Purchase Assistance for an Existing Home

Neighborhoods with rows of houses

The Home Preservation and Purchase Assistance programs are currently paused while we focus on a Disaster Assistance Grant for Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We are still accepting applications for both programs.

Loan funds are available to help homebuyers cover part of their down payment and closing costs when purchasing a home. The Home Purchase Assistance Program(PDF, 194KB) is funded through the federal HOME Investment Partnership (HOME Program) and the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program.

The city of Clearwater, through its approved non-profit housing agencies, provides down payment and closing costs assistance to income-eligible households who meet program criteria. Assistance is provided in the form of a loan, 50% of which will be amortized over 20 years, payment on the other 50% will be deferred and forgiven at loan maturity, so long as no event of default exists. If the borrower defaults on any of the terms of the mortgage, the deferred amount will become due and payable. If the home is sold prior to the maturity date, the entire outstanding balance will be due to the City.

Payments will begin on the 50% amortized balance after a five-year deferral period. The property to be purchased must be the borrower’s principal residence and must be located within the city limits of Clearwater. For loans approved after July 1, 2024 the maximum loan amount is $75,000. The maximum sales price is $481,176 for both newly constructed and existing homes.

Online

Step 1.Check your income eligibility

  • Borrowers/Participants must meet program income eligibility guidelines. When determining household income, all household members are counted, regardless of who is determined eligible/qualified for the first mortgage loan. All household income of people  18 years and older, who will reside in the property, must be included.
  • The borrower is not required to be a first-time home buyer to qualify for assistance, but they cannot own another property at the time of closing.
  • Borrowers/Participants must provide documentation of their household income and assets along with other program requirements.
  • Homebuyers must contribute at least 1% of the sales/purchase price toward the closing from their own funds.
  • Homebuyer must not have received assistance from the city of Clearwater in the past unless the assistance has been paid in full, a satisfaction of mortgage executed and recorded in public records or unless there is some form of hardship (divorce, permanent layoff, physical or mental disability, fire, flood or natural disaster or the death of a family member).
  • Homebuyers and residents must be U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens.

Check Your Income Eligibility 

Step 2.Contact a bank of mortgage lender

Contact a lender to prequalify for a first mortgage.  

Step 3.Check the property's eligibility

  • New or existing single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums are eligible. Two-four family, rental properties, mobile homes, manufactured and trailers and co-ops are not eligible.
  • If the property is built prior to 1978 and has peeling or chipping paint, the city will order a lead paint inspection. If lead paint is found, lead abatement will be required before closing. If they refuse to do lead abatement, the property will be ineligible for assistance.
  • The property may be owner-occupied, vacant or occupied by the applicant; if the property is occupied by a tenant who will be displaced so that the loan can close, the city is unable to provide assistance.
  • The sales price must not exceed 90% of the median area purchase price established by the U.S. Treasury Department (Maximum sales price is $481,176 for loans approved after July 1, 2024).
  • The property must be located within city of Clearwater incorporated limits. You can use the Pinellas County Property Appraiser tool to see if the home you’d like to buy is within city of Clearwater limits. The tax code of CW, CWD or CWDO will appear if your property is eligible.

Check the Address

Step 4.Complete a homebuyer education workshop

All borrowers must attend a Department of Housing and Urban (HUD)-certified Homebuyers Education Workshop.

Prior to entering the world of homeownership, completing a homebuyer education course is highly recommended, and depending on the type of assistance to be provided, it may be mandatory. If you are interested in exploring this type of opportunity, contact one of our partners that provides HUD-certified homebuyer education counseling.

Workshops are usually eight hours long and held over one or more sessions during a single weekend. At the end of the workshop, you will receive a certificate of completion. This certificate is good for two years.  

Below is a list of HUD-approved agencies that are currently contracted through the city of Clearwater: 

For more information, contact Dylan Mayeux, Interim Housing Manager, Economic Development and Housing Department at 727-444-7168, or Terry Malcolm-Smith, Housing Programs Administrator at (727) 444-7167.

Step 5.The city will inspect the property

A HUD housing quality inspection is required to verify that the housing meets applicable safety and code requirements. The city will consult with a third-party contractor to conduct required property inspections. The inspection must be completed using HUD’s Uniform Physical Condition Standards (UPCS) form. The inspection must be completed no more than 90 days before the commitment of HOME funds. There is no charge to the client for this inspection. If any of the minimum housing code standards are not met, these must be completed, corrected and re-inspected prior to closing.

The city code inspection does not replace a need for a home inspection. Please continue to hire an inspector to conduct a detailed home inspection of the property.

Step 6.Contact one of the HUD-approved agencies listed above to start the Home Purchase Assistance process 

For information on documentation required to apply, please contact one of the above agencies.

The Home Purchase Assistance Program is funded through the federal HOME Investment Partnership (HOME Program) and the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program. In accordance with the Federal Fair Housing Act, or Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended in 1988. The City of Clearwater will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familiar status, age or national origin.