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Del Webb Lakewood Ranch Home Loans
Lakewood Ranch has two Del Webb communities for buyers 55 and older: the original Del Webb Lakewood Ranch, now resale only, and Del Webb Catalina, where new homes start in the $350,000s. Braun Mortgage Group is an independent mortgage broker in Sarasota that helps retirees qualify on Social Security, pensions, retirement accounts or assets, and buy their next home before selling the last one.
Call or Text Greg: (941) 315-2112
Available 24/7 | Free Consultation | Fast Pre-Approvals
Braun Mortgage Group's office is on Lake Osprey Drive at University Parkway in Sarasota. Meetings are by appointment, and many of our 55+ clients prefer to start with a phone call, evenings and weekends included.
Del Webb in Lakewood Ranch at a glance
Del Webb Lakewood Ranch
Status: Resale; sales began 2015 and the builder has sold out
Price range: Listings about $395K to $1.3M; recent sales average about $620K
HOA: About $1,300 to $1,650 per quarter on recent listings
Homes: About 1,300
Usual loan fit: Conventional, cash, asset based
Del Webb Catalina
Status: New construction by Del Webb (PulteGroup)
Price range: Villas from the $350Ks; single family from the $400Ks to over $1M
HOA: $335 to $409 a month
Homes: About 1,300 planned
Usual loan fit: Conventional, jumbo at the top end
Both are gated, age restricted communities in the Manatee County part of Lakewood Ranch. Prices and dues are approximate as of October 2026, from Lakewood Ranch's Del Webb Catalina village page and recent MLS listings for the original community.
Del Webb Catalina covers 724 acres east of Bourneside Boulevard, built around a 70 acre lake and a 15 acre amenity campus with 12 pickleball courts.
There's no age limit on a mortgage
Federal fair lending law (the Equal Credit Opportunity Act) prohibits lenders from denying you a loan because of your age. A 72 year old can take a 30 year mortgage on the same terms as a 32 year old. What matters is documented income or assets, credit and the property.
The 55+ rule itself comes from the federal Housing for Older Persons Act, which requires at least 80% of occupied homes to have a resident 55 or older. Each community's HOA sets the details, such as rules for a younger spouse or for renting, so read the documents before you buy.
How retirees qualify
Social Security: Award letter; nontaxable portions can often be grossed up, which raises qualifying income
Pension or annuity: Award letter or statement showing the amount continues
IRA or 401(k) distributions: Regular distributions, with enough left in the account to continue at least 3 years
Part time or consulting income: Usually a 2 year history
Investment and dividend income: Usually a 2 year history on tax returns
Liquid assets only: Asset depletion or asset based loans, below
Asset depletion and asset based loans
Many retirees have significant savings but modest monthly income on paper. An asset depletion or asset based loan solves that by turning your eligible assets into qualifying income. The lender takes your checking, savings, brokerage and retirement balances (retirement accounts are often counted at a discount), subtracts your down payment, closing costs and required reserves, and divides the rest over a set number of months.
Here's a simple illustration
$1,800,000 in eligible assets, after down payment and reserves, spread over a 360 month term, works out to $5,000 a month of qualifying income. Programs differ in which accounts count, the divisor they use, and the down payment required, so we compare several lenders.
You don't have to sell investments or take large IRA withdrawals to qualify. Ask your tax advisor about the tax side.
Buying in Del Webb before selling your current home
Most 55+ buyers in Lakewood Ranch are moving from another home, often up north or elsewhere in Florida. Common ways to buy first and sell second:
• HELOC on your current home: open a home equity line before you list, use it for the down payment, and pay it off when the old home sells.
• Bridge loan: short term financing secured by your current home to cover the down payment.
• Recast after the sale: put a larger down payment on the new home later. Many lenders let you pay a lump sum toward principal and recast the loan to a lower monthly payment.
• Qualifying with both payments: if your income or assets can carry both homes for a while, you don't need a sale contingency at all.
Each option has costs and timing to weigh. A sale contingency on a new construction contract is often not accepted, so plan this before you sign with the builder.
Florida homestead portability
If you're moving from another Florida homestead, you may be able to transfer up to $500,000 of your Save Our Homes assessment difference to your new home, which can lower your property tax and your monthly payment. You generally have to establish the new homestead within three years of January 1 of the year you left the old one. Confirm with the Manatee County Property Appraiser.
The builder's lender at Del Webb Catalina
Del Webb Catalina, like most Lakewood Ranch builders, offers incentives through its affiliated lender. For many buyers with a straightforward file those are a great deal, and we'll tell you so. Where we help is when the builder's lender can't approve you, often because your income is mostly assets, you're self employed, or your retirement income is hard to document the standard way. Most builders let buyers keep incentives when an outside lender approves them, but it isn't guaranteed, so get it in writing. See our guide, Turned Down by the Builder's Lender in Lakewood Ranch?
A real Del Webb example
We recently helped clients relocate from Ohio to Florida who had strong savings but limited monthly income. We used a HELOC on their existing home for the down payment and an asset depletion calculation to qualify their income. They told us they could not believe how easy the move from Ohio to Florida was.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a mortgage at 70 or older in Lakewood Ranch?
Yes. Federal law prohibits lenders from using age against you. You qualify on income, assets and credit like any other buyer, and 30 year terms are available.
What is an asset depletion loan?
A mortgage that turns your savings and investment balances into qualifying monthly income, so retirees with large assets but modest income can qualify without selling investments.
Can I buy in Del Webb before I sell my current home?
Often, yes. Common approaches include a HELOC or bridge loan on your current home, or qualifying with both payments, followed by a recast once the old home sells.
What are HOA fees in Del Webb Lakewood Ranch?
About $335 to $409 a month in Del Webb Catalina, per Lakewood Ranch's village page, and roughly $1,300 to $1,650 per quarter in the original Del Webb on recent listings, as of October 2026.
Do I have to use Del Webb's lender?
No. You can choose your own lender. Incentives may be tied to the builder's lender, so ask what you keep if you finance elsewhere.
Written by Greg Braun, NMLS 407115. Braun Mortgage Group, LLC, NMLS 1798086. Licensed in all of Florida and Ohio. Equal Housing Lender. All loans subject to credit and property approval; Non-QM terms vary by lender. Last reviewed October 2026.
Sources: Del Webb Catalina village page (Lakewood Ranch) · Del Webb Catalina announcement (Your Observer, 2023) · Del Webb Lakewood Ranch community data (Bex Realty) · Del Webb Lakewood Ranch listing (55places) · Housing for Older Persons Act (HUD) · Homestead portability (Lee County Property Appraiser)