Tampa is not Naples or Miami Beach — its Super-Jumbo market is concentrated and specific rather than broad, and that specificity matters for any lender claiming expertise in it. The transactions that define Tampa’s Super-Jumbo tier are clustered in a handful of neighborhoods: Davis Islands waterfront estates at $4 million to $8 million, where Hillsborough Bay frontage with private dockage commands prices that reflect the island’s complete scarcity of new supply; Culbreath Isles and Westshore Yacht Club, the canal-front gated communities in South Tampa where deepwater access and proximity to Tampa Bay push single-family estates above $3 million; Golf View, where South Tampa’s most architecturally distinguished large-lot estates reach $5 million; and the occasional trophy property along Bayshore Boulevard itself, the world’s longest continuous sidewalk and one of South Tampa’s most recognizable addresses.
The buyers at this tier in Tampa carry the financial profiles that the city’s major employers produce: senior executives at Citigroup’s Tampa operations, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Raymond James Financial with deferred compensation and equity structures; senior military officers at CENTCOM and SOCOM — generals and admirals with decades of service and real estate equity accumulated across multiple duty stations — who are buying their permanent post-service home; attending physicians and department heads at Tampa General Hospital’s specialty institutes who have built income and investment wealth over long careers; and business owners whose companies have grown alongside Tampa Bay’s economic expansion over the past decade.
None of these profiles fit cleanly into standard W-2 underwriting. Super-Jumbo programs built for asset depletion, portfolio income, and executive compensation documentation exist for exactly these situations.
Ryan Lehrman, NMLS #235295, structures Super-Jumbo financing for Tampa’s upper-tier market — with the documentation depth, appraiser network, and confidential service that transactions at $3 million and above require.
Super-Jumbo mortgages are generally defined as loans above $3 million. In Tampa, this tier covers waterfront estates on Davis Islands and in Culbreath Isles and Westshore Yacht Club, the highest-tier Golf View estates, and any construction loan for a custom estate project on a South Tampa waterfront parcel where the total project cost crosses $3 million.
Super-Jumbo loans are not purchased by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. They are portfolio loans originated and held by the lender under their own guidelines. Program flexibility — in terms of income documentation, loan-to-value ratios, and acceptable collateral types — is lender-specific. Working with a lender who actively maintains Super-Jumbo programs is different from working with one who technically offers them but rarely closes them.
Tampa’s Super-Jumbo borrowers typically include:
Senior executives with deferred compensation, equity compensation, and bonus-heavy total compensation structures from Tampa Bay’s major corporate employers
Retired or senior military officers whose wealth includes real estate equity from prior duty stations, pension income, and investment portfolios accumulated over a career
Attending physicians and physician executives at Tampa General’s specialty institutes with 10 to 20 years of professional income history and investment portfolios alongside earned income
Business owners whose closely held companies have grown meaningfully and whose personal income appears on Schedule C or K-1 rather than a W-2
Designed for direct purchases of Davis Islands waterfront, Culbreath Isles canal-front estates, Westshore Yacht Club deepwater properties, and the highest-tier Golf View homes. These programs accommodate purchases from $3 million through $8 million and above, with LTV structures calibrated to South Tampa’s waterfront collateral and underwriting that accounts for the limited comparable sale base in Tampa’s most exclusive sub-neighborhoods.
For buyers whose primary financial strength is held in investment portfolios, retirement accounts, or recently realized equity rather than current earned income — a profile common among Tampa’s senior military retirees from CENTCOM and SOCOM, physicians who are transitioning roles, and business owners who have sold or are drawing down equity. Asset depletion converts eligible assets into qualifying income by dividing them over the loan term, allowing a buyer with substantial investment wealth to qualify for a Super-Jumbo loan without requiring current W-2 employment.
For senior professionals at Citigroup, Bristol Myers Squibb, Raymond James Financial, and other major Tampa Bay employers whose total compensation includes deferred compensation schedules, restricted stock units, long-term incentive plans, and bonus concentration. Bank statement programs provide an alternative documentation pathway when tax returns are legitimately reduced by investment activity or business deductions that mask actual cash-generating capacity.
For buyers commissioning custom estate homes on South Tampa waterfront parcels — Davis Islands teardown sites, Culbreath Isles lots, and Bayshore-adjacent properties — where the combined land and construction cost pushes the project above $3 million. A single closing locks the permanent rate before construction begins on a project that may take 18 to 24 months.
Davis Islands Waterfront
The defining Super-Jumbo addresses in Tampa. Hillsborough Bay waterfront homes on Davis Islands with private dockage, unobstructed bay views, and access to the islands' private amenities trade at $4 million to $8 million for established estates, and higher for new construction on desirable parcels. The island's fixed geography — no new waterfront parcels can be created — ensures genuine scarcity that supports pricing at a level the broader South Tampa market does not approach. Comparable sales are limited, requiring appraisers with specific Davis Islands waterfront experience.
Culbreath Isles
A private gated community in South Tampa with deep-water canal access and bay proximity, Culbreath Isles offers some of the most protected and private waterfront estates in the city. Canal-front homes with dockage for larger vessels range from $3 million to $6 million. The community's gated entry, established landscaping, and navigable canal system make it a consistent draw for buyers who want Tampa's waterfront character without the exposure of a fully open-bay frontage.
Westshore Yacht Club
An upscale gated community on Old Tampa Bay in South Tampa's Westshore area, Westshore Yacht Club features marina access, resort-style amenities, and waterfront estates in the $3 million to $5 million range. The community's private marina — capable of accommodating substantial vessels — and its proximity to Tampa International Airport and the Westshore business district make it a particular draw for business executives who want both waterfront lifestyle and airport convenience.
Golf View
South Tampa's most architecturally distinguished estate neighborhood, Golf View occupies large lots west of Bayshore Boulevard with Mediterranean Revival homes and a scale that other South Tampa neighborhoods do not match. Average listings exceed $1.7 million, with the most significant estates reaching $5 million. Golf View is Tampa's closest analog to the formal estate neighborhoods of South Florida — quiet, private, architecturally cohesive, and consistently in demand among buyers who prioritize permanence and character over novelty.
Bayshore Boulevard Trophy Properties
The Bayshore Boulevard corridor itself — five miles of continuous sidewalk along Hillsborough Bay — produces occasional trophy residential transactions, particularly for the handful of large estates with direct bay frontage. These transactions are infrequent, specific to individual properties, and typically in the $4 million to $10 million range when they occur. Financing at this level requires Super-Jumbo programs with waterfront-collateral experience.
Super-Jumbo programs through $8 million and beyond for Tampa's waterfront estate market
Asset depletion and portfolio income programs for retirement-transition and investment-wealth buyers
Deferred compensation and executive income documentation for senior Tampa Bay corporate professionals
VA Super-Jumbo available for senior MacDill officers with full VA entitlement
Construction-to-Permanent Super-Jumbo for estate builds on Davis Islands, Culbreath Isles, and South Tampa waterfront parcels
Discreet, confidential service — no handoffs, no processing pools
Ryan Lehrman, NMLS #235295
Credit Profile: 720 to 740 minimum for most Super-Jumbo programs, with best pricing at 760 and above. VA Super-Jumbo has a more flexible credit framework.
Income Documentation: Full tax return documentation for W-2 and self-employed borrowers. K-1s and partnership agreements for business owners. Bank statement programs (12 or 24 months) for buyers with income that understates actual cash flow. Asset depletion schedules for investment-wealth and retirement-transition buyers. Military LES and pension documentation for MacDill retirees.
Loan-to-Value: Most Super-Jumbo programs allow 65% to 75% LTV. Loans above $5 million typically require 25% to 35% down. VA Super-Jumbo: zero down for full-entitlement borrowers subject to income qualification.
Reserves: 12 to 24 months PITI in liquid or near-liquid assets. Portfolio and retirement accounts count at 60% to 70% of market value.
Confidential Consultation — A private conversation about the property, loan amount, income structure, and documentation approach before any offer is made. For Davis Islands waterfront and Culbreath Isles, the seller community is small and a credible, prepared buyer is noticed.
Documentation Planning — Ryan identifies the exact documentation path — tax returns, bank statements, asset depletion, or a combination — before underwriting begins.
Appraisal and Property Review — Davis Islands waterfront appraisals require appraisers with direct Tampa Bay waterfront experience. The comparable sale base for Hillsborough Bay frontage properties is limited and specific.
Underwriting and Conditions — Ryan maintains direct communication throughout, addresses conditions promptly, and coordinates with the buyer's attorney and real estate advisor.
Closing — Ryan manages the timeline and coordinates with all parties to close on the date the purchase contract requires.
Yes. Your military pension is documented income that qualifies directly. Consulting income with a 12- to 24-month history qualifies through standard or bank statement documentation. Your investment portfolio contributes to reserves and, through an asset depletion program, can also generate additional qualifying income. For a buyer with pension income, documented consulting income, and a $3 million-plus investment portfolio, Super-Jumbo qualification is typically achievable — and the consultation conversation documents your specific numbers before any application is submitted.
Current RSU income — vesting events that have already occurred and are documented on W-2s over the past two years — can be included in qualifying income as recurring compensation. Future unvested grants are not typically counted as qualifying income in underwriting, but the existing two-year RSU history is sufficient to document the income pattern. For buyers whose RSU vesting is large relative to base salary, the consultation conversation establishes how much of the total compensation package can be used and what documentation is required before application.
Davis Islands waterfront has a limited number of transactions per year, and each involves highly specific attributes — bay frontage footage, dock configuration, water depth, channel access, and proximity to the island's amenities — that general residential appraisers may not fully capture. In a neighborhood where a 10-foot difference in frontage or a deeper-draft dock can represent hundreds of thousands of dollars in value, using an appraiser with direct Davis Islands waterfront experience is not a preference — it is a material underwriting requirement. Ryan coordinates with appraisers who have the specific neighborhood knowledge Super-Jumbo underwriting requires.
Super-Jumbo transactions benefit from early engagement. Let’s have a confidential conversation about your property and financial profile.
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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