Home Ownership Can Become A Reality With The Down Payment Assistance Programs Florida Provides

shares |

By Carolyn Stewart


Every day the dream of home ownership seems to get more elusive for those who have never experienced it. Groceries, utilities, school supplies and tuition are among the monthly expenses that are always on the rise. A number of state governments are addressing this issue in an effort to help. Qualified home buyers can take advantage of any one of the numerous down payment assistance programs Florida has available for instance.

In certain counties, residents can take advantage of HHF, or the Hardest Hit Fund. This fund is designed to assist the citizens who have been most affected by recent economic downturns. This year Florida has a maximum allowance of fifteen thousand dollars for qualified buyers to use toward a down payment on a single family home, pre-approved condo, or town house. The qualifying loans are for thirty years at a fixed rate.

There are funds available through a conventional HFA preferred loan for any qualified person in the state. It will pay seven thousand five hundred dollars toward earnest money and closing. You cannot have a co-signer on the loan, and you must complete an education course on home buying. Discounted mortgage insurance is available with this loan. Foreclosure properties and new construction homes fall under the acceptable home loan guidelines.

There is a program called FHA with Florida Assist available for first time home buyers. The maximum assistance for this is also seventy-five hundred dollars. You have to attend and complete a home buyer course and must have a credit score of at least six hundred forty. You cannot get cash back at closing.

Even those with somewhat higher incomes can get assistance through the program called Conventional HFA Preferred Plus Loan. The first time home buyers qualification is waived for veterans. This program does not assist with a flat amount. Instead it gives purchasers a grant of three percent of the purchase price. Applicants have to attend and complete an educational course as with the other programs. Not all of the counties in Florida are included in this program.

There are grants available where the state will match every dollar a home buyer contributes with four dollars of its own. The buyers must put in at least a thousand dollars, and the state's maximum match is five thousand. Anyone in the state can apply. The matching money can be applied to the purchase of new construction, town homes, and foreclosures.

Law enforcement officers, military personnel, firefighters, and teachers can apply for special matching funds programs that will assist with as much as seven thousand five hundred dollars. Healthcare workers, other first responders, and veterans can also qualify. The property must be owner occupied, and the homer buyer must attend home counseling.

These are just a few of the plans this state offers its citizens. You can contact state officials for detailed information and application forms. There is no fee required to apply, and applying does not obligate you to the state in any way. Home ownership is possible, if you persevere and take advantage of the opportunities states make available.




About the Author:



Related Posts

0 komentar:

Post a Comment