Buying your first home

Florida First-Time Home Buyer Programs

Florida's main first-time buyer programs run through Florida Housing Finance Corporation: 30-year fixed-rate first mortgages through approved lenders, paired with down payment help such as FL Assist (up to $10,000) and Hometown Heroes (up to 5% of the loan, $10,000 to $35,000). Counties add their own help, including Lake County SHIP and Orange County down payment assistance.

Call or text 407-341-9813 Send a message

Kris Persaud · Watson Realty Corp. · 1390 N Hancock Rd, Clermont, FL 34711

Kris Persaud seated at a Father's Day event at church

The 3-year rule

Do You Count as a First-Time Buyer?

For Florida Housing's programs, a first-time buyer is someone who has not owned and lived in a primary residence at any time in the three years before the purchase. You can have owned a home before; it just can't have been your home in the last three years.

Veterans (with a DD214) are exempt from the first-time buyer rule, and so are buyers in federally designated targeted areas. Members of the Reserves or National Guard are not exempt unless they qualify as veterans. Hometown Heroes also exempts active military.

Source: Florida Housing homebuyer overview and Standard Lender Guide (June 11, 2026); the rule comes from federal mortgage revenue bond law (26 U.S.C. 143).

Statewide

Florida Housing Programs

Florida Housing's down payment help only comes with one of its first mortgages. It is not available on its own.

Florida Housing first-time buyer programs
Program	What it is	Repay?
FL First and HFA Advantage	30-year fixed-rate first mortgages: FL First for FHA, VA and USDA loans; HFA Advantage for conventional (Freddie Mac) loans	Yes, a normal mortgage
FL Assist	Up to $10,000 second mortgage at 0%, no monthly payment	Not forgivable. Due when you sell, refinance, pay off the first loan or stop living in the home
FL HLP Second Mortgage	$12,500 second mortgage at 3% over 30 years	Yes, with a monthly payment (about $52.70) that counts in your debt-to-income ratio
Hometown Heroes	Up to 5% of the first mortgage, minimum $10,000, maximum $35,000, at 0% with no monthly payment	Not forgivable. Due when you sell, refinance, transfer or move out

Source: Florida Housing Finance Corporation homebuyer overview and Hometown Heroes pages; Standard and Hometown Heroes lender guides (June 11 and August 5, 2026), read October 9, 2026.

For working Floridians

Florida Hometown Heroes

Hometown Heroes helps full-time employees of Florida-based employers in health care, schools, law enforcement and other first responder roles, public safety and the courts, and child care. Active US military, reserve, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members, and veterans working full-time for a Florida employer, can also qualify. Only one borrower needs to qualify through their job, and remote workers are not eligible.

Help available: 5%
Of the first mortgage, $10,000 to $35,000
2026 income limit: $172,350
Lake, Orange and Osceola (FHA, VA and HFA Advantage loans)
FHA loan limit: $541,287
Lake, Orange and Osceola, 2026

The program depends on state funding each year. The 2025-26 round's $50 million was fully committed by late February 2026, and the 2026-27 state budget set aside another $50 million.

Source: Florida Housing Hometown Heroes page, 2026 limits (revised July 13, 2026) and eligible occupations list (July 13, 2026), read October 9, 2026.

Requirements

What Lenders Will Ask For

A Florida Housing participating lender. Florida Housing has a lender locator.
A credit score of at least 640 (660 if the loan is manually underwritten).
A homebuyer education course, online or in person, finished before closing by at least one borrower who will live in the home. Certificates are good for two years.
Household income under the county limit and a price under the purchase price limit for the program you use.
The home must be your primary residence.

Local programs

County Down Payment Help

Lake County SHIP

Lake County's SHIP purchase assistance plan allows up to $50,000 for very low income, $40,000 for low income and $20,000 for moderate income buyers, as a 0% loan forgiven over 15 years. You can't currently own a home.

Orange County

Orange County offers $70,000 (very low income), $40,000 (low) or $10,000 (moderate) to first-time buyers of a home in Orange County. It stopped taking new applications on September 6, 2026 and expects to reopen on or about November 16, 2026. 2026 limits for a family of four: $57,450, $91,900 and $137,880.

Sources: Lake County Local Housing Assistance Plan filed with Florida Housing (FY2024-25 to 2026-27); Orange County Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance pages, read October 9, 2026. County programs can often be combined with a Florida Housing loan; your lender will confirm.

Plan for them

Florida Taxes at Closing for Buyers

If you finance, Florida charges two taxes on the new mortgage: documentary stamp tax of 35 cents per $100 of the loan (0.35%), and intangible tax of 0.2%. On a $380,000 loan, that is about $1,330 plus $760. These sit with your other closing costs, and some down payment programs can help cover them.

Source: Fla. Stat. 201.08(1)(b) and 199.133(1), 2026 Statutes.

Working together

How Kris Helps First-Time Buyers

Start with a participating lender
Get pre-approved by a lender who offers the Florida Housing and county programs you want. They confirm what you qualify for.
Take the homebuyer course
Do it early. The certificate lasts two years, and some programs won't close without it.
Shop within the limits
Kris searches homes that fit your program's price limit and your budget, including property taxes and insurance.
Write an offer that works
Program loans can add steps. Kris builds the timeline into your offer and keeps everyone on schedule to closing.

Kris's Zillow reviews include buyers who started from out of state or Canada, new-build buyers and repeat buyers.

Kris guided us instead of pushing us.ingram5dc · Bought and sold in Clermont · Zillow · 2014

Questions

First-time buyer questions

What counts as a first-time home buyer in Florida?

For Florida Housing programs, someone who hasn't owned and lived in a primary residence in the past three years. Veterans with a DD214 are exempt from that rule.

How much down payment help can I get in Florida?

FL Assist offers up to $10,000 and Hometown Heroes up to 5% of the loan ($10,000 to $35,000), each as a 0% second mortgage that is repaid when you sell, refinance or move out. County programs add more, such as up to $50,000 through Lake County SHIP for very low income buyers.

Who qualifies for Florida Hometown Heroes?

Full-time employees of Florida-based employers in health care, schools, first responder and public safety roles, courts and child care, plus active military and veterans working full-time for a Florida employer. The 2026 income limit in Lake, Orange and Osceola is $172,350.

Is Hometown Heroes money forgivable?

No. It is a 0% deferred second mortgage, due when you sell, refinance, transfer the home or stop living in it.

What credit score do I need?

Florida Housing's programs require at least 640, or 660 for a manually underwritten loan.

Do I need a homebuyer education course?

Yes. At least one borrower who will live in the home must finish an approved course before closing. Veterans and active military are exempt unless they use an HFA Advantage loan with Hometown Heroes.

Keep reading

Buying a homeHow buying works with Kris, from pre-approval to keys, with what his buyers say on Zillow.Mortgage calculatorEstimate a Florida monthly payment with taxes, insurance and HOA included.Homestead exemption2026 amounts, the March 1 deadline, county filing links, Save Our Homes and portability.New constructionBuilders active around Clermont, first-visit rules, inspections, warranties and CDD fees.

Buying your first home in Central Florida?

Call or text Kris directly on his cell, or send a message and he will get back to you.

Call or text 407-341-9813