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Updated over 1 year ago on . Most recent reply

Really, what are DSCR Loans…?
Hi all, I'm new to bigger pockets forum but have been a fan of the blog since maybe 2013. I've seen friends achieve success in following its guides and receiving insight from the BP community. I got rid of my social media and decided this would be a good way to interact online while also educating myself and staying informed. I've been a commercial real estate underwriter since 2012 and specifically now work as an underwriter for multifamily rental/condo construction projects nationally. In 2012-2014, I also underwrote residential loans (DTI) at a local community bank.
One thing I've noticed come up a lot is the term "DSCR Loans." I am extremely confused when I see this term because in 10 years of working in lending, I've never heard of this before. DSCR itself (the ratio) is a metric that I analyze every single day but I've never heard it used in this manner. In commercial lending, DSCR is just a metric, it's not a program or loan product, so I assumed that "DSCR Loan" really just means "Commercial Mortgage" but as I continued to google DSCR Loan trying to find a clear answer, I found differing feedback.
DSCR = NOI/annual debt service, this I know for a fact, and generally banks require 1.2x. When I search DSCR Loans I found 1) sites indicating that a bank would require a minimum 1.0x DSCR and 2) incorrect definitions/calculations of DSCR. I also found guides saying that the minimum credit score required is 620 and that there is no income verification (no W2s, tax returns, etc). I also found something saying that DSCR Loans began in 2019…?
All of this is very confusing because I can legitimately say that I am a specialist in real estate financing for investment purposes but this makes me think that this is a loan product for investors in residential 1-4 family homes held for rental, as opposed to a commercial multifamily building (5+ units or retail/industrial/office,etc.).
Lastly, as a prospective owner/investor myself looking to get into purchasing RE, is this a loan product that I could look into at a mortgage bank to purchase a house meant for long term rental or Airbnb, for example? I appreciate any feedback and guidance on this point because most of the sources I’ve found have seemed either oversimplified, inaccurate (maybe a misnomer) or possibly just foreign to me (because it’s a newer residential loan product for investment purposes). Thank you for your help!
Most Popular Reply

DSCR in the residential space, and for any true DSCR lender, is calculated as gross monthly rental income/monthly PITIA, not NOI/Annual Debt Service. That is the calculation used for commercial assets/via true commercial lenders.