9 programs · Investment property only

Investor loan programs

9 real estate investor loan programs, funded fast: rental loans that qualify on the property’s rent, and project loans sized on the deal. Tell us about yours and a loan specialist will call you back with your terms.

Rental loans

For properties you hold and rent out

Long-term loans sized on the property’s rent rather than your personal income. Lenders measure it with the debt service coverage ratio (DSCR): the property’s monthly rent divided by its monthly payment of principal, interest, taxes, insurance and association dues (PITIA). 30-year terms, often closed in an LLC.

DSCR rental loans

Qualify on the property's rent, not your tax returns. Close in your LLC.

Best for: Buy-and-hold rentals, 1–4 units
Qualifies on: Rent ÷ monthly payment (DSCR)
Terms: 30-year fixed, ARMs, interest-only

DSCR loans explained →

Short-term rental loans

Rental financing for Airbnb and VRBO homes, sized on nightly income.

Best for: Vacation and short-stay rentals
Qualifies on: Booking history or projected STR income
Terms: 30-year fixed, interest-only

Short-term rental loans explained →

Rental portfolio loans

Several rentals under one loan, one payment and one closing.

Best for: Investors with 5+ rentals
Qualifies on: Combined rent across the portfolio
Terms: 5, 7, 10 or 30-year terms

Portfolio loans explained →

Rental cash-out refinance

Pull equity out of a rental to fund the next purchase.

Best for: Rentals with built-up equity
Qualifies on: The property's rent (DSCR) and equity
Terms: 30-year fixed, ARMs, interest-only

Cash-out refinance explained →

Project loans

For properties you buy, renovate or build

Short-term, interest-only loans sized on the deal: purchase price, rehab or build budget and the finished value. Repaid when you sell or refinance.

Fix and flip loans

Purchase and renovation funds in one short-term loan, with rehab draws.

Best for: Buy, renovate and sell within a year
Qualifies on: The deal, after-repair value, your experience
Terms: 12–24 months, interest-only

Fix and flip loans explained →

Hard money loans

Asset-based private loans that close in days, not months.

Best for: Speed, distressed property, short holds
Qualifies on: The property's value and your exit plan
Terms: 6–24 months, interest-only

Hard money loans explained →

Bridge loans

Short-term capital to buy now and refinance or sell later.

Best for: Acquisitions before long-term financing
Qualifies on: Equity, the property and the exit
Terms: 6–24 months

Bridge loans explained →

BRRRR loans

Rehab financing now, then a refinance into a long-term rental loan sized on the rent.

Best for: Buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat
Qualifies on: ARV, rehab plan, then the rent
Terms: Short-term rehab loan → 30-year DSCR

BRRRR loans explained →

Ground-up construction loans

Land and build costs financed, released in draws as work is done.

Best for: New builds and spec homes
Qualifies on: Plans, budget, completed value, track record
Terms: 12–24 months, draw schedule

Construction loans explained →

Every program side by side

Program	Best for	Qualifies on	Terms
DSCR rental loans	Buy-and-hold rentals, 1–4 units	Rent ÷ monthly payment (DSCR)	30-year fixed, ARMs, interest-only
Short-term rental loans	Vacation and short-stay rentals	Booking history or projected STR income	30-year fixed, interest-only
Fix and flip loans	Buy, renovate and sell within a year	The deal, after-repair value, your experience	12–24 months, interest-only
Hard money loans	Speed, distressed property, short holds	The property's value and your exit plan	6–24 months, interest-only
Bridge loans	Acquisitions before long-term financing	Equity, the property and the exit	6–24 months
BRRRR loans	Buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat	ARV, rehab plan, then the rent	Short-term rehab loan → 30-year DSCR
Ground-up construction loans	New builds and spec homes	Plans, budget, completed value, track record	12–24 months, draw schedule
Rental portfolio loans	Investors with 5+ rentals	Combined rent across the portfolio	5, 7, 10 or 30-year terms
Rental cash-out refinance	Rentals with built-up equity	The property's rent (DSCR) and equity	30-year fixed, ARMs, interest-only

Swipe the table to see every column →

How loans are sized

Four numbers decide how much you can borrow.

Investor lenders size a loan on the property, not your paycheck. Each program leans on a different measure, and most apply two at once and lend the lower result.

DSCRRent ÷ PITIA

Rental loans. At 1.00 the rent exactly covers the payment. Many lenders want at least 1.00 and some go to 0.75; the ratio also caps how big a payment, and so how big a loan, the rent can carry.

LTVLoan ÷ value

Rental, bridge and cash-out loans. DSCR lenders published 80% on purchases in October 2026 and about 75% on cash-out refinances.

LTCLoan ÷ (price + budget)

Flips and new builds, where the value before the work doesn’t reflect what you’re spending. Construction lenders published 82.5–90% of total cost.

ARVValue after the work

The ceiling on project loans: fix and flip lenders cap the total loan at 70–80% of after-repair value. Whichever limit is lowest sets the loan.

Every term on a term sheet, defined: the investor loan glossary.

Published terms

What lenders published for each program in October 2026.

Minimum credit scores, leverage, loan sizes and terms from lenders’ own program pages. These are market ranges, not an offer: what you’re offered depends on the property, your credit and your track record. Current rates are on the rates page.

Program	Minimum credit	Leverage	Loan amounts	Term
DSCR rental	620–680	80% LTV on purchases (85% at a few lenders for 720–740+ credit)	About $70K–$4.5M	30-year fixed, ARMs, interest-only options
Short-term rental	700 at Lima One	75% purchase, 70% cash-out (Lima One); 80% / 75% (Easy Street)	$75K–$2.5M (Lima One)	30-year
Fix and flip / hard money	600–660	85–100% of purchase, 100% of rehab, capped at 70–80% of ARV	$50K–$5M	6–24 months, interest-only
Bridge	660–700	70–85% LTV; up to 85% of cost	$50K–$5M	12–24 months
BRRRR	Rehab loan, then DSCR minimums	Up to 95% of cost and 100% of rehab, then about 75% of ARV on the refinance	Varies by phase	9–24 month rehab loan, then 30-year DSCR
Ground-up construction	650 (the one lender that publishes it)	82.5–90% of cost, 100% of hard costs, capped at 65–75% of completed value	$50K–$10M	12–24 months, extensions at some lenders
Rental portfolio	680	60–80% LTV on purchases, 55–75% cash-out	$225K–$5M for smaller portfolios	30-year, or 5-, 7- or 10-year balloons
Cash-out refinance	DSCR minimums; lower scores cut leverage	70–80% LTV, most at 75%	As DSCR	30-year fixed, ARMs

Swipe the table to see every column →

Financing paths

Most deals use two loans, one after the other.

A short-term loan gets the property bought, fixed or built; a long-term loan, or a sale, takes it out. Plan the second loan before you close the first.

01
Buy, renovate, sell
A fix and flip loan funds the purchase and the rehab, and the sale repays it. Lenders publish 6- to 24-month terms; pick one with room for a slow sale.
02
Buy, renovate, rent, refinance
A BRRRR rehab loan first, then a DSCR refinance at about 75% of the after-repair value. Outside lenders typically want 90 days of seasoning, though the lender that made the rehab loan will often skip it on its own refinance.
03
Buy fast, refinance later
A bridge loan closes in 7–14 business days at published lenders, often with no prepayment penalty, then a DSCR loan replaces it once the property is leased.
04
Build, then rent
A construction loan funds the land and the build in draws; a DSCR loan on the finished home replaces it if you hold it as a rental.
05
Grow, then consolidate
Single-property DSCR loans as you buy, then a portfolio loan across several rentals, or a cash-out refinance to fund the next down payment.

Every program

What every program has in common.

Business purpose only: Investment property only: never a home you or your family will live in.
The property qualifies: Rent, value, budget and exit carry the file. No tax returns or pay stubs on rental loans.
LLCs welcome: Borrow in your name or your entity; some lenders require an LLC, usually with a personal guarantee.
An appraisal sets the numbers: Value for every loan, market rent for rentals, after-repair value for projects.
Credit still counts: Scores move leverage and pricing on every program. No credit pull to apply, though.
Terms in writing: Rate, leverage, points, fees and prepayment terms before you commit, subject to underwriting and approval.

Not sure which?

Start from what you plan to do with the property.

Pick the closest match below, or start the form: it asks what you’re financing, and a loan specialist confirms the right program on the call.

Get Funding

Investor loan questions

Which loan is right for a rental property?

If you plan to hold it and rent it long-term, a DSCR loan is the usual fit: it qualifies on the rent rather than your income and can close in an LLC. For nightly rentals, a short-term rental DSCR loan counts booking income or a projection instead of a lease.

What's the difference between hard money, bridge and fix and flip loans?

They overlap. All three are short-term, interest-only loans from private or non-bank lenders. Fix and flip loans add rehab funds paid out in draws; bridge loans finance a property that needs little work until you sell or refinance; hard money describes the asset-based lending style behind both.

What is a business-purpose loan?

A loan made for an investment or business rather than personal use. In real estate, that means financing property you rent out, renovate and sell, or build, and that neither you nor your family will live in. Business-purpose loans fall outside many consumer-mortgage rules, which is why lenders underwrite them on the property and often lend to LLCs.

What credit score do I need for an investor loan?

It depends on the program. Published minimums in October 2026 ran 620–680 for DSCR rental loans, 600–660 for fix and flip, 660–700 for bridge, 680 for rental portfolios and 700 for one lender’s short-term rental program. Above the minimum, a higher score mostly buys more leverage and a better rate.

How much down payment does an investment property loan need?

On rental loans, plan on 20–25%: DSCR lenders published 80% maximum loan-to-value on purchases, and 85% at a few for top credit. Project loans work differently. Fix and flip lenders fund 85–100% of the purchase and all of the rehab, but cap the loan at 70–80% of the after-repair value, so a thin deal still needs cash.

Can one loan cover the purchase and the renovation?

Yes. Fix and flip loans and BRRRR rehab loans fund the purchase at closing and hold the renovation budget back, releasing it in draws after each stage is inspected. Lenders published 100% of rehab costs financed in October 2026, and interest is usually charged only on money already drawn.

Do investor loans have prepayment penalties?

Long-term rental loans usually do. A 5-4-3-2-1 step-down over five years is the default on DSCR loans, with shorter options or none available for a higher rate. Short-term loans often don’t: bridge loans at Lima One and Kiavi carry no published prepayment penalty. Some larger portfolio loans use yield maintenance instead.

Can I finance a home I'll live in?

Not through Goldstein Lending. Every program here is a business-purpose loan for investment property that neither you nor your family will occupy, and that includes living in one unit of a duplex while renting the other. A home you'll live in, even part of the year, needs a residential mortgage from a residential lender.

Do investor loans require experience?

Rental (DSCR) loans usually don't. Project loans often do: many fix and flip lenders lend to first-timers at lower leverage, and ground-up construction lenders typically want at least one completed build in the last few years. On fix and flip loans, experience tiers also move the rate and the share of the purchase a lender will fund.

Sources and methodologyUpdated October 23, 2026

Figures are market ranges from published lender terms and public data on the dates shown. They describe the market and are not an offer. Your terms depend on the property, your credit and your experience.