Start with the program name and the current funding notice. County purchase assistance, a matching-funds pilot and lender-delivered assistance have different rules. A published maximum is not an approval, a reservation of funds or proof that applications are open.
Call Brian: 561-201-4717 Hablamos Español : Lucy: 561-285-8809As of October 27, 2026, the County HOME page marks its July 2025 round closed, and the Homebuyer Match Pilot page also marks applications closed. Confirm any new county purchase-assistance intake directly with HED. Use HED's current notice and a lender's written terms to confirm the route, amount and availability before relying on assistance in a purchase plan.
Before touring homes, put three things side by side: your lender's budget, the assistance program's current notice and the cash you can bring to closing. They answer different questions. A lender may approve a mortgage while the assistance program still needs to review the household, property and available funding. This guide compares the routes and preparation; our SHIP purchase-assistance guide provides the focused SHIP discussion.
Compare the assistance routes before comparing dollar amounts
County HOME: the published July 2025 round is closed
The County HOME First-Time Homebuyer page shows a July 23 to August 20, 2025 application window, capped at 100 applications, and now states that the limit was reached and the portal closed. That notice offered up to $100,000. Its dates, income table and purchase-price limit belong to that round; do not treat them as an October 2026 invitation or current eligibility table.
SHIP purchase assistance: plan ceiling versus an award
The County September 15, 2026 agenda attachment for the FY2025-26 through FY2027-28 SHIP plan lists a purchase-assistance maximum of $105,000 including project delivery costs, serving very-low-, low- and moderate-income categories. That is a strategy ceiling, not $105,000 promised to a buyer. Obtain the operative funding notice, current amendments and award calculation from HED. The County's general program overview still describes up to $100,000, another reason to resolve the current terms directly rather than choosing the larger number.
Homebuyer Match Pilot: a separate, closed 2026 window
The Match Pilot notice describes up to $50,000 as a dollar-for-dollar match, a minimum $10,000 buyer contribution and a $700,000 purchase-price ceiling. Its March 30 to April 20, 2026 pre-application window used random selection for 60 applications; the page now says applications closed. Matching funds are not the same product as HOME or a SHIP purchase-assistance award. Ask HED whether a later round has been announced.
Housing Finance Authority: ask participating lenders
The Palm Beach County Housing Finance Authority describes lender-delivered mortgage products with down-payment and closing-cost assistance. Its page lists an Own a Home Opportunity soft second of up to $17,500 at 0% interest, due on sale, refinancing or in 30 years. A separate grant product is also described. Ask a participating lender for the current product sheet, rate, eligibility, funding and repayment terms; the webpage alone does not reserve an allocation.
These are separate paths. Do not add their advertised maximums together or assume two programs can be combined. Ask both administrators and the lender whether the proposed combination is permitted and what the final loan documents require.
Eligibility: build the checklist for the specific program
- First-time status: ask for the exact definition and exceptions. Prior homeownership, a spouse's history and ownership of another property may affect the answer. A generic three-year shorthand is not a complete eligibility decision.
- Household income and assets: obtain the current table for your household size and the program's rules for counting household members, earnings, benefits and assets. Do not reuse a 2025 dollar limit for a later funding round.
- Lender review: the County's required-documents page marks first-mortgage pre-approval mandatory. That letter does not establish county approval or replace the lender's remaining underwriting conditions.
- Property review: confirm the eligible location, legal property type, purchase-price cap, occupancy requirement and inspection or repair standards for the particular program. A listing below a headline price cap does not establish that the home qualifies.
- Education and orientation: check the active notice and checklist. The County checklist includes homebuyer-education certification. Do not assume every program has the same orientation requirement: the closed HOME and Match Pilot notices describe pre-application orientation as optional or encouraged.
Ask the lender and program administrator to identify any unresolved condition before you make the purchase dependent on assistance. If a household is eligible but the property is not, or funding is unavailable, the transaction still needs another workable plan.
Read the funding window and selection method carefully
- Identify the exact program and dated notice. Start at HED's funding-opportunities index, then read the actual linked notice. A link in an index can remain after a program window closes.
- Confirm whether intake is open for that program. Ask HED about the current purchase-assistance window, funding and applicant cap. A rehabilitation notice for an existing homeowner does not establish a first-time-buyer purchase opening.
- Check the selection process. The closed 2025 HOME notice used a first-submitted, first-qualified process; the closed 2026 Match Pilot notice used random selection. Do not assume speed alone determines every program's results.
- Follow the actual submission instructions. Confirm required documents, education, any orientation, deadline, portal and follow-up requests. Keep your submission confirmation and a copy of what you provided.
- Resolve the award and closing conditions. Ask who approves the household and home, when funds are reserved, what documents must be signed and whether the planned closing date works. Application receipt, selection and final approval are different steps.
Check status again when you are ready to submit and before relying on the award in a contract. A budget allocation or multi-year plan supports a program strategy; it is not a personal commitment of funds.
Prepare a file and a realistic purchase budget
- Start the lender conversation. Request a mortgage budget with and without the assistance under discussion. Ask about credit, debt, down payment, closing costs and remaining conditions.
- Organize household records. Use the current checklist to gather identification, income and benefit evidence, account information, tax records and education certificates. Requirements may differ for self-employed or non-working household members.
- Keep records current. Ask which documents expire and how to send updates securely. Give sensitive records to the authorized lender or program channel, rather than placing them in a public inquiry.
- Compare the full cost of ownership. Add property taxes, insurance, association charges, utilities and a maintenance reserve to the mortgage payment. Ask for an insurance quote on the actual home and review association costs and assessments.
- Review the assistance documents. Ask about interest, monthly payments, loan term, forgiveness conditions, liens and what happens on sale, refinancing, rental, a move or default. Do not treat the word deferred as a promise that repayment can never be required.
Choose a manageable payment and cash reserve first. The largest advertised assistance amount may not be the most useful route if its timing, property limits or long-term obligations do not fit your purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are County homebuyer applications open now?+
Does the SHIP plan promise a $105,000 award?+
Is all homebuyer assistance a grant?+
Does mortgage pre-approval mean assistance is approved?+
Are applications always first come, first served?+
Can I combine the maximum amounts from several programs?+
Status checked October 27, 2026: the HOME and Match Pilot pages described above show closed windows. For a new County purchase-assistance window, request a current dated notice from HED. This is not a claim that all housing programs are closed or that funding is exhausted. Confirm the specific program directly with HED; a general portal or funding-index label does not override a dated program notice.
Official contacts and the next useful questions
Palm Beach County Department of Housing and Economic Development
Mortgage and Housing Investments Division
100 Australian Avenue, 5th Floor, West Palm Beach, FL 33406
561-233-3600 | HEDVerify@pbc.gov
Ask: Which purchase program has a current intake? Which notice and household-size table apply? What is the required cash contribution? How is the award calculated? What are the selection method, education and property requirements? What repayment terms will be recorded?
Use the County's current accessibility instructions if you need help with the application process. For lender-delivered HFA products, use the participating-lender route linked from the Authority's site.
If you currently own a home, resolve that before planning the next purchase
Tell the lender and program administrator about current ownership and any planned sale. A sale does not automatically establish first-time-buyer eligibility. If you need a coordinated sale and purchase, start with a home valuation and a timeline that accounts for both transactions. Do not assume assistance will cover a gap between closings.
Build the purchase plan before relying on an award
Tell Brian your target area, timing and the program you are discussing with your lender. We can organize the home search and property questions around the written requirements, while the lender and program administrator make their own eligibility and funding decisions.
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Book a 15-minute buyer discovery call | Palm Beach County buying resources
Brian Wilder | Wilder Real Estate Group at Keller Williams Realty
561-201-4717 | Brian@WilderREG.com
Spanish: Lucy Lopez 561-285-8809
1,500+ homes sold. Investing in Palm Beach County real estate since 1996, licensed agent since 1998.
Sources checked October 27, 2026: County HED program notices, funding index and required-documents page; the County's published SHIP plan attachment; County Housing Finance Authority. Historic program dates and amounts are identified above. Confirm current written program and lender terms before committing. Equal Housing Opportunity.