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Hard Money Lenders in Florida
Florida combines no state income tax, relentless in-migration, and three distinct investor metros — Miami, Tampa, and Orlando — into one of the most active markets in the country. It also comes with a wrinkle no spreadsheet should ignore: insurance. Wind, flood, and carrier availability shape returns here as much as purchase price, and the investors who win are the ones who underwrite both.
Hard money lets Florida investors move at market speed. Approval rests on the property’s after-repair value and the deal rather than your tax returns, so an experienced sponsor can close in 7–10 business days and present a cash-equivalent offer when a listing draws multiple bids in 48 hours.
Where Florida investors deploy capital
- Miami-Dade & South Florida — high basis, deep demand, and strict coastal insurance and code; condo and small multifamily activity alongside single-family.
- Tampa Bay — one of the strongest flip and BRRRR markets in the state, with faster permits and lower carry than Miami.
- Orlando & Central Florida — population and tourism growth support both rentals and flips; watch flood zones inland and near lakes.
- Jacksonville & North Florida — a lower basis with strong day-one yields for buy-and-hold.
Insurance is part of underwriting
In Florida, a roof’s age, the presence of impact windows, and a property’s elevation are not cosmetic details — they drive whether you can get an affordable policy at all, which in turn drives the DSCR on a rental exit. Wind-mitigation upgrades frequently pay for themselves through lower premiums, so we treat roof, openings, and elevation work as core scope and underwrite the insurance savings into the exit. Get a binder quote early; it can make or break the refinance.
Rates, leverage, and terms
Florida bridge and fix-and-flip loans generally price interest-only in the 9%–14% range, with leverage up to roughly 90% of cost and 100% rehab holdbacks for qualified, experienced borrowers. Coastal complexity and insurance cost are the main reasons two otherwise-similar Florida deals can underwrite very differently.
A realistic worked example
An investor contracts a 1970s single-family in a Tampa suburb for $300,000.
- Bridge at 88% LTC funds about $264,000 of the purchase, interest-only.
- Rehab of $70,000 — kitchen, baths, flooring, plus a new roof and impact windows for wind mitigation — released in draws.
- Comps support a $470,000 ARV, and the wind-mitigation work materially lowers the insurance quote.
- On a flip, the home lists into strong Bay-area demand; on a hold, the investor refinances into a 30-year DSCR loan, with NOI supported by the reduced premium.
Underwriting realities specific to Florida
- Insurance and wind mitigation — roof, openings, and elevation drive both cost and insurability; quote early.
- Flood zones — verify the zone in Miami, coastal, and inland-lake areas before committing.
- HOA and condo rules — common in Florida; confirm rental restrictions and special assessments.
- No state income tax — improves net rental returns and fuels continued migration.
Why investors work with Jaken Finance Group
As a boutique lender with a legal backbone, we structure Florida deals — entity setup, draw schedules, insurance-aware exit planning — so closings are clean and refinances are realistic. Whether you are repositioning in Tampa or acquiring in South Florida, we move at the speed the market demands.
Not sure which product fits? Start with what kind of loan you need or get pre-qualified.
Get Real Estate Funding Today! 2026 Rates are Amazing!
Rates, terms and conditions offered only to qualified borrowers and are subject to change at any time without notice. Closing times are in business days and commence upon receipt of appraisal payment and satisfaction of borrower conditions. All loans are subject to full underwriting for loan approvals. Jaken Finance Group only finances non-owner occupied investment properties.