Can You Use Florida Hometown Heroes to Buy a Home in Navarre?

Can you use Florida Hometown Heroes to buy a home in Navarre? Possibly, if you work full time for a Florida employer in one of the fields on Florida Housing's list and your household income is under your county's limit. For buyers moving here from out of state, the Florida employer rule is the one to check first, because it decides whether the program fits before anything else does.

Hometown Heroes is down payment help from the state of Florida, and it comes with rules that are easy to miss when you are house hunting from a distance.

I'm Leah Bieber, a Realtor® with eXp Realty on the Emerald Coast, based in Navarre, Florida. I'm also a mortgage loan originator (NMLS #2668541) with USA Mortgage, so I can help with the home and the loan. I help military and relocating families buy a home here from out of state, a move I made myself. This is the short version of what to check, and I can confirm the details for your situation.

It is down payment and closing cost help from Florida Housing Finance Corporation, the state's housing agency. The help is up to 5% of your first mortgage, with a $10,000 minimum and a $35,000 maximum.

It comes as a second loan behind your main mortgage. It carries 0% interest and is non-amortizing, so you do not make monthly payments on it. It is not forgiven, though. It comes due when you sell, refinance your first mortgage, transfer the deed, or stop living in the home as your primary residence. There is no cost to apply.

It works with FHA, VA, USDA-RD, and conventional first mortgages.

Florida Housing's rules start with the job. You need to work full time and be currently employed by a Florida-based employer. Only one borrower on the loan has to meet that rule, so if you are buying with a spouse or partner, it can be either of you.

The fields on Florida Housing's list are:

• Health care workers, at hospitals, doctor's offices, assisted living, mental health facilities, and similar
• School staff at K-12 public, private, charter, or magnet schools, including roles like cafeteria and maintenance staff
• First responders: firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics
• Public safety workers: law enforcement, corrections, juvenile detention, and 911
• Court employees, including the State Attorney's and Public Defender's offices
• Child care workers at licensed facilities and licensed or registered home day cares
• Active duty and reserve service members of all branches, including the Florida National Guard
• Veterans who work full time for a Florida employer

Florida Housing's job titles are examples, not a complete list, so a role that is not named may still count. The home also has to be your primary residence, in the community where you work and serve.

Navarre sits in Santa Rosa County. In Florida Housing's 2026 table, for reservations as of May 6, 2026, the household income limit there is $148,050 for FHA, VA, and Freddie Mac HFA Advantage first loans. For USDA loans it is $119,850. It is one figure for every household size.

Limits are set by county and updated, so check the current table or ask me before you rely on a number. Okaloosa County, for example, is higher.

Florida Housing does not list a home price limit on its program page. Your first loan does have a ceiling. For Santa Rosa County, the table lists $541,287 for FHA and $832,750 for VA and HFA Advantage loans.

This is where relocating buyers get stuck. The rule says you must be currently employed by a Florida-based employer. If you are still working for an out-of-state employer, or you are between jobs, the program probably does not fit yet. If you have a Florida job lined up but have not started yet, bring it up early. The rule says "currently employed," so a job that has not started needs a closer look, and I can check how it applies to you.

For military buyers, the list names active duty and reserve members of all branches, and veterans who work full time for a Florida employer.

The program is also meant for first-time buyers. Generally, that means you have not owned and lived in a home as your main home in the past three years. Some exceptions exist, including for people who have served in the military, and I can tell you whether one applies to you.

• You do not have a full time job with a Florida employer yet.
• Your household income is over your county's limit.
• Your credit score is under about 640, which is the minimum Florida Housing has listed.
• You owned and lived in a home in the past three years, and no exception applies to you.

None of these is a judgment on you. They just mean another path may fit better right now, and waiting a few months can be the right answer.

Hometown Heroes funds are released in rounds, usually once or twice a year. How much money is available to you depends on three things: when you start looking for a home, how long ago the last round was released, and how much is left by the time you go under contract.

Funds are first come, first served. That means the buyers who are ready first get in line first. I can check where the funding stands, and the best time to ask is before you start touring homes.

1. Check your job and employer against Florida Housing's list.
2. Compare your household income to your county's limit.
3. Talk with me before you start touring homes. As both a Realtor and a loan officer, I can check your numbers and the funding in one conversation.

For the full details, including the repayment terms and the property types it covers, read the longer guide on my lending site: the Hometown Heroes guide on LenderLeah.com.

I'm happy to look at your situation with you. I work as both a Realtor and a loan officer, so we can look at the home and the loan in the same conversation. Book a free 15-Minute Discovery Call, and we can start your Navarre home search from there.

Leah Bieber is a Realtor® with eXp Realty on the Emerald Coast, based in Navarre, Florida, who helps military and relocating families buy a home here from out of state, a move she made herself. She is also a mortgage loan originator (NMLS #2668541) with USA Mortgage.

Florida Hometown Heroes is a program of Florida Housing Finance Corporation. This article is general information, not an offer to lend, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Florida Housing. Program rules, limits, and funding change.

Leah Bieber, NMLS #2668541. Not an offer to lend. Subject to credit approval and additional terms apply. DAS Acquisition Company, LLC dba USA Mortgage NMLS #227262. Headquarters: 12140 Woodcrest Executive Drive, Suite 150, St. Louis, Missouri 63141, Toll Free: (888) 250-6522. For licensing information, go to: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. Interest rates and products are subject to change without notice and may or may not be available at the time of commitment or lock-in. DAS Acquisition Company, LLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government entity or agency, including USDA, HUD or VA.

Equal Housing Opportunity.