The Villages • Sumter, Lake & Marion Counties • NMLS #303217
The Villages Mortgage Broker
VA loans, reverse-for-purchase, and retirement-smart lending — from a broker who understands how bonds and assessments hit your qualifying numbers, how fixed-income files really work, and how The Villages really buys.
The Villages is not a normal mortgage market, and a lender who treats it like one will cost you money. Homes here carry bond assessments that out-of-area lenders routinely enter wrong on the application. A huge share of buyers qualify on retirement income and assets, not a W-2. And the veteran population is one of the largest of any community in America. I’m based 20 minutes north in Ocala, I close loans across The Villages every month, and my programs are built for exactly these situations.
Why The Villages Is Different (and Why Your Lender Should Know It)
The Villages spans three counties (Sumter, Lake, and Marion) and a dozen distinct situations most national reps never bother to learn. Here’s what actually matters when you finance here:
- The bond is the #1 thing lenders get wrong. Most homes carry a bond assessment — the infrastructure debt paid through your tax bill — plus annual maintenance and amenity fees. That payment has to be counted correctly in your debt-to-income ratio — get it wrong and an approval that should sail can stall. Whether to pay the bond off at closing is a financial-planning call for you and your advisor; on the mortgage side, my job is making sure it’s counted right either way.
- Retirees qualify on income most lenders fumble. Social Security, pensions, IRA and 401(k) distributions, and asset-based qualifying are everyday loans for me — not exceptions that get kicked back by an underwriter in another state.
- It’s veteran country. With one of the densest veteran populations anywhere, the VA loan is often the strongest option here — $0 down, no monthly mortgage insurance, whether you’re buying a designer home or a courtyard villa.
- The reverse-for-purchase strategy is everywhere. Thousands of Villagers buy with a HECM for Purchase — roughly half down (age-dependent) and no monthly principal-and-interest payment, so retirement savings stay invested.
- Cash buyers still call me. Plenty of Villages buyers pay cash, then do delayed financing or a cash-out refinance within the first months to put their money back to work. There are smart ways to structure it.
Should you pay off the bond at closing or carry it? It depends on the balance, its rate, and how long you plan to stay — a question worth taking to your financial planner. What I make sure of on the mortgage side: the bond and assessments are entered correctly in qualifying, whichever way you go. Estimate your full payment, bond and assessments included, with our Florida mortgage calculator.
Loan Programs That Fit The Villages
VA loans — $0 down, no monthly mortgage insurance, and full entitlement means no loan limit. Almost always the strongest financing here if you served.
HECM for Purchase — buy in The Villages with roughly half down and no monthly mortgage payment. You keep title; you stay responsible for taxes, insurance, and fees. The single most popular retirement-smart move in this market.
Conventional for primary and second homes, asset-based and non-QM programs when your tax returns don’t tell the whole story, and cash-out and HELOCs for current Villages homeowners tapping equity.
Where I Lend Around The Villages
The whole footprint and the towns that ring it — the designer and premier homes near Brownwood, Lake Sumter Landing, and Spanish Springs, the courtyard and patio villas throughout, and the surrounding communities buyers consider when Villages inventory is tight: Lady Lake, Wildwood, Fruitland Park, Oxford, Summerfield, and Belleview. If you’re weighing a nearby town to stretch the budget, see our Belleview & south Marion guide.
Keith’s take
If you’re 62 or older and buying in The Villages, do not sign anything before we talk through HECM for Purchase. I’ve watched buyers drain a six-figure investment account to pay cash, when half down and zero monthly payment would have left that money compounding. It’s not for everyone — but when it fits, it’s the difference between comfortable and stretched in retirement.
Buying or refinancing in The Villages?
Tell me your situation — veteran, retiree on fixed income, cash buyer, or 62+ looking at HECM. I’ll tell you the smartest way to structure it. You talk to me, not a call center.
The Villages Mortgage FAQ
Can I buy in The Villages with a reverse mortgage?
Yes — HECM for Purchase is common here. You put down roughly half (the exact amount depends on your age), there’s no monthly principal-and-interest payment, and you keep title to the home. You remain responsible for property taxes, insurance, and the community fees. It’s one of the most-used strategies in this market.
Do VA loans work on Villages homes that carry a bond?
Yes. The bond is handled in qualifying like any other obligation, and VA’s $0-down benefit applies the same as anywhere in Florida. The key is a lender who counts the bond and assessments correctly — get that wrong and it can sink an approval that should have sailed through.
Can I qualify on Social Security and investment income?
Absolutely. Retirement income, pension, and asset-based qualifying are everyday loans here, not special cases. If your money is in accounts rather than a paycheck, we have programs built exactly for that.
Should I pay off the bond when I buy?
It depends on the balance, its rate, and how long you’ll own the home — a question worth discussing with your financial planner. On the mortgage side, what matters is that the bond payment is counted correctly in your qualifying numbers, and we make sure it is.
Do you lend outside the gates — Lady Lake, Wildwood, Summerfield?
Yes, all of them, plus Fruitland Park, Oxford, Belleview, and the rest of the surrounding area. Many buyers stretch their budget further just outside The Villages, and a lot of that land is even USDA $0-down eligible.
Real closing — The Villages, 2026
A client sold their Rhode Island home and moved to The Villages year-round. They put 60% down on an $800,000 home with a HECM for purchase — no monthly mortgage payment for as long as they live there. Their investments stay positioned for their heirs exactly as planned, and if there’s equity left in the home down the road, that passes to the heirs too. They’re living the Villages life completely payment-free. That’s what this strategy looks like when it’s structured right.