Why it matters
What the city does not publish weighs as much as what it does: two key facts are left to confirm with it before you sign anything.
The order of the steps
It is run by City of Deerfield Beach, Community Services – Housing and Grants Division. It provides up to $70,000 as a loan. It is a second loan on the home, on top of your bank loan: it has no interest and you pay it at the end. If you meet the conditions, it becomes a gift and you do not pay it back.
- 1Get your lender’s letterThis is the pre-approval: the letter in which the lender says how much it is willing to lend you. You need it when you apply. More on it in the pre-approval guide.
- 2Sign the purchase contractIt has to be for the home where you will live in Deerfield Beach: a house, condominium, townhouse or villa.
- 3Apply onlineWith the letter and the signed contract in hand. The money is limited and given out first come, first served.
What the city does not publish or clarify
- The maximum home price. The city does not publish it on its page. That does not mean any price works: it means the cap is not written down. Confirm it with the city before you sign and do not borrow the cap of another assistance.
- The real income limit. The city’s table stops at one income level, but the program text also mentions moderate income, so your household might be able to earn more than the table shows. The city confirms the limit.
What the city’s table shows, by how many people live in your household:
| People in your household | The most your household can earn per year |
|---|---|
| 1 | $71,000 |
| 2 | $81,150 |
| 3 | $91,300 |
| 4 | $101,400 |
| 5 | $109,550 |
| 6 or more | $117,650 |
And Broward County’s purchase assistance (Homebuyer Purchase Assistance, or HPA) does not count here either: its list hands out the money city by city and has no row for Deerfield Beach. It is not on record whether it gives anything in this city; do not count on it until your lender or the county confirms. How it works where it does appear is in the county assistance guide.
The programs, for your case. Answer the basics — where you want to buy, the price, how many live in the home and your income — and see which Miami-Dade and Broward programs could fit you, with their amount and whether they are open today.
I want to see my programsThe other assistance that applies here
Alongside the city’s assistance, and depending on what your lender accepts, the options include Florida Housing assistance (with Broward limits), Chenoa Fund and the county’s tax discount, which is not money (it changes what you pay in taxes each year). Only one state assistance fits. The tax discount cannot be combined with some state loans (the ones paid for with bonds), and it is not confirmed that Chenoa Fund can be added to the city’s assistance. That these layers exist does not mean your lender accepts all of them in the same loan: it confirms the final combination. How they combine is explained in the county assistance guide and, for the discount, in its guide. Which ones accept applications today is on the Down Payment Assistance Tracker.
| Program | Amount | Home price limit | Income limit, 1 person | Income limit, 4 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State interest-free loan for the down payment (FL Assist) · Broward | up to $10,000 as a loan for the down payment and the costs of the day you sign for the home | $697,889 | $126,800 | $145,820 |
| State down payment loan with a small monthly payment (FL HLP) · Broward | up to $12,500 as a loan for the down payment and the costs of the day you sign for the home | $697,889 | $126,800 | $145,820 |
| State help that is forgiven over 5 years (HFA Plus) · Broward | 3%, 4% or 5% of your bank loan, for the down payment and the costs of the day you sign for the home | Not published | $177,521 | $177,521 |
| State down payment loan for people who work in health care, schools, police and more (Hometown Heroes) · Broward | up to 5% of your bank loan, between $10,000 and $35,000, for the down payment and the costs of the day you sign for the home | Not published | $126,800 | $145,820 |
| Down payment assistance, mostly with the 3.5%-down loan (Chenoa Fund) | up to 5% of the home price, for the down payment | Not published | No limit published | No limit published |
| Tax discount on the interest of your home loan (Mortgage Credit Certificate) | not money for the down payment: each year you pay less in taxes, because they take 10% to 50% of the interest on your loan off your tax bill (up to $2,000 a year if that percentage is above 20%) | $679,324 | $126,800 | $145,820 |
For HFA Plus the home has no maximum price (that is why its cell says “Not published”); what has a cap is the bank loan, which cannot be over $832,750. For Hometown Heroes, the price cap depends on the type of loan: its guide explains it.
Official sources
We help you get your papers ready for this assistance.
Lender, agent and contract have to go in the order the city asks for. Leave us your number and we take care of it with you: lining up the steps in that order.
The terms of a public program can change without notice: always confirm with the city, the county or your lender before applying. This guide orients you, it does not advise you.
Whenever you want to move ahead, we handle it with you.