Mortgage Broker in Tamarac, FL

Short answer

A Tamarac mortgage broker compares your loan across many lenders, and in Q3 2026 Tamarac's median condo or townhouse sold for $158,500 and its median house for $375,000, both far below the Broward medians. QMS Lending is an independent broker that finances Tamarac houses, villas and condos, including 55+ communities, across 100+ lenders in English and Spanish.

What homes cost in Tamarac right now

Tamarac recorded 133 single-family sales in Q3 2026 at a median of $375,000, down 6.3% from a year earlier, and 150 townhouse and condo sales at a median of $158,500, down 17.4%, per Florida Realtors data published by MIAMI REALTORS (as of October 2026). Broward's countywide medians were $645,000 for houses and $250,000 for condos and townhouses, so a Tamarac house costs about $270,000 less than the county median.

More than half of Tamarac's Q3 sales (150 of 283) were attached homes, and 74 of those 150 condo and townhouse sales closed in cash. That is typical of a city built around golf-course and age-restricted communities from the 1970s and 1980s, where many buyers are retirees paying with proceeds from a prior home.

The condo market is slow: a median of 81 days to contract and 8.7 months of supply, versus 52 days and 4.6 months for houses. Sellers received 93.0% of original list price on condos. Buyers with financing lined up have room to negotiate, but only if the building can be financed.

Villa or condo? Why the building height matters for your loan

Much of Tamarac's attached housing is one- and two-story villas and garden condos. That detail changes your loan file, because Florida's two big condo safety laws only reach buildings of three habitable stories or more:

• Milestone inspection (F.S. 553.899): due by December 31 of the year the building turns 30, then every 10 years. Phase two (deeper testing) is required only if phase one finds substantial structural deterioration.
• Structural integrity reserve study, or SIRS (F.S. 718.112): covers roof, structure, fireproofing, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and painting, windows and exterior doors. Existing associations had to complete it by December 31, 2025, and in no event later than December 31, 2026. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, owners cannot vote to skip or cut those reserves.

A one-story villa association is outside both laws, though the lender still reviews its budget and insurance. A three- or four-story mid-rise from the 1970s is squarely inside them. Many of those buildings have raised dues or passed special assessments to fund reserves and repairs, and the lender will ask about both on the condo questionnaire. Read our pages on the milestone inspection and SIRS before you make an offer.

There is a short-term pressure valve: for budgets adopted on or before December 31, 2028, an association that completed a milestone inspection in the prior two years may vote to pause reserve funding for up to two budgets while it pays for repairs (as of October 2026). Ask for the latest budget and board minutes so you can see which path the building chose.

Financing a 55+ condo or villa in Tamarac

Age-restricted communities are legal and common in Tamarac, and they can be financed. What usually decides the loan is the association, not your age:

• FHA: the condo project must be FHA-approved, or the unit must get a single-unit approval. Check the address in HUD's FHA condo search first. FHA charges a 1.75% upfront premium plus annual MIP.
• Conventional: the lender reviews the budget, reserves, insurance, litigation and delinquencies. Buildings that fail land in non-warrantable territory.
• Non-warrantable condo loans: for buildings that miss agency rules, usually with a larger down payment.
• Reverse mortgage for purchase: buyers 62 and older can use a HECM to buy a Tamarac home with no monthly mortgage payment, keeping more cash from the sale of their last home.

Also ask the association how long its buyer approval takes. Many 55+ communities interview buyers and verify age before closing, and that timeline needs to fit inside your contract dates. An estoppel certificate will show any unpaid dues or assessments on the unit.

FHA and conventional math at Tamarac prices

The 2026 FHA limit for a 1-unit home in Broward is $667,000 and the conforming limit is $832,750 (as of October 2026), so loan limits are not the issue in Tamarac. Down payment and the building are.

• Median house, $375,000: 3.5% FHA down is $13,125 (loan $361,875); 5% conventional down is $18,750 (loan $356,250).
• Median condo, $158,500: 3.5% FHA down is $5,548 (loan $152,953), if the project is approved; 10% down is $15,850.

On a lower-priced condo, HOA dues can be a bigger share of your payment than principal and interest. Lenders count the full monthly dues in your debt-to-income ratio, so bring the current dues and any assessment schedule to your pre-approval.

Tamarac's first-time homebuyer program

City of Tamarac First-Time Homebuyer Purchase Assistance (FTHB): a 0% deferred second mortgage for down payment and closing costs, with no payments if you stay in the home 15 years. Maximums are $85,000 at or below 50% of area median income, $75,000 at or below 80%, and $40,000 above 80% up to 120%, with limited funding at the 120% tier. The maximum purchase price is $568,577, which covers the city's median house and condo (as of October 2026).

Key rules: no home owned in the last 3 years, no mortgage default in 7 years, a fixed-rate first mortgage at the maximum you qualify for, at least 1% of the price from your own funds (not a gift), an 8-hour HUD-approved homebuyer class, and closing within 6 months of approval. The 80% AMI income limit is $71,000 for one person and $101,400 for a family of four.

Timing matters. The 2025 funds were fully allocated by November 13, 2025. The city's page says online applications open November 2, 2026 at 10 a.m., processed first-come, first-ready, first-complete. Housing Division: 954-597-3549. Get pre-approved first, because the city reviews your lender's 1003 and 1008.

Other help: Florida Housing's Hometown Heroes program, our forgivable down payment grant and the Florida down payment assistance list. Stacking needs each program's approval, so we line up the order before you sign.

Tamarac property taxes, insurance and flood

Tamarac's city operating rate is 7.0000 mills for the 2025 tax year. Tamarac is in the North Broward Hospital District (1.2422). Add Broward County (5.6658), the school board (6.3200), Children's Services Council (0.4500), the South Florida Water Management District (0.2301) and FIND (0.0288) and the total is about 20.94 mills, roughly 2.09% of taxable value (as of October 2026). Voted debt and non-ad valorem charges, such as fire or stormwater assessments where they apply, are not in that number.

On a $375,000 house that is about $7,850 a year before the homestead exemption. Budget on your price, not the seller's bill, because the Save Our Homes cap resets at sale. Long-time senior owners often have very low bills that will not carry over to you.

Most Tamarac homes date from the 1970s and 1980s, so expect a 4-point inspection for insurance and get a wind mitigation report. Golf-course lakes and canals run through many neighborhoods; check the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and read what a flood zone means for your loan.

Working with QMS Lending on a Tamarac loan

QMS Lending is an independent mortgage broker in Miami, FL, founded in 2018 (NMLS #1781090). We handle Broward purchases every week, including condo questionnaires, HOA estoppels and city assistance seconds, and most of the file moves by e-sign and phone.

As a broker we compare your file across 100+ lenders instead of one bank's rulebook. 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. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Down payment help for Tamarac buyers

• City of Tamarac First-Time Homebuyer Purchase Assistance (FTHB) 0% deferred 15-year second mortgage: up to $85,000 (<=50% AMI), $75,000 (<=80%), $40,000 (80-120%, limited). Max price $568,577; 1% own funds; 8-hour class. Applications open Nov 2, 2026. 954-597-3549. ↗

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