named for universities, like Princeton, Harvard and Yale. Jack Kerouac lived at 1418 Clouser Avenue when On the Road was published, and the house is now home to the Kerouac Project.

Baldwin Park

Baldwin Park is a planned neighborhood built on the old Naval Training Center, which closed in 1999. The city’s plan called for about 3,000 homes.

Lake Nona

Lake Nona sits inside city limits, and Lake Nona Medical City holds the UCF College of Medicine and the Orlando VA Medical Center. The USTA National Campus is here too.

Lake Eola Heights

Lake Eola Heights has been a historic district since 1989 and has about 570 buildings. Farmhouses from the 1890s sit alongside Craftsman and Mediterranean Revival homes, most built between 1905 and 1925. Chain-link fences aren’t allowed in front yards.

Lake Cherokee

Lake Cherokee was designated in 1981 and has about 189 buildings, including Victorian homes, Craftsman bungalows and Tudors near downtown.

Lake Copeland

Lake Copeland was designated in 1984 and holds about 110 early 20th-century homes in Colonial, Mediterranean and Tudor Revival styles.

Lake Lawsona and Colonialtown South are historic districts too. In all five, exterior changes need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Board. Minor reviews can be handled in a matter of days, and bigger changes go to a hearing.

Orlando’s stormwater fee and your tax bill

The City of Orlando charges a stormwater utility fee on the Orange County property tax bill, figured on how much hard surface your property has: roof, driveway, patio. The city sets the rate by schedule, with a cap per property, so a bigger house with a long driveway pays more than a small one.

We work the fee into your escrow along with the city, county and school taxes. Homes inside the Downtown Development Board area carry an extra levy. Once you’re living in the home on January 1, the Orange County Property Appraiser’s homestead deadline is March 1.

The city says it holds a Class 6 rating in FEMA’s Community Rating System and is working toward a better one, which would cut flood insurance costs further. We check the flood zone on every house and quote coverage before you’re committed if it’s needed.

Buying, refinancing and investing in Orlando with AAA Capital Funding

Orlando Health, AdventHealth, Orlando International Airport, Lockheed Martin and Darden are some of the area’s major employers.

First-time buyers

Our FHA program asks for 3.5% down with a 580 or higher score, and our FHA 100% option can cover that with an assistance second. Buyers with stronger credit can also look at a Conventional loan, which starts at 3% down for first-timers.

Veterans

With the Orlando VA Medical Center at Lake Nona, which the VA ranks fourth-largest in the country, veterans have a major hospital right in the city. A VA loan lets eligible buyers purchase with no down payment.

Self-employed and gig income

Rideshare drivers, hospitality workers and small business owners can qualify on deposits with a bank statement loan when tax returns understate income.

Investors and cash-out

With so many renters in the city, investors buy here too. A DSCR loan qualifies on the property’s rent instead of your personal income, and a cash-out refinance can pull equity from a home you already own.

We’ve been lending in Florida since 1997, Central Florida included, and we close loans in all 67 counties. Give us the address at 888-601-8344, or text it to 954-816-8820, and we’ll confirm whether it’s inside city limits and which programs are open.

Orlando questions we hear a lot

Is the City of Orlando down payment program open?

It opens and closes with funding, and the city posts its status on its program page. Call us and we’ll check that week, and if it’s closed we’ll show you what you can use instead.

Is a house near Disney inside Orlando city limits?

Usually it isn’t. Walt Disney World and many nearby subdivisions sit in unincorporated Orange County or other cities. City programs only apply to homes inside Orlando city limits.

How is Orlando’s stormwater fee figured?

The city bases it on the amount of hard surface on the property, like roof, driveway and patio. The rate follows the city’s schedule up to a cap per property, and it’s billed on the property tax bill.

Can I buy an Orlando rental without using my personal income?

Yes, a DSCR loan qualifies on the rent the property brings in compared with its payment.

Sources for this page

AAA Capital Funding, Inc. NMLS #374739. Jason J. Sarji, NMLS #374700. Licensed Florida mortgage broker serving Orlando and all 67 Florida counties since 1997. Equal Housing Opportunity.

You work with the same person from start to finish, in every county in Florida.

We've been closing Florida loans since 1997, in all 67 counties. If you want to know what's possible in Orlando, call 888-601-8344 or text 954-816-8820. One call, under ten minutes. No application needed to start.

Get Started Call 888-601-8344 Text 954-816-8820

AAA Capital Funding, Inc. · NMLS #374739 · Jason J. Sarji, NMLS #374700