Turnkey new-construction rentals — single-family, duplexes, quads — financed with DSCR or conventional investment loans, for Florida investors and out-of-state buyers alike. Preferred lender for one of the state's largest build-to-rent builders. Licensed in NC, SC, TX, FL, GA & OH.
Build-to-rent means buying a brand-new home built specifically to be a rental — often delivered turnkey with management and a tenant already in place. In Florida, investors finance these one of two ways: a DSCR loan, which qualifies on the property's rent rather than your tax returns, allows LLC ownership, and has no cap on how many you hold; or a conventional investment loan, which qualifies on your personal income, usually prices a bit better, but limits you to ten financed properties. Because the home has never been rented, the appraiser sets the rent figure from market comparables — or from the actual lease if the builder delivers it tenanted. You do not need to live in Florida to buy here.
Most build-to-rent investors use one of these two. They solve different problems.
Down payment, reserve requirements, DSCR ratio minimums and pricing vary by lender and program and are subject to change. Not a commitment to lend.
On an existing rental, the lender uses the actual lease. On a brand-new build-to-rent home, there's no history — so the appraiser completes a rent schedule using comparable market rents, and that figure becomes the income the lender underwrites to.
For a DSCR loan, this number is everything: market rent divided by the full monthly payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance, HOA) is the ratio that determines approval. Most programs want it at or above roughly 1.0, meaning the rent covers the payment, though some allow lower with more down.
The turnkey advantage: when a builder delivers the home with a tenant already in place, the executed lease can be used instead of the appraiser's estimate — and an actual lease is almost always stronger than a projection. That's a meaningful underwriting benefit of buying from a builder who leases before closing, and it's worth asking any build-to-rent builder whether they deliver tenanted.
Two things to watch: in a brand-new community, rent comparables can be thin early on, and Florida's property taxes and insurance on a non-homestead investment property are often higher than out-of-state investors expect — both of which reduce the DSCR ratio. Model them accurately before you assume a deal pencils.
Florida is a title-company state (no attorney required to close), which is simpler than the Carolinas — but it taxes real estate transactions in a way most states don't. Three items are fixed by statute and knowable before you shop anything:
| Item | Rate | Who pays (by custom) |
|---|---|---|
| Documentary stamp tax on the deed | $0.70 per $100 of price | Seller |
| Documentary stamp tax on the mortgage note | $0.35 per $100 of loan | Buyer |
| Nonrecurring intangible tax on the mortgage | 0.2% of loan amount | Buyer |
| Title insurance | State-promulgated rates | Varies by county |
The two buyer-side taxes together come to roughly $5.50 per $1,000 borrowed — on a $360,000 loan, about $1,980 in taxes that don't exist in most states. Title premiums are set by the state, so they can't be shopped. Miami-Dade uses a different deed rate; the markets below all use the statewide figures.
Rates per Fla. Stat. §201.02, §201.08 and §199.133 as of 2026; who-pays reflects Florida custom and is negotiable in the contract. Subject to change. Consult your title company for the figures on a specific transaction.
The other line item to budget seriously: insurance. Florida premiums vary enormously by county, construction type, and flood zone. New construction to current code generally prices far better than older stock — one of the quieter arguments for build-to-rent — but get a real quote before you underwrite the deal.
Conventional lending stops at ten financed properties. Investors who buy turnkey rentals in batches hit that ceiling faster than they expect — and the same tax strategy that minimizes what you owe the IRS also minimizes the income a conventional underwriter can count.
DSCR is the answer to both. Because it qualifies on the property rather than on you, there's no property count and no tax-return analysis. Investors routinely hold a dozen or more DSCR-financed doors, often in a single LLC or several. If that's where you're headed, the earlier you structure for it the smoother the path — and if you're weighing multiple rentals against one bigger project, the trade-offs are in Charlotte investment property loans, which apply the same way in Florida.
I invest myself, so this is a conversation I have from both sides of the table.
A large share of Florida build-to-rent buyers live somewhere else — the Carolinas, the Northeast, the Midwest. That's routine, and the financing doesn't care where you live. Practically:
Build-to-rent concentrates in growth markets with land availability and rental demand — mostly outside the expensive coastal cores:
Largest metro in the state by area; steady population and job growth; the operational base for several BTR builders.
Central Florida growth corridor with lower land costs and strong rental demand.
Flagler County, between Jacksonville and Daytona; large platted-lot inventory suited to infill BTR.
Southwest Gulf coast; heavy platted-lot supply. Model insurance and flood zones carefully here.
Nature Coast; among the lowest entry prices for new-construction duplexes in the state.
Sarasota/Charlotte County line; coastal-adjacent at more moderate pricing.
I finance investment property from any builder or seller in Florida. I'm also one of Southern Impression Homes' preferred lenders, which means I've closed their product repeatedly and know how it appraises, how their leases are structured, and where the timing pinch points are.
Southern Impression Homes is a real estate development firm based in Jacksonville, Florida, specializing in the build-to-rent market. Its product offerings include single-family homes, duplexes, quadplexes, townhomes, and entire communities across North, Central, and Southwest Florida. Southern Impression Homes is part of the Sumitomo Forestry Group, the fifth-largest homebuilding organization in the U.S., providing additional scale and financial strength to support its operations.
SIH's vertically integrated business model supports investors throughout the BTR lifecycle. From development and construction to leasing, property management through its property management company (Suncoast Property Management), and new-construction warranties, investors have resources available at every stage of ownership. This integrated approach can be particularly valuable for investors looking to build and manage their portfolios from anywhere.
SIH's current inventory includes a strong concentration of duplexes, many ranging from approximately $400,000 to $490,000, with four bedrooms and four bathrooms across two units. Select properties are also available with leases already in place, allowing lenders and appraisers to consider actual rental income rather than relying solely on projected rents. For investors using DSCR financing, the combination of new construction and established rental income can provide a strong foundation for evaluating the property.
On financing: Southern Impression Homes maintains a network of preferred lenders experienced with its products and investment-focused transactions, of which I am one. As with any builder, the choice of lender is ultimately yours. We recommend comparing Loan Estimates from multiple sources so you can evaluate your options and select the financing that best fits your investment strategy.
Visit southernimpressionhomes.com →Southern Impression Homes is named to describe the kinds of properties I finance and my experience with them. Being a preferred lender describes a working relationship; it is not an endorsement of the builder by Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, I receive no compensation for mentioning them, and buyers are free to use any lender. Figures about the builder are from their published materials. Always do your own due diligence on any builder and any investment.
DSCR (qualifies on rent, ~20–25% down, LLC allowed, no property cap) or conventional investment (qualifies on your income, ~25% down on 2–4 units, better rate, 10-property cap). Which fits depends on portfolio size, tax returns, and whether you want entity ownership.
The appraiser sets a rent schedule from market comparables. If the builder delivers it tenanted, the actual lease can be used instead — usually stronger.
Yes, routinely. Title-company closings, remote signing, no presence required. Plan for management and get a real insurance quote.
Deed doc stamps ($0.70/$100, seller by custom), note doc stamps ($0.35/$100 of loan, buyer), and 0.2% intangible tax on the mortgage (buyer) — about $5.50 per $1,000 borrowed on the buyer side. Title rates are state-set. Statutory as of 2026; subject to change.
Under ten properties with returns that qualify: conventional usually prices better. Scaling past the cap, heavy write-offs, or LLC ownership: DSCR. Many start conventional and shift to DSCR as they grow.
Send me the property, the rent, and where you are in your portfolio. I'll show you DSCR and conventional side by side — including Florida's doc stamps, intangible tax, and a realistic insurance figure — so you know what actually pencils.
This page is general education, not investment advice, and not a commitment to lend or an offer of credit; it does not advertise specific rates or terms. DSCR and conventional investment loan requirements — down payment, reserves, ratio minimums, property-count limits and pricing — vary by lender and program and are subject to change. Florida documentary stamp and intangible tax rates are statutory as of 2026 and subject to change; allocation between buyer and seller reflects custom and is set by contract. Insurance and property tax figures vary by county and property. Statements about Southern Impression Homes are drawn from the builder's published materials; being a preferred lender describes a working relationship and is not an endorsement by Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. Real estate investment involves risk, including loss of principal. Trevor Higgins, Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, NMLS #1410557 / Corp NMLS #2289. Equal Housing Opportunity.
No credit pull. No commitment. Or call/text Trevor directly: 330-977-0017
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