With interest rates high and home prices rising, the dream of homeownership can feel out of reach for many in Jacksonville. <\/p>\n
But one local mortgage broker says there\u2019s a way in…even if you don\u2019t have money in the bank.<\/p>\n
As part of our \u201cAddressing A4dability\u201d series, we spoke with longtime loan officer Jason Kindler, who says zero-down mortgages are not only possible, they\u2019re happening every day.<\/p>\n
Kindler, the owner of First Coast Mortgage Funding, has spent more than two decades helping families navigate the highs and lows of the housing market. Now, he\u2019s using TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Facebook videos to reach a younger generation of homebuyers and challenge the biggest myth he hears.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one myth that people talk about is you\u2019ve got to have this big down payment,\u201d Kindler said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got people that are in homes for $0.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s thanks to a range of down payment assistance and grant programs \u2014 including Hometown Heroes, HomeZero, Florida Bond, and the Chenoa Fund. <\/p>\n
Some of these programs offer forgivable loans or full down payment coverage, even for buyers who aren\u2019t purchasing their first home. Others provide loans, which may be repayable immediately, after a certain period, or upon the sale or refinance of the home.<\/p>\n
To qualify, buyers generally need a credit score of at least 580. There\u2019s no maximum income limit for most of the programs.<\/p>\n
In one recent case, Kindler said he helped a client keep her savings intact by structuring a deal where assistance programs covered the down payment and the seller picked up the closing costs. She walked away with her $1,000 binder fee refunded at closing.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThere are grants, first-time homebuyer products, and some where you don\u2019t even need to be a first-time buyer,\u201d Kindler explained.<\/p>\n
Despite affordability concerns, Kindler believes Jacksonville remains a buyer\u2019s market. He says rising interest rates have sidelined some buyers, which gives others an opportunity to act, especially before rates eventually drop and prices spike again.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Once] there\u2019s more people in the market, prices are going to go up, and then you\u2019re in a different ball game,\u201d Kindler said.<\/p>\n
And through his social media videos, Kindler hopes to spread a simple message:<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople don\u2019t realize it\u2019s truly possible to get in for zero money,\u201d he said. \u201cSo when it really happens, then that person usually goes, \u2018OK, I got in the home for $0, let me tell somebody. Let me tell my friends. Let me tell somebody.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information, to apply for a loan, or to talk to a mortgage expert with First Coast Mortgage Funding, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n