Tampa is the Gulf Coast’s most economically diversified city — and that diversity shows up directly in who is buying homes here and what they need from a mortgage lender. South Tampa’s Hyde Park, Davis Islands, and Palma Ceia are among the most sought-after urban residential neighborhoods in Florida, with single-family medians running from $1 million to $2 million and waterfront properties extending well beyond that. The citywide median hovers around $395,000 to $430,000 — but that number obscures enormous neighborhood-level variation. A buyer in Davis Islands, where the median is $2 million, and a buyer in Carrollwood, where it runs $380,000, are in functionally different markets. The Hillsborough County conforming loan limit for 2026 is $832,750. In South Tampa’s most desirable ZIP codes, that threshold is the entry point, not the ceiling.
Tampa’s employer base explains the buyer profiles. MacDill Air Force Base — located on the southern tip of the Interbay Peninsula — is home to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), and employs approximately 16,800 military and civilian personnel. The base is one of the most strategically significant in the country and drives steady VA loan demand from officers and senior enlisted personnel buying in South Tampa, Riverview, and FishHawk Ranch. Tampa General Hospital — a 981-bed academic health system and the primary teaching hospital of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine — is the #1 hospital in Tampa Bay, ranked among the top 50 hospitals nationwide in six specialties by U.S. News & World Report for 2025–26, and the nation’s #1 adult solid organ transplant center in 2024. It trains more than 700 residents and fellows across specialty programs. Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Raymond James Financial, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Bloomin’ Brands, and USAA all have significant Tampa Bay operations. Over 40,000 new jobs emerged in the Tampa MSA in 2024 alone.
Ryan Lehrman, NMLS #235295, structures mortgage financing for Tampa buyers across all of these profiles — physicians and residents at Tampa General and USF Health, VA-eligible service members and veterans at MacDill, financial services and corporate executives in South Tampa, and families building in Wesley Chapel, Riverview, and FishHawk Ranch.
Jumbo programs for South Tampa's premium neighborhoods — Davis Islands, Hyde Park, Palma Ceia, Sunset Park, Beach Park, and Bayshore Boulevard waterfront
VA One-Time Close Construction for MacDill AFB veterans and service members building in Hillsborough County
Physician mortgage loans for Tampa General Hospital residents, fellows, and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine attendings
One-Time Close Construction financing for Wesley Chapel, FishHawk Ranch, Riverview, and Hillsborough County's active new construction market
Alternative income documentation for financial services professionals at Citigroup, Raymond James, and Bristol Myers Squibb
Direct relationship with Ryan Lehrman from pre-approval through close
Ryan Lehrman, NMLS #235295
The 2026 conforming loan limit for Hillsborough County is $832,750. In South Tampa’s premium neighborhoods, that number is where the entry-level buyer starts. Hyde Park single-family homes have a median sale price around $1 million, with renovated or larger homes routinely reaching $1.2 million to $2.5 million. Davis Islands carries a median of approximately $1.85 million to $2 million. Golf View’s average listing is above $1.7 million. Sunset Park runs $1.33 million median. The Venetian Isles and Culbreath Isles waterfront estates exceed $3 million. Harbour Island carries $650,000 median for townhomes but escalates sharply for waterfront.
For buyers in these neighborhoods, Jumbo financing is not an edge case — it is the standard. Ryan Lehrman structures Jumbo programs through $3 million for Hillsborough County buyers, with documentation pathways for W-2 earners, financial services professionals, medical professionals, and buyers with investment or equity compensation income.
Tampa’s Super-Jumbo tier is more concentrated than in Miami, Naples, or Boca, but it is real: waterfront Davis Islands estates at $4 million to $8 million, Culbreath Isles and Westshore Yacht Club waterfront in the $3 million to $6 million range, and the highest-tier waterfront homes on Bayshore Boulevard. The financial services executives at Citigroup’s Tampa operations, senior officers at MacDill’s CENTCOM and SOCOM commands, and attending physicians at Tampa General’s specialty institutes represent buyers who occasionally operate at this tier. Asset depletion, portfolio lending, and bank statement programs are available for buyers whose financial profiles require them.
Tampa General Hospital is a 981-bed not-for-profit academic health system — the region’s only Level I adult and pediatric trauma center, with five medical helicopters that transport critically injured patients from 23 surrounding counties. It is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and supports more than 700 residents and fellows across specialty programs. In 2024, TGH and USF Health announced a historic $162 million investment to deepen academic integration and recruit best-in-class providers. Tampa General is the nation’s #1 adult solid organ transplant center in 2024, ranked among the top 50 hospitals nationwide in six specialties for 2025–26, and named Forbes’ top large healthcare employer in Tampa Bay in 2025 for the second consecutive year.
For residents and fellows at Tampa General — arriving with medical school debt, new employment contracts, and a Tampa housing market that puts desirable single-family homes above $700,000 in South Tampa and Westchase — a physician mortgage program is the tool that makes homeownership practical from the day the contract is signed.
MacDill Air Force Base is home to CENTCOM and SOCOM and employs approximately 16,800 military and civilian personnel. Officers and senior enlisted personnel assigned to MacDill constitute one of Tampa’s most active VA loan buyer pools — and many choose to build rather than buy in the competitive South Tampa and suburban markets near the base. VA One-Time Close Construction extends the VA program’s zero-down-payment benefit into the construction loan context, allowing eligible veterans and service members to build a custom primary residence with no down payment, no PMI, and a permanent rate locked at the original closing. FishHawk Ranch, Wesley Chapel, Riverview, and Apollo Beach’s MiraBay community are popular new construction destinations for MacDill families who want more space and newer construction than South Tampa’s established inventory provides.
Wesley Chapel — a rapidly developing Pasco County city 16 miles north of Tampa — is among the most active new construction markets in the Tampa Bay area, with 45 active homebuilders, 229 communities, and 2,660 homes for sale at any given time. Builders active in Wesley Chapel include Pulte, M/I Homes, D.R. Horton, David Weekley, Taylor Morrison, and Stanley Martin, with communities ranging from affordable entry-level to premium master-planned developments like Chapel Crossings and Avalon Park West. FishHawk Ranch — the master-planned community in Lithia southeast of Tampa — is a consistent draw for families who want resort-style amenities, top-rated Hillsborough County schools, and access to custom builders on premium homesites. Riverview, Apollo Beach’s MiraBay, and Westchase round out Tampa’s suburban construction corridor.
One-Time Close Construction financing locks the permanent mortgage rate at the original closing before construction begins — protecting buyers from rate changes across an 8- to 14-month Tampa Bay build cycle.
The South Tampa real estate market has fractured into three distinct zones as of 2026. The 33606 ZIP code — Hyde Park, Davis Islands, University Area — is the most prestigious and most sensitive to condo inventory from Water Street and Bayshore, pushing days on market above 100 for some product types. The 33609 ZIP code — Palma Ceia, Virginia Park, Golf View — is the most competitive, with the Plant High School zone driving 20% to 40% price premiums for homes within the district’s boundaries. The 33611 ZIP code — Ballast Point, Sunset Park, Beach Park — is the most waterfront-dense, with access to Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay driving the highest absolute prices in the South Tampa market. Understanding which zone a buyer is targeting matters for program selection, documentation timing, and offer strategy.
For service members and veterans at MacDill, VA financing is one of the most powerful mortgage tools available — zero down payment, no PMI, competitive rates, and a one-time VA funding fee that can be rolled into the loan. The 2026 BAH rates for MacDill AFB increased 0.6% from 2025, and with dependents, BAH is 22.9% higher than the without-dependents rate. Senior officers and high-ranking NCOs at CENTCOM and SOCOM frequently purchase in South Tampa’s premium neighborhoods, where their BAH combined with VA loan benefits can support a purchase that would otherwise require substantial cash at closing. VA One-Time Close Construction is also available for eligible buyers who want to build rather than compete for limited South Tampa resale inventory.
No single factor shapes South Tampa home pricing more reliably than the Plant High School zone. Properties within the Plant zone command 20% to 40% premiums over comparable homes in adjacent areas outside the zone — and that premium has held through every market cycle in recent memory. For buyers with school-age children who are targeting the Plant zone, understanding the financing implications of that premium — which frequently pushes purchase prices above $1 million and into Jumbo territory — is an essential part of the pre-approval conversation.
In Hillsborough County, the 2026 conforming loan limit is $832,750. Any mortgage above that amount is a Jumbo loan. In South Tampa — where Hyde Park medians run approximately $1 million, Davis Islands runs $1.85 million to $2 million, and Golf View averages above $1.7 million — Jumbo financing is the standard program for most purchases in desirable neighborhoods. Buyers in the 33606, 33609, and 33629 ZIP codes are almost always financing Jumbo loans.
Yes. VA loans are available for purchases in any Hillsborough County location, including South Tampa. There is no loan limit for eligible VA borrowers with full entitlement — which means a veteran can purchase a $1.5 million Davis Islands home with zero down payment if they qualify under VA income and residual income standards. VA One-Time Close Construction is also available for eligible buyers building in South Tampa or surrounding communities. Ryan is familiar with the VA loan process for MacDill families specifically.
Plant High School in South Tampa is one of the most sought-after public school assignments in Hillsborough County, and homes within its attendance zone carry a consistent 20% to 40% pricing premium. For a buyer targeting a $1.2 million home in the Plant zone, that premium may represent the difference between a conventional loan and a Jumbo loan. Understanding the zone boundaries and the financing implications before beginning the search saves time and prevents surprises at the pre-approval stage.
Yes. Residents and attending physicians with a signed Tampa General or USF Health Morsani College of Medicine employment contract can qualify for a physician mortgage loan using that contract as income verification — before the first paycheck. Student loan obligations are treated at the IBR or documented payment amount rather than 1% of balance. No PMI applies regardless of down payment. Given South Tampa's pricing, Physician Jumbo programs are available for purchases above $832,750.
I’m here to support you every step of the way. If you’re ready to turn your home financing goals into your new reality, let’s work together.
Originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I moved to Phoenix to attend Arizona State University and have proudly called Phoenix home ever since.
My journey into the mortgage industry began with a friend’s encouragement, who saw how my energy and people-first mindset could make a difference. He was right — I found my calling.
I’ve always embraced what makes me different. With ADHD as my secret weapon, I thrive in fast-paced, detail-heavy environments. I’ve built my career on clear communication, creative problem-solving, and putting clients first, always.
Outside of work, my greatest motivation is my wife and three amazing kids. I’d be honored to help guide you through your lending journey with care, clarity, and commitment.
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