BreakThru Realty

How to Buy a Home Health or Senior Care Business in Florida

Home health agencies, nurse registries, companion services and assisted living facilities are licensed by the Agency for Health Care Administration, and a change of ownership requires the agency's approval. The licence path decides the timeline, so start there.

Reviewed by Tyson E. Sam, Founder and Broker of Record, BreakThru Realty, Florida License 3565210

Last reviewed November 1, 2026

Which Licence and the Change of Ownership

A home health agency, a nurse registry, a homemaker and companion service and an assisted living facility each sit under a different part of Florida law. A sale is a change of ownership that must be filed with the Agency for Health Care Administration in advance; for an assisted living facility the statute sets the transferee's obligations. A Medicare certified agency also files with Medicare. Have a healthcare attorney map the filings before you sign.

Payer Mix and Referral Sources

Ask for revenue by payer (Medicare, Medicaid managed care, long term care insurance, private pay) and by referral source. An agency that depends on one hospital or one physician group for referrals carries concentration risk.

Caregivers and Clinical Leadership

Caregivers are the service, and the administrator and clinical manager are often licence requirements. Ask for tenure, credentials, background screening and pay, and plan their retention. Check how caregivers are classified; nurse registries and agencies use different models.

Compliance and Surveys

Read the survey and complaint history, billing audits and any repayment demands. In a stock purchase these liabilities come with the company.

Financials and the Offer

Verify revenue against payer remittances and deposits, and costs against payroll. SBA 7(a) financing is open only to buyers whose owners are all U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals living in the United States (since March 1, 2026), with an equity injection of at least ten percent of the project cost; other buyers use cash, seller financing or a conventional loan. Consult a lender about your eligibility. Make the offer contingent on the change of ownership approvals.

Healthcare licensing and change of ownership filings are legal questions: confirm them with a Florida healthcare attorney.

Businesses for Sale That Fit This Guide

Live MLS listings asking $240,000 or more, matched to this guide by their industry. Asking prices and income figures are as the listing brokers report them.

Health businesses for sale in Florida

Talk to a Business Broker

A licensed BreakThru Realty business broker can read the lease, the financials and the listing with you before you make an offer. Call or text (786) 914-1017, or start your acquisition plan: a broker reviews your budget, industry and timing and replies with the businesses that fit.

Your Buyer May Already Be Working With BreakThru Realty

Buyers come to BreakThru Realty looking for established businesses, and many have shared their industry, location, budget and financing with us. If you own a business and are weighing a sale, a broker can review it confidentially against those requirements, and if no buyer on file fits, explain how we would reach other qualified buyers without naming your business.

Over 300 business buyers are already working with BreakThru Realty, seeking acquisitions across Florida. Before you list, a broker reviews what you own, the market around it and whether an existing buyer's requirements match. If none does, you see how we would position it to reach other qualified buyers.

Find Out If We Have a Buyer · Discuss Selling With BreakThru Realty

A potential match is a conversation, not an offer, until the buyer sees your property and makes one. No buyer is named and nothing about your property or business is shared until you decide to proceed.

Questions Buyers Ask

Do I need AHCA approval to buy a home health agency in Florida?
Yes. A change of ownership of a licensed home health agency must be filed with the Agency for Health Care Administration before it takes effect, and a Medicare certified agency also files with Medicare. A healthcare attorney maps the steps.
What is the difference between a home health agency and a companion service?
A home health agency provides skilled nursing and therapy under its licence; a homemaker and companion service provides non medical help under a registration. They have different licences, staffing rules and payers.
What liabilities come with buying a care business?
In a stock purchase, past billing errors, repayment demands and survey findings stay with the company. Review them, and consider an asset purchase where the licence rules allow it.

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