Assistance program · Florida
HFA Preferred and HFA Advantage PLUS Second Mortgage
Florida Housing forgivable second loan, only with its conventional mortgages
At a glance
- Kind of help
- Forgivable
- Second loan forgiven if you stay in the home
- First-time buyer?
- Yes
- First-time buyers only
- Minimum credit score
- 640
- The minimum the source asks for; a lender may ask for more.
- Checked
- November 5, 2026
- Against the program's official page.
Type of help
What it is
- Second loan forgiven if you stay in the home
What it gives
Source text
Borrowers utilizing these down payment and closing cost programs receive 3%, 4% or 5% of the total loan amount in a forgivable second mortgage. This second mortgage is forgiven at 20% a year over its 5-year term when used with Florida Housing’s conventional HFA Preferred for TBA or HFA Advantage for TBA first mortgage products. The PLUS Second Mortgage is available only with these conventional first mortgage products. A summary of what the program publishes; not a loan offer or advice. Amounts, limits and funding change without notice.
At a glance
Who qualifies
Each answer comes from the program's page. "Not stated — ask" means its page doesn't make it clear: ask before you apply.
Source text
Minimum Credit Score of 640. … "Approved" Home Buyer Education is required to be completed. … Your purchase price must be below the limits for the county in which you purchase. … Your income must be below the limits for the county in which you purchase. … You must meet the IRS definition of a first-time homebuyer which means, you cannot have owned AND occupied your primary residence for the last three years prior to purchase. … The PLUS Second Mortgage is available only with these conventional first mortgage products. - First-time buyers only Yes
- Homebuyer course required Yes
- Minimum credit score 640
- Income limit Per the program table (by county and household size)
- Price limit Per the program table
- Mortgages it works with Conventional
- Immigration requirement Legal residence in the U.S., per the source
- Accepts ITIN? Not stated — ask
- Spanish materials Yes
- Program status The source does not say whether it is open — ask
- Where it applies All of Florida
What its page says about being open
Its page does not say whether the program is open or has funds. Ask the lender or the agency before counting on it. Read on the official page on November 5, 2026.
Your area in numbers
What buying costs in Florida
The program covers all of Florida. The first column is Florida's figure; the second runs from the lowest to the highest among its counties. Limits change by county: check yours.
The program sets its maximum price in a table. Compare it with the typical home value in Florida: $359,000.
The typical home value ($359,000) fits within Florida's FHA limit ($541,287).
The program sets its income limit in its own table. For reference, HUD's low-income limit for 4 people in Florida is $79,300.
| Figure | Florida | Lowest to highest | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $359,000 | $110,200 (Holmes County) to $780,600 (Monroe County) | U.S. Census Bureau |
| FHA limit (one-unit home) | $541,287 | $541,287 (Alachua County) to $990,150 (Monroe County) | HUD |
| Conforming limit (one-unit home) | $832,750 | $832,750 (Alachua County) to $990,150 (Monroe County) | FHFA |
| HUD low income (80%), household of 4 | $79,300 | $62,600 (DeSoto County) to $114,650 (Monroe County) | HUD |
Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024) · FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data) · Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data) · Income Limits (HUD) (Fiscal year 2026)
Step by step
How to use it, step by step
Each step comes from what the program's page says. What its page leaves out is further down, in the questions.
Find a participating lender-
Ask first whether it is open
Its page does not say whether it is open or still has funds. That is the first thing to ask.
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Confirm you count as a first-time buyer
The program requires it. Read on its page how it defines "first-time buyer" and whether there are exceptions.
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Find your county in the income table
The limit changes with the county and the number of people in your household. Count the income of everyone the program asks you to add.
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Check your county's maximum price
The program sets a maximum price per county in its table.
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Take the homebuyer course
The program requires it. HUD-approved housing counseling agencies teach courses. Florida has 98 agencies on HUD's list, and 57 serve people in Spanish.
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Pick a mortgage it works with
According to its page, the help is used together with a Conventional loan. Each loan type has its own requirements.
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Check your score: the published minimum is 640
That is the program's minimum; the lender may ask for more. If you are short, a housing counselor can explain how to raise it.
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Find a participating lender: state programs do not take applications directly; the lender reserves the assistance while processing your mortgage.
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Compare the total cost before you sign
Ask about the total cost. The mortgage with assistance may carry a higher rate than without it, and some programs charge for the course or a fee.
Before you call
What to ask
Its page leaves 3 points unclear. Write them down for when you talk to Florida Housing Finance Corporation.
What its page does not say
- Is it open now, and does it still have funds?
- What is the most it gives, and how is it calculated?
- Do you accept an ITIN?
Worth asking for this kind of help
- After how many years is the loan forgiven, and what happens if I sell or refinance before then?
Against the others
How it compares with Florida's other programs
The 5 programs we checked in Florida, with the same fields from their official pages. "Doesn't say" means its page does not make it clear.
It is one of 5 programs in Florida, out of 5, that require being a first-time buyer. Its page publishes no amount with a figure; 4 of the 5 do. It is the only program in Florida on our list with "forgivable" help. It covers the whole state; one program on the list is only for a city or a county. 4 of the 5 require a homebuyer course, this one included.
Swipe the table to see every column.
| Program | Kind of help | Published amount | First-time buyers only | Course required | Accepts ITIN | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HFA Preferred and HFA Advantage PLUS Second Mortgagethis program | Forgivable | Not published | Yes | Yes | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| Florida Assist (FL Assist) | Deferred | Up to $10,000 | Yes | Yes | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| Florida Homeownership Loan Program (FL HLP) Second Mortgage | Repayable | $12,500 | Yes | Yes | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program | Deferred | Up to 5% of the loan, capped at $35,000 | Yes | Doesn't say | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program | Deferred | Up to $35,000 | Yes | Yes | Doesn't say | Miami-Dade County |
Sources
How we checked this program
We read the program's official pages on November 5, 2026 and copied their text as it appears on them. We add no amounts or requirements those pages do not state, and a program is listed as open or closed only when its page says so.
We check every program again. If more than 180 days pass without a check, the page says so.
Get free help applying
A HUD-approved housing counselor explains the program's requirements, goes over your numbers and tells you what to ask the lender. They do not sell loans.
Find a counselor (HUD)Read before you apply
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Help and programs
Down payment assistance: how it works
What down payment assistance is, the types that exist (grant, forgivable or deferred second loan, tax credit), who qualifies and where to find it.
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Help and programs
Homebuyer education courses: when you need one
What a homebuyer education course is, when Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and assistance programs require one, and where to take it for free or in Spanish.
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Mortgage loans
Conventional loan: 3% down, PMI and credit scores
How a conventional loan works: HomeReady and Home Possible from 3% down, the credit score Fannie Mae requires, PMI and when the law ends it.
Your county
Price and income limits depend on the county. Your county page has the typical value, the FHA limit and the counseling agencies that can walk you through the application.