Okeechobee County Housing Program: Hometown Heroes and Local Down Payment Help
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus Okeechobee County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $148,050.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › Okeechobee County
Buying your first home in Okeechobee County? If you hold an eligible job, the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program can cover part of your down payment and closing costs, and Okeechobee County runs its own local program alongside it.
Okeechobee County's income limit of $148,050 is shared with 30 other counties; 36 counties have a higher limit. Okeechobee County's FHA loan ceiling is $541,287; a first mortgage that size would draw $27,064 under the 5% rule.
Income limit (FHA / VA / HFA)
$148,050
Income limit (USDA)
$119,850
Max loan, FHA
$541,287
Max loan, HFA / VA
$832,750
Hometown Heroes help
5% of first mortgage, $10,000 to $35,000
County seat
Okeechobee
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 $148,050 limit: Bradford County, Calhoun County, Charlotte County, Citrus County and 26 more.
Hometown Heroes vs. the Okeechobee County housing program
Florida Hometown Heroes (state)
A 0% interest deferred second mortgage worth 5% of your first mortgage, with no monthly payment. It is not forgiven: you repay it when you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage or move out. Funding is first come, first served through approved lenders. Read the full Hometown Heroes guide.
Okeechobee County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Okeechobee County receives state SHIP money every year and decides locally how to spend it. Down payment and closing cost help is an approved use. Amounts, income caps and whether the help is forgivable are set in the county's Local Housing Assistance Plan, so they differ from Hometown Heroes.
Okeechobee County government website · Florida Housing SHIP local contacts
Some buyers use both; others qualify for only one. The lender checks layering rules before anything is reserved.
Eligible jobs for Okeechobee County buyers
Eligibility starts with your job: full-time work for a Florida-based employer in an approved occupation. Teachers and school staff (Okeechobee schools), sheriff's deputies and corrections staff (Okeechobee Sheriff), nurses, paramedics and childcare workers in Okeechobee County are among the eligible groups.
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 Okeechobee County
Hometown Heroes applies county-wide, from Okeechobee. The home must be your primary residence: single-family, townhome, eligible condo, or a 2 to 4 unit property where you live in one unit.
Parts of Okeechobee County fall inside USDA-eligible areas, so a USDA first mortgage (zero down) can be paired with Hometown Heroes for qualifying addresses. The USDA income limit here is $119,850.
Check property records and taxes with the Okeechobee County Property Appraiser.
Okeechobee County Hometown Heroes questions
What is the Hometown Heroes income limit in Okeechobee County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in Okeechobee County is $148,050 (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.
Do I have to pay back Hometown Heroes assistance in Okeechobee County?
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 Okeechobee County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Does Okeechobee County have its own down payment assistance program?
Yes. Every Florida county, including Okeechobee 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. Okeechobee County sets its own income caps, amounts and repayment terms in its Local Housing Assistance Plan, and funding windows vary.
What is the maximum Hometown Heroes assistance in Okeechobee County?
Assistance is 5% of your first mortgage amount, with a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $35,000. Okeechobee County's FHA loan ceiling is $541,287; a first mortgage that size would draw $27,064 under the 5% rule.
Who can help me apply for Hometown Heroes in Okeechobee 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 Okeechobee County limit, and whether Okeechobee 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 Okeechobee County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.