Hard money and fix and flip loans in Miami, Florida

The Miami market for investors

Miami is the center of a metro area of more than six million people and an international gateway for business, trade and real estate buyers. Its housing ranges from 1920s Mediterranean and Mission-style homes in older neighborhoods to postwar concrete block houses and thousands of condo units in Brickell, Edgewater and downtown.

Investors renovate dated houses for resale, hold single-family rentals, duplexes and condos, and build new homes and townhomes on infill lots near the urban core. The Miami 21 zoning code sets what each lot allows, from short-term rentals to the number of units you can build.

Neighborhoods investors ask about

• Little River, Little Haiti and Lemon City: older houses and small multifamily north of the Design District
• Allapattah and Wynwood’s edges: duplexes, small apartment buildings and infill lots
• Little Havana and Shenandoah: 1920s to 1950s houses and duplexes close to downtown and Brickell
• Liberty City and West Little River: lower-priced concrete block houses to renovate and rent
• Upper East Side, Morningside and Buena Vista: higher-priced homes, some in historic districts

Plan for these on a Miami deal

• Investment property gets no homestead exemption, and combined property tax rates are often close to 2% of taxable value. The 10% yearly cap on non-homestead value resets when the property sells, and Amendment 3, approved in November 2026, lowers that cap to 5% from 2027. Budget with full market value.
• In Miami-Dade, documentary stamp tax on a deed is $0.60 per $100 on a single-family home and $1.05 per $100 on other property, usually paid by the seller. A new mortgage adds note stamps of $0.35 per $100 and intangible tax of 0.2% of the loan.
• The county is in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so new roofs, windows and doors need approvals rated for it. Price impact windows and the roof early.
• In a FEMA flood zone, a renovation costing 50% or more of the building’s value triggers current flood rules, which can mean elevating the house. Check the zone and the city’s counting rules before you set the scope.
• Short-term rentals in the City of Miami are allowed only where the zoning permits them, with a certificate of use and a business tax receipt, plus a Florida vacation rental license. Underwrite on long-term rent unless the address can legally host short-term rentals.
• Exterior work in historic districts such as Morningside, Buena Vista East and Spring Garden needs approval from the city’s Historic and Environmental Preservation Board.
• For a condo, read the association’s budget, milestone inspection, reserve study and any planned special assessments before you buy.