Down Payment Assistance in Wakulla County: Hometown Heroes and the County Program
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus Wakulla County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $150,600.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › Wakulla County
Buying your first home in Wakulla County? If you hold an eligible job, the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program can cover part of your down payment and closing costs, and Wakulla County runs its own local program alongside it.
Wakulla County's income limit of $150,600 ranks 30 of 67 Florida counties. Wakulla 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)
$150,600
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
Crawfordville
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.
Hometown Heroes vs. the Wakulla 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.
Wakulla County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Wakulla 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.
Wakulla 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 Wakulla County buyers
Eligibility starts with your job: full-time work for a Florida-based employer in an approved occupation. Teachers and school staff (Wakulla schools), sheriff's deputies and corrections staff (Wakulla Sheriff), nurses, paramedics and childcare workers in Wakulla 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 Wakulla County
Hometown Heroes applies county-wide, from Crawfordville to Panacea, Saint Marks, Sopchoppy. 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.
Some Wakulla 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 Wakulla County Property Appraiser.
Wakulla County housing news
- Wakulla County homeowner raises flooding concerns as development grows around her (wtwcfox, Oct 3, 2026)
- Duke Energy grants $326,500 to boost Florida's economy (Duke Energy | News Center, Sep 30, 2026)
- Wakulla County confronts flooding concern — but state law blocks tougher local rules (wtwcfox, Sep 21, 2026)
Updated Oct 6, 2026.
Wakulla County Hometown Heroes questions
How much can I earn and still qualify for Hometown Heroes in Wakulla County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in Wakulla County is $150,600 (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 Wakulla 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 Wakulla County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Is there a Wakulla County housing program separate from Hometown Heroes?
Yes. Every Florida county, including Wakulla 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. Wakulla 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 Crawfordville or elsewhere in Wakulla County?
Assistance is 5% of your first mortgage amount, with a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $35,000. Wakulla County's FHA loan ceiling is $541,287; a first mortgage that size would draw $27,064 under the 5% rule.
How do I start a Hometown Heroes application in Wakulla 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 Wakulla County limit, and whether Wakulla 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 Wakulla County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.