Buy a home
A stable, affordable path to owning a home
JCLT homeownership is for income-qualified households who want to own, and who understand the home stays affordable for future buyers. Here is how it works and how to start.
How the program works
You buy the home, JCLT keeps the land
The buyer purchases the house and signs a long-term ground lease for the land. Taking the land out of the price is what lowers the cost.
Income-qualified households
The program is for households whose income falls within JCLT or funding program limits, shown below.
Owner-occupied only
JCLT homes are for the people who live in them, not investment property.
Permanently affordable
Homes are sold below market rate, and stay affordable for the next family too, generation after generation.
Education and lender review
Homebuyer education and working with a lender or approved financing partner are part of the process.
A partner after closing
JCLT stays involved as a stewardship partner for as long as you own the home.
JCLT program review is separate from mortgage lender approval. Applicants must be able to qualify for financing or another approved purchase structure before closing, and funding programs may add their own requirements.
Who is eligible
Applicants must meet the requirements for the specific home and funding program. In general, buyers must meet all four of these.
- Household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income
- No homeownership during the previous three years
- Mortgage pre-approval
- An approved eight-hour HUD homebuyer education course
Additional requirements may apply to a particular property or funding source.
Lenders JCLT works with
- Ameris Bank
- Valley Bank
- Pinnacle
- Community First Credit Union
- Guild Mortgage
- Self-Help Credit Union (anticipated)
JCLT does not endorse any lender. You are free to choose your own, and these are simply lenders familiar with how a community land trust purchase works.
Homebuyer education providers
- Jacksonville Urban League
- Wealth Watchers
The course is eight hours and must be HUD approved.
Do I qualify?
Two questions and you have your answer on income, the first thing every family wants to know. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Income limits
These are the limits for the City of Jacksonville Head Start to HOME Ownership program, at 80 percent of area median income. Your total household income needs to fall at or below the figure for your household size.
| People in household | Maximum income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $57,400 |
| 2 | $65,600 |
| 3 | $73,800 |
| 4 | $82,000 |
| 5 | $88,600 |
| 6 | $95,150 |
| 7 | $101,700 |
| 8 | $108,250 |
Figures shown for the 2024/2025 program year. These are revised annually. City of Jacksonville Housing and Community Development
Assistance available
up to $25,000
Toward down payment and closing costs.
Maximum home price
$304,000
For single family homes inside the consolidated city limits.
What a JCLT home costs
JCLT home prices are set below market rate, in line with the requirements of the funding programs connected to each home, including applicable SHIP, HOME/HOP or other program sales-price limits. Because these limits may change, the price and requirements for each available home are confirmed during the application process.
Down payment assistance and other homebuyer support programs may be available. JCLT works with buyers to identify and pursue as many available down payment and closing cost assistance options as possible.
Assistance programs, funding availability, eligibility requirements, award amounts and program terms are subject to change. Assistance is not guaranteed and is subject to the requirements of each applicable program.
When you sell
You build equity as you pay down your mortgage, and you share in the home's appreciation when you sell. A portion of that appreciation stays with the home, which is what keeps it below market rate for the next family. That balance is how one home helps a family build wealth and then does the same for the family after them.
The exact terms are set out in your ground lease and the program documents for your home. Before you commit to anything, a member of the JCLT team walks you through them personally, in plain language, so you know exactly what to expect on the day you buy and on the day you sell.
Not ready yet? Apply anyway.
A household does not need to be fully ready on day one to begin a conversation. If you are not ready today, JCLT can help identify next steps: referrals, education, document gaps, credit or savings goals, and future readiness milestones. The application has a place to say exactly that.
One application. That is the whole ask.
Seven short steps, most questions optional. Answer what you can and JCLT staff follow up on the rest. Submitting starts the review process; it does not guarantee selection, lender approval, or closing.
Start your application