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📊 Investor Financing

DSCR Loans

Qualify on the property's rental income — not your personal income, tax returns or debt-to-income ratio.

0.75
Minimum DSCR
None
Personal Income Docs
LLC
Entity Vesting OK
No Cap
Properties Financed
Qualify on the Property, Not on You

A DSCR loan asks one question: does this property produce enough rent to cover its own mortgage payment? Your W-2s, tax returns and personal debt-to-income ratio stay out of the file entirely.

That makes it the workhorse loan for real estate investors — particularly anyone whose returns show heavy depreciation, or who owns enough property that a conventional lender's debt-to-income math stops working.

How DSCR Is Actually Calculated

Debt Service Coverage Ratio is the property's gross monthly rent divided by its full monthly payment — principal, interest, taxes, insurance and HOA dues, together known as PITIA.

$2,400Gross monthly rent
$1,600Principal & interest
$300Property taxes
$100Insurance
$2,000Total PITIA
1.20DSCR ($2,400 ÷ $2,000)

What the number means. A 1.20 DSCR says the property generates 20% more income than it needs to cover its payment. 1.00 is exactly break-even. Below 1.00 the property does not cover itself on paper — still financeable on these programs down to 0.75, generally with a larger down payment or a rate adjustment.

What DSCR Financing Covers
🏠
Purchase

Buying a rental

Acquire single-family homes, 2-4 unit properties, condos and townhomes as investments.

  • Single-family, 2-4 unit, condo and townhome
  • Long-term and short-term rentals
  • Vacation and seasonal rental property
  • Title in your name or an entity
🔄
Refinance

Refinancing what you own

Rate-and-term refinancing to lower a payment or move off a short-term or hard-money loan.

  • Replace bridge or hard-money financing
  • Lower the rate or extend the term
  • Move a property from personal name into an entity
  • Interest-only options available
💵
Cash-Out

Pulling equity back out

Cash-out refinancing to fund the next acquisition or improve an existing property.

  • Fund the down payment on your next purchase
  • Renovate or reposition an existing rental
  • Consolidate higher-cost investment debt
  • Available on stabilized properties
Why Investors Use DSCR Instead of Conventional
📉

Depreciation stops working against you

The write-offs that legitimately reduce your taxable income are exactly what sink a conventional application. A DSCR file never looks at your return, so a strong portfolio on paper stays strong.

🏢

Close in an entity

Title can be held in an LLC or other entity rather than your personal name, which is how most investors prefer to hold property. Conventional financing generally requires personal vesting.

🔢

No ceiling on property count

Conventional guidelines cap most borrowers at ten financed properties. DSCR programs have no such limit, so the eleventh purchase underwrites the same as the first.

⏱️

A shorter document list

No tax returns, no W-2s, no employment verification, no personal debt-to-income calculation. The file centres on the property, the lease or market rent, and your credit.

Run your own numbersEnter rent, loan terms, taxes and insurance to get your DSCR and a full PITIA breakdown.
Open the DSCR Calculator →
Common Questions
What DSCR do I need to qualify?
Most programs look for 1.0 or better, meaning the property's rent at least covers its full payment. Ratios down to 0.75 are accepted, generally with a larger down payment or a rate adjustment to offset the shortfall.
How exactly is DSCR calculated?
Gross monthly rent divided by the property's total monthly payment — principal, interest, taxes, insurance and any HOA dues. A property renting for $2,400 with a $2,000 total payment has a DSCR of 1.20.
Do you use the actual lease rent or market rent?
Both are considered. The appraiser provides a market rent schedule and you provide any signed lease. Where they differ, underwriting generally works from the more conservative of the two.
Can I use short-term rental income from Airbnb or VRBO?
Yes. Short-term and vacation rentals are eligible. Income is typically supported by a twelve-month operating history for the property, or by a market projection where the property has no history yet.
Can I close in my LLC instead of my personal name?
Yes. Entity vesting is standard on these programs rather than an exception, which is one of the main reasons investors choose DSCR over conventional financing.
Is there a limit on how many properties I can finance?
No. Conventional guidelines cap most borrowers at ten financed properties. DSCR programs have no cap, so an eleventh or twentieth property underwrites on the same basis as the first.

Program parameters shown are current as of publication and are subject to change. All financing is subject to credit approval, property review and program availability.

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