SBA loans in Miami: who lends, what gets bought
Since FY2018, SBA lenders have approved 833 7(a) loans to buy an existing business in the Miami area, totaling $1.1B. The median loan was $833,000, 29% higher than the $645,250 national median. The area is Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, Florida, which together make 23% of the state's acquisition loans. Volume rose 26% from FY2024 to FY2026.
- Loans, FY2018-FY2026
- 833
- Median loan
- $833,000 (middle half $400,000 to $1,780,200)
- Top lender
- Live Oak Banking Company (15%, 127 loans)
- Top industry
- Child Care Services
- Charge-off, FY2018-FY2021 loans
- 7.4% (all-acquisition: 3.5%)
- FY2026 loans (latest complete year)
- 137 (-10% vs FY2025)
SBA lenders approved 833 7(a) loans to buy a business in the Miami area from FY2018-FY2026, with a median of $833,000 and a middle half of $400,000 to $1,780,200. Live Oak Banking Company made 15% of them. FY2026 had 137 loans, down 10% from FY2025.
The purchase agreement decides what you bought, not the loan approval.
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SBA lenders in Miami
The lenders that made the most SBA 7(a) acquisition loans in the Miami area, FY2018 to FY2026. Many lend in more than one state; open a lender page to see where else it lends.
| # | Lender | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Live Oak Banking Company | 127 | 15.2% | $186M | |
| 2 | First Internet Bank of Indiana | 54 | 6.5% | $80.4M | |
| 3 | The Huntington National Bank | 39 | 4.7% | $37.4M | |
| 4 | Beacon Bank and Trust | 31 | 3.7% | $43.3M | |
| 5 | Paradise Bank | 24 | 2.9% | $67M | |
| 6 | Seacoast National Bank | 21 | 2.5% | $23.1M | |
| 7 | SouthState Bank, National Association | 20 | 2.4% | $26.1M | |
| 8 | BankUnited, National Association | 19 | 2.3% | $19.6M | |
| 9 | BayFirst National Bank | 19 | 2.3% | $12.2M | |
| 10 | Happen Bank | 17 | 2.0% | $26.9M |
What gets bought in Miami
| # | Industry | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Child Care Services | 35 | 4.2% | $39.7M | |
| 2 | Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | 32 | 3.8% | $47.2M | |
| 3 | Landscaping Services | 31 | 3.7% | $26.7M | |
| 4 | Full-Service Restaurants | 24 | 2.9% | $20.7M | |
| 5 | Offices of Certified Public Accountants | 23 | 2.8% | $25.5M | |
| 6 | All Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 21 | 2.5% | $26.9M | |
| 7 | Home Health Care Services | 19 | 2.3% | $30.4M | |
| 8 | Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 18 | 2.2% | $15.7M | |
| 9 | Limited-Service Restaurants | 18 | 2.2% | $11.1M | |
| 10 | Janitorial Services | 13 | 1.6% | $6.5M |
Franchise brands bought in Miami
| # | Franchise | Loans | Share | Dollars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The UPS Store | 5 | 0.6% | $2.3M | |
| 2 | Smoothie King | 5 | 0.6% | $1.6M | |
| 3 | FASTSIGNS | 4 | 0.5% | $2.7M | |
| 4 | Servpro | 3 | 0.4% | $5.5M | |
| 5 | Budget Blinds | 3 | 0.4% | $575K | |
| 6 | La Quinta | 2 | 0.2% | $10M | |
| 7 | Ace Hardware | 2 | 0.2% | $6.7M | |
| 8 | Crumbl | 2 | 0.2% | $5.8M | |
| 9 | Tropical Smoothie Cafe | 2 | 0.2% | $3.4M | |
| 10 | Right at Home | 2 | 0.2% | $3.1M | |
| 11 | BrightStar Care | 2 | 0.2% | $2M | |
| 12 | European Wax Center | 2 | 0.2% | $1.1M | |
| 13 | Woof Gang Bakery and Grooming | 2 | 0.2% | $873K | |
| 14 | Image360 | 2 | 0.2% | $710K | |
| 15 | Menchie's | 2 | 0.2% | $535K |
Seller note standby terms and third-party consents are reviewed before closing.
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Miami acquisition loans by year
| Fiscal year | Loans | Total approved | Median loan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 59 | $58.4M | $525,200 | |
| FY2019 | 87 | $93.7M | $705,000 | |
| FY2020 | 68 | $86.4M | $877,500 | |
| FY2021 | 95 | $163M | $1,121,500 | |
| FY2022 | 63 | $91.4M | $903,900 | |
| FY2023 | 62 | $77.1M | $824,650 | |
| FY2024 | 109 | $157M | $992,500 | |
| FY2025 | 153 | $198M | $816,200 | |
| FY2026 | 137 | $179M | $860,000 |
How often do these acquisition loans fail?
Of the 309 the Miami area acquisition loans approved from FY2018 to FY2021 (the seasoned cohort, every loan at least about five years old), 23 have been charged off by the SBA, a rate of 7.4% by loan count and 4.1% by dollars. 160 have already been paid in full.
For comparison, the charge-off rate across all SBA 7(a) acquisition loans in the same cohort is 3.5%, so the Miami area is 111% higher than the acquisition-loan average. Non-acquisition 7(a) loans (every other stated purpose) approved FY2018 to FY2021 charged off at 6.2%.
"Charged off" is the SBA's final loss action on a defaulted loan after collection efforts. It lags default by a year or more, which is why only older cohorts are measured. It is not the same as a delinquency rate, and loans still outstanding can still fail. See charge-off in the glossary.
How Miami compares
| Measure | Miami | Florida, all | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median loan | $833,000 | $751,700 | $645,250 |
| Middle half of loans | $400,000 to $1,780,200 | $350,000 to $1,584,250 | $283,000 to $1,465,000 |
| Average initial rate | 8.29% | 8.14% | 7.76% |
| Median term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Charge-off rate (seasoned loans) | 7.4% | 5.7% | 3.5% |
| Loans in sample | 833 | 3,624 | 48,902 |
The median for Miami-area acquisition loans is $833,000, slightly above the $751,700 median for all Florida acquisitions and above the $645,250 median for all SBA-financed acquisitions nationally.
The middle half runs $400,000 to $1,780,200, against $283,000 to $1,465,000 nationally; the median term is 10 years, the same as the national median; the average initial rate is 8.29%, above the 7.76% national average.
Seasoned loans were charged off at 7.4%, above the 5.7% rate for all Florida acquisitions and well above the 3.5% rate for all acquisition loans.
Loan size distribution
| Loan size | Miami | All acquisitions |
|---|---|---|
| Under $350K | 22% | 30% |
| $350K to under $1M | 35% | 33% |
| $1M to under $2M | 21% | 19% |
| $2M and over | 22% | 17% |
Most Miami-area acquisition loans (57%) were under $1M, and the largest single band is $350K to under $1M at 35%, against 33% of all acquisition loans.
Bands are fixed dollar ranges chosen for comparison. They are not SBA program limits.
Lender concentration
Live Oak Banking Company made 15% of Miami-area acquisition loans, and the top three lenders together made 26%. 63 of the 120 lenders involved made three or more. Repeat experience is spread across many banks. That is a rough guide to how many banks have seen this kind of deal before.
Recent activity
In FY2025 and FY2026 combined, 290 Miami-area acquisition loans were approved. That is 70% more than the 171 approved in FY2023 and FY2024. The median was $825,300, in line with the $833,000 median across all years.
Terms signed in the LOI shape the purchase agreement that follows.
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Counties in the Miami area
Loans are assigned to the area by the project county the lender recorded, not the borrower's mailing address. The counties used, with loans in each:
| County | Loans |
|---|---|
| Miami-Dade, FL | 219 |
| Broward, FL | 305 |
| Palm Beach, FL | 309 |
Questions buyers ask
How much do buyers borrow to buy a business in the Miami area?
The median SBA 7(a) acquisition loan in the Miami area was $833,000 across 833 loans (FY2018 to FY2026), 29% higher than the $645,250 national median. The middle half of loans ran from $400,000 to $1,780,200. A loan is not the purchase price: it is net of the buyer's equity injection and usually includes some working capital.
Which banks make the most SBA acquisition loans in Miami?
Live Oak Banking Company (127), First Internet Bank of Indiana (54), The Huntington National Bank (39), Beacon Bank and Trust (31), Paradise Bank (24). Live Oak Banking Company accounts for 15% of Miami-area acquisition loans. See each lender page for industries and states served.
What kinds of businesses are bought with SBA loans in Miami?
Child Care Services (35), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (32), Landscaping Services (31), Full-Service Restaurants (24), Offices of Certified Public Accountants (23). Industry is the NAICS code the lender recorded.
How often do SBA acquisition loans fail in Miami?
In the seasoned cohort (FY2018 to FY2021), among 309 Miami-area acquisition loans: 7.4% charged off, 111% higher than the 3.5% national acquisition average.
The purchase agreement decides what you bought, not the loan approval.
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Related
- All Florida acquisitions
- Child Care Services nationally
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages nationally
- Landscaping Services nationally
- Live Oak Banking Company
- First Internet Bank of Indiana
- The Huntington National Bank
- All metro areas
- SBA lenders by state
The metro area is a fixed list of counties chosen for this site, not an official statistical area. State is the project state recorded by the lender.
Cite this data
SBA Acquisition Data, "Miami, FL: SBA acquisition loan data", https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/metro/miami (data as of September 30, 2026). Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loan file, data.sba.gov. Aggregated by SBA Acquisition Data.
The figures on this page are also published as JSON at https://sbaacquisitiondata.com/data/metro/miami.json.