FLORIDA · GULF COAST · TAMPA · ORLANDO · NATIONWIDE
Fix & Flip Loans
in Florida
Up to 90% of purchase. 100% of rehab. Close in days - not weeks. We underwrite the deal, not the borrower. When the right property hits the market, speed is the whole game.
Deal-based underwriting · No tax returns · Response in 1 business day
Trusted by Investors
HOW IT WORKS
How Fix & Flip Loans Work in Florida
A fix and flip loan - also called a rehab loan or hard money loan - is short-term financing built for one purpose: acquiring a distressed or undervalued property, renovating it, and selling it for profit. Unlike conventional mortgages that take 30-45 days and require extensive personal income documentation, fix and flip loans are underwritten on the strength of the deal itself.
What matters is the purchase price, the rehab budget, and the After Repair Value (ARV) - the realistic market value of the property once renovations are complete. If the numbers work, the loan works. Your W-2s, tax returns, and debt-to-income ratio are not part of the equation.
In Florida's 2026 market - where distressed inventory, estate sales, and dated properties in appreciating neighborhoods continue to create margin opportunities from Tampa to Sarasota to Orlando - the investors who win are the ones who can close in days while their competition waits on bank committees. That speed is exactly what this product delivers.
Typical Deal Structure
Fix & Flip Program Details
Lakewood Ranch Lending · Powered by Novus Home Mortgage · NMLS #423065
LOAN-TO-COST
Up to 90% of purchase price
REHAB FUNDING
100% of renovation budget via draw schedule
MAX LOAN-TO-ARV
Up to 70–75% of After Repair Value
CLOSE TIME
As fast as 5–10 business days
TERM LENGTH
6–18 months · interest-only payments
ENTITY VESTING
LLC, Corporation, Trust accepted
PROPERTY TYPES
SFR, 2–4 unit, townhome, condo
EXPERIENCE
First-time flippers welcome · Better terms with track record
How Rehab Draws Work
Your renovation budget is funded in stages as work is completed — protecting you and keeping the project moving.
Budget Approved at Closing
Your full rehab budget is approved and committed when the loan closes. The scope of work and line-item budget are locked in.
Complete a Phase of Work
Your contractor completes a stage of the renovation — demo, framing, mechanicals, finishes — per the approved scope.
Request a Draw
Submit a draw request. An inspection confirms the completed work, typically within 48–72 hours.
Funds Released
Draw funds are wired directly. Your project keeps moving without you fronting the entire renovation out of pocket.
THE FLORIDA FLIP MARKET
Where Florida Flippers Are Finding Margin in 2026
Florida remains one of the most active fix and flip markets in the country in 2026 - but the margin map has shifted. The easy appreciation plays of 2021-2022 are gone. Today's profitable flips come from genuine value creation: buying distressed, dated, or mismanaged properties below market and executing disciplined renovations in neighborhoods with proven resale demand.
On the Gulf Coast, Bradenton and North Port offer some of the strongest flip economics in the region - entry prices below neighboring Sarasota, established neighborhoods with aging housing stock, and resale demand driven by continued in-migration. Estate sales and original-owner properties from the 1970s-1990s building booms create consistent acquisition opportunities for investors with fast capital.
The Tampa Bay metro continues to produce volume for flippers at multiple price points, from workforce housing in Pinellas County to higher-end renovations in South Tampa. Orlando's flip market is driven by its relentless population growth and rental conversion optionality - a flip that doesn't sell at target price can pivot to a DSCR-financed rental, a strategy we finance on both ends.
The common thread across every profitable Florida flip in 2026: acquisition speed. Distressed sellers, wholesalers, and estate attorneys work with buyers who can close. A pre-approved fix and flip credit line with Lakewood Ranch Lending means you can write offers with short close timelines that beat higher offers with financing contingencies - and that capability is often worth more than any negotiation tactic.
Bradenton / North Port
Best Gulf Coast flip economics. Aging housing stock, estate sale pipeline, strong resale demand.
Tampa Bay Metro
Volume market. Workforce housing to high-end renovations. Active wholesaler network.
Sarasota County
Premium resale values. Dated properties in appreciating neighborhoods. Higher entry, higher exit.
Orlando / Central FL
Population-growth driven. Flip-to-rental pivot optionality with DSCR exit financing.
Why Florida Flippers Choose LRL
Speed Is the Product
Scott reviews deals personally and answers in 1 business day. Closings in as fast as 5–10 days. When a wholesaler gives you 48 hours to commit, you'll have your answer in time to say yes.
We Underwrite the Deal
Purchase price, rehab budget, ARV. If the numbers work, the loan works. No tax returns, no W-2s, no DTI calculation. Your personal income is not the story — the deal is.
Flip-to-Rental Exit Built In
Market shifts mid-project? We finance the pivot. Your flip can refinance into a DSCR rental loan with the same lender — no starting over with a new bank that doesn't know your file.
Scott Ward
Fix & Flip · Private Lending Specialist
NMLS #1148813
📞 941-526-0778
YOUR FIX & FLIP LENDER
Built in Private Lending.
Not Retail.
Most loan officers selling "fix and flip loans" came up in retail mortgage — conventional purchases and refis — and added investor products to their menu later. Scott Ward's career runs the other direction. 27 years in direct private lending, $1.5 billion+ funded, Certified Fund Manager, AAPL Education Board Member, and co-author of Private Lender Perspectives.
That difference matters when your deal hits a complication — a low appraisal, a budget overrun, a contractor delay, a mid-project market shift. A retail loan officer escalates to a committee. Scott structures a solution, because he's spent his career on the capital side of exactly these situations.
Submit your deal. Get a real answer from a real private lending professional within 1 business day. That's the entire pitch.
Fix & Flip Loan Questions - Answered Directly
What credit score do I need for a fix and flip loan?
Most programs require a 640+ FICO, with the best leverage and pricing available at 680+. But credit is a smaller factor in fix and flip underwriting than in conventional lending - the deal itself carries most of the weight. A strong deal with average credit gets done. A weak deal with perfect credit doesn't.
Do I need flipping experience to qualify?
No. First-time flippers are welcome - though leverage and pricing improve with a documented track record. New investors typically start at slightly lower LTC. If it's your first flip, bring a detailed scope of work and a licensed contractor relationship; that preparation meaningfully strengthens your file.
How fast can you actually close?
As fast as 5-10 business days on a clean file - clear title, complete scope of work, responsive insurance agent. The most common delays are title issues and slow insurance binding, not the loan itself. Tell Scott your contract deadline on the first call and he'll tell you honestly whether it's achievable.
How does the rehab money get paid out?
Through a draw schedule. Your full rehab budget is approved at closing, then released in stages as work is completed and verified by inspection - typically within 48-72 hours of each draw request. You front each phase of work, then draws reimburse you as phases complete.
What happens if I can't sell the property at my target price?
You pivot to a rental. We refinance fix and flip loans into DSCR rental loans regularly - the property's rental income qualifies the new loan, not your personal income. This flip-to-rental exit is built into how we structure deals from day one, which is something most flip lenders can't offer.
Can I close in an LLC?
Yes - and most investors should. LLC, corporation, and trust vesting are all accepted. Fix and flip loans are business-purpose loans, so entity vesting is standard, not an exception.
What are fix and flip loan rates in 2026?
Fix and flip rates in 2026 generally run from approximately 9.5% to 12% interest-only, depending on experience, leverage, credit, and deal strength. These are short-term rates on 6-18 month money - the cost of capital is a line item in your deal math, not a 30-year commitment. On a typical 6-month flip, the interest expense is a fraction of the profit margin on a properly bought property.
What markets do you lend in?
All of Florida - with deep expertise in the Gulf Coast markets of Sarasota, Bradenton, North Port, and Tampa Bay. We also lend nationwide through Novus Home Mortgage, NMLS #423065.
SUBMIT YOUR DEAL
Have a Deal?
Let's Run the Numbers.
Send the basics - purchase price, rehab budget, ARV - and Scott will personally review your deal and respond within 1 business day. No hard credit pull. No obligation. Just a straight answer on whether it funds and at what terms.
What happens next:
- Submit your deal details below
- Scott runs the numbers personally
- Direct answer within 1 business day
🔒 Secure & Confidential
📞 941-526-0778
📍 Lakewood Ranch, FL - Lending Across Florida
Holding instead of flipping? Ground-up build? Need bridge capital between deals?
DSCR Rental Loans → · Ground-Up Construction → · Bridge Loans →
FLORIDA'S FIX & FLIP LENDER
The Deal Won't Wait.
Neither Do We.
Up to 90% LTC. 100% rehab. Days to close. Submit the deal and get your answer.
NMLS #1148813 · Novus Home Mortgage · NMLS #423065 ·
LAKEWOOD RANCH LENDING
Gulf Coast Built. Nationally Licensed.
NMLS #1148813
Loan Programs
- DSCR Loans
- Fix & Flip
- FHA & VA Loans
- Jumbo Loans
- SBA Loans
- Ground-Up Construction
Who We Serve
- Real Estate Investors
- Home Buyers
- Business Owners
- First-Time Buyers
- Self-Employed
Get In Touch
📞 941-526-0778
📍 Lakewood Ranch, FL
Lakewood Ranch Lending is licensed to originate residential mortgage loans in the United States, operating in the state of Florida. All loan products are offered through Novus Home Mortgage, a division of Ixonia Bank, NMLS #423065. Scott Ward, NMLS #1148813, operates as an authorized loan originator. This is not a commitment to lend. Loan approval is subject to credit approval and program guidelines. Not all loan programs are available in all states for all loan amounts. Rates and terms are subject to change without notice.
© 2026 Lakewood Ranch Lending · All Rights Reserved