Down payment assistance in North Miami: two city programs that are not the same
Nelson Paredes · REALTOR® · One Stop Realty Center Inc
Updated October 20, 2026
Two different funds
They are not one: SHIP uses state funds and HOME uses federal funds. That is why the maximum home price, the maximum income and the time it takes to forgive the loan all change.
The table below shows what changes between one and the other.
Figures verified October 17, 2026 on the city’s official page, which presents SHIP and HOME together. A specific home’s city is confirmed only by its Property Appraiser record.
The city presents them on the same page and processes them with the same application.
Both are city loans for first-time buyers. Here is what changes between one and the other:
What changes SHIP (state funds) HOME (federal funds) Amount up to $40,000 as a loan the city decides based on what you can afford; in 2024 it gave up to $40,000 How it is repaid It is a loan with no interest and you pay nothing each month. Each year a part of it is forgiven, for 7 years. It is a loan with no interest and you pay nothing each month. It is forgiven over a period of up to 15 years. Maximum home price $460,000 $370,000 Maximum income, 1 person $114,480 $76,300 Maximum income, 4 people $163,440 $109,000 With the same income you can get into SHIP and not HOME, because HOME’s income limit is lower. And a home within SHIP’s maximum price can go over HOME’s. The city decides the fund based on your case: ask it to tell you which of the two it is processing for you, and under which limits.
The city’s papers disagree on two points. For HOME, its page puts the maximum price at $370,000 and its application puts it at $415,000. For SHIP, a 2024 document allowed a higher income limit than the city’s 2026 to 2029 plan. The table uses the lower figure in both cases: count on it until the city confirms which one is right.
What the two ask of you is similar: a homebuyer workshop approved by the federal government, having the means to cover part of the price, and staying under a savings limit. The details, and what each one still has to confirm, are in each one’s guide: SHIP and HOME.
They are two different cities, with two different governments. This page covers North Miami only. A home in North Miami Beach does not fit these programs, and Umbralio’s list of assistance does not include programs of that city’s own.
The name on the envelope does not decide it either. Around North Miami there are county areas that belong to no city (unincorporated areas) and use "North Miami" as their mailing address. It is confirmed with the exact address, at the Property Appraiser (the county office that values properties). The step-by-step is in the guide to a property’s real city.
If the home is outside the city, you lose only what belongs to the city. As far as their official pages say (confirm with each administrator), the county’s still work (the guide to down payment assistance in Miami-Dade explains them), and so do the state’s (FL Assist, FL HLP, HFA Plus and Hometown Heroes) and Chenoa Fund. If the home is in the City of Miami or in Miami Gardens, those are other cities with assistance of their own: see the City of Miami and Miami Gardens.
Another program, from the area agency (CRA). The program of the agency (CRA) that improves one area of North Miami is neither SHIP nor HOME. It only works inside that area and asks for a minimum income as well as a maximum. Confirm with the agency whether it still has funds before counting on it. Its rules are in its official document.
- 1Confirm the home’s cityWith the exact address: North Miami, not North Miami Beach or an unincorporated area.Check the property
- 2Get your income and target price clearThe limits for SHIP and HOME are different. Compare yours with the table above and with the income limit tables for Miami-Dade.
- 3Prepare what both ask forThe homebuyer workshop, the means to cover part of the price, and your savings under the limit. The details are in each one’s guide.
- 4Let the search tool sort the programs for youAnswer a few questions in the assistance search and you will see which ones fit your case. The Down Payment Assistance Tracker shows which ones are taking applications today, with the date of the check.See which programs could fit
We help you find out which of the two funds fits you.
With different price and income limits, it pays to get to the city with your numbers clear. Leave us your number and we take care of it with you.
The terms of a public program can change without notice: confirm with the City of North Miami before applying for any of them. This guide orients you, it does not advise you.
