About Florida True Cost

Reviewed November 11, 2026. General information only — not legal, tax, insurance, or financial advice, and not a commitment to lend.

Florida True Cost exists for a simple reason: too many Florida buyers underwrite a dream payment and then discover the real bill—insurance, flood coverage, HOA or condo fees, reserve funding, and special assessments—after they are already emotionally committed.

We publish free, practical guides that start in Lakeland and Polk County and apply across Florida. The standard is straightforward. If we state a dollar figure, a deadline, or a legal requirement, we point to an official source and we date the review. If we cannot verify a number, we do not invent one.

Who publishes this site

Dion Link is a licensed mortgage loan originator, NMLS 898761, with Link Lending, NMLS 2723931, based in Lakeland, Florida, and a Florida Housing Hometown Heroes participating lender. You can verify those mortgage licenses at NMLS Consumer Access. He is also a Florida 2-20 insurance licensee, agent number P163989, with Links Insurance Co. and writes Florida flood insurance under that license.

Loan geography: DSCR investor loans may be originated in almost every U.S. state, subject to licensing and investor guidelines. All other loan products are Florida only.

The contact email for this project is Dion@link-lending.com.

Mailing address: PO Box 134, Nichols, FL 33863.

This site is an educational resource. If you want financing, the primary next step is a mortgage application at applywithdion.my1003app.com/register. An optional pre-qualification form is a secondary path. Using the guides does not require you to apply for a loan, and starting an application is not an approval or a commitment to lend.

What we cover

• The true monthly cost of a Florida house, townhome, or condo
• Condo and HOA due diligence after Florida’s structural safety and reserve reforms
• Flood zones and elevation certificates in Polk County
• Public down payment and closing cost programs, including Florida Hometown Heroes and the City of Lakeland Home Purchase Assistance Program

How the site is meant to be funded

We are direct about money, because this is a mortgage professional’s project.

1. Primary: mortgage applications for Link Lending, started at applywithdion.my1003app.com/register, with an optional on-site pre-qualification form as a secondary path.
2. Separate insurance paths: Florida flood quotes from Dion at Links Insurance Co., via the flood quote form. Home, wind, auto, and renters comparison is planned through a The Zebra partner link that is not live yet. These are not mortgage products, and none is required to obtain a loan.
3. Later, and only with explicit approval before any outreach or charges: sponsorships and a low-ticket paid checklist that expands the free PDF.

We will not hide those relationships when they exist. We will not bundle a loan with an insurance quote or give or accept anything of value for referring settlement services.

What this site is not

• It is not legal, tax, insurance, or financial advice.
• It is not a government agency and not a substitute for Florida Housing, the City of Lakeland Housing Division, a floodplain manager, or the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
• It is not a commitment to lend, a rate quote, or a guarantee that you will qualify for any program.
• It does not sell legal referrals or give or accept anything of value for settlement-service referrals, and it does not require you to buy insurance in order to get a loan (or a loan in order to get a quote). Mortgage and settlement-service advertising is subject to federal and Florida rules, including RESPA and state mortgage advertising laws.

Corrections

Rules and funding change. If you see a figure that no longer matches an official page, email Dion@link-lending.com with the URL. We would rather update a guide than leave a stale number in place.