Buying a Florida second home or rental property while living abroad? Bennett Capital Partners Mortgage Brokers helps you compare financing, review the property, and plan your documents and funds before you commit. Already own a Florida property? We can review refinancing, too.
A foreign national mortgage can finance an eligible Florida purchase or refinance for a borrower who lives outside the United States. Your residence, documentation and intended property use determine which lender programs can be considered.
For a home you will use yourself, the review covers personal occupancy and how you document income or assets.
An eligible DSCR loan may use the property’s rental income. The same program must also accept your international borrower profile.
Already own the property? A refinance review considers current title, value, existing debt, available equity and any cash-out restrictions. For a condominium, start the unit and project review early.
Start with the borrower and the specific property together. Ask your Florida real estate attorney to review applicable ownership restrictions before you sign a contract.
Confirm where you live, your identification and any residence, visa or tax-ID records the selected lender requires.
Identify the foreign income, asset or rental-income evidence and credit history that the lender will review.
Trace account ownership, source of funds and currency conversion. Confirm the cash required at closing and afterward.
Review occupancy, association insurance and finances, rental rules, and the proposed ownership structure.
Resolve the borrower, property, and transfer requirements early so the closing plan is based on facts.
Holding a foreign passport does not automatically make a foreign national program the right fit. If you live in the United States, ask about resident-borrower options: Fannie Mae’s guidance for non-U.S. citizens allows eligible lawful permanent and non-permanent U.S. residents under its rules, with the lender verifying the individual circumstances.
An ITIN is a separate tax-identification question. The IRS explains that an ITIN is for federal tax purposes and does not provide immigration status or work authorization; see our ITIN home loan program for that financing review.
Ask which foreign credit reports, bank references or other evidence the lender can accept. Requirements vary, and a foreign national program does not automatically waive credit or income review.
For a deeper explanation of documents and eligibility questions, read our foreign national mortgage requirements guide. This program page helps you choose a financing route and prepare a borrower-and-property review.
The strongest submission connects each source of income and each account to the borrower. An employer letter, business record, or bank reference may support the file, but it does not automatically replace the selected lender’s required evidence.
| Category | Prepare for review |
|---|---|
| Identity and residence | Passport and requested residence or visa records, plus a consistent current address. |
| Income or investment cash flow | Accepted employment or business records, or leases and rental evidence for an eligible investor program. |
| Assets | Complete statements showing ownership, balances, and the source of unusual deposits. |
| Translations | Ask whether a certified translation is required and who may provide it before ordering one. |
| Entity ownership | Formation documents, ownership information, borrowing authority, and any required guarantees. |
Keep names and account ownership consistent across documents. Explain changes in transliteration, business names, or joint ownership early. Use the lender’s secure document channel for passports and financial records.
A quoted down payment is only part of the cash plan. Include lender and settlement charges, prepaid expenses, escrow funding, any project charges, and reserves required after closing. Keep funds needed for the transaction separate from money needed to operate a business or maintain other properties.
A planning illustration shows why a currency buffer matters. These figures are assumptions, not mortgage terms or a lender’s required cash amounts.
The reduction is about 3.8% of the expected proceeds. If your plan included a $25,000 cash buffer, the same shortfall would reduce it to $17,000.
All amounts are before transfer and foreign-exchange fees, bank charges and lender-required reserves. The remaining buffer does not establish that a reserve requirement is satisfied. No property price, loan amount, down payment or payment is assumed.
Before moving money, confirm the accepted source account, transfer trail, receiving account and any timing requirement. An unfamiliar account or undocumented large deposit can require additional verification.
Call your closing agent using a trusted number you confirmed earlier. Do not rely on a changed account number or phone number in an email. The CFPB’s closing-fraud guidance explains how to confirm instructions before wiring money.
For a Florida condominium, the buyer’s qualification does not settle the building’s eligibility. Obtain the association contact, current budget, insurance information, and rental restrictions. Hotel-style operation may require a condotel loan rather than ordinary condo financing.
Review non-warrantable condo financing when comparing project-specific alternatives. For local guidance, see our Brickell mortgage services and Sunny Isles Beach mortgage services.
Before signing a contract, ask a qualified Florida real estate attorney to confirm the current property-ownership rules, including any applicable provisions of Florida Statutes Chapter 692, for your proposed purchase. Lender approval does not establish legal eligibility to acquire the property. Review title structure and cross-border tax questions with your legal and tax advisers before choosing personal or entity ownership.
Before you commit to a contract. Ask whether the lender has reviewed both your international borrower profile and this specific property. A general prequalification or a previous loan in the same building is not a commitment to finance your transaction.
Ask for written terms based on the same borrower, property and intended use. A rate alone does not show the cash needed or the cost of changing your plans.
If you expect to sign outside the United States, discuss the plan with the lender and closing agent at the beginning. Remote signing, a power of attorney, or consular notarization must be accepted for the actual transaction. Do not assume every closing can be completed from abroad.
Bennett Capital Partners coordinates the financing request from Miami and helps identify outstanding conditions. Start with the address, intended occupancy, country of residence, purchase price or value, requested loan, and target date. Meet Philip Bennett or request an international buyer review.
| Dependency | Resolve early |
|---|---|
| Document acceptance | Confirm translation, certification and verification requirements before paying for reports. |
| Transfer of funds | Allow time to document the source, conversion and complete transfer trail. |
| Condo or condotel review | Request association and operator records while borrower underwriting proceeds. |
| Signing arrangements | Obtain lender and closing-agent approval of the actual signing method and required originals. |
Bennett Capital Partners Mortgage Brokers, NMLS 2046862. Not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit and property approval. Programs, terms, and eligibility are subject to change and borrower and property qualification.
Start with the property address, intended use, country of residence, price or value, requested loan and target closing date. Send passports and financial records only through the secure document channel provided for your loan review.
Start My ReviewWe help compare lending sources and coordinate your submission. The lender makes the final credit and property decision.
We identify residency, income, assets, and intended occupancy.
We review the home or condo and any rental or entity requirements.
We assess documentation, costs, reserves, and closing requirements together.
We track lender conditions, funds, title, and accepted signing arrangements.
Compare available lending sources and prepare the borrower and property information needed for underwriting.
Philip Bennett, MBAFounder, Bennett Capital Partners Mortgage BrokersUse the previous and next review buttons, swipe, or use the left and right arrow keys to browse reviews. Home goes to the first review; End goes to the last.
“He was very responsive and followed the deal all the way through closing.”
“Clear communication, strong execution, and real expertise.”
“Phil Bennett of Bennett Capital Partners Mortgage went the extra mile when approving my loan.”
“What truly stood out was their deep knowledge of the Miami real estate market, particularly in condominium financing.”
“He is professional, has the right resources to make things happen quickly.”
“I highly recommend using Phillip and his team if you have an investment property you need financed or refinanced.”
Review snapshot from October 17, 2026. See Google for current reviews.
Eligible nonresident buyers may qualify through specialized programs. Availability depends on the borrower’s residence, documentation, credit profile, source of funds, property, and intended use. A foreign passport alone does not determine approval.
Some programs accept alternative credit evidence or borrowers without a U.S. score. Others have specific credit requirements. The lender must confirm which references or reports it will accept for your situation.
There is no single percentage across foreign national programs. The required equity depends on occupancy, property, loan amount, credit, documentation, and reserves. Budget for closing expenses and any required funds remaining after closing as well.
Requirements differ by lender and transaction. Tell us what identification you have so the correct program can be evaluated. A mortgage program’s documentation policy does not determine your separate tax obligations.
Some investment programs accept an eligible entity borrower. Ownership documentation, borrowing authority, guarantees, and property rules still apply. Review the title structure with your legal and tax advisers before committing.
A program may accept verifiable foreign income, assets, or eligible rental income. The lender determines the documentation, translation, and currency treatment. An informal income estimate does not substitute for required evidence.
Possibly, if the lender and closing agent approve the signing and notarization method. Discuss travel plans, any power of attorney, and document requirements early. Remote closing is not available for every transaction.
Potentially. The borrower and the condo project must both meet the selected lender’s requirements. Rental restrictions, hotel operations, insurance, and association condition can change which programs are available.
There is no reliable deadline without reviewing the file. Foreign-document verification, fund transfers, valuation, project records and overseas signing can affect timing. Share the contract date and travel plans at the initial review so outstanding dependencies can be identified.
Explore these relevant articles from Bennett Capital Partners.
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View the briefStart with the borrower, unit and project review to identify the appropriate financing channel.
View the briefReview hotel-style operation, rental arrangements and property-specific financing requirements.
View the briefRental-property financing that evaluates eligible property income and debt coverage.
View the briefBrowse financing by the property, income documentation and transaction.
Open the directoryShare the property, your country of residence, and the financing you need.
