Where financing fits in the purchase
Pre-approval comes first, before the first showing. It tells you what you can borrow, it tells the seller you're serious, and an offer without one is weaker. Our lending partner can start one, and the affordability calculator gives you a rough ceiling before you call.
Once you're under contract, your agent and your loan officer work the same calendar, from the inspection period and the appraisal to the insurance binder and the clear to close that sets the closing date.
Loan programs
FHA, VA, USDA and Conventional loans each carry their own down payment, credit and property rules, and some first-time buyer programs lower the cash needed further. Which ones you qualify for is the lender's call, not ours, and it depends on your income, credit, the property and the program's limits at the time. 14 Days to Close explains pre-qualification, pre-approval and DU approval, and has a Tampa FHA loan page.
Ways to bring less cash to closing
The biggest lever is a seller credit toward your closing costs, written into the offer and applied at the table within the limit your loan program allows. See the settlement statements. Lender credits trade a slightly higher rate for lower fees, and rate buydowns go the other way. Gift funds from family are allowed on most programs with a paper trail. Your loan officer can tell you which of these apply, and our closing costs page explains every fee they'd offset.
Before you rely on any of this
Vreeland Real Estate LLC is a real estate brokerage and doesn't make loans, take applications or set rates. Loans through our lending partner are offered by Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc. (PRMG), NMLS #75243, subject to credit approval, and nothing on this page is a commitment to lend. Rates and programs change. Jordan Vreeland and Vreeland Real Estate have an ownership interest in the lending partner, you're never required to use it, and you're free to shop around. Read the affiliated business disclosure. The mortgage calculator is for planning only.
Financing questions
Does Vreeland Real Estate offer mortgages?
No. Vreeland Real Estate is a real estate brokerage. Financing is through our lending partner, 14 Days to Close, with loans offered by Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc. (PRMG), NMLS #75243. We have an ownership interest in the lending partner, you're never required to use it, and the affiliated business disclosure spells it out.
Should I get pre-approved before looking at homes?
Yes. A pre-approval tells you what you can borrow and tells the seller you're real. An offer without one is weaker. A pre-approval starts with a conversation with a loan officer.
What loan programs are available to Florida homebuyers?
FHA, VA, USDA and Conventional loans, plus some first-time buyer programs, each with its own down payment, credit and property rules. Which ones you qualify for is the lender's decision based on your income, credit and the property. 14 Days to Close explains the differences on its Tampa FHA loans page.
Can the seller pay my closing costs?
Often, yes. A seller credit is written into the offer and applied at closing within the limit your loan program allows. In 2025, Vreeland Real Estate negotiated $3.1 million in seller-paid closing costs for Florida homebuyers. See the settlement statements.