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Mortgage Glossary

Down Payment Assistance

Defined by Onias Derilus, Mortgage Capital · NMLS# 1859012 · Florida licensed mortgage broker

Down payment assistance (DPA) is a grant or second loan that helps cover the upfront cash a homebuyer needs to close.

What Down Payment Assistance means

Programs come as grants, forgivable loans, or deferred second mortgages. Florida's Hometown Heroes program, for example, offers up to $35,000 as a 0% deferred second mortgage for eligible buyers.

Florida example

A Florida first-time buyer pairs an FHA loan with $25,000 in DPA, turning a $15,000 out-of-pocket requirement into almost nothing down. Income limits and a homebuyer education course usually apply.

Help with the upfront cash

Down payment assistance, or DPA, is help covering the money to buy a home. It comes as a grant you never repay or a low-cost second loan. It goes toward your down payment or closing costs.

In Florida, most DPA comes through Florida Housing and local county programs.

Who qualifies

Most programs want you under a county income limit and finished with a short homebuyer class. Programs like Florida Hometown Heroes offer up to 5% of the loan amount.

We match you to the assistance you qualify for. Reach out and we will stack it with the right loan.

Related program: Learn more →

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Official resources

Verify the details for your own situation against these government and agency sources: Florida Housing homebuyer programs and CFPB Owning a Home guide.

Related Mortgage Terms

Down Payment Gift LetterA down payment gift letter is a signed statement confirming that funds given toward a purchase are a gift with no repayment expected.Due-on-Sale ClauseA due-on-sale clause lets a lender demand full repayment of a mortgage if the property is sold or transferred without the lender's consent.Earnest MoneyEarnest money is a good-faith deposit a buyer makes when signing a purchase contract, held in escrow and applied toward closing.
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