President of Milestone
Banks offer their own products. Milestone offers the market. Your loan officer shops your scenario across 65+ investors to find the rate and program that fits your situation. You get options, not a take-it-or-leave-it quote.
Milestone serves homebuyers all across Florida, from Miami and Tampa to Orlando, Jacksonville, and the Panhandle. Your loan officer works with you remotely and has full access to the same 65+ investor network available at any Milestone branch. Whether you're buying a condo in Fort Lauderdale or a home near Tallahassee, you get the same process and the same network.
Clear-to-close in as few as 15 days. Every cost is upfront from day one. You see exactly what you're paying before you commit.
Your loan officer matches you to the right loan based on your goals, not a script. Whether you're a first-time buyer in Orlando or refinancing in St. Petersburg, your loan officer walks you through every step from application to closing.
Traditional mortgages with competitive rates for borrowers with good credit. Down payments as low as 3%.
Government-backed loans perfect for first-time buyers with flexible credit requirements.
Exclusive benefits for veterans, active military, and eligible spouses. Thank you for your service!
Zero down payment loans for eligible rural and suburban homebuyers. Great for first-time buyers!
Lower your rate, reduce your payment, or tap into your home's equity with our refinance options.
Financing for luxury properties and high-value homes that exceed conventional loan limits.
Conventional Loans: The 2026 conforming loan limit in most Florida counties is $832,750. Monroe County, covering the Florida Keys, is elevated to $990,150 given the area’s higher home prices.
FHA Loans: FHA loan limits in Florida sit at the national floor of $541,287 across most of the state, rising to $990,150 in Monroe County.
VA Loans: Florida is home to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Eglin Air Force Base, and Patrick Space Force Base, and carries one of the largest veteran populations in the country. VA loans are a common financing choice for Florida homebuyers with military service.
USDA Loans: USDA eligibility in Florida is concentrated in rural North Florida outside Jacksonville and Tallahassee, and in parts of the Panhandle and Central Florida away from the I-4 corridor. The South Florida coastal corridor doesn’t qualify.
Jumbo Loans: Outside Monroe County, anything above $832,750 in Florida is jumbo. In the Keys, a loan has to clear $990,150 before jumbo financing applies.
Milestone serves homebuyers in Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale, and communities throughout the state. Your loan officer matches you to the right program, from conventional and FHA loans to VA financing for the state’s large military and veteran community.
Florida is one of the few states that taxes the mortgage itself, not just the property deed, and homeowners insurance here runs well above the national average given the state’s hurricane exposure. Milestone operates within full compliance of Florida’s regulatory framework and keeps current on programs like Florida Hometown Heroes, which offers eligible essential workers down payment assistance as a deferred, no-interest second mortgage.
Milestone serves homebuyers in 30+ states.
Can’t make it during business hours? Leave a message anytime and we’ll get back to you the next business day.
Milestone has 70+ loan officers ready to help you find the right mortgage. Tell us about your goals and we’ll match you with a loan officer who knows your market and fits your situation.
Fill out a short form on our website. We'll ask the basics: purchase or refinance, loan amount, and your timeline. Takes about 5 minutes.
Your loan officer reviews your scenario and shops it across 65+ investors. You'll receive personalized loan options and suggestions, not a generic rate sheet.
Once you've chosen the right option, your loan officer locks the rate and walks you through your documents. Upload everything through Milestone's secure portal.
Milestone coordinates with your real estate agent, title company, and appraiser. Clear-to-close in as few as 16 days.
Yes, and Florida is unusual in that it taxes the loan too, not just the property. The documentary stamp tax on the deed runs $0.70 per $100 of the sale price in most counties. Miami-Dade charges a lower $0.60 per $100 for single-family homes, though a $0.45 per $100 surtax applies to non-single-family property there. On top of that, Florida charges a separate documentary stamp tax of roughly $0.35 per $100 of the loan amount on the mortgage note itself, which is a cost most other states don’t have at all. Your loan officer and closing agent will walk you through the exact total for your transaction.
Yes, and it works in two parts. Florida homeowners can claim up to $50,000 off their home’s assessed value: the first $25,000 applies to all property taxes, including school levies, and the second $25,000 applies only to the portion of your home’s value between $50,000 and $75,000, and doesn’t reduce school taxes. Once you have a homestead exemption, the state’s Save Our Homes provision also caps how much your assessed value can rise each year, at the lower of 3% or the change in the Consumer Price Index.
Yes. Florida Hometown Heroes offers up to $35,000 in down payment and closing cost help as a 0% interest, deferred second mortgage with no monthly payments, structured as 5% of your first mortgage amount with a $10,000 minimum. It’s aimed at full-time workers for Florida-based employers in fields like teaching, healthcare, and first response, and requires first-time buyer status, income within your county’s limit, and a 640 minimum credit score.
Many Florida properties do require it, and it’s worth budgeting for early. Florida’s flat, coastal geography puts a large share of the state in FEMA-designated flood zones, and lenders generally require flood insurance for any home in a high-risk zone. Combined with the state’s overall homeowners insurance costs, which run well above the national average because of hurricane exposure, insurance is a bigger line item in a Florida home budget than in most states. Your loan officer can help you understand what a specific property will require before you commit to it.
Your Milestone loan officer will compare options from 65+ investors to find the right fit for your situation in Florida. Fill out a quick form and a loan officer will reach out to walk you through your options. Not in Florida? Milestone serves homebuyers in 30+ states.
