HomePilot is a licensed Florida mortgage broker. Florida is one of the most active mortgage markets in the country, but it has three structural quirks that make broker selection matter more here than in most states: the homeowners-insurance market is volatile, condo financing tightened sharply post-Surfside, and Monroe County (the Keys) has the highest FHA loan limits in the country. We help you navigate all three. Wholesale-channel pricing means our rates are 0.25-0.5% lower than retail on most scenarios — meaningful when Florida insurance is eating into your monthly budget.
The Florida housing market, in brief
Florida's housing market is sustained by domestic migration — high-tax-state migrants from New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and California account for a meaningful share of FL home purchases each year. State-wide median home price is around $410K, but the variance is enormous: Naples, Sarasota, and the Florida Keys run well above $700K, while Jacksonville, Tampa, and inland metros sit closer to $350K-$400K. Property tax rates are moderate (~0.83%) but homeowners' insurance has been the wildcard — premiums have spiked since 2020, multiple carriers have exited the market, and the state's Citizens Property Insurance Corporation now handles a large share of policies. Florida's homestead exemption ($50K reduction in assessed value for primary residences) plus the Save Our Homes 3% annual assessment cap meaningfully reduce property taxes for owner-occupied homes.
Loan programs we originate in Florida
Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Florida Housing) runs the state's first-time-buyer programs: HFA Preferred (conventional, with reduced MI), HFA Advantage (PHFA-funded), and the Florida Assist DPA program ($10K silent second mortgage). Specific cities and counties (Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Broward) layer additional DPA on top. Condo lending is the trickiest part of Florida origination right now — post-Surfside structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) requirements mean some buildings are 'non-warrantable' for conforming financing and require non-QM/portfolio lenders. We have access to wholesale partners on both sides.
- Conventional — up to $806,500 (baseline) or $1,209,750 (high-balance, in designated counties).
- FHA — up to $1,209,750 in Monroe County (Keys); limits vary by county, set annually by HUD.
- VA — no maximum loan amount for borrowers with full entitlement (since 2020). Funding fee applies.
- USDA Rural Development — zero-down, income-limited, available in eligible rural and outer-suburban areas.
- Jumbo — above the conforming ceiling. Pricing varies by lender; we shop multiple jumbo programs.
- Refinance & cash-out — rate-and-term refinances, cash-out refinances, debt-consolidation refis.
Florida first-time-buyer programs
We work with the wholesale lenders that fund every major Florida down-payment-assistance program — meaning the DPA stacks on top of our wholesale-channel rate, not in place of it.
- Florida Housing HFA Preferred / HFA Advantage — First-mortgage program (conventional or FHA) with reduced mortgage insurance and DPA pairing. Income- and purchase-price-limited. HFA Preferred uses Fannie Mae conventional with discounted MI; HFA Advantage uses Freddie Mac.
- Florida Assist (FL Assist) DPA — $10,000 silent second mortgage for down-payment + closing-cost assistance, paired with a Florida Housing first mortgage. Repayment deferred until sale, refinance, or payoff. Income limits apply.
- Hometown Heroes Housing Program — Florida-specific program for full-time public-service workers (teachers, first responders, healthcare, military). Up to 5% of the loan amount in DPA — up to $35,000. Income- and program-limited; renews annually based on state appropriation.
Top metros we serve in Florida
We’re licensed across Florida — every county. Most of our volume comes from these metros: