Commercial real estate lending in Washington County, FL
Washington County is home to 25,259 residents with a median household income of $52,723 and 2.8% 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
Chipley's position along I-10 gives Washington County a modest truck-stop and logistics-adjacent commercial base that most rural panhandle counties lack. Outside that corridor, timberland and row-crop agriculture dominate, and the local lending market is thin enough that most transactions run through familiar community-bank relationships rather than any competitive process.
Washington County by the numbers
| Population | 25,259 |
| 5-year population change | +2.8% |
| Median household income | $52,723 |
| Median age | 41.6 |
| Median home value | $156,000 |
| Median gross rent | $884/mo |
| Housing units | 10,962 |
| Renter-occupied share | 20.2% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates (2023).
Underwriting a Washington County deal
A Washington 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 Washington County numbers through the loan sizer to see which constraint binds.
Florida closing costs to budget
Financing in Washington 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 Washington County deal with the closing cost calculator or read the doc stamps guide.
Financing a property in Washington County?
Relendi analyzes your deal against real underwriting criteria — DSCR, LTV, debt yield, and market benchmarks — in minutes.
Analyze my deal freeFrequently asked questions
What DSCR do lenders require in Washington County?
In Washington County — a market of 25,259 residents where median gross rent runs $884 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 Washington County?
Statewide Florida benchmarks run roughly 5.5% for multifamily up to 7.5% for hotels; where Washington County deals price inside those bands depends on submarket, asset quality, and tenancy — in a county whose median home value is $156,000, residential-adjacent product tends to price toward the wider end. Individual comps set real pricing.