JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Future homebuyers will have the opportunity to get one step closer to owning a home during a three-day event at Edward Waters University. No credit checks are required, no down payments, no closing costs, and no mortgage insurance.
From Friday to Sunday, NACA, the nation’s largest HUD-approved nonprofit homeownership and advocacy organization, will bring its free “Achieve the Dream” event to Jacksonville.
NACA calls its product the “Best in America Mortgage,” and it offers below-market, fixed interest rates. Bruce Marks, NACA’s CEO, told News4JAX the 30-year fixed rate was 5.25% as of Sept. 18, 2025. He said NACA does not consider credit scores in its underwriting and that the organization has helped about 75,000 people qualify for mortgages, with a foreclosure rate of less than 1%.
“Too many people in Jacksonville are backing out of buying a home because they think it’s impossible. NACA takes away that fear with the lowest fixed rate, no down payment, and no fees – empowering working people to finally achieve the dream of homeownership,” Marks said. “We give homebuyers the tools, the advocacy, and the Best in America Mortgage to make affordable homeownership not just a dream, but a life-changing reality.”
At the event, homebuyers complete a four-step process — a workshop, document upload, one-on-one counseling with a HUD-certified NACA counselor, and a meeting with a NACA mortgage specialist, and many leave the same day qualified to begin searching for a home.
Leanna and Lenox Joseph, longtime renters, said the program cleared a major hurdle.
“It’s awesome. It’s been, you know, long time coming. It’s been our dream,” Leanna Joseph said after being approved. Lenox Joseph said the couple can now qualify for homes that were previously out of reach.
“We’ve been looking for a while, but it’s been out of our range. So now, since we know that we can, we are approved for a lot more, then it becomes a lot easier,” he said.
Kendra Traeye, another approved NACA recipient, said she was approved in four hours.
“No down payment with NACA, no closing costs. So I’m very happy,” she said.
Marks said the program is a response to rising rents and investor activity that he says have priced many would-be buyers out of the market.
“You’ve got these corporate investors coming in, buying up the residential properties and renting them at exorbitant rents,” he said. “It’s outrageous what they’re doing, but we say to people: come here, come to this event. You’ve got everything to gain and nothing to lose, and you can often have a mortgage payment that’s less than you’re paying in rent.
Organizers said homebuyers will be able to complete the following four steps in just one day.
- Homebuyer Workshop: Learn about NACA’s homeownership programs and resources.
- Information & Document Upload: Provide information and upload documents into NACA’s Member Portal.
- Personalized Counseling: Meet one-on-one with a NACA HUD-certified housing counselor.
- Mortgage Qualification: Meet with a NACA Mortgage Specialist to qualify for NACA’s Best in America Mortgage or the next steps.
Event Details
What: Free affordable homeownership event
When: Friday, Sept. 19 to Sunday, Sept. 21, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Edward Waters University, Adams-Jenkins Community Sports & Music Complex, 1859 Kings Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32209.
To reserve a spot at NACA’s Achieve the Dream event, visit www.naca.com. Walk-ins are welcome.
NACA officials said Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher recipients can use their vouchers toward mortgage payments, a policy that can help some families build long-term financial stability and generational wealth through homeownership.
Prospective buyers should bring their last two years of pay stubs, W-2s, and federal tax returns.