Answers
Florida mortgage if you live out of state
Living outside Florida does not by itself rule out a Florida mortgage. How you will use the home, licensing, and closing from a distance.
Short answer
Lenders treat a home you will live in, a second home and an investment property differently [1]. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide defines these by how the home is used, not by which state the borrower lives in [1]. Florida law prohibits acting as a mortgage broker or loan originator in the state without a current, active license [2].
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Often, yes. Living in another state does not by itself decide whether you can finance a Florida home.
Lenders look at how you will use the property, your income, credit and savings, and the property itself.
A home you will live in, a second home and an investment property are each treated differently [1].
On this page
01
What matters more than the state I live in?
Fannie Mae's Selling Guide, one of the main rulebooks lenders use for conventional loans, sorts a home into three uses.
A principal residence is a property the borrower occupies as their primary residence.
- Principal residence: the borrower's primary residence [1].
- Second home: occupied by the borrower for some portion of the year, with the conditions above [1].
- Investment property: owned, not occupied by the borrower [1].
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An investment property is owned but not occupied by the borrower. A second home has its own list of conditions [1].
Those conditions include that the borrower occupies the home for some portion of the year, that it is a one-unit dwelling suitable for year-round occupancy, that the borrower has exclusive control of it, and that it is not a rental property or a timeshare [1].
The definitions are about how the home is used, not about which state the borrower lives in [1].
02
How does my plan for the home change the options?
03
Who is allowed to arrange a Florida mortgage for me?
Florida law prohibits acting as a mortgage broker, or as a loan originator, in the state without a current, active license issued by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation [2].
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The CFPB notes that the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System & Registry (NMLS) offers a free Consumer Access service where you can see whether a company or professional is authorized to conduct business in your state, and that you can check with your state regulator for orders of disciplinary action [3].
04
What are the steps if I live out of state?
The order below is a general path, not a promise about any lender's process.
- Decide how you will use the home: main residence, second home or investment. This decides which category applies [1].
- Check that the company and the loan originator are licensed, using NMLS Consumer Access [3].
- Request and compare Loan Estimates from more than one lender [4].
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- Gather your income, asset and identity paperwork before you move forward [8].
- Ask early how closing will work. Florida law lets an online notary located in Florida notarize for a signer who is not in Florida, if the signer agrees to a Florida notary [5]. Your lender and title company decide whether that is used for your closing.
05
What should I have ready before I talk to a lender?
A short list is enough to start a conversation.
- How you will use the home: main residence, second home or investment [1].
- For a Loan Estimate: your name, income, Social Security number, the property address, an estimate of the home's value and the loan amount [7]. Documents are not required to get one [7].
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- Photo ID and recent income and bank paperwork for when you decide to proceed [8].
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to live in Florida to get a mortgage on a Florida home?
The occupancy categories in Fannie Mae's guide are based on how the borrower will use the home, not on which state the borrower lives in [1]. What you qualify for still depends on your finances, the property and each lender's rules.
Sources: B2-1.1-01, Occupancy Types
Can I finance a second home in Florida?
Second homes can be financed, subject to conditions. Under Fannie Mae's guide, the borrower must occupy the home for some portion of the year, it must be a one-unit dwelling suitable for year-round occupancy, the borrower must have exclusive control, and it cannot be a rental property or timeshare [1]. Other lenders and programs can set different conditions.
Sources: B2-1.1-01, Occupancy Types
Can I sign my closing documents without traveling to Florida?
Sometimes. Florida law lets an online notary located in Florida notarize for a signer who is not in Florida, if the signer agrees to use a Florida notary [5]. Whether your lender, title company and county use that for your closing is a separate question to ask early.
Sources: Florida Statutes s. 117.265, Online notarization procedures (2025)
How do I check that a Florida mortgage broker is licensed?
Florida prohibits acting as a mortgage broker or loan originator in the state without a current, active license [2]. The CFPB says NMLS Consumer Access is a free service for checking whether a company or professional is authorized to conduct business in your state, and your state regulator can tell you about disciplinary orders [3].
Sources: Florida Statutes s. 494.0025, Prohibited practices (2025); Is there any way I can check to see if the company or person I contact is permitted to make or broker mortgage loans?
Do I have to give a lender documents to get a Loan Estimate?
No. The CFPB says a lender or mortgage broker cannot require you to provide any documents as a condition for giving you a Loan Estimate. You only need to provide your name, income, Social Security number, the property address, an estimate of the home's value and the loan amount [7].
Sources: Can a lender make me provide documents like my W-2 or pay stub in order to give me a Loan Estimate?
Sources (8)
- B2-1.1-01, Occupancy Types. Fannie Mae Selling Guide. Accessed .
- Florida Statutes s. 494.0025, Prohibited practices (2025). The Florida Senate. Subsections (1) and (2). Accessed .
- Is there any way I can check to see if the company or person I contact is permitted to make or broker mortgage loans?. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Accessed .
- Compare: shop for your mortgage. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Accessed .
- Florida Statutes s. 117.265, Online notarization procedures (2025). The Florida Senate. Subsections (1) and (3). Accessed .
- VA-backed purchase loan. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Requirements; what you can use the loan to do. Accessed .
- Can a lender make me provide documents like my W-2 or pay stub in order to give me a Loan Estimate?. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Accessed .
- Create a loan application packet. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Gather your personal and financial information; What to know. Accessed .