Homeowners
Home Maintenance Guide
Your home is your most important financial investment. The following guide provides helpful information about the different systems of your house and how to maintain them to protect this valuable asset.
Housing Rehabilitation Available
The City of Lakeland's Housing Office is accepting applications for Rehabilitation of Owner-Occupied, Single-Family Homes ONLINE ONLY. Applicants must own and have lived in their home for at least one year prior to applying for rehabilitation assistance. Mobile homes and rental properties are not eligible for rehabilitation assistance. Homes in historic districts are subject to additional program restrictions.
The Planning & Housing Division is located:
1104 Martin L. King, Jr. Avenue
Lakeland, Florida 33805
Sources of funding for this program may include Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), and the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP). For more information, please contact the Housing Office at 863.834.3360 or by email to housing@lakelandgov.net.
Subordination
Homeowners who were previously assisted through the City's home purchase assistance program, and who are attempting to refinance their first mortgage, first need the City of Lakeland to agree to subordinate its deferred second mortgage.
Though it is the City's general policy NOT to subordinate its Affordable Housing Mortgages, a waiver from the policy can be requested for:
- Emergency need arising from a natural disaster;
- Emergency housing repairs;
- Refinancing to lower the interest rate of the first mortgage if closing costs and/or fees are recovered within four (4) years;
- Refinancing for educational purposes; or
- Refinancing for medical emergencies.
Subordination requests will not be considered if:
- The interest rate on the new first mortgage exceeds the interest rate of the existing first mortgage;
- The cumulative loan-to-value ratio (CLTV) exceeds 100%;
- The applicant's front-end debt-to-income ratio exceeds 33%; or
- The applicant's back-end debt-to-income ratio exceeds 40%.
View the City's full Subordination Policy, or for more information, please contact the Affordable Housing Office at 863.834.3360 or by email to housing@lakelandgov.net.
