Question 1

Does the new Florida permit exemption actually help my Fort Lauderdale rehab?

Accepted Answer

Check the flood map before you count on it. Florida's HB 803, effective July 1, 2026, requires local governments to exempt work valued under $7,500 on a single-family dwelling from needing a building permit. But the exemption's own text carves out "work on a property that is partially or entirely located in a flood hazard area as defined by the Florida Building Code," and it never applies to electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work on a single-family dwelling regardless of value. Broward is a low-lying, canal-drained county, so the flood-hazard-area exclusion is a real constraint here, not a footnote. It's also not automatic: you or your contractor still have to submit a written exemption request to the local enforcement agency with documentation of the work's scope and value. Pull the parcel's flood zone before you plan a rehab scope around this exemption, and run your numbers through the fix and flip calculator either way.

Question 2

What does HVHZ mean for a window, door, or roof line item on my flip?

Accepted Answer

Every opening and every roof detail gets the strictest code in the state. Broward and Miami-Dade are the only two counties in Florida's High Velocity Hurricane Zone, defined in Florida Building Code Section 202 as covering exactly those two counties. Windows, doors, shutters, and roofing all have to meet HVHZ wind-design and product-approval standards on new work and on replacement work alike, whether the property is beachfront or well inland in Broward. We don't have a verified dollar or percentage premium for HVHZ construction versus standard Florida code, so budget your rehab scope with your contractor rather than a rule of thumb, and build the extra lead time for HVHZ-approved products into your 6-month term.

Question 3

What should I underwrite for exit price and days on market?

Accepted Answer

Price to the city, not the county median, and plan for a longer hold than most Sun Belt metros. Broward's countywide median list price gets pulled down by condo-heavy inventory, so use values by city instead: Zillow's June 2026 mid-tier figures, which blend house and condo stock, run from $272,664 in Deerfield Beach and $293,570 in Tamarac up to $520,975 in Miramar, $518,236 in Davie, and $524,239 in Coral Springs, with Fort Lauderdale proper at $511,582 (down 3.1% year over year) and Weston at $727,063 as the top of the county. Median days on market across Broward was 85 as of July 2026, longer than a typical Sun Belt hold, with active listings down 17.4% year over year. Comp your specific submarket, not a county average, and price your after repair value off it.

Question 4

Is Fort Lauderdale a strong flip market right now?

Accepted Answer

We don't have the data to tell you that, and be wary of anyone who claims otherwise. No Broward or Fort Lauderdale flip rate, gross profit, or ROI figure is published for a current period. Florida's statewide numbers, which do not break out Broward, ran a 6.6% flip rate with $75,000 typical gross profit and 28.3% ROI in Q1 2026. Florida flips less often than the nation, which ran 8.0%, but makes more per flip than the national $66,000 and 25.4%. The one large Florida metro ATTOM did name that quarter was Miami, and it ranked among the lowest flip rates of any large metro nationally. Underwrite your specific Broward deal on comps and carry, not a metro reputation.

Question 5

What property tax and doc stamp costs should I budget on a Broward flip?

Accepted Answer

Standard Florida doc stamps, and a millage rate that swings hard by city. Broward pays the ordinary statewide documentary stamp rate, 70 cents per $100 on the deed and 35 cents per $100 on the note and mortgage, not the Miami-Dade discretionary surtax structure, so don't quote a South Florida transfer-tax premium here. On the carry side, 2025 final millage runs from 16.28 mills in Weston up to 23.19 in Lauderdale Lakes, with Fort Lauderdale at 18.4464, a spread of nearly 7 mills inside one county. As an investor you're assessed under the 10% non-homestead cap, never the homestead cap, and that cap resets to market value on your purchase, so your first full tax year is assessed fresh and the seller's old tax bill will understate what you owe. Confirm the specific parcel's rate at the county appraiser's site before you close.

Question 6

Is a condo flip riskier here than a single-family flip?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it's a legal story, not just taste. Broward condominium buildings of three or more habitable stories are subject to Florida's milestone inspection law at 30 years of age and structural integrity reserve studies due at least every 10 years, with reserve waiver for those items no longer allowed for budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024. Broward has a large stock of aging coastal condo buildings that hit both requirements at once, and it shows in the numbers: Broward condo values are down 19.6% from their January 2024 peak and still falling 8.4% a year, versus 2.9% for single-family. A building with an incomplete milestone inspection, deferred maintenance, or an active special assessment can also lose conventional, FHA, and VA buyers, which narrows your exit. If you're eyeing a condo flip, get the association's inspection and reserve status before you go hard, and talk to your attorney about what it means for your exit timeline. Our DSCR rental loan is a separate option if a condo project turns out to work better as a hold than a flip.

Question 7

How much of my fix and flip deal will USA Mortgage finance?

Accepted Answer

We fund up to 90% of the purchase price and up to 100% of your rehab budget, with the total capped against the after-repair value (ARV). Rehab money is released in draws as the work is completed.

Question 8

What interest rate and points should I expect on a flip loan?

Accepted Answer

Our fix and flip pricing starts around 9.99%, interest-only, with origination typically 1 to 3 points depending on your experience, leverage, and the deal, and every quote is subject to underwriting. Across the market most flip loans run roughly 9% to 12%. On most flip loans, including ours, interest is charged on the full loan amount, rehab budget included. Paying interest only on rehab funds as you draw them exists in the market, but it is the exception, not the rule.

Question 9

Do I need flipping experience to qualify?

Accepted Answer

No. We work with first-time flippers as well as full-time operators. Experience mainly affects your leverage and rate, since a longer track record earns higher loan-to-cost and better pricing. A newer investor can still get funded with a sound deal, a realistic budget, and a clear exit.

Question 10

How fast can a fix and flip loan close?

Accepted Answer

We can get you a term sheet the same day on a complete application, and we typically fund within 48 hours of clear title. The main variable is how fast title and insurance come together, which is why a full close usually runs 5 to 7 days. Because we are the lender and underwrite in house, there is no second layer of approval to wait on.

Question 11

Is there a prepayment penalty if I sell quickly?

Accepted Answer

No. Our fix and flip loans have no prepayment penalty, so paying off early when the property sells costs you nothing extra. Terms run 6 months, and because there is no penalty, selling sooner never costs you extra.

Question 12

Do you check credit or require income documents?

Accepted Answer

We run credit, but this is an asset-based loan, so the property, your budget, and the ARV matter most. We do not ask for W-2s or tax returns to qualify a flip. We will want to confirm you have reserves to carry the project to its exit.

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