DSCR Loan Guidelines / LAMD-D26

L.A. Mortgage Dude · DSCR program spec sheet

DSCR Standard 0.70+ (ITIN & Foreign National)
LAMD-D26

LAMD-D26, DSCR Standard 0.70+ (ITIN & Foreign National), is a first lien DSCR loan for investment property with credit scores from 620, loan amounts up to $2.5M, up to 85% LTV on a purchase. Allows: DSCR below 1.00, short-term rental income, foreign national, ITIN borrower, first-time investor, mixed use, condotel, non-warrantable condo.

DSCR below 1.00Short-term rental incomeForeign nationalITIN borrowerFirst-time investorMixed useCondotelNon-warrantable condoInterest-only
Check my scenario against LAMD-D26

Loan limits

Lien position
First lien
Minimum credit score
620
Max LTV – purchase
85% (720, ≤$1M)
Max LTV – rate/term refinance
80% (700, ≤$1.5M)
Max LTV – cash-out refinance
75% (700 ≤$1.5M; 680 ≤$1M)
Minimum loan amount
$100K
Maximum loan amount
$2.5M (exceptions to $3.5M / $4.5M)
Cash-out (cash in hand) limit
No limit; <700 FICO cash-out capped 70%
LTV reductions & overlays
Cash-out under 700 FICO: 70%. Credit event 2–4 years old: 70% and $1.5M. DSCR 0.85 or lower: 70%. Short-term rental: −5% (max 70%). Vacant refinance: rate/term −5% (max 70%, waived if just renovated), cash-out −10%. AirDNA-qualified: 80% purchase, 70% rate/term, 65% cash-out. Non-warrantable condo 80% (recreational lease/club membership feature: 75% purchase / 70% refi). Condotel 75%. Manufactured (exception) 60%, no cash-out. Non-permanent residents 75% purchase / 70% cash-out; ITIN/DACA 75%; foreign nationals 70%. 1x30x12 housing capped at 80%.

DSCR requirements

Minimum DSCR
0.70 floor
DSCR below 1.00
Yes – ≤70 LTV & 680+: purchase no min, refi 0.75; 70–75 LTV purchase 0.75 (680+); DSCR ≤0.85 max 70%; <0.70 ineligible
No-ratio (no DSCR calculated)
Purchase ≤70 LTV with 680+ (no min DSCR)
How DSCR and qualifying rent are calculated
Gross rent ÷ PITIA (ITIA on IO). IO payment is used to qualify only at 75% LTV or less with 700+ FICO; otherwise the fully amortizing payment. Minimum DSCR depends on LTV/FICO: at 70% LTV or less with 680+ FICO a purchase has no minimum (refi 0.75); 70–75% LTV purchase with 680+ needs 0.75; above 75% LTV, under 680 FICO, or most refis need 1.00. DSCR under 0.70 ineligible; under 0.75 requires all applicants to own their primary. STR 1.00 (1.15 above 75% LTV); mixed use 1.15.

Products & terms

Products
5/6 7/6 10/6 ARM, 15/30 fixed, IO
Interest-only
Yes – 10-yr IO, min 680
Prepayment penalty
Investment where legal; DSCR <1 & LTV >70 require ≥1-yr PPP
Reserves
4 months up to $1M, 6 months to $2M, 12 months to $3.5M; +3 months if DSCR under 1.00; +6 months above 80% LTV; +6 months if post-closing rent increases are used. Cash-out can count up to 75% LTV. No reserves for other REO.

Borrower & credit

Housing payment history
1x30x12 on the primary residence and subject (refi) – may carry a pricing hit and caps at 80%. Other REO only reviewed if mortgages report on credit. No forbearance in the last 12 months.
Credit events (BK, foreclosure, short sale, modification)
Foreclosure, short sale, deed-in-lieu, bankruptcy and similar events: 4+ years is standard; 2–4 years allowed at max 70% and $1.5M; under 2 years ineligible. Multiple events within 7 years not permitted. No active bankruptcy, NOD or lis pendens. Hardship modifications count (seasoned from when brought current); a COVID-forbearance exit modification or a non-hardship maturity extension doesn't.
Forbearance, deferrals & modifications
No forbearance plan within the 12 months before application. COVID forbearance with no missed payments is fine once reinstated; with missed payments, the loan must be reinstated with 3 on-time payments after the forbearance ended (or deferred balance paid off with documented funds).
Collections, charge-offs, judgments & liens
Individual collections/charge-offs under $2,500 with an aggregate under $10,000 may stay open if they don't affect title; medical collections can stay open regardless. Judgments and tax liens may stay open under a repayment agreement or other limited conditions; expired unrenewed judgments can be excluded with title confirmation; otherwise paid at closing (cash-out can pay them). Credit counseling doesn't disqualify.
Tradelines & credit depth
N/A
First-time homebuyer
No
First-time investor
Three paths: (1) property-management waiver – licensed PM company, 700 FICO, 70% max, DSCR 1.00, 0x30x12; (2) purchase – 680 FICO, 80% max, DSCR 1.00 on a 30-year amortizing payment, 0x30x12, no recent forbearance, must own (not rent) their primary; (3) refinance – same plus the subject acquired within 12 months with 3+ months of consecutive rent receipts. Not for foreign nationals, mixed use or cross-collateral loans. FTHBs not permitted.
Foreign national
Allowed at max 70%, 12 months' reserves (to $3M), DSCR: no minimum at 70% or less on a purchase, 0.75 above 70% and on refinances. No mixed use. Funds in a US account at least 10 days before closing.
ITIN borrower
ITIN and DACA borrowers allowed: max 75%, 10% of own funds, DSCR 1.00 (purchase at 75% or less) or 1.10 (purchase above 75% and refinances).
Non-permanent resident
Yes – max 75% purch / 70% CO
LLC / entity vesting
LLCs, partnerships and corporations allowed; also living trusts and blind trusts. Irrevocable trusts ineligible.
Gift funds & assets
Only after the borrower puts 10% down from their own funds. No gift of equity.
Financed property / exposure limits
Max 10 loans / $10M with this lender; no cap on other financed properties for DSCR.
Other borrower rules
At least one applicant needs 12 months of rental ownership/management in the last 3 years (or a first-time investor path). Property can't be occupied by the borrower, an LLC member or family. Non-arm's-length purchases not permitted. Min 620 FICO; 3 tradelines (or 2 with a 12-month mortgage history).

Property

Eligible property types
Investment 1-4; mixed-use allowed
ADUs & unpermitted additions
Single-family homes with up to 2 ADUs are acceptable, including a non-permitted unit when the appraisal shows comparable sales with similar ADUs (proving market acceptance) and zoning doesn't prohibit it as an illegal use; the second ADU gets no value. ADU rent can never be used for qualifying, permitted or not. Multi-unit properties with ADUs are exception-only; manufactured homes can't have ADUs. Unpermitted room additions are acceptable if done in a workmanlike manner with no adverse marketability impact.
Non-warrantable condo
Allowed at 80% with full review and only ONE non-warrantable feature. Accepted features include single-entity ownership up to 30% (counting related LLCs), investor occupancy up to 75%, commercial space up to 40%, HOA delinquencies up to 25%, reserves under 7% with management's plan, and mandatory recreational leases/club memberships (75%/70%). Ineligible: non-gut conversions under 2 years old, mobile/manufactured units, timeshares, co-op units, assisted-living options, community-apartment projects, developer-leased amenities, transfer fees to outside parties.
Condotel
Allowed (max 75%) when hotel-like features are common to the area and don't hurt marketability; full kitchen with stove/oven, 500+ sq ft, no black-out dates restricting owner occupancy. Priced as non-warrantable.
Rural / acreage
Max 20 acres (over 10 acres needs like-kind comps with minimal land value attribution). Properties the appraiser designates rural are not eligible on the DSCR program.
Minimum square footage
Condos/condotels 500 sq ft.
Mixed use
Allowed (not for foreign nationals or first-time investors): more than 50% residential square footage, appraised on a 1025 by sales comparison, DSCR 1.15 on an amortizing payment. Commercial rent limited to 49% of gross rent (30% if the commercial unit is vacant; vacant commercial gets no rent on refinances). Neither unit may be occupied by the borrower, titleholders, family, or their businesses.
5+ units / multi-property
No
Ineligible properties
Over 20 acres, rural designation, single-wide manufactured, manufactured homes in condo/co-op/PUD projects, condos with multiple non-warrantable features. Co-ops are eligible (limited to specific NY/NJ counties per the guide); leaseholds per Fannie Mae. Manufactured homes only by exception (60%, no cash-out).
Declining markets
N/A
Appraisal, review & insurance
Purchase: 1 appraisal up to $2M, 2 above. Refinance: 1 up to $1.5M; $1.5–2M needs 2 above 70% LTV; 2 above $2M. CU score 2.5 or less, otherwise a desk review within 10% ($1.5–2M can't rely on CU). Rent-loss insurance of 6 months PITIA required.

Rental income

Rent used on a purchase
Higher of the current lease or appraiser's market rent (market rent may be used up to 10% above the lease); no vacancy factor; vacant uses 100% of market rent. Rent step-ups after closing used for DSCR require 6 extra months of reserves.
Rent used on a refinance
Lesser of in-place rent or market rent. An above-market lease can be used with 2 months of timely receipts if it continues 6+ months after closing. A new lease starting within 60 days uses the lesser of actual or market. Multi-year step-ups within 12 months can be used, capped at market.
Vacant / unleased refinance
Allowed with 100% of market rent: rate/term −5% (max 70%, waived when the appraisal shows recently completed renovations), cash-out −10%.
Short-term rental (Airbnb/VRBO)
Yes
Short-term rental documentation
Refinance: 12-month average of actual receipts (even if owned under 12 months); rents can't decline more than 10% in any 6-month period; must not be in an area that restricts STRs. Purchase: AirDNA Rentalizer allowed (property vacant at closing, 12-month forecast, 50%+ occupancy, 5 comps in the same ZIP, market/sub-market score 60+, 20% expense factor).
Short-term rental limits
5% LTV reduction (max 70%) and DSCR 1.00+; AirDNA purchases up to 80% with DSCR 1.00 (1.15 above 75% LTV).

Refinance seasoning

Cash-out seasoning
Owned under 6 months: by exception, value is the lower of cost plus improvements or market. 6–12 months: current value if justified. Over 12 months: current appraised value. No cap on cash-out amount; proceeds for business purposes with a signed letter.
Delayed financing (cash purchase recoup)
Yes – within 180 days; priced as rate/term; no gift recoupment
Recently listed for sale
Can't be listed at application. Rate/term: must come off the market before the new loan and the borrower signs a letter of intent to keep it. Cash-out: can't have been listed by the current owner within 6 months of application.

Other terms

Seller / interested-party concessions
Interested-party contributions up to 6% at any LTV for investment properties, closing costs and prepaids only; excess reduces both price and value.
Secondary financing
Permitted (new or existing), including private seconds, if CLTV fits, there's no negative amortization, and payments cover at least interest (market rate imputed on seller seconds).
State & local restrictions
Puerto Rico not eligible. Loans with DSCR under 1.00 and LTV over 70% must carry at least a 1-year prepayment penalty (where legal).

Additional details

Notes
Investor history: 12 mo ownership in prior 3 yrs (FTI pathways available).

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These are summaries of DSCR (debt service coverage ratio) loan programs offered through L.A. Mortgage Dude, NMLS #2513002, licensed in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and Virginia. Not all programs are available in every state. Program codes are internal names. Limits shown are maximums or minimums before scenario-specific adjustments; actual terms depend on credit, property, appraisal, reserves and full underwriting. This is not a commitment to lend, a loan approval or a rate quote. Guidelines change without notice. Business-purpose investment property loans only. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Guidelines last reviewed October 17, 2026. Machine-readable copy: dscr-guidelines.json · llms.txt