Question 1

Which SBA district handles a loan for my Orlando business?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the county, not just the city. Orange, Seminole and Lake counties are in the SBA's North Florida District, which staffs an appointment-only office at 400 W. Washington Street in downtown Orlando. Osceola County is different: it sits in the South Florida District, served through the Ft. Pierce virtual office. A hotel purchase in Kissimmee and an office purchase in downtown Orlando are, technically, two different SBA districts within the same metro. We work both districts through our partner lender network, so the split doesn't slow down your file.

Question 2

Does a Kissimmee hotel purchase need more than 10% down?

Accepted Answer

Yes. 10% is the baseline, and a hotel is exactly the single-purpose building that pushes it higher. SBA rules require 15% down if your business has been operating less than two years or the building is single-purpose, and 20% if both apply. Hospitality drove roughly one metro job in five here as of June 2026, and a hotel is exactly the kind of single-purpose building the SBA flags for the higher tier. If that's your deal, budget for 15 to 20% down going in, not 10.

Question 3

What will property tax and insurance add to owning instead of leasing in Orlando?

Accepted Answer

Less than you'd pay on the coast, but it varies sharply by jurisdiction. 2025 millage runs roughly 18 to 19 mills inside the City of Orlando, 17.41 in Kissimmee, and as low as 13.85 mills in unincorporated Osceola County, before any CDD assessment that a master-planned or resort community adds to the same tax bill. Insurance is the better story: average homeowners premiums including wind ran $2,650 to $3,610 across Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake and Polk counties as of March 2026, all under coastal Pinellas at $4,063 and far under Broward and Miami-Dade. That insurance table is residential, not commercial, so it's a directional read on the inland advantage, not a quote. Get an actual commercial premium before you underwrite the deal.

Question 4

If the property sits in a CDD, does that change what I'm underwriting?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it's a separate line from your county tax bill, not part of it. A Community Development District under Florida Statutes chapter 190 can levy its own ad valorem tax, up to 3 mills for operations plus more if authorized, along with non-ad valorem benefit and maintenance assessments, all on top of county and other property taxes. It's certified to the property appraiser and collected on the same county tax bill, which is exactly why sellers can leave it out of their pitch. Master-planned and resort communities across Osceola, Lake and the Davenport corridor, and Horizon West-adjacent Orange County, commonly carry a CDD assessment servicing infrastructure bonds. Pull the actual assessment before you set your numbers; it doesn't go away at closing.

Question 5

Does a small downtown Orlando storefront purchase clear the SBA loan floor?

Accepted Answer

$350,000, running to $5M and above. The property has to be owner-occupied commercial real estate, and we place both 7(a) and 504 through a network of more than 20 SBA lenders. That floor is worth checking early against your own numbers, because a small Orlando storefront or office purchase can land under it, in which case a conventional or bridge structure is the better route. Note also that the district split matters: Osceola County files go to South Florida while Orange, Seminole, and Lake go to North Florida. Subject to underwriting.

Question 6

How long is the term on an Orlando SBA loan?

Accepted Answer

Up to 25 years, at market SBA rates. That is the longest term we place, and it is the reason SBA is the structure of choice when an Orlando business is buying the building it operates out of rather than an investment property. Financing runs up to 90%, subject to the SBA's own equity rules for newer businesses and single-purpose buildings. The trade for that term is time: an SBA file takes 30 to 90 days to close, not the days a bridge takes. Subject to underwriting.

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