Florida Down Payment Assistance Programs

Quick answer: How does down payment assistance work in Florida?

Florida buyers can use assistance from the state housing finance agency and, in many areas, from a city or county fund on top of it. Awards arrive as a grant, a forgivable second, a deferred second or a repayable second, and eligibility is decided by county income caps, purchase-price caps and buyer status rather than by credit score alone.

TL;DR

Statewide and local Florida programs can often be layered on one purchase.
Income and purchase-price caps are published county by county.
Funding availability is set by the administering agency and can pause without notice.
We are licensed to originate residential mortgages in Florida.

Quick questions

Who runs assistance programs in Florida?: The Florida housing finance agency runs the statewide programs; cities and counties administer their own local funds separately.
Is there an income limit in Florida?: Yes. Each program publishes household income caps that vary by county and often by household size.
Can I use assistance on any home in Florida?: Only on an owner-occupied primary residence within the program's area and under its published purchase-price cap.

Published August 26, 2026Last updated October 28, 2026

Reviewed October 2026
2026 official data
Data verified January 1, 2026
Data source: HUD
Data source: HUD — CHUMS forward limits file

Licensed in Florida

Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is licensed to arrange residential mortgage loans in Florida. Eligibility, terms, conditions and availability vary by borrower, property, lender and loan program, and all loans are subject to lender underwriting and approval. Figures shown are estimates, not a quote or commitment to lend.

Monthly review

October 2026 Florida Down Payment Assistance Review

We reviewed Florida housing finance agency program notices, published income and purchase-price limits, local city and county assistance funding updates and federal housing and mortgage-market data 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 finance agency program notices
Checked: published income and purchase-price limits
Checked: local city and county assistance funding updates
Checked: federal housing and mortgage-market data

Sources:: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), HUD, HUD — CHUMS forward limits file
Data last verified:: 2026-01-01
Data year:: 2026

This page's scheduled monthly review is overdue. The section above reflects our latest completed review, not a new one for the current month.

GrantFederal Home Loan Bank

FHLBank Atlanta Homeownership Set-Aside (AHP)

FHLBank Atlanta · fhlbatl.com

Assistance: Amount varies — verify with the administrator
Where: FL
Min credit: Varies
First-time buyer: Not required

Affordable Housing Program set-aside funds for income-eligible Florida buyers, available only through lenders that are FHLBank Atlanta members. Funds may be structured as a grant or as secondary financing layered with an FHA first mortgage; household income generally must be at or below 80% of area median income, and each year's funding allocation is limited.

Repayment: Does not have to be repaid if you meet the program's conditions.

Program details Official source

Tax credit (MCC)Federal

Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)

IRS · Section 25 MCC

Assistance: Amount varies — verify with the administrator
Where: Nationwide (state exclusions may apply)
Min credit: 640
First-time buyer: Required

IRS Mortgage Credit Certificate program administered by state and local HFAs. Converts up to 20–30% of your annual mortgage interest into a dollar-for-dollar federal income tax credit for the life of the loan. Not DPA cash — a lifetime tax benefit. Must be a first-time buyer (or in a targeted area) and stay in the home as your primary residence.

Repayment: A federal income tax credit, not cash toward your down payment.

Program details Official source

Forgivable second mortgageCity or county

City of Jacksonville Head Start to Homeownership (HAP)

City of Jacksonville

Assistance: up to $10,000
Where: FL
Min credit: 640
First-time buyer: Required

The City of Jacksonville Head Start to Homeownership Program provides up to $10,000 as a 0% forgivable second mortgage over 10 years for first-time buyers purchasing inside Duval County limits.

Repayment: A recorded lien that is forgiven over time while you occupy the home. Sell or refinance early and the unforgiven balance is due.

Program details Official source

Forgivable second mortgageCity or county

Miami-Dade County Infill Housing / DPA

Miami-Dade County

Assistance: up to $28,500
Where: FL
Min credit: 640
First-time buyer: Required

Miami-Dade County Public Housing and Community Development offers deferred second-mortgage DPA up to $28,500 for income-qualified first-time buyers purchasing inside county limits. Loan is forgiven proportionally over 30 years of continuous owner-occupancy.

Repayment: A recorded lien that is forgiven over time while you occupy the home. Sell or refinance early and the unforgiven balance is due.

Program details Official source

Forgivable second mortgageCity or county

Orange County (Orlando) Down Payment Assistance

Orange County, FL

Assistance: up to $60,000
Where: FL
Min credit: 640
First-time buyer: Required

Orange County Housing & Community Development offers up to $60,000 for income-qualified buyers of homes inside Orange County (excludes Orlando city limits which have their own program). Provided as a 0%, deferred, forgivable second mortgage.

Repayment: A recorded lien that is forgiven over time while you occupy the home. Sell or refinance early and the unforgiven balance is due.

Program details Official source

Deferred second mortgageState housing finance agency

Florida Assist Second Mortgage (FL Assist)

Florida Housing · floridahousing.org

Assistance: up to $10,000
Where: FL
Min credit: 640
First-time buyer: Required

Florida Housing FL Assist offers up to $10,000 as a 0%, non-amortizing, deferred second mortgage that becomes due upon sale, refinance, transfer, or when the first mortgage is satisfied. Pairs with FL Housing first-mortgage programs (FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional).

Repayment: A recorded lien with no monthly payment. The full balance comes due on sale, refinance, transfer or payoff of the first mortgage.

Program details Official source

Deferred second mortgageState housing finance agency

Florida Hometown Heroes

Florida Housing · floridahousing.org

Assistance: up to 5% · up to $35,000
Where: FL
Min credit: 640
First-time buyer: Required

Florida Housing program for eligible frontline workers (educators, first responders, healthcare, active military, and other qualifying professions) offering up to 5% of the first-mortgage amount, capped at $35,000, as a 0%, non-amortizing second mortgage. First-time buyer required and buyer must be employed full-time by a Florida-based employer.

Repayment: A recorded lien with no monthly payment. The full balance comes due on sale, refinance, transfer or payoff of the first mortgage.

Program details Official source

Repayable second mortgageState housing finance agency

Homebuyer Loan Program (HLP) — Florida

Florida Housing · floridahousing.org

Assistance: up to $10,000
Where: FL
Min credit: 640
First-time buyer: Required

Florida Housing HLP provides up to $10,000 at 3% interest as a fully amortizing 15-year second mortgage layered with a Florida Housing first mortgage. First-time buyer requirement and monthly payment underwritten in DTI.

Repayment: A recorded lien with a monthly payment that is underwritten into your debt-to-income ratio. It is a loan, not a gift.

Program details Official source

See which Florida programs fit you

Ten questions, results in about ninety seconds.

Find my assistance Call 877-813-7219

How down payment assistance helps you buy in Florida

Down payment assistance closes the cash gap between what a lender will lend and what a seller needs at the closing table. For most buyers it is the difference between purchasing this year and saving for another three to five. Terms and availability are set by each administering agency and can change or run out of funding without notice.

You buy years sooner

Saving a 5% down payment on a median-priced home usually takes several years. Assistance covers most or all of that gap now, so your timeline is set by your credit and income rather than by your savings balance.

Your own cash stays intact

Because the assistance funds the down payment and, on many programs, closing costs, your savings can stay where they belong — reserves, moving costs, and the repairs that show up in the first year.

Often no monthly payment added

Grants and forgivable or deferred second mortgages add nothing to your monthly payment. Only a repayable second creates a second monthly obligation, and every program card on this site states which structure applies.

It stacks with normal financing

Assistance attaches to a standard FHA, conventional, VA or USDA first mortgage originated by a lender approved for that program, so you are not trading away loan choice to use it.

What you have to meet

Income limit: Household or qualifying income must fall at or below a published cap, set by county and usually adjusted for household size. This is the most common disqualifier, so check it first.
Purchase-price cap: Most programs limit the acquisition cost of the home, and the cap can differ between new construction, existing homes and federally targeted areas.
First-time buyer status: Commonly defined as no ownership interest in a primary residence for the past three years. Veterans and targeted-area purchases are frequently exempt.
Credit score: Program minimums typically sit in the low-to-mid 600s, and the first mortgage carries its own minimum. The higher of the two governs your file.
Owner occupancy: The home must be your primary residence. Investment and second-home purchases are not eligible, and moving out during a forgiveness period usually accelerates repayment.
Homebuyer education: Most programs require an approved course certificate before closing. It takes a few hours online — take it early, because it is a hard closing condition.
Participating lender and reservation: Funds are delivered through the first mortgage and reserved by an approved lender, normally once you are under contract. Eligibility alone does not hold money; the reservation does.

A realistic timeline

Week 1Check the county income and price limits, pull your own credit report, and start the homebuyer education course.
Week 1–2Work with a lender approved for the specific assistance program you want to use to confirm your financing.
Week 2–8Shop inside the program's eligible area and price cap, then write an offer that allows time for the assistance paperwork.
At contractYour lender reserves the assistance funds while the file moves through underwriting.
At closingFunds are wired to the closing agent and applied to your down payment and permitted closing costs — they are never paid to you as cash.

Timelines are illustrative and vary by program, lender and market. Nothing here is an offer of credit, an approval, or a guarantee of assistance eligibility, funding availability or any particular term.

Florida FHA loan limits (2026)

Most down payment assistance is layered on top of an FHA, conventional, VA or USDA first mortgage, so the county loan limit sets the ceiling on the FHA first mortgage the assistance would sit behind. HUD publishes a limit for each of the 67 counties in Florida; one-unit limits run from $541,287 to $990,150, against a median county sale price of about $330,000. A limit is a cap on insurable loan size, not an approval amount.

Highest 2026 FHA loan limits by county in Florida
County	One unit	Two units	Four units	Source
Monroe County	$990,150	$1,267,600	$1,904,150	HUD CHUMS
Collier County	$764,750	$979,000	$1,470,700	HUD CHUMS
Broward County	$667,000	$853,900	$1,282,700	HUD CHUMS
Miami-Dade County	$667,000	$853,900	$1,282,700	HUD CHUMS
Palm Beach County	$667,000	$853,900	$1,282,700	HUD CHUMS
Martin County	$603,750	$772,900	$1,161,050	HUD CHUMS
Okaloosa County	$603,750	$772,900	$1,161,050	HUD CHUMS
St. Lucie County	$603,750	$772,900	$1,161,050	HUD CHUMS
Walton County	$603,750	$772,900	$1,161,050	HUD CHUMS
Baker County	$580,750	$743,450	$1,116,850	HUD CHUMS

Effective for case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026. Source: HUD CHUMS forward loan limits. Simply Approved Mortgages is not affiliated with HUD, FHA or any government agency.

Florida housing and lending data

Published federal figures we refresh automatically, shown so you can size up the market a down payment assistance program would be used in. Context only — none of it decides eligibility, and none of it is a rate quote or an offer of credit.

Households and housing costs in Florida (Census 2024)

Rolled up from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey five-year estimates for the 67 Florida counties in our data set. Population and household counts are sums; the dollar figures and homeownership rate are household-weighted averages of those counties, not official statewide Census estimates.

Population: 22,416,077; Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey · ACS 2024
Households: 8,752,810; Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey · ACS 2024
Homeownership rate: 67.6%; Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey · ACS 2024
Median household income: $75,325; Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey · ACS 2024
Median home value: $368,881; Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey · ACS 2024
Median gross rent: $1,640/mo; Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey · ACS 2024

Home-purchase mortgage activity across Florida (2025)

Every lender covered by the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act reports its home-purchase applications to the CFPB. These are the published totals for the 67 Florida counties we hold — an indication of how active the market is, not a prediction of any individual outcome. Your own approval depends on a full underwriting review.

Loans originated: 291,901; Source: CFPB HMDA Data Browser · HMDA 2025
Applications denied: 58,185; Source: CFPB HMDA Data Browser · HMDA 2025
Origination rate: 83.4%; Source: CFPB HMDA Data Browser · HMDA 2025
FHA loans originated: —; Source: CFPB HMDA Data Browser · HMDA 2025

Origination rate counts loans originated as a share of originated plus denied home-purchase applications. Withdrawn, incomplete and approved-not-accepted files are excluded.

Florida house price trend

The Federal Housing Finance Agency house price index measures repeat sales and refinance appraisals across the state. Statewide movement is context for planning, not a valuation of any individual property.

+1.4%year over year

Index 825.70 · reading for 2026-04-01 · Federal Housing Finance Agency (via FRED)

National mortgage market readings

Published national series, refreshed automatically. They are not a quote, an offer of credit, or the terms of any assistance program, and no rate is available to you until a lender underwrites your file.

Median sales price of houses sold (U.S.): 393,3002026-07-01; Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED) · 2026-07-01
15-year fixed mortgage rate (national average): 6.68%2026-10-22; Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED) · 2026-10-22
30-year fixed mortgage rate (national average): 7.32%2026-10-22; Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED) · 2026-10-22

Recent updates for Florida

Dated changes we recorded from administering agencies and public housing data. Each item links to the source it came from.

Program updateOct 26, 2026
Florida Housing homebuyer program page: published program page changed
The official page content changed. Program records sourced from it must be re-verified by a human before any published term is updated.
Source: Florida Housing Finance Corporation · View source
RatesOct 22, 2026
15-year fixed mortgage rate (national average): 6.68% as of October 22, 2026
That is 0.03 points lower than the prior reading. Rate moves change the payment behind any assistance award in Florida, and can move the price a program's income cap still supports.
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED) · View source
Program updateSep 28, 2026
Florida Housing down payment assistance page: published program page changed
The official page content changed. Program records sourced from it must be re-verified by a human before any published term is updated.
Source: Florida Housing Finance Corporation · View source
Program updateSep 28, 2026
Florida Housing homebuyer program page: published program page changed
The official page content changed. Program records sourced from it must be re-verified by a human before any published term is updated.
Source: Florida Housing Finance Corporation · View source
Market dataApr 1, 2026
Florida florida house price index (fhfa, all transactions) up +1.4% year over year
The latest Federal Housing Finance Agency (via FRED) reading for Florida is 825.7 as of April 1, 2026, +1.4% against a year earlier. Rising prices raise the purchase-price cap pressure on assistance programs in Florida; falling prices ease it.
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (via FRED) · View source

Taxes and closing charges in Florida

Assistance solves the cash-to-close problem. These are the costs that stay with you afterwards, and the one-time state charges that land on your Closing Disclosure. Figures are modelled on the approximate statewide median home price of $395,000 for Florida using Florida's published statewide effective property tax rate — an estimate for planning, not a quote for a specific property.

Effective property tax rate

0.86%

Florida statewide, in line with the national effective rate of 0.90%.

Source: Tax Foundation — property taxes by state

Estimated annual property tax

$3,397

At the approximate statewide median home price for Florida.

Source: Calculated from Tax Foundation — property taxes by state

Added to the monthly payment

$283

Escrowed monthly, before homeowners insurance and any HOA dues.

Source: Calculated from Tax Foundation — property taxes by state

Why this matters here. At the national effective rate of 0.90%, the same $395,000 home would carry about $3,555 a year. Florida lands close to that, so property tax is unlikely to be what decides your qualifying payment.

Transfer and documentary charges. Florida charges documentary stamp tax on the deed at $0.70 per $100 of price ($0.60 per $100 in Miami-Dade, plus a $0.45 per $100 surtax on non-single-family transfers), documentary stamps on the note at $0.35 per $100, and intangible tax on the mortgage at $0.002 of the amount financed. On a $400,000 purchase with a $386,000 loan that is roughly $2,800 on the deed, about $1,351 on the note and about $772 in intangible tax.

Homeowners insurance. Homeowners insurance is a material line item here: wind, hail and named-storm exposure drives premiums well above the national average, and lenders escrow the full annual premium. Get a bindable quote before you commit to a purchase price — an assistance program will not offset an insurance surprise.

Florida Housing bond programs carry a federal recapture provision; Florida Housing has historically reimbursed borrowers who owe it, but the rider in your closing package is what governs. Assistance proceeds do not reduce documentary stamp or intangible tax — those are calculated on the purchase price and the financed amount.

Estimates only. Property tax is assessed locally and millage, exemptions (including homestead), and assessment ratios change the actual bill. Transfer, documentary and recording charges are itemised on your Closing Disclosure. This is not tax advice — confirm with your closing agent and a tax professional. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (property taxes paid) · Tax Foundation — property taxes by state.

Florida down payment assistance questions

What down payment assistance is available in Florida?

Our Florida database holds 8 programs — grant, tax-credit, forgivable-second-mortgage and deferred-second-mortgage, plus 1 more — administered by FHLBank Atlanta · fhlbatl.com, IRS · Section 25 MCC and City of Jacksonville, plus 3 more. Program rules are set by the administering agency, change without notice and can run out of funding mid-month, so confirm anything you plan to rely on directly with them before you write an offer.

How much down payment assistance can a Florida buyer receive?

The largest recorded award for Florida is $60,000, and the most generous percentage-based award we have on file is 5% of the purchase price.

Who qualifies for down payment assistance in Florida?

Typical qualifying rules are a household income under the program cap, a credit score at or above the program minimum (as low as 640 in our Florida data), a purchase price under the sales-price cap, occupancy of the home as your primary residence, and — for 7 of the 8 programs — first-time buyer status.

Is down payment assistance in Florida a grant or a loan?

Both structures exist. Our Florida records include 1 grant, 0 forgivable seconds, 0 deferred seconds and 0 repayable seconds. Only a true grant is never repaid.

What income limits apply in Florida?

Recorded household-income caps range up to about $15,000 a month across Florida programs, and most agencies publish the figure by county and household size rather than a single statewide number.

Is there a purchase-price limit for Florida assistance?

Most Florida programs cap the sales price, usually at or below the county FHA loan limit. Check the county page for the current FHA ceiling and the agency page for the program cap.

Do I have to be a first-time buyer in Florida?

7 of the 8 Florida programs we track require it, using the standard definition of no primary-residence ownership in the past three years. Veterans and buyers in targeted areas are the most common exceptions.

Which loan programs can Florida assistance be paired with?

8 of the Florida programs in our directory allow FHA, 8 allow conventional, 5 allow VA and 5 allow USDA. The assistance sits behind the first mortgage as a second lien or is applied as a credit at closing.

Is homebuyer education required in Florida?

We have no education requirement recorded for the Florida programs listed here, but agencies commonly add one. Completing a HUD-approved course early avoids a last-minute delay.

How do I apply for down payment assistance in Florida?

Applications run through a participating lender rather than the agency. The lender pre-qualifies you for the first mortgage, reserves the assistance while funds remain, and coordinates the education certificate and second-lien documents at closing.

Can assistance funds run out in Florida?

Yes. Most programs are funded in rounds and reserved first-come, first-served, so a program that is open in one month can be fully committed the next. That is why we show funding status and a source-check date on each program page instead of treating availability as permanent.

Does down payment assistance affect my mortgage rate in Florida?

It can. Some agency programs require you to take the agency's own first mortgage, whose rate is set by the agency and may differ from a standard market rate, and some price the assistance into the first-mortgage rate. Compare the total cost, not just the assistance amount. Any rate you are quoted depends on your credit, loan amount and other factors and requires full disclosure before it is binding.

Do all 67 Florida counties have assistance?

Statewide housing finance agency programs generally cover every county, while city and county funds exist only where a local government has budgeted for them. Limits and caps still vary county by county even for statewide programs.

Can Simply Approved Mortgages originate a Florida mortgage?

Simply Approved Mortgages LLC (NMLS #2620881) is licensed to arrange residential mortgage loans in Florida, so we can take your application and pair an eligible program with the first mortgage.

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Current data & page updates

Page last reviewed: October 28, 2026
Page last substantively updated: October 28, 2026
Data last verified: January 1, 2026
Current data year: 2026
Primary sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, HUD — CHUMS forward limits file
Next scheduled review: November 27, 2026
Current monthly review: October 2026
Live data feed: No

Licensing & Disclosures

Simply Approved Mortgages LLC | NMLS #2620881

Florida Branch Office (Miami, FL) | Branch NMLS #2688012

Florida Mortgage Broker License #MBR7685 | Colorado Mortgage Company Registration

Business Phone: (877) 813-7219

Equal Housing Opportunity

Broker identification. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is a mortgage broker and is not a direct lender. We arrange residential mortgage loans with third-party lenders and do not make the lender's final credit decision or fund the loan. We arrange residential mortgage loans in Florida and Colorado.

Down payment assistance programs. Down payment and closing-cost assistance programs listed or referenced on this site may be administered by third parties, including state housing finance agencies, cities, counties, Federal Home Loan Banks, nonprofit organizations, lenders, and other program sponsors. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC does not administer, control, fund, or guarantee third-party assistance unless expressly stated otherwise.

Listing or displaying a program does not constitute an offer of that program, a representation that funding is currently available, or a determination that a borrower or property qualifies. Program availability, funding, assistance amounts, income limits, purchase-price limits, credit requirements, occupancy requirements, geographic restrictions, homebuyer education requirements, participating-lender requirements, repayment terms, and other eligibility criteria vary by program and may change or become unavailable without notice. Eligibility and current program terms must be confirmed for the particular transaction.

Types of assistance. Down payment or closing-cost assistance may be structured as a grant, forgivable loan, deferred-payment loan, repayable second mortgage or other form of assistance. Assistance structured as a lien or secondary financing may be subject to repayment, forgiveness, occupancy, resale, refinance, or other conditions. Assistance should not be considered "free money" unless the applicable program documents expressly provide that the assistance is a grant with no repayment obligation.

Receiving or potentially qualifying for down payment assistance does not guarantee mortgage approval, guarantee receipt of assistance, or necessarily eliminate all funds that a borrower may be required to contribute to a transaction.

Credit and program terms. All loans are subject to lender credit approval, underwriting, acceptable appraisal, title review, insurance, and supporting documentation. Eligibility, programs, rates, APRs, points, fees, payments, terms, loan amounts, down-payment requirements, and availability may vary based on borrower, property, occupancy, credit profile, loan-to-value ratio, debt-to-income ratio, lender, assistance program, and location and may change without notice. Not all borrowers, properties, products, or programs will qualify or be available in every location. Nothing on this site constitutes a loan approval, rate lock, offer, commitment to lend, guarantee of assistance, or guarantee of closing.

Rates, payments and calculators. Rates, APRs, payments, down payments, estimated assistance amounts, affordability, home prices, closing costs, savings, and other calculator or scenario results displayed on this site are estimates or illustrations unless expressly stated otherwise. Actual eligibility, assistance, and loan terms may differ. Taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance, association dues, lender charges, broker compensation, discount points, third-party charges, and other costs may apply. Advertised rates, payments, APRs, down payments, and other credit terms are subject to the assumptions and disclosures presented with the applicable advertisement.

Government affiliation. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is not a government agency and is not affiliated with, acting on behalf of, sponsored by, or endorsed by HUD, FHA, VA, USDA, any housing finance agency, or any other federal, state, or local government agency. References to government agencies, housing authorities, assistance programs, data, forms, or resources are provided for informational purposes and do not imply sponsorship or endorsement of Simply Approved Mortgages LLC.

Fair lending. Equal Housing Opportunity. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC conducts business in accordance with applicable federal and state fair-housing and equal-credit-opportunity laws and does not discriminate on any prohibited basis.

No professional advice. Content on this site is educational and general in nature and is not legal, tax, accounting, financial, or investment advice. Borrowers should review the applicable program documents and consult qualified professionals regarding their individual circumstances.

Florida advertising disclosure (Chapter 494, Florida Statutes): Simply Approved Mortgages LLC, Florida Mortgage Broker License #MBR7685, NMLS #2620881, is a licensed Florida mortgage broker regulated by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation and is not a lender. Any rate, payment, down payment or down payment assistance figure shown on this page is an illustrative estimate for educational purposes only — it is not a quote, rate lock, offer or commitment to lend, and it is not an advertisement of specific credit terms available to any particular borrower. Down payment assistance is a third-party program subject to its own eligibility, income, property and availability requirements. All loans are subject to lender underwriting and approval. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is not affiliated with, approved by or endorsed by HUD, FHA or any government agency. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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Quick answer: How does down payment assistance work in Florida?

TL;DR

Quick questions

Licensed in Florida

October 2026 Florida Down Payment Assistance Review

See which Florida programs fit you

How down payment assistance helps you buy in Florida

You buy years sooner

Your own cash stays intact

Often no monthly payment added

It stacks with normal financing

What you have to meet

A realistic timeline

Florida FHA loan limits (2026)

Florida housing and lending data

Households and housing costs in Florida (Census 2024)

Home-purchase mortgage activity across Florida (2025)

Florida house price trend

National mortgage market readings

Recent updates for Florida

Florida Housing homebuyer program page: published program page changed

15-year fixed mortgage rate (national average): 6.68% as of October 22, 2026

Florida Housing down payment assistance page: published program page changed

Florida Housing homebuyer program page: published program page changed

Florida florida house price index (fhfa, all transactions) up +1.4% year over year

Taxes and closing charges in Florida

Florida down payment assistance questions

What down payment assistance is available in Florida?

How much down payment assistance can a Florida buyer receive?

Who qualifies for down payment assistance in Florida?

Is down payment assistance in Florida a grant or a loan?

What income limits apply in Florida?

Is there a purchase-price limit for Florida assistance?

Do I have to be a first-time buyer in Florida?

Which loan programs can Florida assistance be paired with?

Is homebuyer education required in Florida?

How do I apply for down payment assistance in Florida?

Can assistance funds run out in Florida?

Does down payment assistance affect my mortgage rate in Florida?

Do all 67 Florida counties have assistance?

Can Simply Approved Mortgages originate a Florida mortgage?

See your own numbers

Current data & page updates

Licensing & Disclosures

DPA amount calculator and eligibility checker

DPA amount calculator & eligibility checker

Amount calculator

Eligibility checker

Keep reading

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

Program at a glance

How it works

1. Find the assistance you qualify for

2. A licensed loan officer reviews it with you

3. Pair assistance with your first mortgage

4. Funds arrive at closing

Follow our down payment assistance updates on Google

Down payment assistance changes fast. Stay ahead of it.

The published rate is usually less important than whether the loan is built for Florida's real costs