Can Brazilian Buyers Finance a Property Purchase in Brickell?

There are U.S. lenders that finance Brazilian buyers in Brickell 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 Brickell 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.

What is specific to Brickell

What to verify, step by step

1. Ask each lender whether it runs a foreign-national programme without local credit history, and request the full document list in writing.
2. Confirm whether it accepts the Brazilian income tax return and supporting documents in Portuguese, or requires sworn translation.
3. Ask which identification it accepts from a Brazilian buyer and at which stage of the file it is needed.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Confirm that the Brickell 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 Brickell?

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 Miami — the rules of the municipality Brickell belongs to

Official bodies. Specific figures are requested there, not copied from a listing.

Updated 2026-11-03