Investment Property

Most investors hit a wall around their third or fourth property because they're using the wrong lender. We map your portfolio strategy to lenders who treat rental income as income—not as a liability.

How lenders treat rental income

Rental offset method

Lender deducts a portion of rental income from your mortgage payment. Conservative—best for high-income borrowers.

Rental add-back method

Lender adds 50–80% of gross rental income to your qualifying income. Best for portfolio builders.

DSCR / cash-flow lenders

B-lenders that qualify the property on its own cash flow, almost ignoring personal income. Higher rates, but unlocks portfolios that would otherwise stall.

Down payment requirements

Investment properties require 20% down (non-owner-occupied). Owner-occupied multi-units (duplex, triplex, fourplex) can be financed with as little as 5–10% down because they qualify as principal residences.

Portfolio strategy

There's a sequence to building a rental portfolio efficiently—which property to buy first, when to refinance to pull equity for the next one, when to switch from A-lenders to alt-A. We've done it before and we'll plot the next 3–5 transactions with you.

Frequently asked

Can I use projected rent to qualify?

Yes—lenders typically use the lesser of the actual rent (or signed lease) and a market rent appraisal.

What's the maximum amortization on a rental?

For insured rentals (rare), up to 25 years. For uninsured, up to 30 years with most lenders—35 with a few.

How many rentals can I own and still qualify?

Depends on the lender. Some big banks cap at 4–5 properties. Monoline and B-lenders can go significantly higher with the right structure.