Every year, working families in America leave roughly $10–15 billion in legitimate buyer assistance on the table — programs they qualify for, programs they paid for through their taxes, programs that exist precisely to help them buy a home. The single biggest reason: their lender didn’t bring it up.
This walkthrough exists to fix that. Below: the headline Hero / DPA program in each of the twelve states we serve, with a special focus on Florida (our home) and the one nationwide program every first responder, teacher, EMT, and law-enforcement officer should know exists.
Two Things To Understand Before The List.
One — DPA is not a mortgage. It’s a layer. Down-payment assistance, hero grants, forgivable seconds, bond-rate first mortgages — they’re all overlays on a base loan (FHA, VA, USDA, or conventional). The base loan is the engine. DPA is the boost. Most borrowers benefit from both.
Two — Most programs have income caps and purchase caps. Both change annually. Both vary by county within a state. The numbers in this guide are accurate as of publication, but we re-verify eligibility on every file before promising you a number.
The National Program Every Hero Should Know.
Good Neighbor Next Door (GNND).
HUD’s Good Neighbor Next Door program offers 50% off the list price on eligible HUD-owned single-family homes in designated revitalization areas. Yes — fifty percent. Real, not a typo, not a gimmick.
Who qualifies:
- Full-time law enforcement officers
- Full-time pre-K through 12 teachers
- Full-time firefighters
- Full-time emergency medical technicians
The catch: GNND inventory is limited, properties are HUD-owned (often foreclosures), they’re located in specific revitalization areas, and buyers must commit to living in the home for three years. For the right buyer in the right market, the program is transformational. We monitor inventory across our footprint and flag matches when they come up.
Florida — Home State, Featured.
Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program.
Florida’s headline Hero program — and by every objective measure, the most generous DPA program in our footprint. Up to 5% of the first mortgage, capped at $35,000, in down-payment and closing-cost assistance. Zero percent interest. Not forgivable — it is a deferred second mortgage, repaid in full when you sell, refinance, or move out.
Who qualifies: a Florida resident who works full-time in any of 100+ eligible occupations — first responders, teachers, healthcare workers, childcare workers, active military, and many more. Income limits are set by county and measured on the borrower's qualifying income — $148,050 in most counties, rising to $190,200 in Broward, $192,750 in Palm Beach, $204,300 in Miami-Dade, and $214,950 in Monroe (2026 limits, effective for reservations as of 5/06/2026). Maximum loan amounts vary by county and loan type: $541,287 to $990,150 on FHA, and $832,750 on Freddie Mac HFA Advantage and VA ($990,150 in Monroe).
The program layers on top of FHA, VA, USDA, and Freddie Mac HFA Advantage conventional first mortgages (Fannie Mae HFA Preferred was removed from Hometown Heroes for 2026). We model all four base loans and pick the one that delivers the lowest total monthly with Hometown Heroes layered in.
Other Florida Programs To Know.
- FL Assist — $10,000 second mortgage, 0% interest, repaid at sale or refinance. Pairs with FHA, VA, USDA.
- Salute Our Soldiers — Veteran-specific bond first mortgage with discounted rate; can pair with Hometown Heroes for additional assistance.
- HFA Preferred Grants — 3% or 5% grant on Fannie Mae HFA Preferred conventional first mortgages. Never repaid.
Texas.
Homes For Texas Heroes (TSAHC).
The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation’s Heroes program offers a DPA grant of up to 5% of the loan amount for full-time educators, firefighters, EMS personnel, police, corrections officers, junior college faculty, and veterans. TSAHC offers three structures: a grant, which its guidelines state “does not need to be repaid after six months” from closing and is available on government loans only; a 3-year forgivable second; and a 30-year deferred repayable second added in July 2026.
The grant pairs with FHA, VA and USDA; the forgivable-second structure is what pairs with the HFA conventional options. Income limits vary by county and run at 170% of area median for Heroes as of July 9, 2026. Note that My First Texas Home is a TDHCA program, not TSAHC — TSAHC’s equivalent track for buyers without an eligible occupation is Home Sweet Texas.
Arizona.
HOME+PLUS & Home In Five Advantage.
The Arizona Housing Finance Authority’s HOME+PLUS program offers DPA up to 5% of the first mortgage statewide — grant or forgivable second depending on the option chosen. In Maricopa and Pima counties, the Home In Five Advantage program adds additional 1% DPA stackable on top of HOME+PLUS for first responders, teachers, and qualified veterans.
California.
CalHFA MyHome, ZIP & MyAccess.
CalHFA MyHome provides a deferred-payment, simple-interest junior loan of up to 3.5% on FHA (3.0% on conventional, VA and USDA) for down payment and closing costs — deferred, not forgiven, and repaid at transfer of title, sale, payoff or refinance. ZIP adds 2–3% at zero interest for closing costs only, and MyAccess adds 2.5% at 1% simple interest for down payment or closing costs; both sit in third position behind MyHome. CalHFA sets no sales price limit. Note: the Forgivable Equity Builder Loan was discontinued November 30, 2022 and is no longer available.
California programs are income-restrictive but generous when you qualify. Layers cleanly with CalHFA’s FHA or conventional first mortgage products.
Oregon.
OHCS Flex Lending FirstHome.
The Oregon Bond Residential Loan Program stopped accepting reservations on March 31, 2025 and has been replaced by Flex Lending. FirstHome offers 4% standard or 5% Focused Demographics DPA. At or below 80% AMI it is a forgivable second at 0%; above 80% AMI it is an amortizing second at 1% above the first-mortgage rate with monthly payments. Household income limits and purchase price caps apply by county; minimum 640 score. Pairs with FHA, USDA-RD and conventional (Fannie HFA Preferred or Freddie HFA Advantage).
Washington.
WSHFC Home Advantage & House Key Opportunity.
The Washington State Housing Finance Commission’s Home Advantage program offers DPA up to 5% of the first mortgage. House Key Opportunity is the program for very-low-income first-time buyers, with deeper assistance and reduced rates. Both can stack with additional county-level DPA in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.
Idaho.
Idaho Housing IHFA First Loan.
The Idaho Housing & Finance Association’s First Loan program offers DPA tied to a bond-rate first mortgage. Pairs with FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional. Available statewide with income limits that scale by household size.
Utah.
UHC FirstHome, FHA/VA & HFA Advantage.
The Utah Housing Corporation runs three active programs: FirstHome for first-time buyers, the FHA/VA Mortgage, and Freddie Mac HFA Advantage. All three layer DPA on top of bond-rate first mortgages. Utah assistance is never forgiven — it is either a 30-year amortizing second with a required monthly payment, or a deferred second at 3.5% simple interest repaid in full at sale or refinance. UHC has temporarily suspended its Score, HomeAgain and NoMI programs.
Colorado.
CHFA SmartStep & metroDPA.
CHFA SmartStep offers either a non-repayable grant of up to the lesser of $25,000 or 3%, or a zero-percent deferred second of up to $25,000 or 4% repaid on sale, refinance or loss of primary residency. FHA, VA and USDA-RD only. metroDPA does not stack on CHFA — it originates its own first mortgage, and its 3–5% assistance is a 30-year deferred second that is never forgiven. For educators, CHFA Schools to Home offers up to 25% of the first mortgage as a silent second in exchange for shared appreciation at payoff.
Michigan.
MSHDA MI Home Loan & MI 10K DPA.
The Michigan State Housing Development Authority offers up to $10,000 in DPA via the MI 10K program, paired with the MSHDA MI Home Loan (a bond-rate FHA, VA, USDA, or conventional first). The DPA is a 0% interest second mortgage repaid at sale or refinance.
Tennessee.
THDA Great Choice Plus & Homeownership for Heroes.
Great Choice Plus comes in two distinct structures, and they behave very differently. The deferred option is $6,000 or $10,000 at 0% with no payments — forgiven in full at the end of a ten-year term, but nothing is forgiven before then, so selling or refinancing early makes the whole balance due. The amortizing option is up to 5% of the sales price capped at $15,000, repaid over 30 years with monthly payments at the same rate as your first mortgage. Homeownership for Heroes adds up to a ½% rate reduction for a closed list: firefighters, EMTs and paramedics, state and local law enforcement, full-time K-12 teachers in a Tennessee public or private school, and active duty, National Guard, Reservists, veterans and surviving spouses. Tennessee’s acquisition-cost limit is $500,000 in every county; only the income limits vary.
Pennsylvania.
PHFA Keystone Advantage & HOMEstead.
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency’s Keystone Advantage Assistance Loan offers 4% of the purchase price or market value, or $6,000, whichever is less — a 0% second amortized over ten years with monthly payments required. It is not forgivable. In eligible counties, HOMEstead adds a forgivable second up to $10,000, forgiven at 20% per year over five years — but most homes built before 1978 are ineligible under lead-paint rules, most major cities and seven counties are excluded entirely because they receive their own federal allocation, and funding is first-come, first-served. PHFA also runs K-DATE, a 0% deferred second due on sale, refinance or payoff.
How To Actually Use This Guide.
Three steps:
- Find your state above. Note the headline program name. That’s your starting point — not your ending point.
- Call us, or send the form. We confirm income limits, purchase caps, and program availability for your specific county on the first call. Eligibility typically takes under fifteen minutes to verify.
- We model both paths. First mortgage options (FHA / VA / USDA / conventional / state bond) with DPA layered in, side-by-side. You see the total monthly, the assistance amount, and the forgiveness schedule before you commit to anything.
The Two Things That Disqualify Most People.
Income too high. DPA programs are explicitly for working and middle-income families. Households earning above the cap (typically $130K–$180K depending on state and county) usually don’t qualify. If you’re in that range, we’ll tell you on the first call so you don’t waste time.
Purchase price too high. Most state DPAs cap eligible purchase price at $400K–$700K depending on the market. Above the cap, the file moves to standard agency or jumbo financing without the assistance layer.
Both caps update annually. We always check the current numbers, not the prior year’s.
— Jason Stern is the founder of Hero Mortgage Group, a firefighter-owned brokerage licensed in 12 states. NMLS #1569493. Program details vary by state and update annually; eligibility is always verified at application.