Hard Money Loans of Miami

Loan Program

Rehab and Renovation Loan in Miami, FL

Rehab and Renovation Loan programs available through our lending partners for rehab and renovation loanopportunities. Participating lenders structure terms for speed, clarity, and execution.

Miami-Dade County's renovation market is defined by the specific physical and regulatory environment of South Florida: hurricane-rated construction requirements, FEMA flood elevation compliance, the Coral Gables Cuban Architecture Review Board for historic properties, and the post-Surfside 40-year building recertification mandate that is driving a wave of capital expenditure in older Miami-Dade buildings.

Hard Money Loans of Miami provides rehab and renovation loans for the full spectrum of Miami-Dade renovation activity — from working-class Hialeah SFR updates preparing properties for sale to a first-time Cuban-American buyer, to Coral Gables Mediterranean Revival estate restorations requiring historic preservation compliance, to condo unit renovations in buildings working through mandatory 40-year recertification processes.

We fund renovation projects using draw-based disbursement against verified completion milestones. We do not require domestic income documentation. ITIN borrowers, Florida LLC investors, and foreign-national property owners who own Miami-Dade real estate and need renovation financing are part of our normal pipeline.

Hialeah and Westchester single-family renovation is the working-class heartbeat of Miami-Dade's renovation market. Properties in the $280,000-$450,000 range being updated for sale to the Cuban-American and Venezuelan first-time homebuyer market require kitchen modernization, bathroom updates, impact window installation (required by Miami-Dade Building Code for permitted renovations above a threshold), HVAC replacement, and exterior improvements. These are 90-120 day renovation projects. We fund them with draws released within 48 hours of verified milestone completion.

Coral Gables historic Mediterranean Revival restoration is the premium end of our renovation portfolio. The City Beautiful's Board of Architects and the Cuban Architecture Review Board regulate exterior changes to Mediterranean Revival structures within designated historic districts. Renovation scopes on these properties require pre-approval from the CRB for any exterior modification, and materials standards — barrel tile roofs, stucco finishes, wrought iron details — are specified by the preservation ordinance. We evaluate the renovation scope against CRB requirements before committing, and we build permit and review timelines that reflect Coral Gables' regulatory environment.

Post-Surfside 40-year building recertification renovation represents a newer and growing category in our portfolio. Miami-Dade County's strengthened recertification ordinance requires that buildings 40 years and older undergo structural inspection and remediate any deficiencies. Condo associations and building owners funding recertification-required structural repairs often need short-term renovation financing while the work progresses and the special assessment collection cycle catches up. We provide bridge renovation loans against the property to fund recertification remediation.

Foreign-national property owner renovation financing serves Miami-Dade property owners who purchased as international buyers and now need renovation capital. A Venezuelan family that purchased a Doral home five years ago through a Florida LLC needs the same renovation financing access as any domestic owner — but conventional renovation lenders require domestic income documentation they don't have. We provide the renovation loan against the property.

Miami-Dade renovation projects face specific regulatory and physical challenges that increase budget risk.

Impact window and door requirements apply to permitted renovation scopes that exceed Miami-Dade's threshold triggers for full-building compliance. A kitchen renovation that requires a permit often triggers impact window compliance for the entire building envelope in Miami-Dade. Budgets that don't anticipate this can face cost overruns of $20,000-$60,000 depending on building size. We ask about permit scope and compliance requirements during underwriting.

Mold remediation is a persistent concern in Miami-Dade's humid subtropical climate. Older properties, properties with prior water intrusion, and post-hurricane damaged buildings frequently require mold remediation before renovation work can proceed. We require Phase I property condition assessments on older properties and build mold remediation contingencies into renovation budgets.

Coral Gables CRB review can extend timelines by 60-90 days for exterior modifications requiring board approval. We do not structure renovation loans for Coral Gables historic properties with timeline assumptions that ignore this review process.

Hard Money Loans of Miami evaluates renovation loan applications based on the detailed scope of work, contractor qualifications, materials specifications where relevant (particularly for Coral Gables historic projects), and the post-renovation value supported by comparable sales in the specific Miami-Dade submarket.

Renovation draws are released within 48 hours of verified milestone inspection. Our inspectors are experienced with Miami-Dade residential and commercial renovation requirements, including impact compliance, permit sequence, and finish quality standards appropriate to the specific submarket.

We work comfortably with Spanish-speaking borrowers and Spanish-language documentation where available. ITIN and foreign-national property owners are a meaningful portion of our renovation loan portfolio.

Hard Money Loans of Miami originates renovation loans across Miami-Dade County: Hialeah and Westchester working-class SFR renovation; Coral Gables Mediterranean Revival restoration; Doral and Kendall suburban property improvements; Coconut Grove and South Miami mid-century modernization; and condo renovation across Miami Beach, Brickell, Edgewater, and any Miami-Dade building working through 40-year recertification remediation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Miami-Dade 40-year building recertification requirement affect renovation financing?

Buildings 40 years and older in Miami-Dade are now subject to mandatory structural recertification with heightened enforcement following the Surfside collapse. Buildings that fail recertification must remediate structural deficiencies before continued occupancy. Condo associations funding this remediation often need bridge financing while special assessment collections ramp up. We provide renovation bridge loans secured by units within recertifying buildings, with the recertification remediation cost factored into the equity analysis and the special assessment timeline factored into the exit plan.

What does the Coral Gables CRB review mean for renovation loan timelines?

The Coral Gables Cuban Architecture Review Board must approve exterior modifications to Mediterranean Revival structures within the city's designated historic districts. CRB review adds 60-90 days to the permit timeline for exterior renovations that change the appearance, materials, or character of a historic Mediterranean structure. We structure Coral Gables renovation loans with timeline cushions that reflect this review process. Renovation scopes are evaluated against CRB standards before commitment to avoid funding work that the CRB will require to be modified or reversed.

Can I get a renovation loan for a Miami-Dade property I own through a foreign LLC or ITIN?

Yes. We regularly fund renovation loans for Miami-Dade property owners who purchased through foreign-bank financing, Florida LLCs owned by non-U.S. residents, or with ITIN numbers. The renovation loan is evaluated based on the property's current value, the renovation scope and budget, the post-renovation value, and the exit strategy. Domestic income documentation is not required. An ITIN or foreign-entity ownership structure does not disqualify the application.

Do Miami-Dade renovation permits trigger impact window compliance requirements?

Yes, in many cases. Miami-Dade Building Code includes permit scope thresholds that can trigger full-building impact window and door compliance requirements on older structures when permitted renovation work exceeds those thresholds. A kitchen remodel that requires a structural permit can trigger mandatory impact compliance for the entire building envelope. Construction budgets that ignore this risk face significant mid-project cost overruns. We ask specifically about permit scope and compliance triggers during renovation loan underwriting.

How quickly can you fund a renovation loan for an active Hialeah or Doral project?

Renovation loans for straightforward projects with clear scope, contractor, and exit can close in 7-10 business days. More complex projects — Coral Gables historic restoration, post-Surfside recertification remediation, adaptive-reuse commercial renovation — may require 14-21 days depending on the documentation and due diligence required. For renovation projects already in progress that need emergency draw capital, we can often expedite the review.