Quick answer: Commercial real estate loans are underwritten on the asset’s income and the sponsor’s plan, not personal income. The core levers across every property type: net operating income (NOI) and debt-service coverage (DSCR), loan-to-value and debt yield, the lease profile (tenant credit and term), and a credible exit. Terms vary widely by class — […]
You can usually qualify for a DSCR loan with a credit score as low as 620–660, but the score you bring changes everything about the deal — your interest rate, how much you can borrow, and the size of your down payment. In 2026, a 700+ FICO unlocks the best pricing and up to 80% […]
A private real estate lender is a non-bank source of capital that funds real estate investors based on the deal and the asset, not on the borrower’s W-2 income. Where a bank underwrites your personal paycheck and tax returns, a private lender underwrites the property’s value, the business plan, and the exit. That is why […]
A DSCR loan qualifies the property by its cash flow instead of your personal income. The lender divides the rent by the loan payment to get a Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR); if rent covers the payment, the loan can be approved — no W-2s, tax returns, or debt-to-income calculation required. That is why DSCR […]
Yes — you can get a real estate loan without a W2 or tax returns, as long as it is for an investment property and a business purpose. These loans come from private and non-QM lenders that qualify the property instead of your personal income. The trade-off is a higher rate and a larger down […]
Multifamily loans finance apartment properties with five or more units, and they work differently from a single-family mortgage: the lender underwrites the building’s income, not just the borrower. The property’s net operating income (NOI) and debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) decide how much it can borrow, which is why a well-run apartment building can support […]
A multifamily bridge loan is short-term financing that lets an investor acquire or reposition an apartment property before refinancing into long-term debt or selling. It is the tool of choice for value-add deals: buy an underperforming building, raise occupancy and net operating income (NOI), then refinance into agency or bank financing once the numbers support […]
Quick answer: Use a broker when you want competing offers, you’re short on time, your deal is outside vanilla bank criteria, or you simply don’t want to manage a list of lenders. A business-purpose mortgage broker represents you, packages the deal, and runs it across many private lenders so you compare up to 5 offers […]
Quick answer: Don’t compare private lenders on rate alone — rate is one line on a deal that lives or dies on leverage, fees, prepay, term, and speed. Score every quote on the same 10 items below (rate, points, LTV/LTC/ARV, DSCR minimum, prepay penalty, term and amortization, draw process, close speed, recourse, and reserves) so […]
Quick answer: Yes — many DSCR programs finance short-term rentals (Airbnb/VRBO), but terms are stricter. Instead of a long-term lease, lenders use a 12-month trailing revenue statement or an AirDNA-style market projection (often haircut to be conservative), and may want more reserves and a slightly higher rate. Markets with STR restrictions get extra scrutiny. Get […]
