Habitat for Humanity of Marion County, FL

Become A First Time Home Buyer

To qualify for an affordable mortgage through Habitat for Humanity of Marion County, Inc. Please review the following criteria.

• Applicants must show proof of primary residency and/or primary employment in Marion County for 1 year

• Applicants must be legal U.S. Residents

• Applicant must be First Time Homebuyers

• Applicants need to be currently residing in inadequate housing which is unsafe or overcrowded.

• If the applicants rent is over 30% of your gross income

• If the applicants rent is government subsidized

• Simply, if the applicant cannot qualify for a traditional mortgage

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• If employed, need  steady verifiable work history for at least one year

• Perfect credit is not necessary, however an established & consistent payment record is required

• Your overall debt will be examined to determine if your new mortgage will keep you from paying other monthly expenses

• Applicants gross income must meet the minimum annual guidelines but not exceed the maximum annual guidelines (See Chart below)

• Applicants must be willing to invest a minimum of 500 hours of “sweat equity” to the completion of the home (roughly 18 months or so after application process)

• Applicants must attend the required homeowner classes

• Applicants must accept a home in the neighborhoods where Habitat for Humanity of Marion County serves.

• Applicants need to be willing to pay out of pocket expenses (i.e: down payment and/or closing costs) associated with homeownership

• Applicants will be responsible for maintenance of the home from the time you move into your home

• Applicants will be responsible for repaying the monthly mortgage payment of your home in a timely manner. 

Community Land Trust

Habitat partners with community volunteers to construct the homes.  Once they are complete, they are placed into a Community Land Trust that will own the land, and families will purchase only the home from the trust and have a 99 year ground lease.  Homeowners have the opportunity to pay it forward, in that when they are ready to sell the home the Community Land Trust will buy it, pay the homeowner their net equity and they will sell it to another family that qualifies for an affordable home.  

Click here for virtual 3D home tour of a Habitat home

To receive an application by mail, Call Heather at 352-351-4663 or

email at