Most Florida 'Grants' Are Really Deferred Loans
Florida Housing's Hometown Heroes assistance is a 0%, 30-year deferred second mortgage. Its 2026 lender guide says it is repaid in full on sale, refinance, transfer of the deed, or payoff of the first mortgage, and that it is not forgiven. Nothing is due monthly, which is why buyers call it a grant, but it comes out of your proceeds when you sell. Forgivable help does exist: Florida Housing's FL PLUS option is forgiven 20% a year over five years. Ask your lender which kind you are getting before you compare offers.
Do You Count as a First-Time Buyer?
For Florida Housing's bond programs, you qualify if you have had no ownership interest in a principal residence during the three years before your loan closes, so a past owner can qualify again. Veterans, and buyers purchasing in a federally designated targeted area, are exempt from that rule. Active-duty service members are not exempt under the bond program. That matters for military families relocating to Central Florida on orders.
Florida Housing's First Mortgages
Florida Housing does not lend directly. Its first mortgages run through approved participating lenders: Florida First (FHA, VA, or USDA), HFA Preferred (a Fannie Mae loan), and HFA Advantage (a Freddie Mac loan), all 30-year fixed. The 2026 guide sets a minimum credit score of 640 for all loan types, or 660 for manually underwritten loans. One borrower must finish an approved pre-purchase homebuyer education course, in person or online, before closing.
Hometown Heroes in 2026
Hometown Heroes pays 5% of the first mortgage amount, with a $10,000 minimum and a $35,000 maximum. On a $300,000 loan, that is $15,000 in assistance. It is open to Florida workers in eligible fields, including healthcare, K-12 schools, first responders and public safety, courts, childcare, and active-duty, reserve, and veteran military members. Remote workers are not eligible. For Orange and Seminole counties, the limits effective with reservations from May 6, 2026 are $114,900 of household income for 1 to 2 people and $132,135 for 3 or more, with a purchase price cap of $566,354, or $692,211 in targeted areas. The program administrator listed more than $25 million in 2026 funding in September 2026. Funds can run out fast, so ask a participating lender to confirm availability before you write an offer.
Florida Assist (FL Assist), FL HLP, and FL PLUS
If you do not qualify for Hometown Heroes, Florida Housing's standard programs still help. The administrator currently lists Florida Assist (FL Assist) at $10,000 and FL HLP at $12,500. In Florida Housing's 2024 TBA lender guide, FL Assist is a 0%, deferred second mortgage that is not forgiven. FL HLP's current repayment terms are not confirmed in a published guide, so get them in writing from your lender. FL PLUS pays 3%, 4%, or 5% of the loan and is forgiven over five years. You can use Florida Housing assistance once, and its down payment programs cannot be stacked with each other.
Orange County First-Time Home Buyer Program: Down Payment Assistance
Orange County's program pays by income tier: $70,000 for eligible very low-income buyers, $40,000 for low-income buyers, and $10,000 for moderate-income buyers. You must be a first-time buyer and complete a pre-purchase homebuyer education program. Important for timing: the county closed new applications on September 6, 2026 and expects to reopen around November 16, 2026, except for homes built on county-donated lots. The county's 2026 income limits, effective May 1, 2026, for a household of four are $57,450 at 50% of area median income, $91,900 at 80%, and $137,880 at 120%.
Orlando First-Time Home Buyer Program and Seminole County
The City of Orlando's down payment program is not accepting new applications right now. The city cites a decrease in State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funding. When it is funded, the city describes it as a forgivable loan. It has a purchase price cap of $544,233, and you must apply through a city-registered lender. We could not confirm current Seminole County purchase assistance, so check directly with Seminole County before counting on it for a Winter Springs, Casselberry, or Altamonte Springs purchase.
Federal Low-Down-Payment Loans to Pair With Local Help
Even without assistance, you rarely need 20% down. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau notes that FHA loans allow down payments as low as 3.5%. Freddie Mac's Home Possible loan allows 3% down, with qualifying income limited to 80% of the area median income. Local assistance usually sits on top of one of these first mortgages, which is why the lender you choose matters as much as the program.
Mistakes That Cost Buyers Their Assistance
The first mistake is timing. Florida Housing's guide states that post-closing homebuyer education is not acceptable, and certificates expire after two years, so finish the course before you are under contract. The second is choosing a lender that does not participate in the program. The third is treating a deferred loan as free money, which it is not. The fourth is the federal recapture tax: if you sell a bond-financed home within nine years at a gain and your income has risen above the program limits, you may owe part of the benefit back.
How Jose Helps You Use These Programs
Jose Alberto Gomez works with first-time buyers across Orlando and Winter Park, in English or Spanish, and starts by checking which programs you qualify for and which neighborhoods fit under their price caps. That matters in areas like Azalea Park, Casselberry, and parts of Orange County, where prices are more likely to fall inside program limits than in Winter Park itself.
