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Reviewed by David Ghazaryan, Mortgage Broker, NMLS 1486726 · iQRATE Mortgages · Last updated: October 13, 2026
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A St. Petersburg mortgage broker compares many lenders for conventional, FHA, VA, renovation and investor loans, with careful flood due diligence. iQRATE Mortgages (NMLS 1862492) is licensed in Florida and shops more than 100 lenders on complex files. In 2024 Hurricane Helene's storm surge flooded thousands of St. Pete homes, and Hurricane Milton tore the roof off Tropicana Field two weeks later. Many damaged homes now fall under the FEMA 50% substantial-improvement rule. Pinellas County's 2026 limits are $832,750 conforming and $541,287 FHA. Full-doc loans close in about 17 days.
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5.0 stars from 87 reviews on Experience.com (October 2026) · Read David's reviews on Experience.com
St. Pete buyers love the downtown waterfront, the historic bungalows and the beaches, but after 2024 every purchase starts with flood questions. We look at the flood zone, the elevation certificate, past claims and whether the home was substantially damaged before we lock a loan, so insurance surprises don't wreck your payment late in the process.
Part of our Florida mortgage broker coverage. We're licensed in Florida under company NMLS 1862492 and work St. Petersburg files from our Las Vegas office, closing with local escrow and title.
Neighborhoods and ZIPs we lend in: Old Northeast, Snell Isle and Crescent Lake (33701, 33704), Downtown (33701), Shore Acres (33703), Kenwood and Historic Kenwood (33713), Pasadena (33707), Disston Heights (33710), Jungle Terrace (33710), and the Grand Central District (33705, 33713).
Florida basics that apply here: the seller customarily pays documentary stamps on the deed ($0.70 per $100; $0.60 in Miami-Dade). The buyer pays two mortgage taxes: doc stamps on the note ($0.35 per $100 of the loan) and intangible tax (0.2% of the loan), or $2,200 on a $400,000 loan. Homeowners insurance, plus flood insurance in many zones, is among the most expensive in the country, and lenders collect the first year's premium plus escrow months, so prepaids are often the biggest part of cash to close. Owner-occupants get the homestead exemption and Save Our Homes (3% cap), but the assessment resets when a home sells. Whole-home rentals of under 30 days need a state DBPR vacation-rental license. Statewide down payment help includes Florida Hometown Heroes (5% of the loan, $10,000–$35,000, when funded) and FL Assist (up to $10,000), plus county SHIP funds.
Closing costs are what it costs you to get the loan: origination, discount points, appraisal, and escrow and title. Cash to close also includes your prepaids (first-year homeowners insurance, daily interest to month-end, and an escrow deposit for your own future property taxes and insurance) plus your down payment. Prepaids aren't a cost of the loan; they're your own bills paid ahead. In St. Petersburg, the first full year of homeowners insurance, flood insurance where required, and the escrow deposit are usually the largest prepaids; since the 2024 storms, flood insurance in low-lying St. Pete neighborhoods can cost more than the homeowners policy. Your actual closing costs depend on county, price and loan type, so we don't quote a one-size range: every line is itemized on your Loan Estimate, and our Bare Bones guarantee means we add no fees of our own. Compare states on our closing costs by state page.
Pinellas County: conforming $832,750 and FHA $541,287 for a one-unit home. A renovation loan can fund repairs on a storm-damaged home.
Conventional (as little as 3% down for eligible first-time buyers), FHA (3.5% down, 580+ score), VA (no down payment for eligible veterans with full entitlement), jumbo above the conforming limit, DSCR loans that qualify on rent, bank statement loans for self-employed borrowers, asset-based and 1099 loans, and rate-and-term or cash-out refinances. As a broker we compare wholesale lenders, more than 100 on complex files, instead of one bank's menu.
Terms for each are on its own page; see all iQRATE guarantees.
If repairs or improvements to a flood-zone home cost 50% or more of its market value, the whole home must meet current flood code, which can mean elevating it.
Yes. A renovation loan or a cash-out refinance after repairs can work, but confirm whether the home was found substantially damaged.
$541,287 for a one-unit home in Pinellas County. The conforming limit is $832,750.
It shows how high the home sits relative to expected flood levels, and it has a big effect on your flood insurance premium.
About 18.5 mills in 2025 for St. Petersburg addresses, or $18.50 per $1,000 of taxable value.
Yes. Pinellas County SHIP and city programs help income-qualified buyers when funded.
Closing costs depend on the price, loan type and county, so yours are itemized on your Loan Estimate rather than quoted as a range. Closing costs are what it costs to get the loan (origination, points, appraisal, escrow and title). Cash to close also includes prepaids and your down payment; in St. Petersburg, the first full year of homeowners insurance, flood insurance where required, and the escrow deposit are usually the largest prepaids; since the 2024 storms, flood insurance in low-lying St. Pete neighborhoods can cost more than the homeowners policy.
Most of our loans close in under 30 days. For eligible full-documentation conventional, FHA and VA purchases, our goal is 17 calendar days from signing initial disclosures.
Get My Custom Rate Now · or call (702) 766-3744
iQRATE Mortgages · NMLS 1862492 · 6360 S Rainbow Blvd Ste 101, Las Vegas, NV 89118 · Licensed in Nevada, California, Texas and Florida. David Ghazaryan, Mortgage Broker, NMLS 1486726. Verify us on NMLS Consumer Access. Equal Housing Opportunity. Programs, rates and terms change and are subject to credit, property and underwriting approval; local facts on this page come from the public sources below and are not legal or tax advice.
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