The Hometown Heroes housing program was implemented by Governor Ron DeSantis to help Florida workers afford the cost of buying a home. Depending on your profession and employment status, it could potentially help you.
As the cost of living in Florida grows higher, the program seeks to encourage residents to buy a primary residence in the communities where they work.
The program provides funding to help with a down payment and closing costs for first-time buyers.
Recipients can get up to 5% of the first mortgage loan amount for their down payment and closing costs.
Down payment and closing cost assistance is available in the form of a 0%, non-amortizing, 30-year deferred second mortgage.
The second mortgage is due when the house is sold, if the first mortgage is refinanced or paid off, or the deed is transferred.
The program can also offer lower interest rates for first mortgage loans.
When the program was first implemented in 2022, the maximum amount of assistance that could be granted was $25,000.
The amount increased to $35,000 for the 2023-4 fiscal year.
If you meet these criteria, you might be eligible to receive assistance through Hometown Heroes:
- Minimum credit score of 640
- Employed 35+ hours/week in the state of Florida
- You’re an educator, veteran, physician, etc. Click here to view the full list of eligible occupations.
- First-time buyer
- Annual income is less than your county threshold. Click here to what your county’s income limit is.
- Maximum debt-to-income ratio is less than 50 percent
[ad_2]
Source link
Meta has been through the wringer in recent months. Plummeting revenues have led to thousands of job losses, while just this week the tech giant was fined a record $1.3 billion for data misuse. Now, ad buyers are reporting ongoing problems with Meta ads manager.
Unfortunately, these problems with Meta ads manager are nothing new. Last month, an error in Meta’s advertising system resulted in a huge overspend on a number of accounts.
According to some Meta ad buyers, their CMPs had skyrocketed by as much as 500% in just a 24-hour period, while performance metrics remained unchanged. Many marketers reported that this inadvertent spending had sent them well over budget.
Digital businesses rely on Meta for advertising and promotion, so an error like this was incredibly serious and will have damaged the relationship between Meta and ad buyers. The company acted quickly, assuring brands that the issue had been addressed and rectified.
However, it would appear that problems with Meta ads manager haven’t gone away. As social media tech expert David Herrmann explained on Twitter, issues have been ongoing for the past month, with Meta support staff seemingly clueless as to the cause of the problems and unable to offer advice for affected users.
HubSpot expert Chris Strom also detailed on Twitter that the problems with Meta were so severe that he has started running Google advertisements for clients instead.
What this clearly indicates is that the Meta ad problems are far from over. The company needs to get a handle on the situation quickly to mitigate the damage and salvage its reputation.
In other news, The Washington Post has reported that Meta employees are concerned that the company’s significant downsizing in recent months could impact user safety.
More layoffs are expected to take place this week, with staff citing concerns that a depleted workforce could make it more difficult to tackle misinformation and harmful content posted across Meta’s various social platforms.
The Facebook and Instagram parent has come under fire in recent years for failing to properly safeguard users, and it seems this issue is likely to go unaddressed as the company continues to strip back its workforce in an attempt to revive floundering revenue.
[ad_2]
Source link
With interest rates soaring, finding a house is more complicated than ever for first-time buyers.
But some states offer more realistic deals than others for those looking to invest in a little slice of the American Dream.
Moneywise, a financial website, ranked all 50 states based on the median price for houses in each state as provided by Zillow and the average down payment percentage of 13% according to the National Association of Realtors.
Their findings? For one, it might be called the Aloha State, but Hawaii is not very welcoming when it comes to buying a home.
First-time home buyers in Hawaii must shell out an average down payment of $110,360.38 to secure a home, making it the most expensive state for first-home buyers. With limited land for development and burdensome regulations, Hawaii’s median home value is a tsunami of $848,926.
If the surf and sand minus the tasty waves are what you’re looking for, you might want to consider a state like Mississippi, where the average home goes for $157,828 with a down payment of $20,517.64
The number two most expensive state for first-time buyers in California. The Golden State lives up to its billing, with median home prices on Zillow ringing in at $760,800. The average downpayment on such a home is $98,904.
Here’s a list of the priciest places to live.
Courtesy: Moneywise
Related: 9 Places in the U.S. With Small Town Charm and Affordable Home Prices
Most affordable states for first-time home buyers
So where should those looking to buy their first home look? According to this new survey, West Virginia is the best state to invest in, boasting the lowest average down payment requirement of $16,783.39. The median home price in West Virginia is $129,103, a steal compared to the national average of $428,700.
The aforementioned Mississippi is the second cheapest place to buy a home. After that, first-home buyers should look at Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Iowa.
“Armed with the knowledge from these findings, first-time home buyers can make informed decisions when it comes to choosing a state to buy their first home and work their way towards a brighter financial future,” said a spokesperson for Moneywise.
Here is a list of the least expensive states to buy.
Courtesy: Moneywise
[ad_2]
Source link