“Florida is an amazing market for us. In the US, specifically, the homeownership rate is about 65%, but in Florida, it’s actually less than that,” Berdugo said. “There are areas where there are many families that are trying to reach homeownership that can’t, and that’s exactly what Landis does.”

Berdugo and Tom Petit launched Landis in 2018.

Read more: Homeownership start-up Landis in drive to entice clients

Rather than grow entire state by entire state, Landis is expanding and operates in select geographic regions. Landis also does business in multiple markets in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Maryland, Ohio, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia.

“When we open in a new area, we partner with local real estate agents and local lenders who work with clients that are trying to reach homeownership every day and already have existing community relationships,” Berdugo explained. “It’s easier to penetrate the market that way than open in an entire state at the same time.”