Salute Our Soldiers in Florida: Military Homebuying Help, Past and Present

Important caveat: this is a historical guide

Read this first, because it changes how everything below should be used. No current Florida Housing program page confirms current availability or terms for Salute Our Soldiers. That means this guide cannot tell you that the program is open today, what its current rates or limits are, or whether you can reserve funds under it now. What follows is a description of the program's historical structure, based on a historical Florida Housing flyer. Treat it as background for understanding a program that served Florida military buyers, not as a current offer. If you are a veteran, servicemember, or military family buying in Florida today, confirm current options with a participating lender before making any plans around this program name.

What Salute Our Soldiers historically was

Historically, Salute Our Soldiers was a Florida Housing military loan program. Its core was a reduced-rate 30-year fixed first mortgage. A reduced rate on a 30-year fixed loan matters because the rate sets the monthly payment for the life of the loan, and a lower rate on a long fixed term can meaningfully lower what a military family pays each month. The program was aimed at the military community, and its structure reflected the realities of military life, including moves, deployments, and relocations that civilian buyers face less often. The historical flyer is the source for the structure described here, and it should be read as a snapshot of how the program once worked.

The historical PLUS second mortgage

Historically, Salute Our Soldiers also included a PLUS second mortgage of 3 percent, 4 percent, or 5 percent. Like the PLUS second mortgage in other Florida Housing programs, it was forgivable at 20 percent per year over 5 years. That means one fifth of the second mortgage was forgiven each year, with the full balance forgiven after five years on that schedule. The second mortgage was a separate loan from the first mortgage, and its percentage was a feature of that second mortgage, not of the first mortgage itself. A buyer who stayed in the home through the forgiveness schedule would see the assistance convert, year by year, into money that never had to be repaid.

A historical rule that stood out for veterans

Historically, one of the notable features of Salute Our Soldiers was that veterans did not have to be first-time buyers. Many down payment assistance programs are limited to first-time buyers, which can exclude a veteran who already owned a home, perhaps bought during an earlier duty station. The historical Salute Our Soldiers structure removed that barrier for veterans, opening the program to military buyers who were purchasing again. That rule is described here as historical only. A veteran buying today should not assume that any current program carries the same rule, and should ask a participating lender which current programs are open to repeat buyers.

The historical active-duty relocation provision

Historically, Salute Our Soldiers also included an active-duty relocation forgiveness provision. Military life often requires a move on orders, and a program that punished every relocation with a full repayment demand would fit that life poorly. The historical provision addressed that tension by providing for forgiveness tied to active-duty relocation. The flyer does not, in this guide, get stretched into a detailed promise about any current situation. The existence of the provision is the historical fact worth noting, because it shows the program was designed with military moves in mind. Any buyer facing a relocation today needs current, written guidance from a participating lender about how a current program would treat that move.

What military buyers should do today

If Salute Our Soldiers is not confirmed as currently available, military buyers still have real paths to explore. A VA loan remains a central option for eligible veterans and servicemembers, with its own benefits and requirements that a lender can explain. Other Florida Housing programs may also be available, depending on the buyer's first-time status, income, employment, and property. The practical step is to get pre-approved, tell the lender about your service history and any prior homeownership, and ask directly which current assistance programs, if any, are open to you. Do not plan a purchase around a historical program name, a historical rate, or a historical assistance percentage until a participating lender confirms a current program in writing. Instant Money Mortgage, a broker with Complete Mortgage LLC, can walk through current VA loan options and help you check what Florida assistance, if any, is currently available. Call 888-647-9902 to talk through your situation.

Frequently asked questions

More in this series

• First-Time Homebuyers in Florida: Programs, Assistance, and First Steps
• Florida Hometown Heroes Guide
• Florida Assist Guide
• HFA Preferred and HFA Advantage Guide
• Can Down Payment Assistance Programs Be Stacked in Florida?
• What Are the Qualifications and Income Limits for Florida Down Payment Assistance?
• Does Hometown Heroes Have to Be Repaid?
• Do I Need to Be a Teacher or Nurse to Qualify for Hometown Heroes?
• Can I Use Down Payment Assistance With an FHA, VA, or USDA Loan?
• Can I Get Down Payment Assistance With a 580 to 640 Credit Score?
• What Credit Score Do I Need to Buy a House in Florida?
• How Much Down Payment Assistance Can I Get in Florida?
• How Long Does Pre-Approval Take?

Sources

• Florida Housing: Salute Our Soldiers Flyer (historical)

Related loan programs

Estimates only, for educational use. Not a loan offer or commitment to lend.