First-Time Homebuyer Guide (Jacksonville / St. Johns County)

The SHIP program offers down payment help for first time buyers purchasing a primary residence in St. Johns County, though the purchase price cannot exceed $400,000 and applicants must have lived or worked locally for at least 12 months.

Teachers, nurses, first responders, and other frontline workers in St. Johns County and greater Jacksonville can receive up to $35,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance through this statewide program, at 0% interest with no monthly payments.

Jacksonville's Head Start to Homeownership program offers up to $25,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance for first time buyers purchasing in Duval County, structured as a 0% interest second mortgage.

Most St. Johns County and Jacksonville assistance programs require applicants to complete a HUD certified Homebuyer Education class before closing, typically a short online course.

St. Johns Housing Partnership offers HUD certified counselors who help buyers navigate down payment assistance options like Florida Bond, HOP, and SHIP, especially useful for buyers who've had bumps in their credit history.

FHA loans remain one of the most common paths into homeownership for first time buyers in the Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra Beach area, generally requiring lower down payments than conventional financing.

Veterans buying in St. Johns County can combine a zero down VA loan with Hometown Heroes assistance to cover closing costs, sometimes resulting in little to no out of pocket cost at closing.

Most Jacksonville and St. Johns County assistance programs define a first time buyer as someone who hasn't owned a home in the past three years, not necessarily someone who has never owned one at all.