Homeownership Opportunities
Is homeownership right for you?
Buying a home is a major decision. It can help you build long-term stability and invest in your future, but it also comes with ongoing responsibilities and costs.
As you consider homeownership, ask yourself:
Homeownership may be a good fit if you plan to stay in the Beaches community for many years and are comfortable committing to a long-term home and mortgage.
Homeownership includes routine upkeep and repairs. Consider whether you have the time, ability, and support to maintain a home or hire help when needed.
The approval process, sweat equity, and construction timeline can take time. You will need stable housing while you work through the process.
Consider how you’ll manage appointments, workshops, and sweat equity hours, especially if you work evenings/weekends or have caregiving responsibilities. If needed, think about what support you can arrange (childcare, transportation, schedule flexibility).
Beaches Habitat builds simple, decent, affordable homes. You can choose some options like flooring and cabinets. Other features, like appliances and paint colors, are the same for everyone in the program. After buying your home, you can make some changes within your HOA's guidelines (see next question).
A Homeowners Association, or HOA, sets rules and guidelines for a neighborhood. When you buy a home there, you join the HOA and agree to follow its rules. Community residents elect a board of directors who volunteer their time to manage the HOA.
Members pay monthly dues to the HOA for short-term and long-term neighborhood maintenance.
The HOA's rules, known as Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs), help to maintain property values. They describe the responsibilities of the HOA and each homeowner. CC&Rs also outline what homeowners can do on their property, like painting or adding fences.
Before applying for a home, think about whether you're willing to follow an HOA's rules and take part in its decision-making.
If you feel ready for homeownership based on your answers above, please proceed to the next section.
Our Homes
Beaches Habitat builds 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom homes. Land is very expensive to purchase in the beaches area. Therefore, we are building townhomes with four houses per building.
After a household is approved for the program, Beaches Habitat does not allow households to choose a specific unit. Homes are assigned based on availability and program criteria.
Use the link below to get an idea of the homes we will build:
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Coastal Haven is Jacksonville, north of Atlantic Beach, sometimes referred to as the "North Beach" area.
You can view neighborhood details through the city of Jacksonville's My Neighborhood portal. The link will take you to an example address in Coastal Haven so you can see general area information. It does not represent the exact home address.
Each home will have three bedrooms.
Each home is two-stories and approximately 1200 square feet.
If you would feel comfortable living in this neighborhood and these homes would meet your household's needs, please proceed to the next section.
Program Requirements
People partner with Beaches Habitat to build a place they can call home. Homebuyers work alongside volunteers and construction staff to help build their own homes, which they then purchase with an affordable mortgage.
To be considered for homeownership at Beaches Habitat for Humanity, you must:
- live or work in our service area, east of St. Johns Bluff Road, for at least one year
- be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident
To be considered for homeownership at Beaches Habitat for Humanity, you must:
- Be a first-time homebuyer, defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as not having owned a home in the past three years
- Be currently living in HUD public housing or subsidized housing or in substandard housing. Substandard housing may include:
- Housing that is unsafe or in poor physical condition (leaks, mold, broken plumbing, etc.)
- Overcrowded housing (more people than rooms/sleeping spaces)
- currently living in HUD, public or subsidized housing
- Housing that is unaffordable (for example, rent and utilities exceed 30% of gross household income)
To be considered for homeownership at Beaches Habitat for Humanity, you must:
- Provide proof of stable, verifiable income for at least 12 months (employment and/or other eligible income sources)
- Have a credit score of 640 or higher
- Be able to make a $1000 down payment.
- Meet the income requirements based on HUD's 2025 Annual Gross Income, Effective April 1, 2025.
| Household Size | Min. Annual Income | Max. Annual Income |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $35,900 | $57,400 |
| 2 | $41,000 | $65,600 |
| 3 | $46,150 | $73,800 |
| 4 | $51,250 | $82,000 |
| 5 | $55,350 | $88,600 |
| 6 | $59,450 | $95,150 |
| 7 | $63,550 | $101,700 |
| 8 | $67,650 | $108,250 |
To be considered for homeownership at Beaches Habitat for Humanity, you must:
- Complete a minimum of 300 hours of "sweat equity" (the required number of hours is based on household size and composition)
- Complete required financial education and homebuyer preparation courses
Criminal background checks will be requested for applicants, co-applicants, and all household members 16 years of age or older. Certain criminal history may affect eligibility, including:
- Sexual predator and/or sexual offender registration
- Felony history within the past five years
- Misdemeanor history within the past two years
If you are legally married, both spouses must sign the mortgage and related purchase documents.
After reviewing the Program Requirements, if you believe you meet all criteria, proceed to the next section.
Our Prospective Homebuyer Selection Process
Get started by completing a pre-questionnaire.
The link on this page currently connects you to homeownership notifications. If you sign up for notifications and confirm your email address, you will receive an email with a link to the pre-questionnaire on February 2, 2026.
Beginning February 2, 2026, the link will be updated to the pre-questionnaire.
Paper copies will also be available at the Beaches Habitat office (797 Mayport Road, Atlantic Beach) during business hours, beginning on February 2, 2026. If you complete a paper copy, hand it directly to a Beaches Habitat team member. Pre-questionnaires mailed or left in the mailbox will not be accepted.
Submit completed pre-questionnaires from Monday, February 2, 2026 through Monday, February 9, 2026. Submissions must be received within this period to be considered.
Because we expect a high level of interest, Beaches Habitat will use a random lottery to determine the order in which pre-questionnaires are reviewed.
Each completed pre-questionnaire will be entered into the lottery and assigned a random number by computer, which determines the review order.
Pre-questionnaires will be reviewed in that order. If your pre-questionnaire appears to meet minimum program requirements, a Beaches Habitat staff member will contact you to confirm the information you provided. If the information can be verified and you still meet minimum requirements, you will be invited to submit a full application.
Beaches Habitat will continue reviewing pre-questionnaires until enough eligible households have been identified to meet current program capacity. As a result, not all pre-questionnaires may be reviewed or contacted, even if a household may otherwise meet minimum requirements.
Applications are provided only to households invited through the process above. Households will have one week to return a completed application with all required documentation.
Beaches Habitat will review the completed application to determine program eligibility. This review may include credit, criminal background, and public records checks, an interview, and a home visit. Application materials are presented to the Family Selection Committee, which makes final approval decisions.
Beaches Habitat will notify households of the final decision and will provide reasons for non-approval when applicable.
Ready to Get Started?
Online access: The link on this page will provide the appropriate homeownership form based on the current stage of the process.
Through February 1, 2026, the link is for homeownership notification sign-up (updates only and not a pre-questionnaire or application). After you sign up, check your email for a confirmation message. You must click the confirmation link to receive future emails. If you don’t see an email from Beaches Habitat, check your spam or junk folder.
Beginning February 2, 2026, the link will be updated to the online pre-questionnaire. Submitting a pre-questionnaire is not an application and does not guarantee an invitation to apply or selection for a home.
Questions? Contact Joyce Freeman at (904) 595-5797 or homes@beacheshabitat.org.
Beaches Habitat for Humanity does business in accordance with the Federal Fair Housing Law. We are pledged to the letter and spirit of the U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, gender, gender expression, marital status, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, veteran/reserve/national guard status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Beaches Habitat for Humanity, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ and assign the best qualified personnel for all our positions in a manner that does not unlawfully discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, marital status, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, veteran/reserve/national guard status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.