First-time home buyer programs in Florida: state, county, Miami

Who counts as a first-time buyer in Florida?

Florida Housing uses the IRS definition: you have not owned and occupied a primary residence in the three years before the purchase. Its First Time Homebuyer Wizard adds two exceptions: qualified veterans and buyers in federally designated targeted areas, where income and price limits are also higher.

Miami-Dade County’s down payment program uses the same three-year test and also counts as first-time buyers a single parent who owned only with a former spouse, and someone who owned only a home not fixed to a permanent foundation.

Florida Housing: first mortgages and down payment assistance

Florida Housing Finance Corporation offers 30-year fixed-rate first mortgages through participating lenders. Its homebuyer page lists the conditions as of October 2026: a minimum credit score of 640, an approved homebuyer education course, and income and purchase price below the limits for your county. Its down payment help comes only with its own first mortgage, never “stand alone.” Three options are listed:

• FL Assist: up to $10,000 on FHA, VA, USDA or conventional loans, as a 0% deferred second mortgage. It is not forgivable: you repay it in full when you sell, refinance, transfer the home or stop living there.
• FL HLP Second Mortgage: $12,500 at 3% over 30 years, with a monthly payment that the lender counts in your debt-to-income ratio.
• HFA Preferred and HFA Advantage PLUS: 3%, 4% or 5% of the total loan amount, forgiven at 20% a year over five years, only with Florida Housing’s conventional first mortgages.

Florida Housing’s mortgage credit certificate program has ended: its FAQ says it has not issued certificates since December 31, 2020, though some local agencies may still offer one.

Hometown Heroes: amounts and status

Hometown Heroes is for first-time, income-qualified buyers who work full time for a Florida-based employer as a health care worker, school staff member, first responder, public safety or court employee, or child care worker. Service members of the U.S. military, Coast Guard or Florida National Guard also qualify, as do veterans employed full time by a Florida-based employer. Per the program page:

• assistance is 5% of the first mortgage, minimum $10,000, maximum $35,000;
• it is a 0%, 30-year deferred second mortgage, due in full on sale, refinance or transfer, and not forgivable;
• borrowers also get no origination or discount points.

Is it open? The page describes the 2026 program, with limits revised on July 13, 2026. Funds run out fast: Florida Housing announced on February 27, 2026, that the 2025 cycle, opened August 18, 2025 with $50 million, was fully committed within six months. Florida Housing publishes no live balance, so ask a participating lender whether 2026 funds remain before you sign a contract. The program page warns that applying costs nothing; anyone charging a fee is a scam.

Income and price limits in Miami-Dade

The Florida Housing wizard calls its figures “for informational purposes only,” so your lender confirms the limit that applies. For local prices, see Florida home prices.

Programs in Miami-Dade County and Miami

Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development (PHCD) offers an interest-free loan of up to $35,000, deferred up to 30 years with no monthly payment. You need homebuyer counseling from a HUD-certified agency, 1% of the price from your own funds, and total financing no higher than 105% of the price. If you sell within three years, 100% of the profit goes to the county; between years four and six, 50%. Its separate Homebuyer Loan Program (guidelines revised September 16, 2024) lends up to $100,000 at 1% in vulnerability-ranked areas and $80,000 at 2% elsewhere, for incomes up to 140% of area median income.

Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust (MDEAT) runs the Homeownership Assistance Program: a 0% deferred loan for down payment and closing costs. Its page and limits sheet cap it at $28,000 for households at or below 80% of median income and $14,000 above that. You invest 1% of the price (3% above 100% of median income). Any licensed Florida lender can apply on your behalf.

City of Miami. The SHIP funding notice for fiscal year 2026–27, posted August 13, 2026, lists a First-time Homebuyer Program of up to $130,002 depending on bedroom count, for homes worth up to $494,000 inside city limits. Applications opened September 14, 2026, first-come, first-ready, first-served. The city’s District 5 program offers up to $200,000 as a 0% forgivable 30-year loan, for incomes up to 120% of median (140% for first responders and military), homes up to $500,000 in District 5, and at least $50,000 of household income. More on the city: Miami.

How to apply: a worked example

You apply through a participating lender, not the agency. Example: a nurse buys a $400,000 Miami home with an FHA loan and a 3.5% down payment, a loan of $386,000. Hometown Heroes at 5% gives $19,300, within the $10,000–$35,000 range. That covers the $14,000 down payment and part of the closing costs. The county programs can be layered on top, subject to the 105% financing cap. See FHA loans and the home-buying steps.