Question 1

Which SBA district office handles a loan for my Jacksonville business?

Accepted Answer

Your own metro's office, which is unusual in Florida. Jacksonville hosts the SBA North Florida District Office at 7825 Baymeadows Way, Suite 100B, open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., covering 43 counties and explicitly including Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Nassau and Baker. Tampa Bay's counties are served out of the South Florida District in Miami, and Orlando is split across two districts. A Jacksonville borrower deals with a staffed office in their own backyard, not a virtual desk somewhere else. We work the district through our partner lender network either way.

Question 2

How much of the building do I actually have to occupy?

Accepted Answer

51% for an existing building, more for new construction. Buying an existing building, you need to occupy at least 51% of the square footage yourself. Ground-up construction sets a 60% occupancy floor, and only 20% of the remaining space may be permanently leased out, with a 3-year or 10-year plan to absorb the rest. That fits the local borrower pool well: logistics and distribution operators working JAXPORT's cargo and container corridors, marine services businesses, and trades serving the Navy installations in Duval County, NAS Jacksonville, Naval Station Mayport and Blount Island Command, typically want the whole warehouse, yard or shop for their own operation, not a tenant mix.

Question 3

How much cash do I need to put into an SBA 504 deal?

Accepted Answer

10% is the floor, and it climbs fast. The standard borrower contribution on a 504 loan is 10% of the project. That rises to 15% if your business has been operating less than two years or the building is single-purpose, and 20% if both apply. Purpose-built industrial property is where that second test tends to bite, so ask us to run the classification on your specific building before you budget the down payment, rather than assuming the 10% headline applies to your deal.

Question 4

Are SBA loan fees still waived in 2026?

Accepted Answer

No, and that claim is out of date wherever you see it. SBA guaranty fees were reinstated for FY2026, covering loans approved between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026: 7(a) upfront fees run 2% to 3.5%+ depending on loan size, and 504 carries a 0.50% upfront fee. Small manufacturers still get relief, 0% on 7(a) loans up to $950,000 and waived 504 fees, but that carve-out won't cover a typical owner-occupied purchase near the port or a trade shop buying its building. Build the fee into your closing number.

Question 5

Can every owner in my business qualify if not all of us are US citizens?

Accepted Answer

Not automatically, and the rule tightened in 2026. Effective March 1, 2026, 100% of both direct and indirect owners must be US citizens or nationals with a US principal residence. Green card holders, lawful permanent residents, may not own any percentage of the business and still have the loan qualify. If your ownership structure includes an LPR, talk to us before you apply so we can steer you to a program or structure that fits.

Question 6

What if I'm buying near JAXPORT but won't occupy the building myself?

Accepted Answer

Then it's not an SBA deal. SBA 7(a) and 504 loans require the borrower to occupy the property, 51% for an existing building, 60% for new construction. A pure investment purchase along the industrial corridors JAXPORT feeds, buying to lease to someone else, doesn't fit that structure no matter how strong the demand story is. For that kind of deal, our CRE bridge financing is built for commercial real estate you don't plan to occupy.

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