How to buy a home in Florida with an ITIN in 2026: the honest guide
Published August 21, 2026 · By Adrian Colin, licensed mortgage broker in Florida and Texas, NMLS 1684240
Let me start with the question I get asked most, and with the direct answer: yes, you can buy a house in Florida with an ITIN. It happens every day.
But I am also going to tell you something plenty of sites will not, and it will save you months of wrong expectations: the down payment is not the FHA minimum. It is considerably more. There is a concrete reason for that, plus a very good workaround almost nobody mentions.
First, the legal part: can I own a home in the United States?
Yes. Owning real property in the United States does not require immigration status or citizenship. There is no law that prohibits it based on your situation.
This doubt stalls a great many families for years, and it is a doubt built on fear, not on law. What your immigration situation changes is not your right to buy: it is which financing is available to you.
The truth about FHA loans with an ITIN
You will find pages advertising “FHA for ITIN, minimum down.” You need to know this: FHA does not accept ITIN borrowers.
The HUD handbook, which governs every FHA-insured loan, requires each borrower to have a valid Social Security Number. An ITIN is a tax identification number; it does not substitute for one.
And in May 2025 FHA further limited eligibility to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, closing the door on people who previously qualified with a work permit.
If someone offers you an FHA loan with an ITIN, ask for the lender’s product sheet in writing. Not a promise over the phone: the document. It is your best protection, and it is a completely reasonable thing to ask for.
So what program does exist?
Portfolio programs. These are loans the bank keeps on its own books instead of selling to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Because the bank carries the risk, it sets its own rules, and some choose to serve ITIN buyers.
The main program we work with comes from a bank certified by the U.S. Treasury as a community development financial institution. Its stated mission includes financing low-income households, small business owners and immigrants.
Its underwriting starts from an idea I happen to think is the right one: tax returns do not tell the whole story. The decision looks at your character, your credit, your equity and your full situation.
How much down payment do I actually need?
It is usually much higher than on government programs, depending on the program and your profile. The exact figure depends on your case.
On a typical home, that down payment adds up to far more money than on government programs. That is an enormous difference in your savings plan, and we would rather you know it today than after you fall in love with a house.
Why is it higher? Because the programs that allow the lowest down payments are government programs or backed by Fannie and Freddie, and none of them accept ITINs. Without that backing, the bank puts more skin in the game.
The workaround almost nobody mentions: the down payment can be a gift
Here is what changes the whole calculation.
The program allows the entire down payment and closing costs to come from gift funds. With the right documentation, that money can come entirely from a family member and never leave your own pocket.
In many immigrant families, savings are spread across several people: a brother, an uncle, parents. If the family together can put that money in as a documented gift, the program accepts it.
That turns the biggest obstacle into something solvable, and it is the reason a conversation is worth having before writing off the idea.
Do I need tax returns?
Not necessarily, and this is the other big advantage of the program.
No tax returns. No W2s.
- If you are self-employed: a 12-month profit and loss statement prepared by your accountant or tax preparer. A licensed CPA is not required, which saves time and money.
- If you are a wage earner: an employment verification with your current income.
- For assets: a single bank statement covering 30 days.
If your business earns well but your returns show little after deductions, this program looks at what actually comes in.
What else does the program allow?
- Minimum credit score of 660. If you have no U.S. history, some lenders accept alternative history: rent, utilities, phone.
- Loan amounts up to one million dollars.
- Primary residence and second home.
- 1 to 4 units, condominiums and PUDs. Co-ops are not eligible.
- Purchase and also refinance, including cash-out refinance.
That last point matters more than it looks: if you already own a home and bought it under difficult terms, you can refinance.
The smart strategy: plan the exit from the start
Rates on a portfolio program are higher than on a traditional loan. That is the price of a door existing where there was none.
But you do not have to stay there forever. The right play is to enter with this program, build a documented payment history, and refinance later into better terms.
A broker who only closes your loan will not bring this up. We build that exit plan in the first conversation, because what you pay over ten years matters more than this year’s rate.
What you need to get started
- Your current ITIN
- Government-issued identification — your home country passport works
- Income documentation for your case: profit and loss statement or employment verification
- A recent bank statement
- If the down payment is a gift, documentation from whoever provides it
What we do differently
We are a wholesale broker, not a bank. That means we compare among several investors for your file instead of offering you the one product we happen to have. When a bank tells you no, that only means that bank said no.
It also means we give you the real numbers from the start. We would rather lose an appointment than win a lead with expectations that will not hold.
Browse the programs in our Casa Catalog, add the ones you are interested in, and leave us your name, phone and email. We review your case at no cost and tell you what down payment you qualify for. We never ask for a credit card, and we work in Spanish and English.
Sources
- HUD Handbook 4000.1 — valid Social Security Number requirement for FHA borrowers
- HUD, Mortgagee Letter 2025-09 — Revisions to residency requirements
- Wholesale lender product sheet, effective October 31, 2025
Keep reading
- How to choose a mortgage broker in Tampa: the 5 questions to ask
- Self-employed mortgages in Florida: how to qualify without tax returns
- Can I buy a home in Florida with an EAD in 2026? What changed with FHA
- See all the programs in the Casa Catalog
Adrian Colin is CEO/President and Loan Officer of Infinity Wholesale Mortgages, LLC, a mortgage broker licensed by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation and the Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending (SML). NMLS #1684240. Company NMLS #2420223.
Informational and educational article. Not a loan commitment, not an offer of credit, and not legal, tax or immigration advice. Programs and requirements change without notice; information reflects what was current on the publication date. Third-party lender programs, not FHA-insured. Subject to credit and property approval, income verification and appraisal. Not available in all states. Equal Housing Opportunity.