There are U.S. lenders that finance Brazilian buyers in Coral Gables with no local credit history. What decides the deal is which Brazilian documents they accept and in what format they want them.
A lender that cannot pull an U.S. score asks for equivalent proof from the home country: the Brazilian income tax return, proof of earnings, statements from Brazilian banks and, almost always, a bank reference letter. What is particular to the Brazilian buyer is that Brazil requires residents to declare assets held abroad to its own authorities, so the financed unit in Coral Gables will appear in two separate files: the lender's and the Brazilian declaration. Making the amount, the date and the named owner agree in both is something to settle before signing, with an accountant in Brazil, not when the filing deadline arrives.
Buying in Coral Gables from abroad means understanding that the city splits two approvals that most of the county treats as one: the construction permit and the aesthetic sign-off on anything visible from the street. Owners who sign remotely often discover that a renovation is not cleared by the municipal building department alone, but also by a review board that weighs proportion, materials, color and tree canopy, and that meets on its own calendar. Ask the seller whether what is already built was approved that way or was never regularized, because the burden transfers with the deed. The usual counterparty here is an individual owner or a family estate holding a single-family house, not a developer, which means scattered paperwork, powers of attorney prepared well in advance, and response times nobody controls. Ask your closing attorney who requests the permit history from the city, ask your insurance broker whether the policy treats regularized older structure differently from later work, and ask a local architect which intervention has to go before that board and which does not. The counter you call is not the county's, and neither is the phone number.
What is specific to Coral Gables
A city of its own, planned in the 1920s, with facade and landscaping rules that do not exist elsewhere in the county. Mediterranean-style single-family homes, low-rise buildings and a band of towers along Miracle Mile and Ponce. Metrorail at Douglas Road and University, plus the city's free trolley.
- what the city requires in order to change facade, colour, roof or windows, because there is design review here
- whether the property sits in a historic district, which adds another layer of permitting
- the rules on street parking and commercial vehicles, which are stricter than in the City of Miami
What to verify, step by step
- Ask each lender whether it runs a foreign-national programme without local credit history, and request the full document list in writing.
- Confirm whether it accepts the Brazilian income tax return and supporting documents in Portuguese, or requires sworn translation.
- Ask which identification it accepts from a Brazilian buyer and at which stage of the file it is needed.
- Ask the lender for the bank reference letter template it accepts and take that to your bank in Brazil, instead of sending the standard letter.
- Ask an accountant in Brazil which details of the transaction are needed for the declaration of assets held abroad, and request those same details in writing from the lender.
- Confirm that the Coral Gables building you are interested in is financeable for that lender before making an offer.
Mistakes that cost money
- Forgetting that the financed unit also enters the declaration of assets held abroad before the Brazilian authorities, and learning this after the deadline has passed.
- Sending Brazilian statements without asking how many months the lender wants or in what format, and then repeating the whole exercise.
- Searching for an unit before knowing whether there is financing and of what size.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a Brazilian bank finance the purchase in Coral Gables?
- Lending secured on a Florida property is usually done by an U.S. lender. If your bank in Brazil offers some alternative, ask it directly and request the terms in writing.
- Does the lender ask for the declaration of assets held abroad?
- No: that is an obligation towards the Brazilian authorities, separate from the lender's file. What must be declared and when is a question for an accountant in Brazil.
- Can you buy in cash and finance later?
- Some buyers do. The terms are set by each lender, so it is worth asking before closing rather than after.
Where to check it
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — borrower rights and how to compare mortgage offers
- Florida DBPR — whether a broker, appraiser or contractor holds a current licence
- Internal Revenue Service — the non-resident owner's federal tax obligations
- City of Coral Gables — the rules of the municipality Coral Gables belongs to
Official bodies. Specific figures are requested there, not copied from a listing.
Updated 2026-11-06
More about Coral Gables
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- Buying Property in Coral Gables from Brazil: Documents and Steps
- Best Property Types for International Buyers in Coral Gables
- Condo, Townhouse or House in Coral Gables: Which Property Type Fits Your Needs?
- Waterfront vs. Non-Waterfront Property in Coral Gables: What Buyers Should Compare
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