Current down payment assistance guidelines, updated from one source.
One source feeds every down payment assistance page Lendmire publishes; the Marathon, FL figures below refresh when the program sheets are updated.
Of the purchase price
Measured on the purchase price or the appraised value, whichever is lower; the largest option covers the down payment and reaches closing costs, and the smaller options cover the 3.5% FHA minimum.
Covers the whole FHA down payment
The FHA minimum down payment is 3.5%, and this option covers all of it with nothing to pay back — no lien, no payment, no interest — for buyers at or below the area income limit or in a qualifying category.
On the forgivable and repayable options
The forgivable and repayable options have no income limit at all — one of the biggest advantages of this program. Only the nothing-to-repay option asks for income at or below 140% of the area median, or a qualifying category.
Credit score to start
This is the lowest score that opens an option here — the nothing-to-repay option; the forgivable second liens start a little higher and the repayable options higher still, so a stronger score opens more choices.
| Option | Assistance | What you repay | Credit · mortgage · units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant-style assistance — nothing to repay | 2% or 3.5% of the price | Nothing — released at closing | 620+ · FHA 203(b), FHA repair escrow, FHA Limited 203(k), FHA Standard 203(k) · 1–4 units |
| Forgivable second lien — three-year | 3.5% of the price | Nothing after 36 on-time mortgage payments | 640+ · FHA 203(b), FHA Limited 203(k), HUD-184, USDA · 1–2 units |
| Forgivable second lien — five-year | 3.5% of the price | Nothing after 60 on-time mortgage payments | 640+ · FHA 203(b), FHA Limited 203(k), HUD-184, USDA · 1–2 units |
| Repayable second lien — thirty-year amortization, ten-year balloon | 3.5% or 5% of the price | Second lien, 30-year amortization, balloon in year 10 | 660+ · FHA 203(b), FHA Limited 203(k), HUD-184, USDA · 1–2 units |
| Closing-cost repayable second lien | 3.5% or 5% of the price | Second lien, 30-year amortization, balloon in year 10 | 660+ · FHA 203(b) · 1–2 units |
| Refinance-cost second lien (repayable) | 1% to 3.5% of the balance | Second lien, repaid | 660+ · FHA 203(b) · 1–4 units |
Current down payment assistance snapshot · updated September 7, 2026 · six options offered in Florida · no option requires a first-time buyer · no option combines with another assistance program · owner-occupied primary residences only.
The figures on this page are program parameters, not offers: assistance percentages, credit floors, unit limits, and forgiveness periods vary by option and by state, and every file is underwritten individually. The calculator estimates an FHA payment at an editable benchmark rate that is not a quote; no fee or lender is stated or implied. Lendmire brokers these loans through its wholesale network in sixteen licensed states, is never the lender, and is not affiliated with FHA, USDA, HUD, or the federal government.
What down payment assistance is — and how the options differ.
For Marathon, FL buyers, the first-time home buyer programs work the same way: the first lien carries most of the price, the assistance covers the minimum investment, and the shape of the assistance — nothing to repay, forgivable, or repayable — decides what it costs to carry.
For the program overview, see Lendmire’s down payment assistance program, or the statewide guide at Down Payment Assistance in Florida.
Assistance covers the FHA down payment
Every option is sized on the price, not on a fixed sum: the smaller options cover the minimum investment, the larger repayable option covers it and reaches closing costs and prepaid items too.
Four shapes: grant, forgivable, repayable, refinance
The assistance comes as a grant where it is offered, as a forgivable second lien, or as a repayable second lien; each pairs with the first lien differently, and the options table on this page shows what is offered in Florida.
Credit floors, mortgage programs, and unit counts
A Marathon file is placed by three things — the credit tier, the first-lien program, and the property — and the options table on this page shows the floor, the first liens, and the unit limit for every option offered in Florida.
Eligibility without a first-time-buyer rule
In Marathon, FL, the question is not whether this is a first home; it is which option fits the credit, the first lien, and the property — and, for the nothing-to-repay option, which qualifying category applies.
This is the whole test: the price sets the minimum investment, the option covers it, and the larger option leaves room for closing costs. The tool below applies it to your numbers and adds the FHA payment estimate.
Where Marathon’s first-time and moderate-income buyers shop — and how the assistance fits.
Where Marathon, FL’s renters live, what a median home costs, and what a median household earns — Census estimates give the backdrop for a down payment assistance file.
These are context figures, not underwriting inputs. A large renter share signals demand for the program; a moderate median value signals that the minimum investment is within the assistance’s reach; the two together describe where the program closes most files.
Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2024) housing and population estimates, including tenure, home values, gross rents, and household income.
Distinct Marathon submarkets, distinct property rules.
Across Marathon’s year-round neighborhoods, workforce housing, and the homes behind the visitor economy, the same program produces different closings because prices, property types, and first liens differ block by block.
Year-round neighborhoods
In a visitor economy like Marathon’s, the program serves the people who staff it: a primary residence in a year-round neighborhood, the minimum investment covered. Median gross rent in Marathon is about $1,633 a month — the payment many renters already carry.
USDA-eligible edges
Outside Marathon’s core, USDA-eligible areas pair a no-down-payment first lien with the second-lien assistance options, which then cover closing costs and prepaids. Median household income in Marathon sits near $89,355 on the latest Census estimate.
Manufactured homes on owned land
Manufactured housing on owned land near Marathon is eligible, with the option decided by the home’s width and the land owned rather than leased. On a home at Marathon’s median value, the FHA minimum investment comes to about $25,400 — the figure the assistance is built to cover.
County-limit homes
Resort-area prices in Marathon push some first liens toward the county loan limit; above it, only the repayable options carry the assistance, and the nothing-to-repay option stops at the limit. Marathon counts a population near 9.9K.
Townhome and PUD communities
In Marathon’s planned communities, the assistance works the same way as on a detached home, with the association package read alongside the file. About 40% of Marathon’s households rent — roughly 1,600 renter households, the pool the program exists for.
Workforce condominiums
Buyers in Marathon’s condominium buildings use the program on approved projects, with the building’s status settled before the closing is scheduled. The median owner-occupied home value in Marathon runs near $725,800 on the latest Census estimate.
Market context only. The option for a Marathon file comes from the credit tier, the first lien, the property, and the eligibility category, never from the submarket.
Four ways Marathon buyers put down payment assistance to work.
The same assistance serves several purposes in Marathon, FL; four of the most common are below.
Pair the assistance with a USDA or HUD-184 mortgage
Where the first lien is USDA or HUD-184, the second-lien assistance options carry the file in Marathon, forgivable or repayable by the buyer’s choice and credit.
Buy a two-to-four-unit home and live in one unit
For a Marathon buyer choosing a small multi-unit home, the assistance attaches to the first lien on the building, up to the option’s unit limit.
Cover the costs of an FHA refinance
Owners in Marathon with an FHA loan and little cash for a refinance use the refinance-cost option, subject to its own credit floor and combined-leverage limit.
Buy a first home with the down payment covered
The most common Marathon, FL file: an FHA first lien, the assistance covering the minimum investment, and the buyer’s own funds reserved for moving costs and reserves.
Size the assistance on a Marathon price before requesting a quote.
The calculator does what a loan officer’s first pass does for a Marathon file — sizes the minimum investment, applies the option, builds the FHA loan with mortgage insurance, and estimates the payment — using the current program figures and an editable benchmark rate.
Marathon FHA payment with assistance
Seeded with Marathon’s median home value; every field is editable, and the estimate updates as you change the price, the option, your cash, or the rate.
Editable benchmark: 6.71% as of September 3, 2026 · Freddie Mac 30-year average via FRED®. A conventional market reference, not an FHA loan quote.
Illustrative starting assumptions: a $600,000 price near Marathon’s median owner-occupied home value (kept where an FHA first lien is realistic), the strongest assistance option offered in Florida applied against the FHA minimum investment, a thirty-year term at the current Freddie Mac benchmark, property taxes and insurance estimated for Florida (U.S. Census Bureau). Every field is editable.
Illustrative estimate only — not a Loan Estimate, approval, quote, or commitment to lend. The rate field carries the weekly Freddie Mac thirty-year conventional benchmark, a market reference and not an FHA loan quote; your rate is set by the lender at lock. FHA mortgage insurance follows HUD’s published schedule for the term, leverage and loan size entered; taxes, insurance and dues are editable estimates; closing costs are not included; a repayable second lien adds its own payment, which is not shown here. Consumer mortgage lending licensed in sixteen states. Lendmire is not affiliated with or acting on behalf of FHA, USDA, HUD, or the federal government.
Same buyer, four very different closings.
The right structure for a Marathon, FL buyer depends on savings, credit, the first lien, and whether the help needs to reach closing costs.
Assistance on a government loan, saving the minimum, or a gift.
Assistance paired with the first lien at closing: the minimum investment covered, the shape chosen by credit, first lien, and eligibility category, and the second-lien options open to repeat buyers with no income limit.
For a Marathon, FL buyer with the cash in hand, the plain FHA purchase is the cleaner file; the assistance exists for the buyer who does not have it yet. For the first lien itself, see Lendmire’s FHA loan program.
On a USDA or HUD-184 first lien, the assistance shifts to the second-lien options and to the closing costs; the nothing-to-repay option pairs only with FHA. For the USDA first lien, see the USDA loan program.
Assistance fits the buyer short of cash to close; the plain purchase fits the buyer with savings; the USDA and HUD-184 pairing fits eligible properties and borrowers; a documented gift fits when family can help — Lendmire places the Marathon, FL file where it reads best.
What to prepare for a Marathon scenario review.
A typical starting file for a first purchase with assistance.
This is a general preparation guide, not a universal checklist. The selected lender may request additional information based on the mortgage, the assistance option, the property, and the eligibility category. Nothing here is legal or tax advice.
Local details that can change the loan.
These are the points a lender reads on a Marathon assistance file before the option is confirmed; each one can move the structure.
Use these checks to keep the Marathon file clean and fundable.
Before making an offer on a Marathon, FL home, confirm the option, the county loan limit, and the property’s unit count and type.
- Know the option: read the second lien as the loan it is.
- Confirm the category: remember that the second-lien options carry no income limit.
- Consider a blended score: expect an automated approval, not a manual underwrite.
The option decides what you owe afterward
The same minimum investment can be covered three ways in Marathon, FL, and the difference is entirely in what happens after closing: nothing, nothing if the first lien stays current, or a second loan that comes due; the options table shows what is offered.
The eligibility category for the nothing-to-repay option
The category is checked at application on the nothing-to-repay option, together with the signed assistance application and the education certificate; no option requires a first-time buyer, and the second-lien options carry no income limit.
Blended scores for two-borrower files
On the second-lien options, two occupying borrowers can qualify on the average of their representative scores when the higher earner has the higher score; the loan must carry an automated approval, and every borrower still needs a score.
Property type and unit count select the option
Units decide the option: the nothing-to-repay option reaches four units, the purchase second-lien options stop at two; condominiums need FHA approval, and manufactured homes must sit on owned land.
Escrow holdbacks for minor repairs
A Marathon home with a small repair list does not have to wait for the work before closing; the escrow holdback carries it, within the program’s cap and timeline, with an inspection when the work is done.
From a Marathon pre-approval to keys with the assistance in place.
Lendmire runs a Marathon assistance file in a set order: pick the option, match the first lien, clear the property, close both liens together.
Pick the option
Every Marathon file starts with the option and the first lien; the category, the education course, and the property rules are then settled around them, in that order.
Get the mortgage approved
Lendmire packages the Marathon file for the first lien first, because the assistance follows its approval; the option’s floor and the first lien’s rules both have to clear.
Clear the property
Property review runs in parallel with the first lien; the Marathon home is checked against the option’s rules and the first lien’s, from the unit count to the association package.
Close both loans together
The Marathon closing carries both instruments: the first lien and the assistance, each documented on its own and closed together, with the education certificate in the file where it applies.
A brokerage that pairs the assistance to the loan.
Down payment assistance is where a generalist stumbles: the options differ by first lien, by credit tier, by unit count, and by state, and the wholesale programs that carry them competently are a short list.
The option, matched to the buyer
Lendmire reads the options offered in Florida against a Marathon buyer’s credit, first lien, property, and category before anything is ordered, and names the fit by cost to carry.
The mortgage, matched to the property
A Marathon file is matched to the first-lien program that carries the property — FHA everywhere, USDA or HUD-184 where they fit — and the assistance option follows that choice.
The right wholesale program
A Marathon file is matched to the wholesale program whose option fits the buyer, and Lendmire manages the first lien and the assistance together through closing.
Trusted by first-time buyers & families alike.
Marathon down payment assistance FAQs
The questions a Marathon, FL buyer asks before requesting an assistance review, answered plainly.
Do I have to be a first-time homebuyer?
No. None of the options requires a first-time buyer. Being a first-time buyer is one of four categories that opens the nothing-to-repay option; the second-lien options have no first-time-buyer rule and no income limit at all.
Is there an income limit?
A Marathon buyer above the area income limit still reaches the nothing-to-repay option through an occupation, a first purchase, or the tract, and reaches the second-lien options regardless of income.
What first-time home buyer programs are available in Marathon?
Assistance measured as a percentage of the price, in shapes that differ by what you owe afterward: nothing, nothing if the first lien stays current, or a second loan with a balloon. Credit, the first lien, the property, and the eligibility category decide which fits.
Do I have to pay the assistance back?
For a Marathon buyer, the nothing-to-repay option where offered, otherwise a forgivable second lien; the options table on this page shows what each costs to carry.
What credit score do I need?
It depends on the option. The lowest floor belongs to the nothing-to-repay option; the second-lien options start higher, and the first lien’s own rules apply on top.
What property types are eligible?
A Marathon home that the first lien accepts and the option’s property rules allow; the property side is checked before the option is confirmed.
What is the repayable option and when does it make sense?
A second lien that amortizes over thirty years and comes due in the tenth year, with interest, a monthly payment, and its own disclosures. It makes sense when the help needs to reach closing costs and prepaids, when the first lien is high balance, or when the credit tier opens it but not the others.
Which mortgages can the assistance be used with?
FHA on every option, including the repair-escrow and renovation programs; USDA and HUD-184 on the forgivable and repayable second liens. Conventional first liens are outside the program.
Can I combine this with another assistance program?
No. One assistance program per file. The nothing-to-repay option also does not combine with a high-balance first lien or with certain FHA specialty programs.
Do I need a homebuyer education course?
Required on one option, optional on the rest; schedule it early if the nothing-to-repay option is the plan.
Place your Marathon purchase on the right option today.
Request a scenario review with the price and the first lien in mind; Lendmire answers with the option, the floor, and what the file will need.
This guide covers Marathon — for the statewide options, categories, and property rules, see Down Payment Assistance in Florida, part of Lendmire’s down payment assistance program.
Also in Florida: Pompano Beach · Titusville · Tallahassee · Brent · FHA Loans · USDA Loans