Mortgage Broker in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

It depends on the loan program. VA is $0 down for eligible borrowers, FHA is 3.5% down, conventional starts at 3% for first-time buyers, and jumbo typically requires 10–20%. On a home priced near $625K in Fort Lauderdale, that ranges from $0 to roughly 20% of the purchase price.

FHA loans allow scores as low as 580 at 3.5% down. Conventional typically starts at 620. VA loans have no set minimum from the VA but most lenders overlay 580–620. Joann can pre-qualify you at any of these thresholds.

A full pre-approval — the kind Fort Lauderdale listing agents actually respect — takes 24 to 72 hours once we have income documentation, credit authorization, and asset statements. Most buyers submit the same day we send the checklist.

Joann is licensed statewide in Florida and closes loans throughout Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Monroe (the Keys) — including Broward County where Fort Lauderdale sits — plus every other Florida county on request.

Yes. Eligible veterans and active-duty service members can buy in Fort Lauderdale with $0 down and no monthly mortgage insurance. We handle Certificate of Eligibility retrieval as part of the process.

Yes — FHA loans work throughout Broward County for owner-occupied properties within FHA loan limits. Most single-family homes and warrantable condos in Fort Lauderdale fall inside the limit.

Florida condos require project approval (warrantable status), and post-Surfside reserve and structural-inspection reviews now matter more than ever. We pre-check the association before you write an offer so financing doesn't fall apart at underwriting.

Florida has no state income tax but property taxes and homeowners insurance (including windstorm and — in some areas — flood) are meaningful line items. We build realistic tax and insurance escrows into your pre-approval so the payment you see is the payment you get.

Fort Lauderdale rates track national pricing but the number you actually lock depends on credit, loan-to-value, property type, occupancy, and lock timing. Call Joann for a live quote — as a broker she shops multiple wholesale investors for every Broward County borrower.

A rule of thumb is 3–4× gross annual income, but the honest answer depends on debts, credit, HOA, and target payment. Our affordability calculator uses live rates and Fort Lauderdale tax and insurance estimates.

Yes — a large share of Joann's Fort Lauderdale closings are first-time buyers. We walk you through the entire process from pre-approval to keys, in plain English, and check every down-payment-assistance program you may qualify for.

Yes. Rate-and-term, cash-out, VA IRRRL, and FHA streamline refinances are all available in Fort Lauderdale. We start every refinance with an honest break-even analysis so you know exactly when you recoup closing costs — if the math doesn't work, we'll tell you.

Yes. DSCR loans qualify off the property's rental income (not your W-2), which is a common fit for Fort Lauderdale investors and second-home buyers targeting long-term or short-term rentals where local rules allow.