Investor financing guides
Straight answers on DSCR underwriting, rental property financing, market data, and preparing an investment property file for review.
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Investor guide
Second Lien versus Cash-Out Refinance: Out as Rates
A practical investor guide to second lien versus cash-out refinance, covering eligibility, rental income, costs, documentation. Get my estimate
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Financing An Investor Ground-Up Build From Lot 2026 Update
A practical investor guide to financing an investor ground-up build, covering eligibility, rental income, costs, documentation. Get my estimate
Smart DSCR Cash-Out Appraisal Guide Rental Update
A practical investor guide to DSCR cash-out appraisal, covering eligibility, rental income, costs, documentation, and the next steps today. Get my estimate
Delayed Financing After a Cash Purchase: What Underwriters Look For
How underwriters review delayed financing on a rental bought with cash: proof of your own funds, appraisal and market rent, timing windows, LTV caps, and LLC vesting.
Underwriting Section 8 Rent: HAP vs. Full Contract Rent
The landlord receives the full contract rent — but only the HAP portion is government-paid. Model both.
How Foreign Nationals Finance US Rental Property
No US credit score, no US tax return, no Social Security number — and still a fully financeable rental purchase.
The BRRRR Financing Playbook: Bridge to DSCR Refinance
The rehab loan and the permanent loan are one plan. Sequencing them badly is what strands your capital.
DSCR Loan Requirements for Rental Property Investors
A DSCR loan qualifies on the property's rent, not your personal income. Here is exactly what underwriting looks at.
How We Evaluate This Scenario
A DSCR file is judged on the property, not your tax returns: qualifying rent divided by PITIA — principal, interest, taxes, insurance, plus HOA and flood where they apply. Most programs use the lesser of the in-place lease rent and the appraiser's market rent, so a lease signed below market usually caps the ratio no matter how strong the comps look.
Three inputs move the outcome more than anything else: rent support on the appraiser's rent schedule (Form 1007 or 1025), the LTV tier, and the credit tier. Dropping leverage by five points or moving up a FICO band frequently changes pricing more than shopping a different lender does.
Before you write an offer, price taxes and insurance at post-sale levels rather than the seller's current bill. In reassess-on-transfer states and in coastal insurance markets, that single adjustment is the most common reason a deal that penciled at contract fails the ratio at underwriting.
Reviewed by Simply Approved Mortgages · NMLS #2620881. Business-purpose investor lending only.