Mortgage Broker in Surfside, FL

Short answer

Surfside's median condo sold for $1,190,000 in Q3 2026 and its median house for $1,457,500, so a financed purchase here is usually a jumbo loan above the $832,750 conforming limit. QMS Lending is an independent mortgage broker that compares Surfside purchases and refinances across 100+ lenders, including condo loans for buildings working through milestone inspections and reserve studies.

What homes cost in Surfside right now

Surfside recorded 18 townhouse and condo sales in Q3 2026 at a median of $1,190,000, up 12.8% from a year earlier, and 10 single-family sales at a median of $1,457,500, down 30.2%, per Florida Realtors data published by MIAMI REALTORS on October 16, 2026 (as of November 2026). Condos were about 64% of sales.

Cash dominates: 15 of the 18 condo buyers and 7 of the 10 house buyers paid cash. Condo inventory is deep at 13.6 months of supply, with a median of 62 days to contract and sellers getting 94.0% of original list price. Houses were tighter at 3.5 months of supply. For a financed buyer, that much condo inventory means room to negotiate, but only if your loan is ready for the building you pick.

Surfside is a small town of about half a square mile and 5,689 residents (2020 census), between Miami Beach to the south and Bal Harbour to the north, Biscayne Bay to the west and the ocean to the east. Condo towers line the beach side of Collins Avenue, Harding Avenue is the shopping street, and quieter residential blocks run toward the bay.

Jumbo is the default in Surfside

The 2026 conforming limit is $832,750 and the Miami-Dade FHA 1-unit limit is $667,000 (as of November 2026). At Surfside prices, most financed purchases go above both.

• Median condo, 20% down: $1,190,000 minus $238,000 leaves a $952,000 loan, a jumbo loan. To stay conforming you would need about 30% down ($357,250).
• Median house, 20% down: $1,457,500 minus $291,500 leaves $1,166,000, also jumbo.
• Conforming ceiling: with 20% down, a conforming loan tops out at a price of about $1,040,900.

Jumbo lenders usually ask for more reserves and stronger credit, and many set their own condo rules on top of Fannie Mae's. Self-employed buyers can use bank statement loans, and buyers who live abroad can look at foreign national loans. We price these side by side so you see the payment before you write the offer.

Milestone inspections, SIRS and your condo loan

Two Florida laws passed after the 2021 Surfside collapse now shape every condo loan on this coast (as of November 2026):

• Milestone inspections (F.S. 553.899): condo and co-op buildings three habitable stories or taller need a structural inspection by December 31 of the year they turn 30, then every 10 years. The local building official may require it at 25 years based on local conditions such as closeness to salt water. If phase one finds substantial deterioration, a phase two inspection follows, and repairs must start within 365 days of the phase two report.
• Structural integrity reserve study, or SIRS (F.S. 718.112): the same three-story buildings need a study at least every 10 years covering roof, structure, fireproofing, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, windows and exterior doors, and other items over $25,000. Owner-controlled associations could not skip or cut reserves for these items in budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, and the study cannot be completed after December 31, 2026.

For a buyer this shows up as higher monthly dues, a special assessment, or both. It also matters to the lender: Fannie Mae's guide (section dated August 2026) treats a project as ineligible if it needs critical repairs, including unfunded repairs over $10,000 per unit due within 12 months, or a failed mandatory safety inspection. Those buildings are non-warrantable and need a portfolio or non-warrantable condo loan.

Before you sign, ask for the condo questionnaire, the latest milestone report, the SIRS and the budget. Our condo questionnaire guide and SIRS explainer show what lenders look for.

Surfside property taxes in 2025

Surfside's 2025 adopted total millage is 18.6245 mills, about 1.86% of taxable value, per the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser's millage chart (as of November 2026). That includes the town's 3.8830 operating rate, county 4.5740 plus 0.4171 debt, school board 6.6330 in total, Fire Rescue 2.3965, the Children's Trust 0.4638 and water district levies. Surfside is not in the county library district.

On a $1,190,000 condo that is about $22,100 a year before any homestead exemption; on the $1,457,500 median house, about $27,100. The Save Our Homes cap resets when you buy, so budget on your price, not the seller's bill.

Flood and insurance on a barrier island

Surfside sits on the barrier island between the bay and the ocean, and the town warns that it is vulnerable to flooding from sudden rain and storm surge. In Miami-Dade, AE and AH zones carry mandatory flood insurance on a federally backed loan, and VE coastal zones face wave hazards. The county's effective FEMA maps date from September 11, 2009, and FEMA published preliminary new maps in 2021 (as of November 2026).

Check the exact address on the county flood zone map or the FEMA Flood Map Service Center before you offer, and read what a flood zone means for your loan. In a condo, the master policy covers the building, and you still need a unit policy (HO-6). For a house, ask early for a wind mitigation report and, on older homes, a 4-point inspection.

Down payment help and other options

County and state assistance exists, but it rarely fits Surfside prices. Miami-Dade's Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance pays up to $35,000 with income caps, and Florida Hometown Heroes pays up to 5% of the first mortgage ($10,000 to $35,000) for eligible first-time buyers. See our Florida down payment assistance page.

Owners with equity often prefer a HELOC over refinancing a low first mortgage. Investors buying a rental condo may qualify for a DSCR loan, a business-purpose loan qualified on rent instead of personal income, subject to the building's rental rules.

Working with QMS Lending in Surfside

QMS Lending is an independent mortgage broker in Miami, FL, founded in 2018 (NMLS #1781090). We compare your file across 100+ wholesale lenders instead of one bank's menu, and most of the process runs on e-sign and phone.

The team is bilingual (English and Spanish), led by Michael Fernandez, NMLS #1491775, President, and rated 4.9 stars across 200+ Google reviews. Rates vary daily; call 305-425-1990 for today's pricing. Subject to credit approval and property eligibility. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Down payment help for Surfside buyers

• Miami-Dade County Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Up to $35,000 as a 0%, deferred loan of up to 30 years with shared equity if you sell within 6 years; first-time buyers, county income caps (for example under $136,500 for a family of four), 1% of the price from your own funds, fixed-rate first mortgage only. 786-469-2209. ↗
• Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust (MDEAT) Homeownership Assistance Program Up to $28,500 at or below 80% AMI, $14,500 above 80% and up to 140% AMI; 0%, no monthly payment, forgiven after 20 years of owner occupancy; 1% or 3% own funds. Subject to funding. ↗
• Florida Hometown Heroes Up to 5% of the first mortgage ($10,000 minimum, $35,000 maximum) as a 0%, 30-year deferred second, not forgivable; first-time, income-qualified buyers working full time for a Florida employer in eligible jobs, plus military and veterans. ↗

Nearby cities

Bal HarbourMiami BeachSunny Isles BeachNorth Miami