1st Advantage MortgagePractical guides for rental investors on getting a DSCR loan approved and on running the property afterward. Each guide is general information and not legal, tax or insurance advice.
- How to lift a weak DSCR before you apply
- Build a rent number a DSCR lender will accept
- Insurance quotes belong in your first spreadsheet
- Prepayment penalties on DSCR loans, in plain English
- A checklist for buying a rental where you do not live
- From one rental to a portfolio with DSCR loans
- How to compare DSCR loan offers: the 12 questions to ask first
- DSCR loan requirements in one line each: down payment, credit, appraisal, reserves
- DSCR loan or local bank: balloons, recourse and speed
- How much you can borrow with a DSCR loan: work backward from the rent
- Texas rental property taxes and your DSCR
How to Lift a Weak DSCR Before You Apply
Seven moves that change the ratio, from cash down to insurance quotes to interest-only structures.
How to Build a Rent Number a DSCR Lender Will Accept
Where lenders get the rent figure, and how to avoid a nasty surprise at appraisal.
Why Insurance Quotes Belong in Your First Spreadsheet
Insurance sits in the payment side of the ratio, and in some states it can decide the deal.
Prepayment Penalties on DSCR Loans, Explained
What the schedule means, how to pick one, and why it is part of the price.
Buying a Rental in Another State: A DSCR Checklist
What to line up when the property is far from home, and how the loan fits in.
From One Rental to a Portfolio: How DSCR Loans Scale
Why each purchase is underwritten on its own, and what to watch as the count grows.
How to Compare DSCR Loan Offers: 12 Questions Before You Pay for an Appraisal
A neutral checklist for lining two term sheets up side by side, so a lower headline number does not hide a costlier loan.
Do DSCR Loans Require a Down Payment, Credit Check, Appraisal or Reserves?
Yes, no or it depends: fast answers to the questions investors ask most, with a link to the full guide for each.
DSCR Loan or Local Bank? The Trade-Offs Behind the Rate
What you give up and gain when you choose a DSCR loan over a local bank or credit union loan for a rental.
How Much Can I Borrow With a DSCR Loan? Work Backward From the Rent
Start with the rent, divide by the lender's minimum ratio, subtract taxes and insurance, and you have the payment a lender can support.
Texas Rental Property Taxes and Your DSCR: MUD and PID Notices, the Circuit Breaker Sunset and Flood Rules
Texas has no state income tax, so the local property tax bill carries more weight in a rental's ratio. Here is how to estimate it for an investment property, and what changes after 2026.