Home improvement loans in Florida
A StrideFi loan for a repair or improvement project is unsecured — no lien is placed on your home and no appraisal is required. That is the tradeoff: faster and simpler than a home-equity product, and priced higher than one.
Unsecured vs. borrowing against equity
A HELOC or home-equity loan is secured by your house, so it is usually priced well below an unsecured installment loan. If you have meaningful equity, time to close, and the project is large, that is likely the cheaper route and you should price it first.
An unsecured loan makes sense for the cases equity lending handles badly: a project under $10,000, a repair that cannot wait weeks for a closing, a renter who has no equity to borrow against, or a homeowner who does not want a lien recorded against the property.
Because the loan is unsecured, missing payments cannot cost you your home. It will still damage your credit and can lead to collection, so the payment still has to fit your budget.
Florida-specific things worth budgeting for
Roof, window, and impact-protection work in Florida frequently arrives alongside an insurance deductible rather than instead of it. If you are financing a deductible, finance the deductible — borrowing the full project cost when the carrier is paying most of it means paying interest on money you did not need.
Permitting and inspection timelines vary by county and are outside our control and yours. If the contractor’s draw schedule depends on inspections, confirm the schedule before you borrow, so the loan is not sitting in your account accruing interest while you wait.
What it costs
The same terms apply whatever the loan is for: 28.99%–35.99% APR depending on amount and underwriting, 12-month terms, no prepayment penalty.
| Loan amount | APR | Term | Monthly payment | Finance charge | Total of payments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | 35.99% | 12 mo | $200.91 | $410.92 | $2,410.92 |
| $3,500 | 33.99% | 12 mo | $348.11 | $677.32 | $4,177.32 |
| $5,000 | 31.99% | 12 mo | $492.34 | $908.08 | $5,908.08 |
| $7,500 | 28.99% | 12 mo | $727.43 | $1,229.16 | $8,729.16 |
| $10,000 | 28.99% | 12 mo | $969.91 | $1,638.92 | $11,638.92 |
Representative examples only, not an offer of credit. Each row assumes a 12-month term, on-time payments, and the APR StrideFi currently quotes at that amount; your APR, term, and payment depend on underwriting. Interest accrues daily on the unpaid principal balance, so paying early reduces the finance charge below the figure shown, and paying late increases it. There is no prepayment penalty.
Model your own figures with the loan calculator, or read the full rates and terms.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to own the home?
- No. The loan is unsecured and not tied to a property, so renters can use it for improvements a landlord permits, and homeowners are not required to document ownership.
- Do you pay the contractor?
- No. Funds go by ACH to the bank account you linked, and you pay the contractor. We do not hold funds in escrow or manage a draw schedule.
- Do I need contractor quotes to apply?
- No. Nothing about the project is verified or required as documentation. Underwriting reviews your identity, bank-verified income and cash flow, and credit-risk data.
Other reasons people borrow
StrideFi is an online lender — we have no branch locations. Loans made by Stride Financial LLC under the Florida Consumer Finance Act (Chapter 516) to Florida residents statewide. Amounts from $2,000 to $10,000; APR 28.99%–35.99%; terms up to 12months; no prepayment penalty. Approval, loan amount, APR, and term depend on underwriting, including identity, income, and bank-account verification — not every applicant qualifies, and applying is not a guarantee of credit. Funding times depend on your bank's ACH processing.