Partner with us on down payment assistance files

We work with agents, builders and housing counselors on down payment assistance purchases in Florida and Colorado, the only states where Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is licensed to arrange residential mortgage loans. The value we add is certainty: your buyer is screened against real program rules before an offer is written, and the timeline you are quoted is the timeline the program actually needs.

Real estate agent and loan officer reviewing a buyer's assistance file together
Illustrative photo. Down payment assistance terms are set by each administering agency, not by Simply Approved Mortgages.

Quick answer: How can agents and partners use this?

Real estate agents, nonprofits and CRM users can use the assistance finder as an embedded tool, so a buyer can see which programs match before an offer is written. Partners in Florida and Colorado can also refer the first mortgage; elsewhere the tool is available as an educational resource.

TL;DR

  • The finder embeds in partner sites and CRMs.
  • Program data is the same data our loan officers use.

Quick questions

Is the embed free?
Yes, for partners we work with. Contact us for the embed code.

Published Last updated

  • Reviewed September 2026
Written and reviewed by the Simply Approved Mortgages Team at Simply Approved Mortgages LLC, NMLS #2620881.Verify on NMLS Consumer Access

For real estate agents

The reason assisted offers get rejected is uncertainty, not the assistance itself. Everything below exists to remove that uncertainty before your buyer writes.

  • Pre-offer program screening: whether the buyer qualifies, which program, and what the award actually is.
  • Purchase-price and property-type screening on a specific listing before an offer goes in.
  • A pre-approval letter that names the program and the reserved allocation, so listing agents can see it is real.
  • Honest timeline expectations up front — usually 45 days rather than 30.
  • Buyer education on repayment structure, so nobody is surprised by a silent second at closing.

For builders and new construction

New construction and assistance can work together, but the constraints are specific and worth knowing before a contract is signed.

  • Purchase-price caps are the usual blocker; we screen a price list against the current caps.
  • Long build timelines conflict with reservation windows on many programs — the sequencing matters.
  • Some programs restrict or exclude certain property types; we confirm before the buyer commits.
  • Assistance can be layered with builder incentives, but the combined seller contribution has limits.

For housing counselors and nonprofits

HUD-approved counseling agencies and community organisations refer buyers who have completed education and need a lender who will actually run the program.

  • We accept the standard education certificates that programs require.
  • Buyers who are not ready get a written reason and a plan, not a silent decline.
  • Our program directory and change log are public, so counselors can verify what we tell a buyer.
  • We flag program changes we discover so the public change log stays useful to everyone.

How a referral works

No portal, no contract, no fee. Referral arrangements comply with RESPA: nothing of value changes hands for referrals.

  1. 1

    Send the buyer's basics

    Name, target county, rough price and income range are enough to screen.

  2. 2

    We screen against live programs

    You get a written answer on which programs are realistic and what the award looks like.

  3. 3

    Pre-approval with the program named

    So the listing agent can see the file is documented, not hopeful.

  4. 4

    You get status updates at each milestone

    Reservation, compliance review, education certificate, clear to close.

Partner questions

Do assistance files take longer to close?

They take longer to set up and about the same time to close. The reservation, the agency compliance review and the education certificate all sit at the front of the file, so a 45-day contract is normal rather than 30.

Which states can you take referrals in?

Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is licensed to arrange residential mortgage loans in Florida and Colorado only. We cannot accept applications or loan inquiries for properties in any other state.

Can you tell an agent whether a listing works for a program?

Yes. Purchase-price caps, property type and occupancy rules are published for every program, so a listing can be screened against them before an offer is written.

Start a referral

Send the buyer's basics and we will come back with which programs are realistic.

Step 1 of 147%

Which state are you buying in?

Assistance is awarded by state, county and city — location is the single biggest filter.

Simply Approved Mortgages LLC arranges residential mortgage loans in Florida and Colorado only. We ask first so we never collect a mortgage inquiry we are not licensed to act on.

This tool is an educational research aid. It does not determine eligibility, and does not confirm that any program currently has funds. Program rules are set and changed by the administering agencies.

Monthly review

September 2026 DPA Partner Program Review

We reviewed Florida Housing and CHFA lender bulletins, program reservation and compliance timelines and published purchase-price and income limits relevant to this page. No material changes requiring substantive revisions were identified this month. The information and sources shown here remain current as of our latest review.

  • Checked: Florida Housing and CHFA lender bulletins
  • Checked: program reservation and compliance timelines
  • Checked: published purchase-price and income limits

Current data & page updates

Page last reviewed
September 5, 2026
Page last substantively updated
September 5, 2026
Next scheduled review
October 5, 2026
Current monthly review
September 2026
Live data feed
No

Licensing & Disclosures

Simply Approved Mortgages LLC | NMLS #2620881

Florida Mortgage Broker License #MBR7685 | Colorado Mortgage Company Registration

Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is a mortgage broker and is not a direct lender. We arrange residential mortgage loans in Florida and Colorado.

Eligibility, terms, conditions, and availability vary by borrower, property, lender, loan program, and state. Not all products or programs are available in all states. All loans are subject to lender underwriting and approval. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Verify our license on NMLS Consumer Access

DPA amount calculator and eligibility checker

Estimate your assistance amount, the second-lien payment and where you stand against the program rules. Illustrative only — not a quote, offer or commitment to lend.

Simply Approved Mortgages DPA

DPA amount calculator & eligibility checker

Estimate 3.5% assistance on the lesser of price or appraisal, layered over a 30-year fixed FHA first mortgage.

Estimated DPA
$14,000
3.5% of $400,000
2nd-lien P&I
$174
10-yr · 8.500%

Amount calculator

Assistance tier
Lesser of price or appraisal
$400,000
DPA at 3.5%
$14,000
2nd-lien term
10-year fixed, repayable
2nd-lien rate
8.500%
Monthly P&I
$174/mo

Illustrative only — not a quote, lock, offer, or commitment to lend. Binding figures appear only on your Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure.

Eligibility checker

Documentable qualifying income?

Willing to complete homebuyer education before closing?

Property in NY, WA, USVI, Guam, MP, or AS?

Answer each question above to see your preliminary result.

Talk to a Loan Officer →

Preliminary self-check only. Not a quote, lock, offer, or commitment to lend. Simply Approved Mortgages is not affiliated with HUD, FHA, VA, USDA, FHFA, or any government agency. Equal Housing Opportunity. NMLS# 2620881.

Keep reading

Related pages on down payment assistance, local markets and the numbers behind each program.

Simply Approved Mortgages In-House DPA

Our own down payment assistance program — up to 5% toward your primary home

Simply Approved Mortgages LLC · NMLS# 2620881

In addition to matching you with agency programs, we offer our own assistance program, provided through our wholesale lender partner and arranged by Simply Approved Mortgages: up to 5% of the lesser of the purchase price or appraised value, structured as a repayable 10-year fixed second mortgage on a qualifying primary residence. It layers with FHA 203(b) or FHA 203(k) purchase first mortgages only, and the second lien is priced at the first-mortgage rate plus 2.00%. It is fully amortizing — not a grant and not forgivable — so your Loan Officer will show a side-by-side comparison before you commit.

Offered through our wholesale lender partner
Up to 5% of the lesser of purchase price or appraised value
Repayable 10-year fixed second mortgage
Layers with FHA 203(b) or FHA 203(k) purchase first mortgages
Second-lien rate = first-mortgage rate + 2.00%
Fully amortizing — not a grant and not forgivable
Qualifying primary residence only

Program at a glance

Assistance
Up to 5%
Where
FL & CO*
Min credit
580
First-time buyer
Not required

*Our wholesale lender partner offers this product nationwide, but Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is licensed to arrange residential mortgage loans in Florida and Colorado only, so we can originate it in those two states only. Outside Florida and Colorado this is educational information and you should work with a lender licensed in your state.

How it works

1. Find the assistance you qualify for

Answer ten short questions and our DPA matching tool screens your location, income, price range, credit band and first-time buyer status against every state, county and city program we track.

2. A licensed loan officer reviews it with you

A Simply Approved loan officer confirms which programs your file can actually use, how each one is structured, and what it means for your monthly payment and closing costs.

3. Pair assistance with your first mortgage

Assistance is delivered through an approved first mortgage. We arrange the FHA, conventional, VA or USDA loan underneath it and reserve the assistance funds once you are under contract.

4. Funds arrive at closing

The assistance is wired to the closing agent and applied to your down payment and, where the program permits, closing costs — so your own savings stay where they belong.

Repayment: The second lien is a recorded lien with a monthly payment that is underwritten into your debt-to-income ratio. Layered DPA affects your final rate and mortgage insurance; your Simply Approved Mortgages Loan Officer will disclose the side-by-side comparison before you commit. Program terms, income limits, funding availability and eligibility requirements are subject to change without notice and must be confirmed in writing. Nothing here is an offer of credit, an approval, or a guarantee of eligibility, funding or any particular term. All loans are subject to lender underwriting and approval. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Free monthly briefing

Down payment assistance changes fast. Stay ahead of it.

New funding rounds, closed programs, and updated income and price limits for Florida and Colorado buyers — in one short email each month.

Licensing notice: Simply Approved Mortgages LLC arranges residential mortgage loans in Florida and Colorado only. The briefing and this website are educational content — not an offer, solicitation, advertisement of credit terms or commitment to lend, and no mortgage services are offered in states where we are not licensed.

Expert Insight

Assistance files need earlier coordination

Agents and builders working assistance files should plan for the reservation window, the education certificate and, on some programs, an additional inspection. Building those into the contract dates up front prevents extensions later.

Takeaway: Write contract dates that account for the assistance reservation timeline.

The only way to know which program, down-payment structure, and closing-cost strategy actually fits your file is to walk through it with a Simply Approved Mortgages Loan Officer who can compare the real numbers side-by-side on a Loan Estimate.

Commentary from the Simply Approved Mortgages Team at Simply Approved Mortgages LLC, NMLS #2620881. Verify on NMLS Consumer Access