If you're looking to start your real estate investment portfolio, chances are the first thing you need to do is find a lender that will help you finance your strategy.
Whether you're planning on buying a single-family or multifamily rental, fixing-and-flipping a house or building new homes to rent or sell, CNBC Select has found the best lenders for financing investment property loans — looking at rates, loan selection, availability and other criteria.
Our list focuses on options for small and mid-sized mom-and-pop investors, since they make up a significant portion of the market. (According to real estate data firm BatchData, 91% of all single-family investors own one to 10 investment properties.)
For more on how we made our selections, see our full methodology
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Best for availability and speed: Kiavi
Who's this for? Kiavi is the only lender on this list that offers financing in all 50 states. In fact, many options on this list don't lend in North Dakota, South Dakota or Utah — states that have higher regulatory friction and perceived risks. If you live in one of those states, Kiavi may be a particularly great place to start. It can also close your deal in as quickly as a week, a much shorter timeframe than most lenders.
Standout features: We like that Kiavi offers high loan-to-value ratios across several of its products. An experienced investor could, for example, get 95% of the loan-to-cost ratio or 100% of the costs to reconstruct a home with a fix-and-flip loan, which is used to renovate a property and sell it for a profit.
Kiavi
Loan types
Bridge loans, fix-and-flip loans, DSCR, jumbo loans, new construction/infill loans
Terms
12-, 18- or 24-month terms for new construction/infill, bridge, fix-and-flip and jumbo loans; 30-year fixed-rate and 5/1, 7/1 adjustable-rate for DSCR loans
Minimum loan amount
$150,000 for new construction/infill loans; $100,000 for bridge loans and fix-and-flip loans; $3 million for jumbo loans
Maximum loan amount
$10 million for new construction/infill and jumbo loans; $5 million for fix-and-flip and bridge loans
Minimum credit score
680 for bridge loans and fix-and-flip loans; 640 for DSCR and new construction loans; 720 for jumbo loans
ARV
Up to 70% for new construction, up to 80% for bridge and fix-and-flip loans, up to 75% for jumbo loans
Availability
Available in all 50 states.
Pros
- Available in more states than most real estate investment lenders
- Offers tailored broker and real estate agent partners
- Website offers ARV and cash-to-close estimators, case studies, resource center and easy-to-use portal.
- Products for wide array of investor needs and capital.
Cons
- Mixed customers reviews and a B- Better Business Bureau rating, lower than its competitors
Best for DSCR loans: Visio Lending
Who's this for? Visio Lending's specialty is helping borrowers who want to use a debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) loan — a type of investment loan that is underwritten based on the projected rental income compared to the cost of the property, rather than the borrower's income. Visio offers lower-than-average rates and fees. Additionally, Visio has an A+ from the Better Business Bureau and customers report it is consistent and reliable, across hundreds of reviews on sites like Trustpilot.
Standout features: Visio's website is filled with resources about DSCR loans, including a calculator you can use to figure out what your DSCR is based on your estimated monthly rental income, property costs, interest rate and down payment.
Visio Lending
Loan types
DSCR
Terms
30-year fixed-rate
Minimum loan amount
$75,000 with a minimum property value of $150,000
Maximum loan amount
Undisclosed
Minimum credit score
680
Availability
Lends in 41 states and Washington, D.C. Not available in Alaska, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Vermont.
Pros
- Excellent DSCR lending record
- Underwritten with considerations of asset's potential revenue rather than borrower income
Cons
- Only offers DSCR loans
- Some prepayment penalties
Best for customer service: LendingOne
Who's this for? If you are looking for a lender with a stellar customer service record, you can't go wrong with LendingOne. It offers a broad selection of investment property loans and has a history of great customer service: It received 4.5 stars from 400 reviews on Trustpilot — higher than many similar companies — and an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Key features: LendingOne serves a wide range of investors that other lenders ignore, including emerging investors with one to five units.
LendingOne
Loan types
Single family rental portfolio loans, DSCR rental loans, fix-and-flip loans, fix-to-rent loans, new construction loans, bridge loans, refinancing
Terms
Fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages available; 9 months to 30 years depending on loan type.
Loan amount
Up to $2 million for DSCR rental; up to $3M for SFR portfolio loans, construction loans
Minimum credit score
Undisclosed
Loan-to-value or loan-to-cost ratio
80% LTV for DSCR rental and SFR portfolio; 92.5% LTC for construction loans; 95% LTC for fix-to-rent
Availability
Lends in 41 states.
Pros
- Many loan type options
- Excellent customer service record, including 4.5 stars across hundreds of reviews on TrustPilot and an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau
- Several discounts
Cons
- Low maximum loan amounts compared to competitors
- Not available in all states
Best for experienced investors: Lima One
Who is this for? Lima One is a great lender with a wide array of products that are — for the most part — tailored to experienced investors. For example, its fix-and-flip and construction loans require a record of a certain number of prior projects.
Standout features: Lima One focuses on helping existing investors develop an individualized strategy for scaling and offers in-house services, such as construction management, so you don't have to shop elsewhere.
LimaOne
Loan types
Airbnb/short-term rental loan; single family rental loan; portfolio rental loan; new construction loan; build-to-rent loan; portfolio loan; fix-and-flip loan; fix-to-rent loans; bridge plus loan; value-add bridge loan; stabilized bridge loan
Terms
Fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages available; 13 month to 36 month;
Loan amount
$100,000 to $5 million for most loans; up to $25 million for multifamily loans
Minimum credit score
660 for short-term-rental loan
Loan-to-value or loan-to-cost ratio
95% LTC and 75% LTV for fix-and-flip; 80% LTV for bridge; 90% LTC for new construction; 75% LTV for short-term rental loan
Availability
46 states
Pros
- A wide array of loan types for any kind of investor
- Several discounts
- High maximum loan amount for multifamily loan
- A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau
Cons
- Not available in all states
- Prior experience in real estate construction or investment (3 to 5 projects at least) strongly preferred.
Best for mid-sized portfolio: CoreVest
Who's this for? CoreVest offers some of the largest loans among the lenders on this list. It will fund up to $50 million in a multifamily term loan with terms of three, seven or 10 years. The portfolio's loan-to-value ratio can be as high as 75%.
Standout features: CoreVest is one of the biggest build-to-rent lenders and will fund single-family, condo/townhouse and multifamily projects.
CoreVest
Loan types
Rental portfolio loan, DSCR loan, short-term rental loan, fix-and-flip loan, credit line, two-year no ratio bridge loan, ground up construction loan, build-for-rent loan, multifamily bridge loan, multifamily term loan
Terms
Fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages available; 12 month to 30 year terms depending on loan
Loan amount
Minimum credit score
620 to 720+ depending on loan type
Loan-to-value or loan-to-cost ratio
70% to 75% LTV for rental portfolio, short-term rental, multifamily term and two-year no ratio bridge loans; 80% LTV for DSCR loan; 85% LTC for credit line and ground up loans; 90% LTC for fix-and-flip
Availability
All states except Idaho, Nevada, North Dakota and South Dakota
Pros
- A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau
- Wide selection of loans
- High maximum loan amounts make it great for mid-sized investors
Cons
- Not available in all states
- Prefers investors with prior experience
- May be harder for smaller investors to get a loan compared to other lenders
Best for home flippers: Roc Capital
Who's this for? Roc Capital offers financing for a range of products, but its flagship loan is a fix-and-flip, making it ideal for home flippers. Its rates for this product start at 8.25%, which is on the lower end of the typical range, and borrowers can choose a loan term of up to 18 months.
Standout features: Roc Capital has an easy-to-use mobile app and integrates appraisal, property and title insurance into its lending business, meaning you won't need to go to other providers for those services.
Roc Capital
Loan types
Fix-and-flip loans, ground up loans, single-family rental loans, bridge loans, multifamily rental loans
Terms
Fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages available; 12 month to 30 year terms depending on loan.
Loan amount
Minimum credit score
660 to 680 depending on loan
Loan-to-value or loan-to-cost ratio
90% LTC for fix-and-flip loans; 85% LTC for ground-up loans; 65% LTV for single-family rental loans; 70% LTV for bridge loans and 80% LTV for multifamily rental loans
Availability
All US states, except North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Vermont
Pros
- A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau
- Excellent options for those who want to flip homes
Cons
- Not available in all states
- Some loans may require the borrower to be an entity like an LLC
How do investment property loans differ from homebuying loans?
There are several key differences between investment property loans — like those on this list — and traditional mortgages used to buy a primary residence.
For one, while most mortgages used for homebuying have terms of five to 30 years, many investment property loans last from a few months to a few years. These types of loans are called bridge loans, and investors need to either sell the property (often done in the case of fix-and-flips or new construction) or refinance to a term loan after the bridge expires (often done if construction or renovation is with the goal of renting the property out for profit in the long-term). These longer-term loans typically last between three and 30 years.
Additionally, investment property loans typically carry higher rates than traditional mortgages because they are generally considered riskier.
Lastly, you don't need to use a lender specific to investors to start earning money from real estate. Borrowers can — and often do — use conventional mortgages to launch their real estate portfolios by living in a portion of the home and renting out another portion, or by renovating a home and reselling it for a profit.
Types of investment property loans
Here are some of the most common types of property loans available to small and mid-sized real estate investors.
Fix-and-flip loans
These loans are used by home flippers, who buy a property, renovate it and then sell it at a profit shortly thereafter. These loans are usually short-term bridge loans lasting six to 24 months. Borrowers will either need to sell or refinance by the time the term is up, though some lenders offer term extensions.
Rental property loans
There are several types of loans available for those who wish to purchase properties and rent them out for a profit.
- DSCR loans: For buying a profit-generating rental property. Instead of using borrower income, these loans use a ratio of the profit the property is expected to earn compared to the loan value.
- Single-family rental loans: For purchasing or consolidating debt on several single-family rental properties.
- Multifamily rental loans: For financing a property with five units or more; the term can be for three to 30 years, depending on the borrower and lender.
- Short-term rental loans: For purchasing a property used as a short-term rental, like an Airbnb.
Construction loans
These loans are used to finance the new development of a single-family or multi-family home or the rehabilitation of an existing one. Borrowers can use it to fund up to 85% to 100% of the construction cost. Typically, these loan terms are six to 18 months, and the borrower must either sell the property or refinance to a longer-term investment loan after the term ends.
Investment property loan requirements, terms and rates
Here is a breakdown of the traditional requirements and terms for several popular types of mortgages used to finance investment property builds and purchases.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to deliver high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice to our readers, enabling them to make informed financial decisions. Every mortgage review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of mortgage products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content independently of our commercial team and any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on maintaining high journalistic standards and ethics.
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Our methodology
CNBC Select reviewed dozens of lenders who specifically finance investment property loans to find the best ones for small and mid-sized mom-and-pop investors who are starting their real estate portfolio, or adding to an existing one.
- Loan type: Most of the lenders on our list offer a variety of multifamily rental property loans, single-family rental property loans, short-term rental loans, fix-and-flip loans and ground-up construction loans. We gave preference to lenders who had a full suite of loans, but made an exception for certain lenders like Visio, which have a really great product but lack a diverse selection. Loan selection is noted for each lender.
- Loan focus and size: We chose lenders that service small to mid-sized landlords and excluded lenders who cater to big investors, so the largest loan offered by any lender on this list is $50 million, and most are much lower. If a lender requires previous investing experience, we noted that.
- Availability: We considered the number of states a lender operates in and the products available in each state.
- Fees: When reviewing each lender, we evaluated common mortgage fees, including origination fees and closing costs.
- Customer Service: We evaluated each lender based on the quality of its customer service, the availability of customer representatives and whether it offered a digital approval process. We considered each lender's rating from the Better Business Bureau, and from third-party customer review sites like Trustpilot.
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.
Based on this criteria, our picks for best investment property lenders are:
- Best for nationwide availability: Kiavi
- Best for DSCR: Visio Lending
- Best for customer service: LendingOne
- Best for experienced investor: LimaOne
- Best for mid-sized portfolio: CoreVest
- Best for home flippers: Roc Capital
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