Call Us: (754) 235-3101
Call Us: (754) 235-3101
Move into the house now, buy it when your financing is ready. I’m Alexia Garcia, and I help Broward families take that route when a mortgage is still a year or two away.
Rent to own homes in Broward County work for people who can comfortably afford a house payment but cannot get approved for a loan yet, usually because of credit history, time at a job, or savings that are not quite there.
Rent to own splits buying a house into two stages. A program partner buys the home you choose with cash, you move in as the tenant and pay rent, and you keep the right to purchase that same house later at a price agreed at the start. While you rent, the work is on your side: raise the credit score, keep the job steady, build the savings a lender wants to see.
1
We set your budget
You get approved for a home budget before you shop, so you know the ceiling.
2
You pick the house
Not a list of leftovers. Any qualifying home on the Broward market that fits the budget.
3
It gets bought in cash
A cash purchase closes faster and competes better than a financed offer.
4
You rent, then buy
You live there while you get mortgage-ready, then purchase at the agreed price.
The part most people miss: you choose the house first. This is not a list of homes nobody wanted. If it is on the market in Broward County and it fits your approved budget, it can be the one.
Want to know which Broward County homes your budget would reach?
The programs I work with are looking for someone who can pay a house payment today but cannot get a mortgage today. The credit bar is lower than most people expect, and the income bar reflects what Broward County homes actually cost, so both numbers matter.
| What they look at | Where the bar usually sits | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Credit score | Around 550 and up | Well below the 620 most conventional lenders want, so a rebuilt score often clears it |
| Household income | Around $100,000 combined and up | Both incomes count together, which is what gets most Broward families over the line |
| Cash up front | About 2% to 3% of the price | On a $380,000 Broward home that is roughly $7,600 to $11,400 |
| Where you’re buying | Florida | Broward County is covered, including all the cities below |
Applying does not affect your credit score, and there is no cost to find out where you stand. If you are close but not quite there, that is worth knowing now rather than after you have fallen in love with a house.
Not sure if you qualify for rent to own? One call gives you a straight answer.
Use this to see the deposit on the home price you have in mind and whether your income and credit are in range. It runs entirely in your browser.
* Needed to see your result. Leave the rest blank if they do not apply.
This calculator is for illustration only and is not an approval, an offer, or a guarantee of eligibility. Each program partner sets its own criteria, decides who qualifies, and may change those requirements at any time.
Add your income, cash and credit above and I will tell you straight. Nothing is saved.
Send Alexia your numbers and she can pick up the conversation with real figures instead of starting from scratch.
Would rather just ask? Call Alexia on (754) 235-3101.
Nothing is sent unless you press the button. Your numbers stay in your browser while you work. If you choose Send to Alexia, they go to her with your contact details so she can pick up the conversation with real figures. Nothing else is recorded, and nothing is shared with anyone else.
Deposit range reflects the 2% to 3% initial deposit typical of these programs. Broward County median list price of $380,000 (August 2026) from Realtor.com data published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
A normal lease ends and you leave with nothing but receipts. A rent-to-own arrangement is a lease with a purchase right attached, and the deposit you put in is credited rather than spent. The other real difference is the price: it is set when you start, so if Broward values climb while you are renting, you buy at the older number.
| Ordinary rental | Rent to own | |
|---|---|---|
| What your deposit does | Held as security, returned at move-out | Credited toward the purchase |
| Who picks the house | Whatever is listed for rent | You choose from homes for sale |
| Price if the market rises | Rent goes up at renewal | Purchase price fixed at the start |
| At the end of the term | Move out or re-sign | Buy the house, or walk away |
It is worth saying plainly: you are a tenant until you complete the purchase. This route is for people who genuinely intend to buy, and the sensible move is to have any agreement reviewed by your own attorney before you sign.
Renting now and wondering whether rent to own beats another year’s lease?
Anywhere in Broward County that has homes listed for sale. These are the areas I work in most, and the ones families ask about first.
Fort Lauderdale
The widest range of price points in the county, from Victoria Park and Coral Ridge through to the beach neighborhoods, with the airport fifteen minutes from most of it.
Coral Springs
Townhouses and family neighborhoods, extensive parks and strong schools, with easy access to the employment corridors along University Drive and Sample Road.
Hollywood
Close to the beach and the Broadwalk, with a mix of older single-family neighborhoods and newer builds, and easy reach of both Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
Pompano Beach and Most Of Broward
Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach reach further on the same budget, and the programs cover most of Broward County, so the search is not limited to these cities.
Tell me the Broward city you want to live in and I’ll tell you what’s realistic there.
Waiting is the right answer for some people, and I will tell you when I think it is. If a mortgage already looks within reach for you, it is usually worth waiting and buying outright, because it often costs less.
The case for not waiting is the price of the house. A 30-year fixed mortgage averaged 7.03% in the week of September 24, 2026, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey, and Broward’s median list price has held near $380,000 through 2026. Rates may move either way, but your purchase price is locked when you start, and you are living in the house rather than watching it from a rental you cannot change.
The honest risk is the other side of that: if you do not complete the purchase, you have paid rent on a house you do not keep. That is why the qualifying conversation happens before anyone looks at homes.
Should you wait, or start now? I’ll give you the answer that suits you, not me.
Yes. Tell me where you want to live and what you can manage, and I’ll put together a list of Broward County homes that fit, rather than you scrolling through listings that don’t. It costs you nothing.
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Alexia Garcia is a licensed Florida real estate agent with VantaSure Realty. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice, and program terms vary. Have any agreement reviewed by your own attorney before you sign.
No. Checking your eligibility does not affect your credit score, and it costs nothing to find out where you stand.
Usually around 550 and above. That is well under the 620 most conventional mortgage lenders look for, which is exactly why this route exists. Income and steady employment carry weight alongside the score.
Around $100,000 in combined household income for this market. Both applicants’ incomes count toward that total, and part-time income normally counts once you have held the job about a year.
Typically 2% to 3% of the purchase price, and it is credited toward your purchase rather than spent. On a $380,000 home in Broward County that is roughly $7,600 to $11,400.
You choose. Once your budget is approved you can look at homes for sale across Broward County, and if it fits the budget and passes inspection it can be the one.
It depends on what needs fixing. Most people are working on a credit score or savings, and the term is set to give you a realistic window to get mortgage-ready. We talk through the timeline before anything is signed.
You can walk away rather than being forced into a purchase. The terms around your deposit vary by program and belong in the agreement, so read it with your own attorney before signing.
The 2% to 3% you put in is credited toward the purchase rather than treated as a fee, so it works for you instead of disappearing. Exactly how it is applied is set out in the agreement, which is another reason to read it with your own attorney.
Tell me the numbers you put in the estimator and I’ll tell you straight whether this route works for you right now, or what would need to change first.