Your fifth rental should not be harder than your second.
Every normal mortgage you take counts against your personal income, whether the tenants cover it or not.
Around the fourth or fifth one, the math simply stops working.
Send an address and the rent. No credit check to start.
- Does the rent cover the payment?
- Your job stays out of it
- Your other mortgages stay out of it
- You can close in an LLC
- There is no limit on how many you own
That is the whole test. No pay stubs, no W-2, no tax returns.
Licensed mortgage broker · NMLS 179997
Office in Vienna, Virginia
We speak 8 languages
The wall is your paperwork, not your portfolio.
- Traditional underwriting counts your mortgages against your income, even when tenants pay them.
- A DSCR loan focuses on the property’s rental income instead.
- This can make it easier for investors to qualify for another investment property.
- The key test is rental income ÷ total monthly payment (including taxes and insurance).
- Example: $2,900 rent ÷ $2,410 payment = 1.20 DSCR.
- Most lenders look for a DSCR between 1.0 and 1.25.
- Investor lending reached $239 billion in 2025, showing that DSCR and other investor loans are far from niche.
Which one of these is you?
Almost every DSCR loan we place starts in one of these six spots.
You have hit the ratio wall
Four or five financed homes and the next normal approval will not come, however strong your credit score is. A DSCR loan ignores the others.
You want to buy in an LLC
Normal lending usually will not allow it. LLC title is standard here, and LLC title keeps the property off your personal credit and separates liability.
You are buying a short term rental
A DSCR loan can qualify a short term rental on projected income, where the lender takes a market study. Not every lender funds one, and local rules move fast.
You want to pull cash out for the next one
A cash out refinance on a good rental funds the next down payment. Done well, a cash out refinance recycles the same money again and again.
You are investing from somewhere else
You do not need to live near the investment property, or in the country. Foreign investors use the same DSCR loan with more money down.
This is your first rental
Some lenders want landlord history and some do not care. A short term rental narrows the list further, and none of it is published.
Twenty percent down. No income paperwork.
Here is what a DSCR loan actually asks of you, and the one detail that catches people out.
The down payment
20% to 25% on most files. A larger down payment lifts your ratio and improves the rate.
The credit score
From 660 to 700 depending on the lender. A stronger credit score widens the list and lowers the down payment asked.
The ratio
A debt service coverage ratio of at least 1.0 in most cases. Some go to 0.75 where the credit score and deposit are strong.
The prepayment penalty
Most DSCR loan products carry a prepayment penalty over three or five years. It is not automatically bad, because taking one buys a lower rate.
Seasoning
Seasoning is how long you must own a place before a lender uses todays value instead of what you paid. For anyone renovating, that rule sets the timeline.
Selling or refinancing inside three years? Buying the prepayment penalty out is usually the better trade. Decide that before you lock.
A bank has one answer. We have several.
DSCR loan rules are written lender by lender and almost none are published. Shopping the file is worth more here than anywhere else.
We run the ratio before you offer
Checking whether a property clears its debt service coverage ratio is a ten minute job now and an expensive surprise later.
We price the penalty as a choice
A three year prepayment penalty, a five year one, or bought out entirely, set against how long you really intend to hold.
We know who takes first time investors
And who wants landlord history, or will fund a short term rental. Sending a first file to the wrong lender costs weeks.
We plan the portfolio, not one loan
Where the next investment property comes from changes what we recommend today, especially around timing.
SAI Mortgage, Inc.
Is committed to helping you find the right mortgage product for your needs, whether you’re exploring a home mortgage loan, considering a home mortgage loan in Virginia, or comparing other financing options. We understand that every borrower is different, and we offer a variety of products to meet your individual requirements, ensuring you receive guidance that fits your unique financial goals.
Three steps. That is it.
Most people are pre-approved within two days.
Tell us how you get paid
A short call, in your language if you like. No credit check yet.
We shop it for you
We check many lenders and send you what you qualify for, in writing.
You get the keys
We handle the rest and close on the date you need.
Licensed in Virginia, DC and Maryland.
From our office in Vienna, we serve buyers across the Commonwealth — and your file follows you if you move across state lines.
Northern Virginia
I-95 Corridor
Hampton Roads
Central & Western Virginia
What people ask us first.
The questions that come up on almost every call.
Do you check my income at all?
No. There is no personal income paperwork on a DSCR loan. We check the property, your credit, your money for the down payment and the market rent.
What if the ratio is below 1.0?
Some lenders go to 0.75 with more down payment. Otherwise the fix is a bigger deposit, or a property with better rental income.
How many can I own?
There is no limit at all. That is the main reason experienced investors move to a DSCR loan and stay there.
Can I use my existing lease?
Usually the lower of your lease and the appraiser figure. A cheap lease can hurt your rental income on paper, so time your purchase around renewals.
Does it work on a small building?
Yes. Combined rental income across two to four units often beats one house at the same price. LLC title works the same way.
Send the address and the rent.
That is enough to run the debt service coverage ratio and tell you whether it clears, before you spend anything. Ask about seasoning and a cash out refinance at the same time.
Most of our investment property files run through Prince William, Prince George’s, Fredericksburg, Manassas and the Baltimore corridor.
If you are building a portfolio rather than buying one house, say so at the start. It changes what we recommend today.