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From serving youth to saving lives, the everyday dedication of heroes to protect our communities solidifies the foundation of our country and strengthens its future. We offer Hero Home Loans not only to honor their service, but to give them a well-deserved break, given all that they do for our community. In this article, we discuss our Hero Home Loan options in depth, such as their features, requirements, eligibility, and examples of each option in action, to help heroes choose the one that best fits their financial needs. They do so much to help others—now it’s our turn to help our hometown heroes.
 
Learn more about our Hero Home Loans here. 

What is a Hero Mortgage Loan?

Some, but not all, mortgage lenders offer home loans for heroes, a type of home loan that typically offers special rates or discounts as a way of giving back to those who serve or have served their communities in one capacity or another. Lenders typically have specific definitions for who is eligible, typically based on their occupation, such as hero home loans for nurses or teachers. Some lenders who offer Hero Home Loans, like at Space Coast Credit Union, will waive fees or offer loan rate reductions for eligible homebuyers. 

Who qualifies for a Hero Home Loan?

At Space Coast Credit Union, we offer Hero Home Loans⁵⁴ for healthcare workers, educators, first responders, law enforcement, and military members. Here is a more detailed list of who’s eligible in each of those categories.^†

• Educators: Teachers, professors, substitute teachers, pre-kindergarten through university coaches
• Medical Professionals: Medical doctors (MDs), physician assistants (PAs), registered nurses (RNs), certified nursing assistants (CNAs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), radiologic technologists (X-Ray Techs), speech-language pathologists (SLPs working in a medical facility), dentists (DDSs), and dental assistants (CDAs)
• First Responders: Includes public, private, and volunteer firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs
• Law Enforcement: Includes uniformed officers, detectives, state police, highway patrol, sheriffs, special jurisdiction police, air marshals, border patrol agents, crime scene investigators, corrections officers and federal law enforcement officers
• Military: Includes active, reserve, veteran, and retired members of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard and National Guard, as well as their spouses and widowed spouses

We validate eligibility through verification of employment and job title/position; current employment badges and paystubs are acceptable. As a rule of thumb, we recommend a minimum credit score of 620.  

Hero Home Loan Offerings at SCCU

At SCCU, we’re proud to offer a couple of different Hero Home Loan options, and best of all, you don’t have to be a first-time homebuyer. It’s our way of helping heroes achieve affordable homeownership. These options are all available for first mortgages for a primary residence:  

1) No Closing Costs:⁵⁵ With this option, we waive third-party closing costs and lender origination fees. Plus, you get an additional 0.25% off our low No Closing Costs rates! 

• Who’s eligible? Educators, medical professionals, first responders, law enforcement, and military members
• Types of home loans: 10/15/20/30-year conventional fixed-rate loans (purchase and refinance), 30-year jumbo loans, excluding FHA and VA loans
• For example: Let’s say you are looking to get a home loan for $200,000 with a 30-year term, and you qualify for a regular No Closing Costs rate of 3.625%. Your monthly payment would be $912.10. But, if you choose this option, your rate would be reduced to 3.375%, lowering your monthly payment to $884.19. This rate reduction could save you $10,047.97 over the life of your No Closing Costs Home Loan.

2) Reduced Rate: With this option, heroes get 0.25% off SCCU’s low first mortgage rates, whether it’s for purchasing or refinancing. This gives you a lower monthly payment and saves you more money on interest over the life of the loan. 

• Who’s eligible? Educators, medical professionals, first responders, law enforcement, and military members
• Types of home loans: 10/15/20/30-year conventional fixed-rate loans (purchase and refinance), 30-year jumbo loans, excluding FHA and VA loans
• For example: Let’s say you’re looking to get a $200,000 home loan with a 30-year term, and you qualify for a regular interest rate of 3.25%. Your monthly payment would be $870.41. But, with the Hero Home Loan Reduced Rate option, your rate would be reduced to 3.00%, lowering your monthly payment to $843.21. This Rate Reduction Home Loan could save you $9,794.84 over the life of your loan.

3) No Private Mortgage Insurance:⁵⁸ If you’ve been looking for military home loans, we now offer this option that waives private mortgage insurance (PMI). 

• Who’s eligible? This option is specifically for military service members including active duty, veterans, retirees of all branches as well as their spouses and widowed spouses. This excludes National Guard and reserve members.
• Types of home loans: 10/15/20/30-year conventional fixed-rate loans (purchase and refinance), 30-year jumbo loans, excluding FHA and VA loans
• For example: Let’s say you’d like to buy a home with a 30-year mortgage, and you’re approved for $250,000 with a fixed interest rate of 4.25%. If your PMI was an additional $90, your monthly payment would be $1,319; however, with this No PMI option, your monthly payment would be $1,229.  

What is the Hero Program Interest Rate?

Your interest rate for a Hero Home Loan takes into account the same factors as it does for a conventional mortgage, such as your credit score, down payment amount, loan-to-value ratio (LTV), your loan term, and additionally, which option you choose. 

VA Home Loans vs. Hero Home Loans 

While VA Loans offer more benefits overall than Hero Home Loans, keep in mind that the VA requires a funding fee and must ensure the home you choose meets specific requirements. 

Why Space Coast Credit Union for a Hero Home Loan?

As a credit union, we’re a member-owned financial cooperative that exists solely to serve our membership. In addition, we provide competitive interest rates for our Florida membership in these counties. We also promote financial education with our available resource center, Home Buying Center, and articles. Plus, we offer Hero Auto Loans too! At SCCU, we’re our Members’ Watchdog, and our brand promise is Honest People. Trusted Products. Time Valued. 

How to Apply for a Hero Home Loan | Space Coast Credit Union

Have any questions? Can’t decide which option is best for you? You’ve got options for how you can contact us—by phone, Live Chat, WhatsApp, and secure messages—and our Team Members will be happy to help. If you’re ready to get started on the path to purchasing or refinancing a home with one of our Hero Home Loan options, you can apply online, in a branch, or over the phone. Our application process will detail the information and documents we need from you to get the ball rolling.