Investor lending specialists · DSCR, bridge, fix & flip & multi-family
Most investors start a lender conversation by asking about the rate. It is the wrong opening question — not because cost does not matter, but because a rate quote is meaningless until you know the lender can actually do your deal. Plenty of investors have spent weeks in a process only to discover a policy that disqualified them from the start.
These twelve questions surface those issues early. Ask them before you submit anything.
Questions About Whether They Can Do Your Deal
1. What is your minimum and maximum loan amount? Minimums matter in lower-priced markets, where a property may fall below a lender's floor. Ceilings matter at the other end, and above certain thresholds many lenders shift to a stricter underwriting track.
2. Does that change by state? Some programs are not available everywhere, and limits sometimes vary by market. Confirm for your specific state.
3. What is your minimum DSCR, and what happens if I fall below it? The answer should be specific: what ratio, what rate premium, what LTV reduction. "We can look at it" is not an answer you can plan around.
4. Can I close in an LLC, and what do you need from the entity? Most investor lenders allow this, but documentation requirements differ. Ask what they need before you form or restructure anything.
5. How do you treat short-term rental income? If your property is an STR, this single question may determine whether the deal works. Some lenders use actual booking revenue; others substitute long-term market rent, which can change your qualifying income substantially.
6. What property types do you finance? Single-family, two-to-four unit, larger multi-family, and mixed-use are all underwritten differently, and not every lender does all of them.
Questions About Total Cost
7. What is the rate, and what is it based on? Rates in this market are tiered by credit score, DSCR, and LTV. A quoted rate means little without knowing which tier it assumes.
8. How many points, and what other fees apply? Origination points, underwriting fees, and third-party costs all belong in your comparison.
9. What is the prepayment penalty structure? This is the most commonly overlooked cost in DSCR lending. Step-down structures are common, and buying out the penalty typically costs rate. If you plan to refinance or sell within a few years, this can outweigh the rate difference entirely.
10. What reserves will you require? Reserve requirements affect how much cash you need at closing, which affects how many deals you can do. Get the number before you commit.
Questions About Process
11. Who underwrites this, and who do I talk to when something comes up? Every deal encounters a question. Knowing whether that goes to a named person or into a queue tells you a great deal about how the process will feel.
12. Realistically, how long from application to close? Ask for a typical timeline rather than a best case, and ask what most commonly causes delay.
What to Listen For
The content of the answers matters, but so does their character. Specific numbers and clear policies suggest a lender who knows their own program. Vague reassurance often means the real answer emerges later, after you have invested time.
You should also notice whether a lender tells you when your deal is not a good fit for them. A lender willing to say "that is not something we do well" is giving you useful information rather than pulling you into a process that will not close.
How We Answer These
Since it would be strange to publish this list without answering it: we finance DSCR, bridge, fix-and-flip, multi-family, and portfolio loans for investors, close in entities, and work with scenarios that need judgment rather than a template. You reach our team directly, and we typically respond to a submitted scenario within 24 hours.
For a fuller picture of how lenders differ across this market, see our DSCR lender comparison guide. To run your own numbers first, use the DSCR calculator. When you are ready to put a real scenario in front of someone, send it over.