# Buying a Business in Florida: SBA Lending

Change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) approvals in Florida, FY2020 through FY2025. Every figure is read from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (as of June 30, 2026).

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Also on this site: https://searchspheresource.com/data/acquisition-lending
Source: https://searchspheresource.com/data/acquisition-lending/florida
Last checked: 2026-10-02

## The Numbers

- Loans since FY2020: 2,629, $3,165,520,800 approved in total
- FY2025 loans: 628, $776,713,500 approved
- Median loan: $769,000
- Share of national acquisition lending: 7.3%

## The Most Active Lenders in Florida

Ranked by change-of-ownership loans written in the covered years. A bank high here is a bank that has already said yes to this kind of deal in this state.

1. Live Oak Banking Company: 337 loans
2. The Huntington National Bank: 239 loans
3. First Internet Bank of Indiana: 103 loans
4. BayFirst National Bank: 71 loans
5. Beacon Bank and Trust: 66 loans

## What Gets Financed in Florida

- Full-Service Restaurants: 137 loans
- All Other Specialty Trade Contractors: 105 loans
- Child Care Services: 97 loans
- Landscaping Services: 85 loans
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages: 84 loans

## Method and Source

- SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (as of June 30, 2026): https://data.sba.gov/dataset/7a-504-foia
- Coverage: FY2020 through FY2025
- Segment: SBA 7(a) approvals with BusinessAge "Change of Ownership"

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