FHA Loan Limits in Florida 2026: Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach

Educational content only. This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial, legal, or lending advice. Loan programs, rates, and eligibility requirements change frequently. Consult a licensed mortgage professional before making any borrowing decision. Mortgage Capital | NMLS# 1859012 | Licensed in Florida.

FHA loan limits Florida buyers must work within are set county by county, not statewide. South Florida sits well above the national floor because local home prices push the calculation up.

The limit caps the loan, not the purchase price. You can buy above it by bringing the difference in cash, or by moving to a different program. Our FHA loan page covers the full requirement set.

How the county limit is calculated

FHA sets each county limit at a percentage of the conforming loan limit, bounded by a national floor and ceiling. High-cost counties land at the ceiling.

Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach share a single limit because HUD treats them as one metropolitan area. HUD calculates Treasure Coast counties separately, and they usually sit lower.

Check the current figure for your county on the HUD FHA mortgage limits lookup before you write an offer, since the numbers reset annually.

What happens when you buy above the limit

You have three options and they cost very different amounts.

Bring more cash. If the home is $30,000 above the cap, an extra $30,000 down keeps you on FHA financing at 3.5% down on the remainder.

Switch to conventional. A conventional loan reaches higher and removes mortgage insurance once you hit 80% loan-to-value, which FHA no longer allows on most loans.

Go jumbo. Above the conforming limit, a jumbo loan takes over with tighter credit and reserve requirements.

Condo buyers face a second limit

The loan limit is not the only cap on an FHA condo purchase. The building itself must be FHA-approved, and South Florida approval rates have fallen since the 2021 reserve and inspection laws.

A building carrying a large special assessment or an open milestone inspection often loses approval. Our condo loans page explains what the review examines.

Mortgage insurance is the real FHA cost

FHA charges an upfront premium of 1.75% of the loan, usually financed into the balance, plus an annual premium collected monthly.

On most current FHA loans taken with the minimum 3.5% down, that annual premium stays for the life of the loan. It does not fall away at 20% equity the way conventional PMI does.

That single difference is why buyers with credit above roughly 680 usually end up better off on a conventional loan, even at a slightly higher rate.

The escape is refinancing to conventional once you hold 20% equity. In South Florida markets that have appreciated, plenty of FHA buyers reach that point within a few years.

The 3.5% down payment can come from someone else

FHA allows the entire down payment to be a gift from a family member, employer or approved organization. Conventional programs are stricter about sourcing.

Florida buyers can also stack down payment assistance on top. Hometown Heroes offers up to $35,000 for eligible workers, structured as a deferred second.

Sellers may contribute up to 6% toward closing costs on FHA, which is more generous than conventional allows at low down payments. See our down payment assistance page for what stacks.

Refinancing out of FHA later

Because FHA mortgage insurance on most current loans never cancels, the exit is a refinance into conventional once you hold 20% equity.

South Florida appreciation has carried plenty of 2021 and 2022 FHA buyers to that point already. An appraisal is all it takes to find out.

Compare the new payment without mortgage insurance against your current one on the refinance calculator before you order it.

What happens if the appraisal comes in low

FHA appraisals stay with the property for 120 days. A low value follows the house to the next FHA buyer, which is a real problem for sellers.

For you as the buyer, it is leverage. The seller knows the next FHA offer faces the same number. So renegotiating the price is more achievable than on a conventional deal.

You can also bring the difference in cash, or switch to conventional financing where a fresh appraisal is possible.

FHA also has a reconsideration of value process, though it requires genuinely better comparable sales rather than a disagreement.

How the limit interacts with condo and multi-unit purchases

FHA publishes separate limits for one, two, three and four-unit properties, and the multi-unit figures are considerably higher.

That matters in South Florida, where a duplex can be a realistic first purchase. You live in one unit, rent the other, and the rental income can help you qualify.

FHA lets you count a portion of projected rent from the other units toward qualifying income, supported by the appraiser's rent schedule. Our investment property page covers how that works once you move on.

The owner-occupancy requirement still applies. You must live in one of the units for at least a year.

One more thing to check

Limits reset every January. A contract written in December against last year’s cap can reprice in the new year. Confirm the current figure before you commit.

Running the numbers before you shop

Use the FHA loan calculator with your county limit as the ceiling and real local taxes and insurance. In South Florida the insurance line frequently decides whether the payment works.

We price FHA against conventional side by side so you see which actually costs less over the years you plan to stay. Start with a pre-approval.