Florida Hometown Heroes Lends Up to $35,000 Toward Your Down Payment
Florida Hometown Heroes is a state program run by Florida Housing Finance Corporation. For 2026 it lends eligible full-time Florida workers 5% of their first mortgage amount, from $10,000 up to $35,000, as a 0% second mortgage with no monthly payment. You pay it back in full when you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage, sign over the deed or stop living in the home.
How much will Hometown Heroes give me?
The assistance equals 5% of your total first mortgage amount, including FHA's upfront mortgage insurance when it's financed. There's a $10,000 floor, so any loan under $200,000 still gets $10,000, and a $35,000 ceiling, which you reach at a $700,000 loan.
A $350,000 home with an FHA loan
| FHA down payment (3.5%) | $12,250 |
| First mortgage, with upfront MIP financed | $343,660 |
| Hometown Heroes at 5% | $17,183 |
| Left over after the down payment, toward closing costs | $4,933 |
Pair that with seller-paid closing costs and many buyers close with very little of their own money.
Is it a grant?
No. It's a 0% second mortgage, and it isn't forgiven. You get it at closing and repay it later, without interest.
Do I make payments?
No. It's non-amortizing, with no monthly payment for its 30-year term.
When is it due?
When you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage, sign over the deed or stop living in the home as your primary residence.
Who qualifies for Hometown Heroes in 2026?
Eligibility starts with your employer, not your job title. At least one borrower who will live in the home has to work full-time, at a physical Florida location, for an employer in one of these categories. A receptionist at a hospital qualifies. A nurse working for a staffing agency outside these categories may not, so tell us exactly who signs your paycheck.
Healthcare
Hospitals, physician practices, assisted living facilities and mental health facilities.
Education
K-12 public, private, charter and magnet schools, including Florida Virtual School.
First responders
Fire departments and ambulance services.
Public safety
Law enforcement agencies, correctional and juvenile detention facilities, and emergency operations centers.
Courts
County, state and federal courts, plus State Attorney and Public Defender offices.
Childcare
Licensed childcare facilities that meet Florida's childcare statutes.
Military and veterans
Service members qualify no matter who employs them, including the reserves, the Coast Guard and its reserves, and the Florida National Guard. Veterans qualify with a full-time job at any Florida-based employer.
- Remote workers aren't eligible. Hybrid workers qualify if they report to a Florida location at least three days a week.
- Self-employed contractors can qualify when they work full-time for one eligible Florida employer and can document it with 1099s.
- You have to be working full-time when the funds are reserved. An offer letter doesn't count yet.
What else do I have to meet?
Do I have to be a first-time buyer?
- Yes, unless you're exempt. That means no ownership interest in a primary residence during the past three years.
- Veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable are exempt.
- Buyers in federally designated targeted areas are exempt on the bond version of the program.
- The home has to be your primary residence, and you move in within 60 days of closing.
What credit, income and debt limits apply?
- A 640 minimum credit score (660 on a manually underwritten bond loan).
- Household income and the loan amount under your county's limits, which vary by county and household size.
- Debt-to-income up to 50% with an automated approval, or 43% if the loan is manually underwritten.
- One borrower completes a homebuyer education course. Online courses count.
Which first mortgages can I pair it with?
Hometown Heroes sits behind a first mortgage from Florida Housing's program lineup. For most of our buyers that's FHA, because it pairs a 3.5% down payment with the most flexible credit rules. Buyers earning at or below 80% of the area median income get reduced mortgage insurance on the conventional options.
FHA
VA
USDA-RD
Conventional (HFA Preferred or HFA Advantage)
How does the process work, and how fast does it move?
- Call and find out if you qualify. We check your employer category, your county's income and loan limits, and your credit. It takes about ten minutes.
- Get pre-approved, and finish the homebuyer education course while you shop.
- Sign a purchase contract. Hometown Heroes money can't be reserved until there's a fully executed contract.
- We reserve your funds and lock the rate. From that day the loan has 60 days to close and be purchased by the program, so we set the closing date with that clock in mind.
- Close. The second mortgage records behind your first, with nothing due each month.
What's the catch?
There are three, and you should know them before you sign anything. First, it's a loan, not a gift. Sell in five years and the full amount comes out of your proceeds. Second, the first-mortgage rate on the program is set by Florida Housing, not by the open market, so it can land above what you'd get without assistance. We price your loan both ways and show you the monthly difference, so you can decide whether the cash up front is worth it. Third, the money is limited. When the year's funding is spoken for, the program stops taking reservations until the state adds more.
For most first-time buyers who are short on cash, it's still the fastest way to get into a home without waiting years to save. We'll tell you if it isn't the right fit for you. See other Florida first-time buyer programs and closing cost assistance.
Find out how much you'd get
Tell us who you work for, which county you're buying in and your price range. In about ten minutes you'll know whether you qualify and what the assistance would cover.
Or text
Want to know which one fits you best?
One call, under ten minutes. No application, no credit pull. You'll know more than you did this morning.
AAA Capital Funding, Inc. · NMLS #374739 · Jason J. Sarji, NMLS #374700