Buy in Florida from anywhere.Brazil.Colombia.Canada.Europe.Argentina.Russia.China.anywhere.
No US credit required.

Yes. Non-residents buy Florida property with financing regularly, and Florida is one of the largest markets in the country for international buyers. The route depends on your situation: investors buying a rental commonly use a DSCR loan, which qualifies on the property’s rental income rather than your personal income. Borrowers who hold an ITIN but no Social Security number may use an ITIN home loan. Both are Non-QM programs, underwritten by hand rather than by automated agency rules.

Not necessarily. A DSCR loan is qualified on the property’s rental income, not on your personal income documents, which is why it is the common path for international investors with no US credit history. Rate’s ITIN program is specifically designed for borrowers who are not eligible for a Social Security number. What every file does require is verified identity, verified funds and a property that supports the loan.

More than a US buyer, and that is the honest answer. Rate publishes 20% down and a 660 credit score for its DSCR program where US credit is used — but a foreign national with no US credit file is a different risk, and those files typically start around 25–35% down. What replaces credit is the down payment, verified reserves of roughly 6–12 months, and a property that covers its own payment. Your actual requirement is set by underwriting on the specific file.

DSCR stands for debt service coverage ratio. The loan is approved on whether the property’s rental income covers its mortgage payment — most lenders look for a ratio of at least 1.0, meaning rent at least equals the payment. Your personal income, foreign tax returns and overseas employment never have to be translated or verified. Rate lists loan amounts typically ranging from $100,000 to $3 million. For an overseas investor buying a Florida rental, it removes the hardest part of the file.

Second home purchases are common for international buyers, but the programs work differently. A DSCR loan is designed for income-producing property, so a pure second home that you will not rent does not fit it. Those files are structured on a different basis and the terms, down payment and documentation differ. Tell me the intended use early, because it changes which program applies before anything else is decided.

Often not, and this distinction matters financially. Visa holders living and working in the United States — H-1B, L-1, E-2, O-1 and similar — with US income, a US credit file and a Social Security number or ITIN can frequently qualify for standard conventional financing at conventional pricing, which is meaningfully cheaper than a Non-QM foreign national loan. Before assuming you need a specialty product, it is worth checking whether you already qualify for a normal one.

Generally yes. These are Non-QM loans, held by different investors than conventional agency loans and priced for the added risk of a borrower with no US credit history. That is the honest tradeoff. The comparison worth making is not against a conventional rate you cannot access — it is against paying all cash, or not buying. For many international buyers, financing the purchase and keeping capital deployed elsewhere still comes out ahead.

Usually. Closings are often completed abroad through a US embassy or consulate, or through an approved remote online notary where the title company and county permit it. Some counties and some lenders require an in-person closing, and a power of attorney is sometimes used instead. This is worth confirming at the start rather than the week of closing, because it affects your travel plans.

Many international investors hold Florida property in a US LLC for liability and estate reasons. DSCR loans are commonly written to an entity, which is one of the reasons investors favour them. There are tax consequences to how you hold title, particularly around US estate tax exposure for non-residents, and those are questions for a US tax advisor rather than for me. I will tell you what the lender needs; the ownership structure should be decided with proper tax advice.

Condos are the most common purchase for international buyers in South Florida, and they are also where files most often fail. The building itself is reviewed alongside you — reserve funding, owner-occupancy ratio, litigation, and since the Surfside collapse, milestone inspection and structural reserve study status under Florida law. Non-QM lenders can be stricter than agency lenders on condo approval. Send me the building before you go under contract and I will check it first. If a jumbo loan is what you need, that page is here.