DSCR Lenders for Rural STRs? Balloon Coming Up — Need a Refi Partner Who Gets it.

[Billy Sutton]

Hey BP Fam,

We’re looking for a DSCR lender who gets rural STRs — and doesn’t mind a smaller loan amount when the numbers make sense.

The Deal:

We own a 2-bed, 2-bath cabin, hot tub, acreage, etc. on a private lake in rural Georgia. It just appraised at $240K, and we owe under $75K. The STR is bringing in $4K–$5K/month gross, reliably, thanks to steady demand from vacationers who want something peaceful, private, and not in a crowded city.

We’ve used DSCR loans before, specifically in the Savannah tourism market, and we know the ins and outs: DSCR ratios, prepay structures, rate buydowns, all of it. But now that we're expanding into rural properties, we're hitting a wall with lenders who:

• Don’t like rural zip codes
• Don’t want loans under $200K
• Require 12+ months of seasoning
• Don’t want to touch STRs unless they’re in major metros

The thing is, this deal crushes on cash flow and has a huge equity cushion. We’re not asking them to take a flyer — just to look at the actual performance. We are looking for a strong, long term lending product to settle this asset into, with room for additional doors.

Our Take on Rural STRs:

Rural STRs — especially unique, experience-driven stays like lake cabins, tiny homes, and farm getaways — are one of the most overlooked opportunities right now. You get:

Lower cost per door
Less local regulation
Strong guest demand for “off-grid” and “unplugged” vacations
Great ROI with the right setup

We’re planning to scale this model across several similar properties and think there’s a real lane here.

What’s Everyone Else Seeing?

I'm new hear and really excited to hear from the BP community:

• Have you had success getting DSCR loans on rural STRs?
• Which lenders were actually willing to look at smaller deals with real cash flow?
• Have you found creative workarounds when seasoning or zip code became a problem?

Drop your stories, wins, lender recs, or even horror stories — we’re trying to learn and share as we grow. Might even do a follow-up post on what we find if there’s enough interest.

Thanks y’all — excited to hear what’s working (and what’s not)!

—
Let’s keep building,
Billy
🏡 STR / Multifamily Rehab Investor | GA & Beyond
DSCR-experienced | Savannah ➡️ Rural Expansion

[AJ Exner]

Hey Billy,

Definitely seeing it get done, but usually with either a leverage cut (~65%), a healthy STR income, or both.

With a good FICO, healthy STR income, maybe another STR in the area showing capability, and a good FICO, it should be doable. Have you experienced just a lot of flat denials or have you been sitting on the bridge loans?

Honestly, the other issue I've seen is on the truly unique STRs (log cabins, yurts, etc) struggle to get financing regardless of all of those. Still somewhat possible, but certainly tricky from a DSCR lending perspective.