Home Loan Programs Across Central Florida
What we finance, in one line each. Which one fits depends on credit, income, the property and your plans — so the next step is a short conversation, not a calculator.
No rates appear on this page. They change daily and depend on the file, so Wendy quotes them personally.
Buying a home
Fixed-Rate Conventional
A rate and a principal-and-interest payment that stay the same for the life of the loan.
Fits: Established credit, and anyone comparing against FHA.
Ask about Fixed-Rate Conventional →FHA Loans
Insured by the Federal Housing Administration, with more flexible credit guidelines and a lower down payment than many conventional options. Mortgage insurance applies.
Fits: First-time buyers and buyers rebuilding credit.
Ask about FHA Loans →VA Loans
Guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for eligible veterans, service members and certain surviving spouses — no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance for those who qualify.
Fits: Veterans anywhere in Central Florida.
Ask about VA Loans →USDA Rural Development
No-down-payment financing for eligible buyers in USDA-designated rural areas. Income limits and property location rules apply.
Fits: Sumterville and rural Lake and Sumter County.
Ask about USDA Rural Development →Jumbo Loans
For loan amounts above the conforming limits, with closer review of reserves, credit and documentation.
Fits: Lakefront and higher-value Central Florida homes.
Ask about Jumbo Loans →First-Time Buyer & Down Payment Assistance
Programs that make a first purchase easier, including Florida Housing assistance such as Hometown Heroes for eligible workers. Funding and rules change.
Fits: Renters ready to buy; teachers, nurses, first responders.
Ask about First-Time Buyer & Down Payment Assistance →Low Down Payment Options
Conventional and government programs allowing a smaller down payment, often with gift funds from family permitted.
Fits: Buyers who would rather not drain savings.
Ask about Low Down Payment Options →Seller-Paid Buydowns
A seller or builder pays to temporarily reduce the rate early in the loan. We show how it compares to a price reduction.
Fits: New-construction buyers in Apopka and The Villages.
Ask about Seller-Paid Buydowns →Construction Loans
Finance a build on land you own or are buying, with draws to the builder and a permanent mortgage at completion.
Fits: Building on acreage in Lake and Sumter County.
Ask about Construction Loans →Rehab & Renovation
Roll repairs or improvements into one purchase or refinance loan, based on the home's value after the work.
Fits: Older Mount Dora and Eustis homes.
Ask about Rehab & Renovation →Refinancing
Rate & Term Refinance
Replace the current mortgage to change the rate or term, remove mortgage insurance, or move off an adjustable rate.
Fits: Homeowners whose credit or equity has improved.
Ask about Rate & Term Refinance →Cash-Out Refinance
Refinance for more than is owed and take the difference in cash, subject to equity and program limits.
Fits: Consolidating debt or funding a renovation.
Ask about Cash-Out Refinance →VA Refinancing (IRRRL)
Streamlined refinancing of an existing VA loan with reduced documentation; VA cash-out options are also available.
Fits: Veterans who bought when rates were higher.
Ask about VA Refinancing →HELOC
A revolving line of credit secured by the home and drawn as needed, without touching the first mortgage.
Fits: Homeowners with a first mortgage worth keeping.
Ask about HELOC →Self-employed & investors
Bank Statement Program
Qualify on business or personal bank deposits instead of tax returns.
Fits: Business owners whose returns understate income.
Ask about Bank Statement Program →Non-QM Loans
Alternative documentation and more flexible guidelines than conventional loans — asset depletion, recent credit events, interest-only options.
Fits: Strong finances that fall outside a standard box.
Ask about Non-QM Loans →DSCR Investor Loans
Qualify on the property's rental income rather than personal tax returns.
Fits: Landlords building a Central Florida portfolio.
Ask about DSCR Investor Loans →Investment Property
Conventional and specialty financing for rentals, from a first duplex to a growing portfolio.
Fits: First-time and experienced investors.
Ask about Investment Property →Homeowners 62 and older
Reverse Mortgage (HECM)
Converts part of a home's equity into funds with no required monthly principal-and-interest payment while the borrower lives there and keeps up taxes, insurance and maintenance. It can also be used to buy a home. HUD-approved counseling is required.
Fits: Retirees weighing cash flow, downsizing or aging in place.
Ask about Reverse Mortgage →The fine print. These are general summaries, not offers of credit. Eligibility, terms, mortgage insurance, fees and availability depend on credit, income, assets, the property and current program guidelines, which change without notice. FHA, VA and USDA programs are administered by federal agencies; Florida Hometown Heroes is a program of Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Hartford Funding, Ltd. is a participating lender, not a government agency. Not all applicants will qualify.
Not sure which one fits?
That is the job. Describe the situation and Wendy will narrow it to the two or three worth comparing.