Home Loans in Orlando Built for Your Goals

The home loan that fits a first-time buyer rarely fits an investor or a homeowner borrowing against equity. Bruce Woodburn, The Loan Arranger, and his team help Orlando and Central Florida buyers and homeowners match each goal (buying, building, investing, refinancing or using equity) to the loan that fits it.

Types of Home Loans in Central Florida

From conventional, FHA and VA to jumbo, DSCR and construction financing, each home loan below has its own page. Choose one to see how it works, who qualifies, and how to get started.

Jumbo Loan

Exceed standard loan limits →

Physician Loan

Financing for medical professionals →

Condo Loan

Warrantable & non-warrantable units →

Manufactured Home Loan

Factory-built homes →

FHA 203(k) Loan

Bundle home purchase & repairs →

Construction-to-Permanent Loan

Build from the ground up →

Renovation Loan

Buy or refinance, then remodel →

DSCR Loan

Qualify using rental income →

Bank Statement Loan

Self-employed cash flow options →

Foreign National Loan

US real estate for non-residents →

Reverse Mortgage Loan

Home equity for homeowners 62 and older →

Bridge Loan

Buy a home before you sell →

Refinance

Change your rate, term or take cash out →

Home Equity Line of Credit

Flexible revolving line of credit →

Hometown Heroes

Florida down payment assistance →

Not sure which mortgage options to choose?

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What Home Loans Are Available in Orlando?

Home loans in Orlando include conventional, FHA, VA and USDA loans, plus jumbo, condo, construction and renovation financing. Self-employed borrowers and investors can qualify on bank statements, assets or rental income, and homeowners can refinance or open a home equity line of credit.

The right one depends on your credit, savings, eligibility and the property.

Compare Orlando Home Loan Options by Goal

Orlando buyers, homeowners and investors have more options than the four loans most people have heard of. Each line below describes a situation and links to the loan that fits it.

Conventional, FHA, VA and USDA Loans in Orlando

Conventional Loans

The most common home loan in Orlando, suited to buyers with solid credit, with down payments from 3% for eligible first-time buyers. Private mortgage insurance can be removed once enough equity builds, though credit and debt-to-income standards run tighter than FHA.

FHA Loans

Insured by the Federal Housing Administration, with down payments from 3.5% at a 580 credit score and room for credit profiles that conventional underwriting turns away. Mortgage insurance stays on most FHA loans, so many buyers refinance to conventional later.

VA Loans

Eligible veterans, active-duty service members and qualifying surviving spouses can buy with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance. Most borrowers pay a one-time VA funding fee, and Florida purchases need a wood-destroying-organism inspection.

USDA Loans

No-down-payment financing for buyers who pass two checks: the address must sit in a USDA-eligible area, and household income must fall under the county limit. Parts of Lake, Osceola and Polk counties still qualify.

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Collage of bright modern home interiors: living room shelf, white kitchen with island seating, entry console and living room sofa

Specialty Home Loans in Orlando: Jumbo, Condo, Construction and Renovation

Jumbo Loans

For loan amounts above the conforming limit, common on purchases in Winter Park, Windermere and Lake Nona. Jumbo financing carries its own credit, reserve and appraisal standards, so the numbers are worth running before the offer.

Condo Loans

With a condo, the building has to qualify as well as the buyer. Owner-occupancy, reserves, litigation and Florida’s milestone inspection rules can each stop a loan, so we review the community before the offer is written.

Manufactured Home Loans

Financing for manufactured homes built to HUD code and permanently attached to land the buyer owns or is buying. The home’s age and foundation decide which loans are available.

Construction-to-Permanent Loans

One loan that covers the build and then becomes the permanent mortgage, with a single closing and one set of closing costs. It suits building on an owned lot or with a builder who doesn’t offer financing.

Renovation Loans

One mortgage that covers the purchase price and the cost of the work, based on what the home will be worth when finished. A practical route in Orlando’s older neighborhoods, where the right house often needs a kitchen and a roof.

FHA 203(k) Loans

An FHA loan that finances a home and its repairs together, with FHA’s flexible credit standards. In Central Florida it often solves an aging roof or an insurance-flagged system that would otherwise stop the purchase.

Reverse Mortgage

Homeowners 62 and older can convert part of their equity into cash with no monthly mortgage payment. Taxes, insurance and upkeep stay the owner’s responsibility, and the loan comes due when the last borrower sells, moves out or passes away.

Bridge Loans

When the down payment for the next home is tied up in the current one, a bridge loan draws on that equity so the buyer can make a non-contingent offer. It is short-term, and it only makes sense when the current home can realistically sell on a known timeline.

Home Loans for Self-Employed Buyers, Investors and Physicians

Physician Loans

For doctors, dentists and other eligible medical professionals, with low down payments, no monthly mortgage insurance on most options, and student loans weighed differently than on a conventional loan. Eligibility depends on degree, specialty and career stage.

Bank Statement Loans

Self-employed borrowers whose tax returns understate business income can qualify on personal or business bank statements instead of returns and W-2s. Rates and down payments usually run higher than on conventional financing.

Asset Depletion Loans

For borrowers with substantial savings or investments and little monthly income, such as retirees. Eligible assets are converted into a qualifying income figure, and which accounts count varies by loan.

DSCR Loans

For investment properties, a DSCR loan qualifies on the property’s rent compared with its payment, not the borrower’s personal income. No tax returns or employment documents are needed, but rates and down payments usually run higher than on a primary home.

Foreign National Loans

Buyers who live outside the United States and have no U.S. credit history can finance a Central Florida home using credit references and documents from their home country. Down payment and reserve requirements run higher.

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Family carrying moving boxes into an empty home, parents holding hands with their two young children

Refinance and Home Equity Loans in Orlando

Mortgage Refinance

Replaces the current mortgage with a new one to change the rate, shorten the term or take cash out. Whether it pays depends on the current rate, time in the home and closing costs, so we run the numbers first and say so when a refinance doesn’t put a homeowner ahead.

Home Equity Line of Credit

A revolving credit line secured by the home that leaves the first mortgage in place, which matters most when the existing rate is worth keeping. The rate is variable, so the payment can change.

Florida Down Payment Assistance Programs

Down payment assistance in Florida comes from the state and from some counties and cities. What a buyer qualifies for depends on the purchase address, household income, occupation and first-time buyer status.

Florida Hometown Heroes

State assistance for first-time buyers in eligible occupations. Funding is released in cycles and runs out.

Florida Assist and Other Florida Housing Options

State second mortgages for first-time buyers within income limits, paired with a Florida Housing first mortgage.

County and City Programs

Orange County and the City of Orlando each run first-time buyer assistance that opens and closes as funding allows.

Bruce Woodburn and his team check eligibility for state assistance during pre-approval. Call 407-869-8830.

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Why Orlando Buyers Choose The Woodburn Team

The Woodburn Team – CrossCountry Mortgage logo
  • Experience that predates the current market. Originating Florida home loans for more than three decades, with 10,000+ families served across Orlando and Central Florida, and working relationships with builders and Realtors throughout the region.
  • Local and reachable. 2729 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789 — serving Orlando and all of Central Florida, with loan officers on call through the weekend by calling 407-250-9144, which is when contracts get written.
  • Processing and underwriting in-house. Files are not handed to a corporate queue, which is why a condition raised on a Tuesday can be cleared the same week.
  • A four-hour pre-approval on a complete file.
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  • An owned appraisal management company. Appraisal ordering and follow-up do not route through an outside vendor.
  • Educators, not only lenders. Bruce Woodburn hosts Loan Arranger Radio on WDBO 107.3FM/580AM and appears on FOX 35 Orlando every week as a mortgage expert, breaking down home financing for Central Florida.
  • The Loan Arranger Advantage™. A 21-day on-time closing commitment on eligible purchase loans, backed by an Honor Call™ from Bruce Woodburn to the listing agent before the offer goes in. It does not apply to manufactured home, construction, renovation or foreign national loans, or to purchases using down payment assistance. See the full terms.

Licensed and accountable: CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC — NMLS 3029 | Branch NMLS 1591876 | Bruce Woodburn — NMLS 228431
NMLS Consumer Access

FastTrack: Get Fully Underwritten Before You Shop in Orlando

Two people shaking hands over a desk with a model house, house keys and paperwork

In a competitive Orlando market, speed often decides offers. With FastTrack, the team completes full underwriting before the house search starts, not after a contract is signed. The offer that goes in front of a listing agent carries an underwriter’s review instead of a loan officer’s estimate, which is what lets a financed offer stand up against a cash buyer.

It matters most on a tight contractual closing date, on a listing drawing multiple offers, and on any deal where the seller has already been burned by a financing contingency falling apart late. 

Four Steps to a Home Loan in Orlando

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  1. Start with a conversation. Call Bruce Woodburn and the team at 407-869-8830 or apply online. The first call covers the goal, the budget and the timeline — in that order, because the goal is what narrows the loan options.
  2. Get pre-approved. A letter issued off a credit pull and a conversation is a guess. One issued after an underwriter has reviewed income, assets and credit is something a listing agent can rely on.
  3. Compare the options side by side. The loans the file qualifies for, presented with real numbers — payment, cash to close, and how long mortgage insurance lasts
  4. Close. Processing and underwriting stay in-house, and Tuesday Updates report where the loan stands every week until closing day.

The Loan Arranger Rebate Program

A closing credit when you buy or sell a home.

Fully approved buyers and sellers are matched with a top-performing real estate agent who agrees to credit back up to 25% of their commission at closing.

  • Full approval comes first, which is what makes the referral possible.
  • The rebate is paid by the agent, not the lender.
  • It applies to closing costs and prepaid items only. It cannot be taken as cash or used as a down payment.
  • It applies to home purchases and sales, not refinances or renovation loans.
Bruce Woodburn and his son Chase Woodburn of the Woodburn Team celebrating a closing with two clients

Certain restrictions may apply. Amounts are up to 25% and may vary, subject to lender and regulatory guidelines.

Common Questions About Home Loans in Orlando

Can you switch loan types after pre-approval?

Yes. Switching loan types after pre-approval is common: a property turns out to be[USDA-eligible, or an appraisal finds repairs that point toward a [renovation loan]. The file is re-underwritten against the new guidelines, so the earlier the switch, the less time it costs.

Does shopping multiple mortgage lenders hurt your credit score?

No more than applying with one. Mortgage inquiries made inside one shopping window count as a single inquiry: 45 days under newer FICO models, 14 days under older ones and VantageScore. Keeping every lender comparison inside 14 days covers all of them.

How long is a mortgage pre-approval good for?

Most pre-approval letters run 60 to 90 days. The documents behind the letter set the real limit: on a conventional loan, credit reports, pay stubs and bank statements can be no more than four months old at closing. Updating a letter for a buyer still searching is routine.

Can gift money be used for a down payment?

Yes, on most home loans. FHA allows the full 3.5% down payment to come from a gift, and the down payment on a conventional loan for a single-family primary residence can be fully giftedWho may give varies by loan type, and every gift needs a signed letter stating no repayment is expected.

What happens if a home appraisal comes in low?

The loan is based on the lower of the appraised value or the contract price. That leaves four paths: renegotiate the price, bring the difference in cash, request a reconsideration of value with comparable sales the appraiser did not use, or cancel if the contract allows it.

How much are closing costs on a home loan in Florida?

Buyers typically pay between 2% and 5% of the purchase price in closing costs. Florida adds two state charges many buyers have not seen before: documentary stamp tax on the note at 35 cents per $100 borrowed, and intangible tax at 0.2% of the loan amount. Lender fees, title insurance, prepaid homeowners insurance and escrow deposits sit on top, all itemized on the Loan Estimate.