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Get Matched Free →Miami-Dade County Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program
About the Miami-Dade County Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program
The Miami-Dade County Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program lends first-time buyers up to $35,000 at 0% interest with no monthly payments. It is run by Miami-Dade County Housing and Community Development, and the loan stays deferred for up to 30 years. It is the county's smaller companion to its Homebuyer Loan Program, which lends up to $100,000 but charges 1% to 2% interest instead of 0%.
To qualify, household income must fall below the limits listed on the program page: $95,620 for one person, $109,200 for two, $122,920 for three and $136,500 for four. The county's FY 2025 income chart for its other homebuyer loans runs higher, so confirm current figures with the program office before you rule yourself out. You must be a first-time buyer, meaning no ownership of a principal residence in the three years before purchase. Exceptions cover single parents who owned only with a former spouse, owners of a home not on a permanent foundation, and owners of a property that cannot be brought to code for less than the cost of rebuilding. You must live in Miami-Dade County at application and at closing. The rule that surprises buyers is the required 1% contribution from your own funds.
The loan carries no interest, and the principal is due at sale, transfer of title, refinance, death or the end of the 30-year term. Sell within three years and the county also takes 100% of your resale profit, then 50% in years four to six, and nothing after year six. By comparison, HFA Miami-Dade offers up to $15,000 as a deferred 0% second mortgage, and Florida Hometown Heroes offers $10,000 to $35,000 but only to eligible full-time workers.
How much assistance
Eligibility
- Income limits: Income must be below: 1 person $95,620; 2 persons $109,200; 3 persons $122,920; 4 persons $136,500 (per program page). The County's FY 2025 income chart lists higher figures; confirm current limits with Housing and Community Development (786-469-4100).
- First-time buyer required: Yes — No ownership of a principal residence during the 3 years ending on the purchase date. Exceptions: a single parent who owned only with a former spouse while married; an owner of a home not permanently affixed to a foundation; an owner of a property that cannot be brought into code compliance for less than the cost of constructing a permanent structure.
- Geographic restrictions: Must be a Miami-Dade County resident at time of application and loan closing.
- Homebuyer education required: Yes
How to Apply for Miami-Dade County Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program
Step 1: Check income and first-time buyer status
Compare your household income with the limits on the program page at miamidade.gov/global/housing/downpayment-assistance.page, which run from $95,620 for one person to $136,500 for four. Then confirm you have not owned a principal residence in the past three years, or that one of the county's exceptions applies. You must already live in Miami-Dade County when you apply. If your income sits near a limit, call 786-469-2209 to confirm the current figures.
Step 2: Complete HUD-approved counseling and education
Before closing, you must receive counseling from a HUD-certified agency and finish an approved homebuyer education course. The county posts its list of HUD-approved counseling agencies as a PDF linked from the program page. Classes cover choosing a realtor, selecting a home, mortgage qualification including county programs, home inspections, purchase contracts, credit and home maintenance. Keep your completion certificate, since you will need it for your loan file.
Step 3: Save your 1% contribution and documents
Set aside 1% of your target price from your own funds, for example $4,300 on a $430,000 home. Gather two years of tax returns and W-2s, recent pay stubs, two months of bank statements and a government-issued ID. Your file also needs proof of Miami-Dade residency, since the county checks that you live in the county at application and again at closing. Missing documents are the most common cause of delay.
Step 4: Get a fixed-rate first mortgage commitment
The county only pairs its assistance with fixed-rate first mortgages, and the combined loan-to-value of every mortgage plus the assistance cannot exceed 105% of the price. For a stand-alone purchase, your first mortgage lender does not need to be county-approved, but it must issue a commitment letter that goes in with your completed loan package. The lender's underwriting sets how much of the $35,000 you receive.
Step 5: Find a home and sign a contract
The home must become your principal residence. Estimated median prices in the county run from about $340,000 in Country Club to $680,000 in Westchester, so $35,000 closes more of the gap in areas like Homestead, where the median is about $430,000. Build extra time into the contract's financing deadline, since a county second mortgage adds a separate approval on top of your lender's underwriting.
Step 6: Submit the loan package and close
Your lender sends the completed loan package, commitment letter and counseling certificate to the county for review. For status questions or missing items, contact program contact Shawn Topps at 786-469-2209 or the department's main line at 786-469-4100. At closing you sign the county's 0% deferred note, and the resale profit-sharing rules apply for the first six years you own the home.
Real Cost Example
On a $430,000 home in Homestead, near the city's estimated median price, the buyer must bring 1% of the price, or $4,300, from their own savings. If the lender approves a fixed-rate first mortgage of $391,000, the remaining $34,700 can come from the county's 0% deferred loan, just under the $35,000 cap. The two loans total $425,700, or 99% of the price, under the county's 105% combined limit.
Estimated closing costs in Homestead run $8,500 to $13,000, so total cash to close would be about $12,800 to $17,300 including the $4,300 contribution. On an FHA first mortgage, the seller can contribute up to 6% of the price, or $25,800, toward buyer costs. A buyer who negotiates seller-paid closing costs could close with little more than the required 1%.
A buyer who uses an HFA Miami-Dade first mortgage can add its deferred 0% second mortgage of up to $15,000, which HFA says may be used with other community assistance programs. Combined with the county's $34,700, that is $49,700 in assistance. Total financing would reach $440,700, or 102.5% of the price, still under the 105% cap. Confirm the layering with both offices first.
Combining With Other Programs
The county's assistance can sit behind an HFA Miami-Dade first mortgage, which adds a deferred 0% second mortgage of up to $15,000. HFA says its down payment funds may be used with other community assistance programs, and its office is at 305-594-2518. Florida Hometown Heroes offers 5% of the first mortgage, from $10,000 to $35,000, for eligible full-time workers, so ask your lender whether it can be layered. Buyers inside city limits should also check their city's own program, such as Hialeah or City of Miami assistance.
Every layer counts toward the county's 105% combined loan-to-value cap, so stacking stops once total mortgages and assistance reach 105% of the price. The program page does not say whether this loan can be combined with the county's larger Homebuyer Loan Program, which lends up to $100,000 at 1% or $80,000 at 2%. Ask Shawn Topps at 786-469-2209, or call Housing and Community Development at 786-469-4100, before you count on both.
Seller concessions are the other main lever. FHA allows sellers to pay up to 6% of the price toward buyer costs, which is $25,800 on a $430,000 Homestead home. Gift funds from family can cover closing costs on most loan types, though the county requires the 1% down payment contribution to come from your own funds.
Pros and Cons
The biggest advantage is cost. The county charges 0% interest and requires no monthly payment, so up to $35,000 adds nothing to your monthly housing bill. The loan can stay deferred for up to 30 years, and the profit-sharing clause ends after year six. The 105% combined loan-to-value cap leaves room to layer HFA Miami-Dade's $15,000 second mortgage on top. You also do not need a county-approved lender for a stand-alone purchase, so you can shop rates widely. Compared with the county's Homebuyer Loan Program at 1% to 2% interest, this loan costs nothing to carry.
The biggest limitation is that the loan is never forgiven. You repay the full principal when you sell, refinance or transfer the home, and selling within three years hands the county 100% of your profit, then 50% through year six. The income limits on the program page, $136,500 for a family of four, sit below the county's FY 2025 chart, and the page lists no limits for households larger than four. The 1% own-funds rule and the fixed-rate requirement also narrow options. Higher earners should compare HFA Miami-Dade's $15,000 second mortgage or Florida Hometown Heroes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much down payment assistance does Miami-Dade County give?+−
Is Miami-Dade down payment assistance a grant?+−
What are the income limits for Miami-Dade down payment assistance?+−
Do I have to be a first-time homebuyer for Miami-Dade County assistance?+−
Can I combine Miami-Dade County assistance with HFA Miami-Dade?+−
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Program details last verified: October 18, 2026