City of Tamarac First-Time Homebuyer Purchase Assistance Program

• How much: up to $85,000 toward the down payment and closing costs, based on household income. This is a 0% interest loan, not a cash gift; the city forgives part of it under specific conditions.
• Who: first-time homebuyers (neither you nor your spouse has owned a home in the last three years), within the city's household-income limits, buying a Tamarac home priced at $568,577 or less to live in.
• When and how: the city says it will invite eligible applicants to apply online starting Monday, November 2, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. The portal is not open to everyone. Complete one-on-one counseling first to receive the Neighborly application link. This announcement does not guarantee available funds for every applicant.
• What to do now: complete the eight-hour course and individual counseling, obtain lender preapproval, and begin your home search. The city gives priority to applications that are ready and complete, including a signed purchase contract.

The amount depends on annual household income before taxes and documented need. These are the dollar limits the city publishes, based on the area's typical household income (Area Median Income, or AMI):

Households above the 80% income level may qualify for a limited, case-by-case exception offering up to $40,000, but only up to the program's 120% income cap. The city says funds for this exception are limited. Its program page does not provide a dollar table for this exception or for households of five or more people; ask the Housing Division for the applicable limits. Limits can change annually.

It is a 0% interest, 15-year loan, recorded as a second mortgage behind your lender's that cannot be passed on to another buyer. Per the city's document, 50% is forgiven after the anniversary of the 14th year; it does not say what happens to the other 50% at the end of the term, so don't count on full forgiveness. The city also deducts a $2,000 processing fee from the assistance at closing.

The city may approve less than the maximum. Funding is not committed until the city issues an approval in writing.

• Your household income must fall within the applicable limits shown above or within an exception expressly allowed by the city.
• Neither you nor your spouse may own a home now or have owned one in the past three years. The city considers certain family circumstances case by case.
• No mortgage default within the past seven years.
• Married applicants apply with their legal spouse; an additional person cannot co-sign to help you qualify.
• Monetary assets over $40,000 make you ineligible under the published rules.
• The home must be in Tamarac, cost $568,577 or less, have no illegal conversions, and remain your primary residence, registered with the county as such (homestead) throughout the 15-year loan term.
• Identity documents: the city's checklist requests a photo ID, Social Security card and proof of citizenship for every household member, listing a U.S. birth certificate, naturalization certificate or passport. The list does not explain how permanent-resident documentation would be handled. If anyone in your household is not a U.S. citizen, ask the city's Housing Division before paying for classes or inspections. This document requirement alone does not establish the city's eligibility determination.

1. 1Complete an eight-hour homebuyer courseWith a federally approved housing counseling agency (HUD).
2. 2Complete one-on-one financial counselingThe city gives you the Neighborly application link after successful completion of the individual session. The city's recommended preparation providers are Oasis of Hope (click "Click Here to Register"; (954) 586-1283) and Housing Foundation of America ("Contact Us → Schedule Now → Pre-Purchase Home Buyer Counseling"; (954) 923-5001).
3. 3Apply online after you receive the linkThe city announced that eligible applicants will be invited to apply starting November 2, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. This is not an open public portal or a guarantee of available funds.
4. 4Submit a complete, ready fileThe city processes qualified, ready applications in arrival order. It verifies income, employment and assets and may recertify income before assistance is provided.
5. 5If approvedThe notice allows six months to purchase the home under the city's rules. Your lender must provide the city the Closing Disclosure at least 72 hours before closing; the city does not schedule Friday closings.

The applicant is the city's primary contact throughout the process: use a phone number and email you check regularly.

1. 1Course and one-on-one counselingThese are separate steps. Only the fee for one-on-one counseling, not the eight-hour course, counts toward your required 3% contribution under the cited program notes.
2. 2Lender preapproval letterShowing the maximum mortgage amount.
3. 3Signed purchase contractFor an eligible Tamarac home. The city requires the following two statements in the contract, word for word: "Purchase Contract Contingent Upon City Of Tamarac Housing Approval" and "The City Of Tamarac's Consultant Will Process Purchase Assistance Files. A Processing Fee Of $2,000 Will Be Deducted From The Purchase Assistance Amount At Closing". The first makes the contract conditional on city approval; the second identifies the $2,000 fee deducted from the assistance at closing. Ask whoever drafts your contract to include both before you sign.
4. 4At least 3% of the purchase priceFrom your own resources toward closing, with no cash back to you at closing.
5. 5A qualifying mortgage and homeFixed-rate first mortgage with a term of 30 years or less, no prepayment penalty; the monthly housing payment must not exceed 35% of income, nor combined monthly debts 45%; the home must pass the full inspection (roof, electrical, structural and plumbing) and the termite inspection; and the city must be listed on the home's insurance. Share the city's lender guidelines with your lender.
6. 6Supporting documentsIncluding tax returns, pay stubs, bank and retirement statements and the remaining items on the official checklist.

Before paying for anything, check whether you may qualify and confirm any uncertainty with the Tamarac Housing Division. A course, preapproval, or contract is not a promise of city assistance.

First, check household income and potential disqualifiers, especially liquid assets, identity-document requirements and the need to buy in Tamarac. Then arrange the course, individual counseling and lender preapproval. To have a ready application, you will need an eligible property and a purchase contract containing the exact city-required statements.

If you're comparing alternatives, the Umbralio assistance finder can help you explore other programs. The Down Payment Assistance Tracker provides observed program statuses with dates and official sources.

• Assistance is not guaranteed. The city commits only through written approval.
• While the loan is in place, the home must remain your primary residence. If you sell or rent it out, lose it to foreclosure, arrange a short sale (selling for less than you owe), take cash out of the property, or refinance contrary to the city's rules, you will have to repay the outstanding balance.
• Your application and supporting documents may become public records under Florida law (Chapter 119), as noted in the program documents.

• Current City of Tamarac program page: invitation access, process, price limits and contacts.
• Things Homebuyers Should Know — Rev 10/2026: awards, liquid assets, loan forgiveness, fee and obligations.
• Document Checklist — Rev 10/2026: paperwork and exact contract statements.
• One-on-one counseling instructions: agency contacts and registration.
• Eight-hour course providers — Rev 09/2026: course provider list.
• Lender guidelines — Rev 10/2026: mortgage, inspection and insurance rules.
• City grants and assistance directory: general program details.

Housing Division: housing@tamarac.gov · (954) 597-3549 · 7525 NW 88th Avenue, Tamarac, FL 33321.