Commercial real estate lending in Hillsborough County, FL

Hillsborough County is home to 1,489,634 residents with a median household income of $75,011 and 8% population growth over five years. Commercial deals here are underwritten to Florida's typical standards — around 1.25x DSCR and 75% maximum LTV on stabilized assets — with pricing shaped by the county fundamentals below.

Market character

Tampa's growth story is industrial and multifamily: port volume, distribution along I-4, and steady in-migration feeding suburban garden apartments and urban infill. Water Street reset the downtown's institutional profile. Underwriting here leans on absorption assumptions — supply pipelines in Class A multifamily have tested rent-growth projections several cycles running.

Hillsborough County by the numbers

Population1,489,634
5-year population change+8%
Median household income$75,011
Median age37.8
Median home value$333,300
Median gross rent$1,543/mo
Housing units618,220
Renter-occupied share38.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates (2023).

Underwriting a Hillsborough County deal

A Hillsborough County property clears the same four constraints as any Florida deal — 1.25x minimum DSCR and 75% maximum LTV on stabilized assets, an 8% debt-yield floor, and loan-to-cost caps on construction — with benchmark cap rates for FL spanning roughly 5.5% (multifamily) to 7.5% (hotel). The full state-by-asset-class table lives on the benchmarks page; run Hillsborough County numbers through the loan sizer to see which constraint binds.

Florida closing costs to budget

Financing in Hillsborough County carries Florida's documentary stamp tax and intangible tax — about 0.55% of the loan, due in full on every refinance. Insurance is the other Florida-specific line: wind and flood premiums increasingly decide whether a coastal deal's DSCR clears. Estimate a Hillsborough County deal with the closing cost calculator or read the doc stamps guide.

Financing a property in Hillsborough County?

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Frequently asked questions

What DSCR do lenders require in Hillsborough County?

In Hillsborough County — a market of 1,489,634 residents where median gross rent runs $1,543 a month — lenders apply Florida's usual floors: typically 1.25x DSCR stabilized, 1.20x on acquisitions, 1.10x on bridge or construction. The county changes which lenders compete for the deal more than it changes the ratio.

What are typical commercial cap rates in Hillsborough County?

Statewide Florida benchmarks run roughly 5.5% for multifamily up to 7.5% for hotels; where Hillsborough County deals price inside those bands depends on submarket, asset quality, and tenancy — in a county whose median home value is $333,300, residential-adjacent product tends to price toward the wider end. Individual comps set real pricing.

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