Reverse Mortgages in Florida

Florida has the highest share of residents aged 65 and older of any U.S. state (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial). The federal HECM program is the same in Florida as in every other state: the 2026 lending limit of $1,249,125 applies, set by HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-22. Florida overlays a recording-tax regime and homestead rules; it does not add a counseling requirement beyond the federal HUD-approved session that every HECM borrower completes.

What reverse mortgage rules are specific to Florida?

Florida imposes a documentary stamp tax on recorded mortgages at $0.35 per $100 of the indebtedness (Fla. Stat. §201.08), plus a nonrecurring intangible tax of $0.002 per $1 on the principal (Fla. Stat. §199.133). On a $400,000 HECM principal limit, the stamp tax runs about $1,400 and the intangible tax about $800, both rolled into closing costs.

Florida's homestead protection (Fla. Const. Art. X §4) shields a primary residence from most forced sale, but it does not block a HECM lien because the borrower consents at closing. The Florida statute on surviving non-borrowing spouses is the federal HUD ML 2015-15 standard, applied through the loan note rather than a separate state statute.

There is no Florida-specific counselor licensing beyond HUD approval. Counselors listed on the HUD Roster operate in Florida under the federal certification.

How much can you borrow with a reverse mortgage in Florida?

Coastal-metro home values frequently exceed the federal HECM cap, which is why this page also points to jumbo programs. The 2026 figure is $1,249,125 (HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-22), and it applies to FHA case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026. For a 70-year-old Florida borrower with a paid-off home appraised at $500,000, the HUD principal limit factor across a 6.0–7.5% expected-rate planning range returns roughly 35.0–41.5% of value, about $175,000–$208,000, before closing costs — an estimate, not a quote. Run the live calculator against your actual age and rate.

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Florida's large 65-and-older population and deep counselor network are reflected in its state suitability score, a comparison against all 50 states and DC.

Do you need counseling for a reverse mortgage in Florida?

Every Florida HECM borrower completes a session with a counselor on HUD's HECM Roster before the lender may process the application (HUD Handbook 4000.1), and FHA's list of HECM counseling agencies shows 17 based in Florida as of October 7, 2026. They include four in West Palm Beach and two in Fort Lauderdale, with one in each of 11 other cities; each sets its own fee, and the HUD HECM Counselor Roster or 1-800-569-4287 also finds agencies that counsel by phone.

What about jumbo in Florida?

A Florida borrower with a home appraised at $2M, above the $1,249,125 federal cap, cannot draw against the equity above the cap through a HECM; the principal-limit math stops at the limit. Proprietary jumbo programs (Finance of America's HomeSafe, Longbridge Platinum, and Mutual of Omaha's SecureEquity) lend up to $4 million and are not FHA-insured, so they carry no FHA mortgage insurance premium. Each lender sets its own state availability and minimum age, as young as 55 in some states (each lender's product page). See HECM vs. jumbo.

For the federal lending-limit reference, see HECM lending limits. For the current HECM rate environment, see current HECM rates. For the counseling step every Florida borrower completes, see the counseling guide. For the lender-by-lender program parameter cards, see the programs page. For the structural primer on what a reverse mortgage is and how it works, see what a reverse mortgage is.

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