A step by step plan for Winter Garden: budget, pre-approval, programs, inspections, insurance, closing and the homestead filing that saves you money.
Reviewed and updated October 3, 2026 by Ryan and Megan Winslow, Winslow Homes
Buying your first home is a series of small, clear decisions. This guide puts them in order for Winter Garden, with the Florida specific steps many buyers miss, like wind mitigation, flood zones and the March 1 homestead deadline.
Ryan and Megan have helped buyers through more than 3,000 home sales over 17 years. As brokers and Mortgage Bankers with The Federal Savings Bank, they handle the loan and the house as one plan. Also read the buyers guide.
The typical Winter Garden home value is $567,000. Use it as a starting point, then add the Florida costs below.
| Loan type | Minimum down payment | On a home near $567,000 |
|---|---|---|
| FHA (credit 580+) | 3.5% | 3.5% of the price, plus 1.75% upfront MIP usually financed |
| Conventional | As low as 3% for eligible buyers | 3% to 20% of the price; mortgage insurance under 20% down |
| VA | 0% with full entitlement | No down payment; funding fee unless exempt |
| With assistance | Varies | State or Orange County help can cover some or all of it |
A pre-approval tells you your real price range and shows sellers you can close. Apply at WinslowLoan.com and have these ready:
Ryan and Megan compare FHA, VA, conventional and assistance options in one review, so you see the tradeoffs before you shop.
Below market first mortgages with Florida Assist, HLP and HFA Preferred help. Minimum 640 credit score and education required.
Up to $35,000 for eligible workers, military and veterans when funds are available.
County purchase assistance for income eligible first-time buyers. Check status.
In Florida, insurance can change your payment as much as the interest rate. Get quotes during your inspection period, not the week of closing.
Roof age, shape and opening protection drive wind pricing. The state's My Safe Florida Home program has offered free wind mitigation inspections and grants when funded.
Lenders require flood insurance in high risk zones. Citizens is phasing in a flood requirement, reaching all remaining personal residential policies on January 1, 2027.
If the home is your permanent residence on January 1, file with the Orange County Property Appraiser by March 1 of that year. Close in 2026 and live there on January 1, 2027, and you file by March 1, 2027.
See the homestead exemption guide for details.
Who pays what is negotiable. These are the common buyer side items on a financed purchase.
| Cost | How it is figured |
|---|---|
| Lender fees and points | Shown on your Loan Estimate |
| Documentary stamp tax on the note | $0.35 per $100 of the loan |
| Intangible tax on the new mortgage | 2 mills (0.2%) of the loan |
| Title insurance and settlement | Set by state promulgated title rates and the title agent |
| Recording fees | Set by the county clerk |
| Prepaid items | Homeowners insurance, flood if required, property tax escrow and interest |
You get a Loan Estimate within three business days of applying and a Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing. Compare them line by line.
It depends on the loan. With a typical Winter Garden home value of $567,000, FHA needs 3.5% of the price down, conventional can be as low as 3% for eligible buyers, and VA can be zero. Add closing costs and reserves, and ask about assistance programs.
You must own and live in the home on January 1, then file with the Orange County Property Appraiser by March 1 of that year.
Your lender requires it if the home is in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area. Citizens policyholders face a flood requirement being phased in for all remaining policies by January 1, 2027. Even outside those cases, many owners buy it.
A full home inspection, plus a wind mitigation inspection and a four point inspection, which many Florida insurers ask for. Add termite, roof, pool or septic inspections when the home calls for them.
Lender charges, title insurance and settlement fees, the documentary stamp tax on the note at $0.35 per $100, the intangible tax on the new mortgage at 2 mills, recording fees, and prepaid insurance, taxes and interest.
Usually not. Florida resets the assessed value to market value on January 1 after a sale, so your bill can be higher than the seller's. Budget with the property appraiser's estimator.
Get pre-approved, learn which programs fit, and start touring Winter Garden homes with a plan.
Ryan and Megan Winslow are licensed real estate brokers in Florida, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island and Mortgage Bankers with The Federal Savings Bank. Ryan Winslow NMLS 2426605. Megan Winslow NMLS 2692933. Email [email protected].
Sources: HUD Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, VA.gov funding fee and closing costs, Florida Housing homebuyer programs, Florida Housing Hometown Heroes, Orange County SHIP purchase assistance, Orange County Property Appraiser homestead filing, Florida Department of Revenue, homestead exemption (PT-113), Florida Department of Revenue, 2026 CPI homestead adjustment, Florida Department of Revenue, documentary stamp tax, Florida Department of Revenue, nonrecurring intangible tax, FEMA Flood Map Service Center, Citizens Property Insurance flood requirement, My Safe Florida Home, Section 689.302, Florida Statutes, CFPB Loan Estimate explainer, CFPB Closing Disclosure explainer, Zillow Home Value Index, U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts. Updated October 2026. Rules change; confirm with Ryan and Megan before you act.
Instant answers on programs, payments, towns and homes, any time, in English or Spanish. Ryan and Megan follow up personally.
Estimates from your inputs only. Not a loan offer, rate quote or approval. Ryan and Megan, Mortgage Bankers with The Federal Savings Bank (NMLS #411500), confirm real numbers.
