Florida has no state income tax, deep short-term rental demand, and sustained in-migration. It also has the most complicated carrying-cost picture of any major investor market in the country. Since 2022, insurance availability and pricing have reshaped what a Florida rental actually costs to hold, and any underwriting that uses a national insurance assumption will be wrong here.
The short answer: A fix-and-flip loan funds the purchase and renovation of an investment property, with programs reaching up to 90 percent of total cost and 100 percent of the rehab budget released in draws as work is completed. Underwriting centers on the deal — purchase price, rehab budget, and after-repair value — rather than tax returns. In Florida, the age and condition of the available inventory is what usually drives scope and therefore leverage.
Tampa Bay, Orlando and Jacksonville produce the most consistent flip inventory with reliable comparable sales. South Florida trades at a higher basis where margins compress faster on overruns. Across the state, roof condition and wind mitigation drive insurability, which means they affect the exit as much as the renovation — a distinction that separates Florida from most flip markets.
Primary markets: Miami · Fort Lauderdale · Tampa · Orlando · Jacksonville · Fort Myers
Insurance is the dominant variable. Carrier availability tightened substantially after 2022 and premiums moved sharply, which matters directly because insurance sits inside the debt service calculation. Condominium collateral carries a second layer: post-2021 structural integrity and reserve requirements have affected association finances and, in turn, whether specific buildings are financeable at all. Wind mitigation and flood zone both belong in the underwriting from the start.
Your rehab scope is conventional, your experience is documented, and the ARV is well supported by recent comparable sales.
This is a first or second flip, the rehab budget is large relative to purchase, or the ARV rests on thin comparable data.
No lender is best for every deal. Kiavi, Easy Street Capital, RCN Capital, Lima One, New Silver, Dominion Financial all write fix-and-flip loans in Florida and all are legitimate options. They differ on leverage, credit floors, property types and experience requirements. The useful question is which fits this deal.
Works: An investor with a property under contract and a defined rehab scope, exiting by sale or by refinancing into a rental loan.
Does not: The property is owner-occupied, the ARV is unsupported by comparable sales, or there is no rehab budget on a property that clearly needs one.
Wind mitigation and roof condition, both of which affect insurability rather than just aesthetics. A roof near the end of its life can make a property difficult to insure at any reasonable premium, which affects the exit whether that exit is a sale or a refinance. Older coastal stock may also carry code-compliance requirements that a cosmetic scope will not satisfy.
It affects the exit more than the acquisition. A property in a designated flood zone requires flood coverage, that premium sits in the buyer’s or the refinance’s debt service, and it narrows the pool of eventual buyers. Confirm the zone before writing the ARV, not after.
There is no single best lender for every scenario. Kiavi, Easy Street Capital, RCN Capital, Lima One, New Silver, Dominion Financial all write fix-and-flip loans and each has different guidelines. The right answer depends on the specific deal. LendingStreet places the same scenario across 30+ capital sources so the comparison happens on one application.
Yes, in all 50 states including Florida. These are business-purpose loans on non-owner-occupied investment property, from $150,000 with no stated maximum. No W-2 or tax returns required and LLC borrowers are welcome.
Have a Florida deal? Tell us the scenario and we will price it across our capital sources.
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