Home Purchase Loans in Florida
Buying in Florida means doc stamps, an intangible tax, an insurance policy that has to be bound before funding, and a condo market with its own rules. We are licensed as a Florida mortgage broker and lender, price every loan type side by side, and are licensed statewide, in all 67 counties, closing at a title company near you or by remote online notarization.
Florida Mortgage Broker License MBR3694 and Mortgage Lender License MLD2100. NMLS #1925352.
Buying in Florida, 2026
Conforming limit
$832,750 ($990,150 in Monroe)
Down payment
From 3% conventional, 3.5% FHA, 0% VA
Buyer-paid state taxes
Documentary stamps $0.35 per $100 plus 0.2% intangible tax
Owner’s title policy
Seller pays except in Miami-Dade, Broward, Sarasota and Collier
Closing
Title company, mobile notary or remote online notarization
3%
Minimum down payment on a conventional loan
$832,750
2026 conforming limit in most Florida counties
67
Florida counties, licensed statewide
4.9
Average of 5,300+ Google reviews
What a Florida purchase looks like from the financing side.
Florida’s contract moves fast, and the financing has to keep up: a pre-approval that already reflects insurance and taxes, an appraisal ordered the day the contract is signed, and a lender who knows whether the condo building will pass review before you write the offer. We price conventional, FHA, VA and jumbo loans side by side for every Florida file, so a buyer in Tampa with a 640 score sees the FHA payment beside a conventional one, and a buyer in Naples sees whether a slightly larger down payment keeps the loan under the conforming line.
The state’s costs are predictable once you know them. The buyer pays documentary stamps on the note at $0.35 per $100 and an intangible tax of 0.2 percent of the loan, about $1,925 on a $350,000 mortgage. The seller customarily pays the $0.70 per $100 stamps on the deed and, outside Miami-Dade, Broward, Sarasota and Collier, the owner’s title policy. Homeowners and, in mapped flood zones, flood insurance must be bound before funding, and both premiums go into the payment lenders qualify you on.
This page covers buying a home in Florida. For the state as a whole, including our Florida licences and every loan we offer here, see our Florida page; for the purchase process itself, see the purchase hub. If you are weighing programs, FHA in Florida and VA in Florida go deeper, and when you own, refinancing in Florida picks up the story.
Three kinds of Florida buyers, and how we finance each.
The loan that fits depends less on the house than on your credit, your savings and how long you plan to stay.
First home
Low down payment
Conventional from 3 percent down for eligible borrowers with a 620 score and mortgage insurance you can ask to cancel at 80 percent of the original value, or FHA from 3.5 percent with a 580 score. A documented gift from family can supply the down payment on either. We show both payments side by side with Florida insurance and taxes included.
Moving up
Conventional and jumbo
Above the $832,750 conforming limit a jumbo loan takes over, with its own credit, reserve and appraisal rules. In Naples, Palm Beach, Sarasota and the Keys we price both and tell you when a larger down payment brings the loan back under the line.
Veterans
VA with nothing down
Florida has the third-largest veteran population in the country. A VA loan needs no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance, has no loan limit with full entitlement, and the seller can pay the doc stamps and intangible tax as ordinary closing costs.
The four loan types, and what each costs to use in Florida.
Program rules are federal; the last column is what changes in Florida. Your pro tells you which fits your file.
| Loan | Down payment and credit | In Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional | 3% down for eligible borrowers from a 620 score; mortgage insurance you can ask to cancel at 80% of the original value, ending automatically at 78% | Conforming limit $832,750, $990,150 in Monroe County; the buyer’s documentary stamps and intangible tax are figured on the loan amount |
| FHA | 3.5% down from a 580 score, 10% from 500; mortgage insurance for the life of the loan below 10% down | Limits from $541,287 to $990,150 by county; condos need HUD approval, which Florida’s reserve laws have made harder |
| VA | Nothing down with full entitlement; funding fee 2.15% on first use with nothing down, exempt if you receive VA disability compensation | No loan limit with full entitlement; the VA requires a termite inspection; the seller can pay the state taxes as ordinary closing costs; VA caps concessions such as prepaids and the funding fee at 4% |
| Jumbo | Typically 10% to 20% down, 700+ score and reserves after closing | Above $832,750 in most counties; common in Naples, Palm Beach, Sarasota and the Keys; appraisal review is stricter |
Sellers may pay closing costs within each program’s rules: up to 3% to 9% of the price on conventional depending on the down payment, up to 6% on FHA, and on VA any amount of ordinary closing costs, with concessions such as prepaids and the funding fee capped at 4% of the loan. Florida sellers commonly pay the owner’s title policy outside the four counties named above, so concessions go to the state taxes, insurance and prepaid items.
Insurance and condos: the two Florida questions we answer before you offer.
No Florida loan funds without a bound homeowners policy, and flood insurance is mandatory in a Special Flood Hazard Area. The premiums go into the escrow and into the payment lenders qualify you on, so an older roof or a home without wind-mitigation features can change what you can afford. We get a quote on the first house you are serious about, not the week of closing.
For a condo, the building matters as much as the unit. Conventional, FHA and VA lenders all review the association’s reserves, insurance, owner-occupancy and litigation, and since Florida’s condo safety laws, older coastal buildings without funded reserves and completed inspections often fail. We check the building before you write the offer, so you do not lose a deposit to a review you could not have passed.
Pensacola to Key West
Purchases closed at a Florida title company near you, with a mobile notary, or by remote online notarization.
Six Florida closing customs that shape your numbers.
These decide who pays what at a Florida closing. All of them are on your Loan Estimate from the start.
01
Doc stamps on the note
$0.35 per $100 of the loan, paid by the buyer. On a $350,000 mortgage, $1,225 at closing.
02
Intangible tax
0.2 percent of the loan amount, also paid by the buyer: $700 on a $350,000 mortgage. Together with the documentary stamps, about $1,925.
03
Deed stamps and title
The seller customarily pays $0.70 per $100 on the deed ($0.60 plus a surtax in Miami-Dade) and the owner’s title policy, except in Miami-Dade, Broward, Sarasota and Collier, where the buyer pays title.
04
Remote online notarization
Florida has allowed fully remote closings since 2020. You can sign from anywhere, which matters for the many buyers who close before they move.
05
Homestead exemption
File with the county property appraiser by March 1 of the first year you own and occupy the home on January 1, which for most buyers is the year after closing. It removes up to $50,000 of assessed value and caps future increases at 3 percent a year, which lowers your tax escrow.
06
Taxes paid in arrears
Florida bills in November for the current year, with discounts for paying early. The seller credits you their share at closing and the escrow is yours after that.
What would a Florida purchase cost each month?
Pick a loan type and down payment, then add your county’s tax rate and a realistic Florida insurance figure. The result is the whole payment, which is the number lenders qualify you on.
The U.S. mortgage market right now.
National average rates from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED database: the Freddie Mac survey for conventional and the Optimal Blue indices for FHA and VA, shown as third-party market benchmarks, not MortgagePros pricing. Your rate and APR depend on your credit, down payment, loan type, the property and the day you lock.
Conventional 30-year fixed, U.S. average
7.40%
FHA 30-year fixed, U.S. average
7.18%
VA 30-year fixed, U.S. average
7.09%
Sources: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (conventional, 30-year national average, week of Oct 8, 2026) and Optimal Blue Mortgage Market Indices (FHA and VA, 30-year national averages as of Oct 8, 2026), distributed through FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; the figures and dates refresh automatically from the source. These are third-party market benchmarks, not MortgagePros rates and not an offer of credit. Your rate and APR depend on your credit, loan type, property and lock date.
How a Florida purchase works with us.
Four steps, one licensed pro, and a Florida closing near you.
1
Pre-approval with real numbers
Income, assets and credit verified, with Florida insurance and taxes in the payment, so the number you shop with is the one you close at.
2
The right loan, priced side by side
Conventional, FHA, VA and jumbo compared for your file, with the state taxes and who pays title already in the estimate.
3
Building and property checks
Condo review before you offer, insurance quoted early, appraisal ordered the day the contract is signed.
4
Close in Florida
At a title company near you, with a mobile notary, or by remote online notarization. Doc stamps, intangible tax and the first year of insurance are on the closing statement exactly as quoted.
Ready to buy in Florida?
A Florida-licensed pro gives you a pre-approval with insurance, taxes and the state’s closing costs already in the numbers. Free, and it starts without a hard credit pull.
Buying in Florida, answered.
The questions Florida buyers ask us most. If yours is not here, a licensed pro will answer it directly, with no obligation.
What closing costs does a Florida buyer pay?
The lender’s and title company’s fees, documentary stamps on the note at $0.35 per $100 of the loan, the intangible tax at 0.2 percent of the loan, the first year of homeowners and any flood insurance, and prepaid taxes and interest. In Miami-Dade, Broward, Sarasota and Collier the buyer also pays the owner’s title policy. On a $400,000 purchase with 5 percent down, plan on roughly 2 to 4 percent of the price before any seller credit.
How much do I need down?
Conventional loans start at 3 percent down for eligible borrowers with a 620 credit score, FHA at 3.5 percent with a 580 score, and VA loans need nothing down for eligible veterans. A documented gift from family can supply the down payment on all three. Jumbo loans above $832,750 typically want 10 to 20 percent.
Can I buy a Florida condo with a low down payment?
Yes, if the building qualifies. Conventional, FHA and VA lenders all review the association, and since Florida’s condo safety laws many older coastal buildings do not pass. We check the building before you write the offer and tell you which loan types it supports.
How does insurance affect what I can afford?
Directly. Your homeowners and flood premiums are escrowed into the monthly payment, and that payment is what your debt ratio is measured on. A newer roof, impact windows and wind-mitigation features lower the premium; a mapped flood zone adds a policy. We get a quote on the first home you are serious about.
Do I have to be in Florida to close?
No. Florida allows remote online notarization, so you can sign from anywhere, and we also close at title companies across the state or with a mobile notary at your kitchen table.
Do I have to come to Michigan?
No. Your licensed pro handles the loan by phone, email and e-signature, and the closing happens in Florida or remotely. Our Florida broker and lender licences are what allow us to do this.
Talk to a Florida-licensed pro about buying a home.
Tell us what you are looking to do and where in Florida. A licensed pro will call back, usually the same business day. Asking does not start a loan or require a hard credit pull.
Prefer to talk?
248-416-1361
Open 24/7. Ask for your pro by name.
Visit our office
880 W. Long Lake Rd, Suite 300
Troy, Michigan 48098, just off I-75. Free parking.
Licensed and reviewed
Florida Mortgage Broker License MBR3694 and Mortgage Lender License MLD2100. NMLS #1925352. Rated 4.9 across 5,300+ Google reviews.