New Florida Land Loan Program for Brokers: SFR-Zoned Lots, Purchase and Cash-Out Refinance (Orlando to Miami)

By Sallam Kashif|14 min read|Published On: January 21st, 2026|

TL;DR – Florida Land Loan Program Overview:

Direct private lender for SFR-zoned land in Florida (Orlando to Miami)
Max loan: $300,000 | Max LTV: 50% | Min credit: 640
Purchase & cash-out refinance available
24-month terms, 15-year amortization option
No rural properties | Zoning must be in place
Quick decisions for brokers and real estate investors

What Is a Florida Land Loan?

A Florida land loan is specialized financing secured by undeveloped or raw land parcels, designed for real estate investors and buyers who need capital to purchase, refinance, or develop property that doesn’t yet have structures or improvements. Unlike traditional mortgages that finance homes with proven rental income, land loans address the unique challenges of financing vacant parcels where value depends on zoning, location, and future development potential.

As a broker, you encounter land deals constantly, especially in South Florida and Southwest Florida markets. Real estate investors are buying buildable lots, refinancing land they’ve held as part of their investment strategy, or trying to access equity tied up in a parcel to increase cash flow for their next deal. Then the same obstacle appears: the deal doesn’t fit a traditional lender’s box, timelines drag on, and your borrowers lose momentum.

Our new Florida land loan program at Gelt Financial is designed to give brokers like you a clear financing option for a specific, consistent subset of land deals. We’re a direct private lender focused exclusively on Florida land loans for SFR-zoned lots with existing zoning, targeting the corridor from Orlando to Miami, with a strict no-rural restriction.

This post is written specifically for brokers and referral partners who want to understand our loan structure, quickly pre-screen scenarios, and know when it’s worth contacting our team.

What This Program Is (and Isn’t)

What it is:

Land financing secured by property zoned SFR
Purchase financing or cash-out refinance options
Focused on Florida’s central-to-south corridor
Clear caps on the maximum loan amount, leverage, and credit requirements

What it is not:

A statewide “anything goes” land product
Rural land financing
Land where zoning is uncertain or not established
A replacement for construction loan programs or hard money loans on improved properties

Our goal is simple: make it easier for you to identify a fit fast, so you don’t waste time chasing a product mismatch. We know many investors and borrowers need quick decisions and competitive rates, and we’ve built this program to deliver both.

Land Loan Program Highlights: Maximum Loan Amount and Quick Reference Guide

Here are the headline loan programs guidelines you need to know:

Maximum loan amount: $300,000
Maximum LTV: 50%
Minimum credit score: 640
Loan term: 24-month maximum (short-term bridge financing)
Amortization: 15-year amortization available
Zoning requirement: Must be in place (SFR only)
Location: Florida only (Orlando to Miami)
Property restriction: No rural

For brokers, these parameters are powerful because they’re easy to communicate to borrowers and simple to use for pre-screening. Whether your client is building wealth through land acquisition or executing a BRRRR strategy that starts with land, you’ll know immediately if we’re the right loan source.

Florida Land Loans vs. Traditional Financing: Quick Comparison

Feature	Gelt’s Florida Land Loan	Traditional Mortgage	Hard Money Loans	Construction Loans
Maximum Loan Amount	$300,000	Varies (typically higher)	Varies	Project-dependent
Max LTV	50%	80-97%	65-75%	85-90%
Credit Score	640 minimum	620-740+	600+ (flexible)	680+
Loan Term	24 months	15-30 years	6-24 months	12-18 months
Income Verification	Not required	Required (tax returns, W-2s)	Limited	Required
Property Type	SFR-zoned land only	Improved properties	Improved properties	Construction projects
Geography	Florida (Orlando-Miami)	Nationwide	Regional	Varies
Rural Properties	No	Yes	Sometimes	Yes
Best For	Land acquisition & cash-out refi	Primary residences	Quick closings on houses	New construction

Why Florida Land Deals Need Specialized Financing Beyond Traditional Hard Money Loans

Land financing often gets stuck in limbo because it sits between categories. It’s not a conventional residential mortgage, and it’s not always traditional commercial lending either, especially at smaller loan balances. Most lenders in the industry don’t offer dedicated land loan programs unless it’s part of a major development project requiring new construction.

In Florida, however, land transactions move fast, particularly in markets where buildable lots and infill parcels are in high demand. Real estate investing in these local markets requires quick access to capital, and borrowers need a trusted partner who understands the unique challenges of land deals.

As a direct private lender, we evaluate the collateral and the borrower without forcing the deal into the wrong template. We know the difference between land acquisition and a flip loan on an improved property. We understand that a borrower may want to pay down equity and hold long-term, whereas those planning short-term exits may want to pay down equity and hold short-term. And we make quick decisions based on business fundamentals, not just tax returns and traditional income verification.

Purchase Financing for Investment Properties: Common Broker Scenarios

Purchase transactions are often time-sensitive. Here are the most common scenarios we see from brokers and real estate investors:

- Opportunistic acquisition: Borrower finds an SFR-zoned lot at a competitive price and wants to move quickly before losing the deal
- Build-to-hold strategy: Real estate investors want to acquire land for future construction and long-term rentals
- Portfolio expansion: Owner is assembling lots or securing a parcel in a market with limited inventory to support their investment portfolio
- Market positioning: Buyers in Southwest Florida or other hot markets need fast financing to compete with cash offers

In these situations, working with lenders who have a clear loan structure and expertise in land deals is a major advantage. You can screen the deal quickly, set expectations early, and help your borrowers access the capital they need without delay.

Cash-Out Refinance: Why Borrowers Request It

A cash-out refinance on land is refinancing an existing land loan or a land parcel purchased with cash to extract equity while maintaining ownership. This allows borrowers to access capital tied up in appreciated land without having to sell the property.

Common examples include:

Capital redeployment: Borrower bought land with cash and wants to access funds for another investment property or rental property acquisition
Appreciation capture: Borrower has built equity due to market appreciation and wants liquidity without selling
Debt consolidation: Borrower wants to refinance existing land debt under a new loan structure with better interest rates or monthly payment terms

The same key rules apply: SFR zoning must be in place, Florida location only, no rural properties, and leverage that fits within our 50% maximum loan-to-value cap.

For many investors, this is how they unlock capital to grow their rental portfolio, fund new construction projects, or execute more deals without depleting their cash reserves. It’s a powerful tool when used correctly.

Understanding the 50% Maximum LTV Requirement

This is usually the biggest “reality check” item for borrowers, and it’s important for brokers to frame it correctly.

A maximum LTV of 50% means the borrower needs meaningful equity in the deal. In a purchase scenario, that typically means a larger down payment than they’d see with hard money loans or DSCR loans on rental properties. In a refinance, the borrower must have sufficient equity between the current property value and the requested loan amount.

Here’s a simple way to explain it to your clients:

“This program is designed to be conservative on land deals, so it caps leverage at 50% LTV. If you have strong equity in the land, whether from appreciation, a cash purchase, or paying down the balance over time, it can be a great fit. This approach also keeps your monthly payment lower and gives you flexibility if market conditions change.”

For real estate investors focused on building wealth and managing cash flow, lower leverage can actually be an advantage. It reduces risk, eliminates prepayment penalties in most cases, and positions them for smoother refinancing when they’re ready to convert the land into rental income through new construction.

Why the 640 Minimum Credit Score Matters

Land financing is less forgiving than financing on improved investment properties or rental properties with proven rental income. A minimum credit score of 640 helps us establish a baseline for borrower risk and loan performance.

For brokers, it’s also an early filter that prevents wasted time. If your borrower’s credit is below 640, it’s worth having that conversation up front. We’re here to support success, and that means being transparent about what we can and can’t finance.

Unlike DSCR rental loans or DSCR loans that rely on market rent and the DSCR ratio to qualify borrowers, land deals require more traditional underwriting metrics, and credit is one of them.

Why Zoning Must Be in Place

SFR zoning means the property is legally designated by the local municipality or county for single-family residential use, allowing the owner to build one single-family home on the parcel. This designation must be confirmed and on record before we can approve financing.

Brokers see this constantly: a borrower “thinks” zoning will be approved, or they have a business plan to apply for rezoning later. That might be a solid investment strategy, but it introduces uncertainty that we prefer to avoid.

Our loan programs require zoning to be established and confirmed. That reduces entitlement risk, speeds up underwriting, and makes the land easier to evaluate. It also protects the borrower from unexpected delays or denials that could derail their timeline.

Before submitting a scenario, confirm that SFR zoning is already in place. This should be verifiable through the local county or municipality, and the information is available online or by phone in most cases.

Geography: Florida Only, Orlando to Miami Corridor

We’ve focused this program on Florida, specifically the corridor from Orlando to Miami. That geographic focus matters because market liquidity, access to comparable sales, and demand drivers can vary widely across the state.

By concentrating our financing options in this area, we can provide quick decisions, competitive rates, and better overall service to both brokers and borrowers. Whether your client is targeting rental properties in Southwest Florida or building a rental portfolio in Central Florida, we have the local market expertise to accurately evaluate deals.

Why We Exclude Rural Properties

Rural land introduces different considerations, limited comparables, access challenges, infrastructure concerns, and smaller buyer pools. To maintain consistency in our loan structure and keep our underwriting efficient, we exclude rural properties from this program.

This isn’t a judgment on rural land as an investment; it’s simply a way to maintain clarity and speed in our process. For brokers, it means you can confidently bring us deals in active, accessible markets without worrying about edge cases that slow things down.

What Brokers Should Have Ready Before Contact

To make scenario review as efficient as possible, have the following information ready when you reach out:

Property location (city/county) and confirmation that it’s not rural
Proof of zoning (SFR zoning already in place)
Estimated value or purchase price
Requested loan amount (must be ≤ $300,000)
Borrower credit score (must be ≥ 640)
Exit plan or timeline within the 24-month term
Intended use (hold, build, resell, refinance to construction loan, etc.)

Even a short summary with these points can speed up our first conversation and help us make quick decisions on whether the deal is a fit.

We know brokers work with many investors across different loan programs, from flip loan scenarios to DSCR rental properties to new construction financing. Our goal is to be your trusted partner for land deals that fit our specific criteria, so you can focus on serving your clients and closing more deals.

Why Gelt Financial Is the Best Source for Florida Land Loans

As a direct private lender with deep expertise in real estate investing and alternative loan structures, we understand what real estate investors need: access to capital, quick decisions, competitive rates, and a lender who knows the difference between a business plan and a checkbox exercise.

We don’t require traditional income verification, such as tax returns or W-2s. We don’t get hung up on rental income or DSCR ratio calculations that don’t apply to land. And we don’t drag out timelines with unnecessary soft costs or prepayment penalties that limit your borrower’s flexibility.

What we do offer is clarity, speed, and a financing solution tailored to Florida land deals. Whether your borrower is buying one lot or assembling a land portfolio, building wealth through strategic acquisitions, or freeing up capital for their next investment, we’re here to support that success.

We’ve built our business on being a trusted partner to brokers and real estate investors who value expertise, professionalism, and results. When you work with us, you’re working with a team that understands your industry, respects your time, and delivers the right loan for your client’s needs.

Key Takeaways for Brokers

Florida land loans are available exclusively for SFR-zoned parcels in the Orlando to Miami corridor; no rural properties are accepted
Maximum loan amount is capped at $300,000 with a 50% LTV requirement, meaning borrowers need substantial equity
Credit score minimum of 640 establishes a baseline qualification; use this as your first screening filter
24-month loan terms provide bridge financing for land acquisition, hold strategies, or positioning for future construction
Zoning must be confirmed and in place before submission; pending or uncertain zoning creates unacceptable risk
Quick decisions and competitive rates are standard because we’re a direct private lender with local market expertise
Cash-out refinance options allow borrowers to extract equity from land purchased with cash or appreciated parcels

Frequently Asked Questions About Florida Land Loans for Brokers

What is the maximum LTV for Florida land loans?

The maximum loan-to-value (LTV) for our Florida land loan program is 50%. This means borrowers must have at least 50% equity in the property, either through down payment on a purchase or existing equity on a refinance.

Do you finance rural land in Florida?

No, we do not finance rural properties. Our program focuses exclusively on SFR-zoned land in active, accessible markets along the Orlando-to-Miami corridor to ensure consistent valuations and market liquidity.

What credit score is required for a Florida land loan?

A minimum credit score of 640 is required. This baseline helps ensure borrower creditworthiness while remaining accessible for real estate investors who may not qualify for traditional financing.

Can I get a cash-out refinance on land I already own?

Yes, cash-out refinance is available for qualifying land parcels. The property must be SFR-zoned, located in Florida (Orlando to Miami), not rural, and you must have sufficient equity to meet our 50% maximum LTV requirement.

How long does it take to get approved for a Florida land loan?

As a direct private lender, we provide quick decisions on scenarios that meet our program criteria. Once we receive complete information (property details, zoning confirmation, borrower credit, and loan amount), we can typically provide preliminary feedback within 24-48 hours.

What’s the difference between your land loan and a construction loan?

A land loan finances the purchase or refinance of vacant land without any construction component. A construction loan finances the actual building process. However, many borrowers use our land loan as bridge financing before converting to a construction loan once they’re ready to build.

Do you require tax returns or income verification for land loans?

It depends on the deal. We sometimes do not require traditional income verification such as tax returns or W-2s. Our underwriting focuses on the collateral (land value and zoning), borrower credit, and the overall strength of the deal rather than traditional employment income.

What areas of Florida do you serve?

We serve the corridor from Orlando to Miami, including South Florida and Southwest Florida markets. This geographic focus allows us to maintain deep local market expertise and provide accurate valuations.

Can I use this loan for commercial development?

This program is specifically designed for SFR-zoned lots only. If the property is zoned for commercial use or multi-family development, it would not qualify under this program.

Are there prepayment penalties?

In most cases, there are no prepayment penalties. This gives borrowers flexibility to exit the loan early if they sell the property, refinance, or convert to construction financing ahead of schedule.

Ready to Submit a Scenario?

If you have a Florida land deal that fits our program criteria, we’d love to discuss it. Our team is ready to review scenarios, answer questions about loan structure, interest rates, and payments, and provide the quick decisions your borrowers need to move forward.

Contact us today to discuss your scenario: Gelt Financial – 561-221-0900

Let’s help your borrowers access the capital they need, close more deals, and build the rental portfolio or investment strategy they’re working toward. Whether it’s land acquisition, cash-out refinance, or positioning for future construction financing, Gelt Financial is your direct private lender for Florida land loans.

Gelt Financial specializes in creative financing solutions for real estate investors and brokers. Our Florida land loan program is designed for borrowers who need quick access to capital with the flexibility to build, hold, or exit on their timeline. Contact us today to discuss your next deal.