The right house needs work. The finished one is gone.
The house on the street you want needs $90,000 spending on it.
The house that needs nothing sold in twelve days.
Send the listing and a bid. No credit check to start.
- Buys the house and pays for the work
- Sized on what it will be worth when finished
- The work money sits safely in escrow
- Your builder is paid as each stage passes
- Works on a purchase or on the home you own
A renovation loan lets you compete for the houses everyone else has to skip.
Licensed mortgage broker · NMLS 179997
Office in Vienna, Virginia
We speak 8 languages
You are competing for the wrong houses.
- Virginia homes sold in a median of 12 days in June 2026; homes sitting longer often need work.
- A standard mortgage usually will not finance a home in poor condition or future renovations.
- Buying first and paying for repairs separately can mean using savings or expensive credit.
- A renovation loan uses the home’s after-improved value and holds renovation funds in escrow.
- Contractors are paid through a draw schedule, with funds released as each stage is completed and inspected.
- The escrow provides added protection while the work is underway.
Which one of these is you?
Almost every renovation loan we place starts in one of these six spots.
You found the right street, the wrong kitchen
Location is fixed. Condition is not. HomeStyle on a normal file, or FHA 203(k) if your credit score or deposit is tighter, folds the work into one renovation loan.
The house cannot pass an appraisal
Peeling paint, a failed roof, no heat. A normal loan refuses it and the seller will not fix it. FHA 203(k) exists for this, and a credit score from 620 is usually enough.
You own the house and do not want to move
Refinancing into a renovation loan funds an extension against the after improved value, with no down payment needed. That beats borrowing against todays value.
You are building rather than buying
A construction to permanent loan funds the build in stages and becomes a normal mortgage at the end. One closing, not two, and the draw schedule is agreed before work starts.
A builder is pushing you to their lender
Preferred lenders are convenient and rarely cheapest. A second quote on the same construction to permanent deal costs nothing and often changes the terms you are offered.
You are renovating a rental
HomeStyle covers investment property at lower loan to value, and a construction to permanent build works the same way. For a portfolio, a DSCR loan may suit better.
Everything happens before you close.
That front loading is why these files fail. A construction to permanent build works the same way. Here is the order.
A contractor and a bid
A licensed builder with a written bid, before closing. Start that conversation before you write the offer.
An appraisal on the plans
The appraiser values the after improved value from your drawings, not the house as it stands today.
A safety margin
A contingency reserve of roughly 10% to 15% is held back for surprises. On an older house you will usually need some of it.
A payment plan
A draw schedule with an inspection at each stage. Your builder is paid as the work passes, never before.
The right program
FHA 203(k) allows a 3.5% down payment and a lower credit score. HomeStyle wants stronger credit and more down, but funds more, including work FHA will not touch.
The contingency reserve is not a fee. Anything unused comes off your balance at the end.
A bank has one answer. We have several.
These are heavy files, and most lenders who advertise a renovation loan close very few. The difference between weekly and occasional shows up as months.
We check the numbers before you offer
Price plus work against the likely after improved value, and the down payment that implies. If the appraisal will not support it, better to know now.
We pick the right program
Structural work, luxury items and small cosmetic jobs land in different places. Choosing the wrong renovation loan is the costly mistake here.
We manage the draw schedule
Inspections, releases and paperwork with your contractor. Left to the borrower, a draw schedule is where projects stall.
We price against the builder lender
Not to win an argument. So you can see what the incentive is actually worth.
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.
Can I do the work myself?
Generally no. These programs want a licensed builder, and self help work is rarely allowed.
How much work can be financed?
Limited FHA 203(k) covers smaller jobs. The standard FHA 203(k) and HomeStyle go much further, up to your county loan limits.
What if the work costs more?
That is what the contingency reserve covers. Past that, changes need approval and sometimes your own money.
That is what the contingency reserve covers. Past that, changes need approval and sometimes your own money.
Longer than a normal purchase, usually 45 to 60 days, because the plans and bids must be done first.
Does it work above the county limit?
Yes, a renovation loan exists above the conforming limit, though fewer lenders offer one.
Send the listing and the bid.
That is enough for us to tell you whether the numbers work, before you spend anything on plans.
Most of our renovation loan files run through Falls Church, Arlington and Loudoun County.
If you are still house hunting, tell us before you write the offer. On these files the order matters more than anything.