Down Payment Assistance in Martin County: Hometown Heroes and the County Program
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus Martin County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $153,600.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › Martin County
If you work in healthcare, education, public safety or the military and want to buy in Martin County, two separate pots of down payment help can apply to you: the statewide Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program and Martin County's own locally run housing assistance.
Martin County's income limit of $153,600 is shared with 1 other county; 25 counties have a higher limit. Run the numbers at the Martin County FHA limit ($603,750) and Hometown Heroes would provide $30,187.
Income limit (FHA / VA / HFA)
$153,600
Income limit (USDA)
$119,850
Max loan, FHA
$603,750
Max loan, HFA / VA
$832,750
Hometown Heroes help
5% of first mortgage, $10,000 to $35,000
County seat
Stuart
Income limits: TBA funding option, effective May 6, 2026. Loan limits effective Jan 2, 2026. Source: Florida Housing Finance Corporation Hometown Heroes lender guide. Bond-funded limits may differ.
Same $153,600 limit: St. Lucie County.
State help and county help in Martin County: how they differ
Florida Hometown Heroes (state)
Florida Housing lends you 5% of your first mortgage (between $10,000 and $35,000) as a silent second mortgage at 0%. Nothing is due monthly, and it adds nothing to your debt-to-income ratio, but the full amount comes due on sale, refinance or payoff. Read the full Hometown Heroes guide.
Martin County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Each year Florida sends Martin County a share of State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funds, at least $350,000. The county's housing office writes its own Local Housing Assistance Plan, which sets who qualifies, how much is offered and whether that help is forgiven over time.
Martin County government website · Florida Housing SHIP local contacts
Stacking state and county help is sometimes possible and sometimes not. That is decided case by case before you reserve funds.
Who qualifies in Martin County
Hometown Heroes is for full-time employees of Florida-based employers in eligible occupations. In Martin County, that includes staff of the Martin County school district and deputies and detention staff at the Martin County Sheriff's Office, along with hospital, fire rescue and licensed childcare workers.
We have dedicated mortgage guides for many of these jobs:
- Healthcare: mortgage options for physicians and doctors
- Healthcare: mortgage options for nurses and medical professionals
- Public safety: mortgage options for corrections officers
- Public safety: mortgage options for police officers
- First responders: mortgage options for firefighters
- First responders: mortgage options for EMTs and paramedics
- Education: mortgage options for teachers and school staff
- Military: mortgage options for active-duty military and veterans
Where you can use it in Martin County
Any part of Martin County works, including Stuart, Hobe Sound, Indiantown, Jensen Beach, Palm City, Port Salerno, as long as you live in the home. Single-family houses, townhomes, approved condos and 2 to 4 unit buildings (you occupy one unit) are all eligible.
Some Martin County addresses are USDA-eligible. There, a zero-down USDA loan plus Hometown Heroes can cover most of the cash needed at closing, with a $119,850 USDA income limit.
Check property records and taxes with the Martin County Property Appraiser.
Martin County housing news
- Florida fair officials start construction on new home in Martin County (Treasure Coast News, Oct 5, 2026)
- Martin County rejected a plan for homes, a new state law offers another route (WPEC, Sep 29, 2026)
- Gubernatorial Candidate Byron Donalds talks costs, insurance at Martin County roundtable (WPEC, Sep 23, 2026)
Updated Oct 6, 2026.
Martin County Hometown Heroes questions
How much can I earn and still qualify for Hometown Heroes in Martin County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in Martin County is $153,600 (TBA funding, effective May 6, 2026). For USDA loans it is $119,850. Under the TBA option, only the income of borrowers on the loan is counted, not the whole household.
Is Hometown Heroes in Martin County a grant?
It is not a grant. Hometown Heroes is a 0% interest, deferred second mortgage with no monthly payment. It is repaid in full on sale, transfer of deed, satisfaction of first mortgage, refinance of first mortgage, or if the home stops being your primary residence. Local programs funded through Martin County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Is there a Martin County housing program separate from Hometown Heroes?
Yes. Every Florida county, including Martin County, receives state SHIP (State Housing Initiatives Partnership) funds, a minimum of $350,000 a year, and can use them for down payment and closing cost help. Martin County sets its own income caps, amounts and repayment terms in its Local Housing Assistance Plan, and funding windows vary.
How much Hometown Heroes help can I get buying in Stuart or elsewhere in Martin County?
Assistance is 5% of your first mortgage amount, with a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $35,000. Run the numbers at the Martin County FHA limit ($603,750) and Hometown Heroes would provide $30,187.
How do I start a Hometown Heroes application in Martin County?
Hometown Heroes is reserved through Florida Housing–approved participating lenders, first come, first served. Stairway Mortgage (Jim Blackburn, NMLS #1072866) can review your occupation, income against the Martin County limit, and whether Martin County's local program fits alongside it.
Jim Blackburn, NMLS #1072866 · Stairway Mortgage. Program terms, limits and funding availability are set by Florida Housing Finance Corporation and Martin County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.