Private lenders will lend to LLCs, LPs, trusts, and corporations. But they need specific documentation to understand who controls the entity and who is personally guaranteeing the loan. Get this wrong and it slows your close.
What Lenders Require for LLC Loans
Operating Agreement (or LLC Agreement) showing all members and their ownership percentages. Certificate of Organization from the state. EIN confirmation letter from the IRS. A resolution authorizing the loan and designating the signing member. Personal guaranty from members controlling 20%+ of the entity.
Florida Series LLC
Florida recognized series LLCs as of 2022. Some investors use series LLCs (one parent LLC with individual series for each property) to limit liability. However, most private lenders are not yet comfortable lending directly to individual series — they typically require the master LLC to guarantee. Check with your lender before structuring a deal in a series.
Lender-Specific Entity Requirements
Some lenders require the borrowing entity to be a Florida-registered LLC (not just authorized to do business in Florida). Some require the entity to be at least 30–90 days old. Others will allow newly formed entities with an experienced guarantor. Always disclose your entity structure to your lender at the start of the conversation — not at closing.
Asset protection tip: Keep one LLC per property (or at most a few geographically or property-type-grouped properties). Mixing many properties in one LLC undermines the liability protection and complicates your tax reporting.
