Foreign National Mortgage Loans for Florida Property

What is a foreign national mortgage, and who is it for?

"Foreign national" is an industry label, not a program defined in the Fannie Mae or HUD guides. We use it for a buyer who is not a U.S. citizen and is buying Florida property while living abroad or without U.S. residency status.

Because no agency guide defines this loan, its terms come from individual lenders and investors. We do not publish down payment, credit, reserve or rate figures for it, since there is no primary source to cite. What we can do is tell you what our lending partners require once we know your situation.

Global G Home Loans, LLC is a mortgage broker. We present your file to lending partners; the lender you end up with makes the credit decision.

Why do agency programs often not work for a buyer who lives abroad?

Fannie Mae's Selling Guide, section B2-2-02, says Fannie Mae purchases mortgages made to non-U.S. citizens who are lawful permanent or non-permanent residents of the United States under the same terms available to U.S. citizens, and that the lender warrants the borrower is legally present ^[1]. The section does not describe a separate category for borrowers who live outside the country.

HUD's FHA handbook (Update 18) says U.S. citizenship is not required, and it lists the categories eligible for FHA-insured financing: lawful permanent residents, who may be eligible on the same terms as U.S. citizens, and citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau ^[2]. Non-permanent residents are no longer eligible: HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-09 removed the non-permanent resident sections, effective for FHA case numbers assigned on or after May 25, 2025 ^[6]. FHA also requires each borrower to provide a valid Social Security number, with narrow exceptions ^[2].

If you are a lawful resident, the agency path may be open to you, and we would look at it first. If you are not, expect a non-agency loan.

What documents will I need to provide?

There is no single government-set list for non-agency foreign national loans. Even for agency loans, Fannie Mae says it does not specify the precise documentation a lender must obtain to verify legal presence; the lender decides based on the individual case ^[1].

So we will not give you a generic checklist from a website. After you tell us your country of residence, how you plan to use the home and whether you hold any U.S. immigration status, we tell you the documents the specific lending partners ask for.

How is a non-agency loan underwritten compared with an agency loan?

Federal rules require a creditor to make a reasonable, good-faith determination that the consumer can repay a covered mortgage, weighing factors that include income or assets, employment status, monthly debts and credit history ^[4]. That applies to loans outside the agencies too. The rule applies to consumer credit secured by a dwelling; credit extended primarily for a business, commercial or agricultural purpose is outside Regulation Z under 12 CFR 1026.3(a) ^[7].

What differs is who sets the detailed rules. Agency loans follow a published guide. A non-agency lender writes its own, which is why two lenders can answer the same foreign buyer differently and why we ask questions before recommending anything.

Does FIRPTA affect me when I buy?

FIRPTA mainly concerns sales by foreign persons. The IRS states that the disposition of a U.S. real property interest by a foreign person is subject to FIRPTA withholding, and that the buyer generally acts as withholding agent when purchasing from a foreign seller ^[5].

That matters to you later, if you resell the Florida property as a foreign person. It is tax territory, so speak with a tax professional rather than relying on us.

How do I protect the money I send for closing?

Homebuyers are a common target for mortgage closing scams. CFPB warns that scammers email last-minute changes to wire instructions days before closing, and advises confirming details only through contacts and phone numbers you already saved, not numbers or links in an email ^[3].

CFPB also says never to email financial information and, if you are a victim, to contact your bank or wire-transfer company immediately and file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center ^[3].