Florida Hometown Heroes Home Loans

Hometown Heroes questions, answered in plain English

Type your question or tap a topic. Every answer starts with the short version, and you can read more if you want the details.

• What is the Florida Hometown Heroes program?

  Short answer: It is a Florida Housing Finance Corporation program that helps first-time, income-qualified buyers in eligible jobs pay their down payment and closing costs.

  You get the help as a second mortgage with no monthly payment, paired with a first mortgage from Florida Housing's program. The goal is to help you buy a home in the community where you work and serve. FLO Mortgage is a mortgage broker, and we help eligible buyers use the program through Florida Housing participating lenders.

• Is Hometown Heroes a grant?

  Short answer: No. Hometown Heroes is a loan you repay later, and Florida Housing never forgives it.

  You make no payments on it while you live in the home. You repay the full amount when you sell, refinance or move out. Florida Housing puts that money back into the program to help the next buyer.

• Is the funding limited?

  Short answer: Yes. Lenders reserve funds first come, first served, and the money can run out.

  Florida Housing reported that the 2025-2026 funds were fully committed in about six months. Check the counter on this page and ask a loan officer what is left before you count on it. You can also read about the first-time home buyer process.

• Which first mortgages work with Hometown Heroes?

  Short answer: FHA, VA, USDA and conventional loans from Florida Housing's own program.

  You can't add Hometown Heroes to just any mortgage. The conventional choices run through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac programs for housing agencies, and buyers with lower incomes may pay less for mortgage insurance on them. Florida Housing sets the first mortgage rate, and its rules don't allow discount points or the usual 1% origination fee.

• Can I combine Hometown Heroes with other down payment help?

  Short answer: Not with another Florida Housing program, but you may be able to add local help.

  You can't stack Hometown Heroes with Florida Housing's other assistance, such as FL Assist. A city, county or other agency can add its own help if it is a separate program that sits behind the Hometown Heroes second mortgage. You can use Florida Housing's homebuyer programs only once.

• Who qualifies for Hometown Heroes?

  Short answer: First-time, income-qualified buyers who work full-time for a Florida-based employer in an eligible field, plus military members and veterans.

  Eligible fields include health care, K-12 schools, first responders, public safety, courts and child care. Members of the U.S. military and reserves, the Coast Guard and the Florida National Guard can qualify, and so can veterans who work full-time for any Florida-based employer. Income limits, a minimum credit score and other rules apply. See the eligible occupations list.

• Does my job qualify?

  Short answer: It does if you work full-time for a Florida-based health care provider, K-12 school, fire department, ambulance service, law enforcement agency, court or licensed child care facility.

  Examples include nurses, CNAs, medical technicians, therapists, doctors, pharmacists, teachers, teacher aides, school cafeteria and janitorial staff, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, police and correctional officers, 911 dispatchers, court clerks, assistant state attorneys, public defenders and child care workers. Your employer matters most, so check it first. You must work at the employer's Florida location.

• Do I have to be a first-time homebuyer?

  Short answer: Yes, unless you are a veteran or service member or you buy in a federally designated targeted area.

  For this program, first-time means you haven't owned and lived in a home as your main residence in the past three years. Veterans with a discharge other than dishonorable are exempt. Active-duty, reserve and National Guard members are exempt on the program's TBA option with a current Leave and Earnings Statement.

• What credit score do I need?

  Short answer: At least 640.

  A loan that an underwriter approves by hand, without automated approval, needs at least 660. Florida Housing doesn't blend two buyers' scores. Most loans allow a debt-to-income ratio up to 50%.

• What are the income limits?

  Short answer: They depend on the county where you buy, and Florida Housing updates them each year.

  On the program's TBA option, Florida Housing counts the income of everyone on the loan and caps the loan amount by county. On the bond option, it counts every adult living in the home and caps the purchase price by county. Florida Housing posts the current income and loan limits, and a loan officer can tell you which option fits you.

• Can veterans use Hometown Heroes?

  Short answer: Yes. Veterans who work full-time for any Florida-based employer can qualify, even if they have owned a home before.

  Your job doesn't have to be in one of the program's fields. You'll need a DD-214 that shows a discharge other than dishonorable. On FHA, VA and USDA loans, veterans can skip the homebuyer course. Many veterans pair the program with a VA home loan.

• Can active-duty military use Hometown Heroes?

  Short answer: Yes, but think about where you will be stationed next.

  Active-duty members don't need a Florida civilian job. Reserve and Florida National Guard members need a full-time job with any Florida-based employer. If you move out and rent the home, the full assistance comes due, so a transfer can mean paying it back early. Florida Housing notes that the program may not suit some active-duty buyers.

• Do I need to take a homebuyer class?

  Short answer: Yes. At least one buyer who will live in the home must finish an approved homebuyer education course before closing.

  You can take it in person or online, and it must meet HUD or national industry standards. A certificate stays good for two years. Veterans and service members can skip it on FHA, VA and USDA loans, but not on conventional loans.

• Can I qualify if I work remotely, part-time or for myself?

  Short answer: Remote and part-time workers don't qualify. Hybrid and some self-employed workers can.

  Hybrid workers need to report to a Florida location of their employer at least three days a week. Two part-time jobs don't add up to full-time. A 1099 worker can qualify by working full-time for one eligible employer at its Florida location, with a letter from a CPA or bookkeeper. An offer letter won't work, because you must already be on the job. Retirees don't qualify.

• How much assistance can I receive?

  Short answer: Up to 5% of the total first mortgage loan amount, with a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $35,000, for down payment and closing costs.

  If your loan amount is $200,000 or less, you get the $10,000 minimum. Florida Housing's reservation system figures the amount from your loan, and you use all of it.

• Do I have to pay the assistance back?

  Short answer: Yes. It is a 0%, non-amortizing, deferred second mortgage with no monthly payment, and Florida Housing does not forgive it.

  You repay the full amount when you sell, refinance, transfer the deed, pay off the first mortgage or stop living in the home as your primary residence. Renting the home out counts as moving out. Otherwise you repay it when the first mortgage comes due. Florida Housing won't let the second mortgage stay in place behind a new loan, so a refinance pays it off.

• What does Hometown Heroes cost?

  Short answer: Applying costs nothing. You pay normal closing costs on the first mortgage, and program rules limit some fees.

  The program bans the usual 1% origination fee, discount points and broker fees, and caps lender origination fees at $1,750. The second mortgage carries a recording fee only. Florida law exempts both mortgages from documentary stamp and intangible taxes, though you still pay them on the deed. If anyone asks you to pay to apply, walk away and report it.

• Can I get cash back at closing?

  Short answer: Usually not.

  You can't get your earnest money deposit back at closing. The only cash back allowed is money that came from a gift. Leftover funds go toward your first mortgage. The assistance also can't cover a gap between the price and the appraisal, and it can't pay off your debts.

• How do I apply for Hometown Heroes?

  Short answer: You apply with your first mortgage through a lender that takes part in Florida Housing's program. You don't send a separate application to the state.

  Check your job and income, take the homebuyer course, get pre-approved and sign a purchase contract. The lender reserves your funds after you have a signed contract. FLO Mortgage is a mortgage broker and can help you apply through a Florida Housing participating lender. Call (386) 882-9980 or send us a message.

• How long does Hometown Heroes take?

  Short answer: After your lender reserves the funds, the program gives it 60 days to close the loan and deliver it.

  Program rules allow one 30-day extension. Florida Housing cancels a loan that isn't finished by day 90. A new-construction home needs a certificate of occupancy before your lender can reserve funds. Gather your documents early to stay on schedule.

• Can I buy a condo, townhome or manufactured home?

  Short answer: Yes, if the home meets the program's rules.

  Single-family homes, townhomes and condos that meet the loan's guidelines are allowed. You can buy a 2 to 4 unit home if you live in one unit. A manufactured home must be built after July 13, 1994, sit on a permanent foundation and never have been moved from another site.

• Can I switch lenders after my funds are reserved?

  Short answer: Yes, but it can cost you.

  Your first lender must cancel the reservation before a new lender can reserve funds. The original deadline still applies, and you may face repricing costs. Florida Housing doesn't let you get a better rate by switching.