Investment property refinancing

For a landlord refinancing an investment property, the best lender is usually the one offering the lowest investment-property refinance rate after accounting for points, lender fees, cash-out restrictions, and prepayment penalties — not necessarily the lender advertising the lowest mortgage rate.

Assuming the property is in the United States, I'd compare three categories: conventional lenders, portfolio lenders (banks that keep loans on their own books), and DSCR lenders, which qualify rental properties largely on their cash flow.

The right choice depends especially on whether you're refinancing a single-family rental or a multifamily property, whether you want cash out, and whether you plan to hold the property long term.

1. Lenders I'd put on your shortlist

These are the lenders I'd approach first, depending on the structure of your investment and the type of refinance.

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1. Better Mortgage — conventional refinance

(Worth checking for low fees)

Best for landlords with strong personal credit, verifiable income, and a straightforward single-family rental. Compare its conventional refinance pricing against other full-documentation lenders, including origination charges and discount points.

Rate and eligibility: request an investment-property-specific quote.

Better Mortgage website

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2. Griffin Funding — DSCR refinance

Best for investors who want the property’s rental income to carry more weight than their personal W-2 income or tax returns. Its programs include DSCR financing, with eligibility varying by credit, property, and loan structure.mortgage-info.com+3

Griffin Funding website

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3. Kiavi — investor-focused financing

Worth comparing for a rental refinance where you want investor-oriented underwriting rather than a conventional mortgage process. Check whether its current long-term rental product fits your needs, particularly if you are seeking a 30-year fixed loan rather than short-term financing.

Kiavi website

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4. Visio Lending — rental-income qualification

Worth considering when you want to qualify primarily on property cash flow. Published program comparisons list long-term rental, vacation rental, and short-term rental options, although eligibility and terms vary by program.www.realestateskills.com+2

Visio Lending website

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5. CIVIC Financial Services — multiple rental properties

Particularly worth investigating if you own several rentals and want to refinance them together under a portfolio loan. Its published program includes blanket refinancing, cash-out options, and fixed-rate and hybrid ARM structures. Confirm current pricing, recourse, and property-release conditions.civicfs.dev.eiddew.com

CIVIC website

These are a starting shortlist, not a definitive rate ranking. Publicly advertised starting rates often assume an unusually strong borrower profile, substantial equity, and sometimes discount points. Actual refinance quotes can be materially higher.www.realestateskills.com+2

2. Which type of loan is likely to give you the best deal?

Why conventional mortgages deserve a look

For an eligible investment property, conventional financing can be competitive if you have strong credit, manageable debt-to-income ratios, and documented income. But investment-property loans receive additional pricing adjustments under Fannie Mae's rules, and cash-out refinances can face additional costs.singlefamily.fanniemae.com+1

Why DSCR loans can still win

DSCR stands for debt-service coverage ratio. It compares rental income with the property's debt obligations. A property with strong coverage may qualify without the same personal income documentation required by a conventional mortgage.

For illustration, recent market comparisons put many 30-year fixed DSCR quotes around 6.5%–8.25%, with stronger borrower profiles generally receiving better pricing. Those figures are market estimates, not guaranteed offers or a live quote for your property.www.realestateskills.com+2

3. The terms I'd negotiate hardest

When requesting quotes, ask each lender to provide the following on the same loan amount and term.

• Interest rate and APR: Compare both, with the same points assumption.
• Origination and closing costs: Request a full itemized Loan Estimate or equivalent fee worksheet.
• Maximum loan-to-value (LTV): How much can you borrow against the appraised value?
• Cash-out limits: These may be lower than rate-and-term refinance limits.
• Prepayment penalty: Particularly important for DSCR and business-purpose loans.
• Fixed versus adjustable rate: Check how long the initial rate lasts and what the adjustment caps are.
• Seasoning requirements: How long you must own the property before using its current value for refinancing.
• Entity and recourse requirements: Whether you can borrow in your own name or must use an LLC, and whether the loan has personal recourse.

For multiple properties, also negotiate the release price if you want to sell one property without refinancing the entire portfolio.

4. Let's narrow this down to the best lenders for your property

I can make a more useful lender comparison if you share a few details. The most important are the property's location, current value, existing loan balance, and whether you want cash out.

Investment property refinance details

Use approximate figures if you prefer. You can leave the example amounts unchanged or edit them.

Property state

[Input placeholder: e.g. New York, Florida, Texas] (Current value unavailable.)

Property type

Single-family rental

Condo or townhouse

Duplex, triplex, or fourplex

Multifamily, 5+ units

Multiple rental properties

Estimated value (USD)

[Input placeholder: 500000] (Current value unavailable.)

Current loan balance (USD)

[Input placeholder: 300000] (Current value unavailable.)

Refinance objective

Lower my rate or monthly payment

Cash out equity

Combine multiple properties

Change loan structure or term

Approximate credit score

760+

740–759

700–739

660–699

Below 660

Income documentation preference

I can document income with tax returns/pay stubs

Prefer qualification based on rental income (DSCR)

Open to either option

Preferred loan term

30-year fixed

15-year fixed

Adjustable rate

Whichever offers the best overall deal

[Compare lenders for my property]

With those details, the comparison can focus on the lenders most likely to offer favorable terms for your particular refinance, rather than a generic list of mortgage companies.

When looking to refinance a non-owner-occupied (investment) property, the "best" lender depends heavily on whether you qualify through traditional, W-2/tax-return documentation (conventional/conforming) or if you need flexibility using property cash flow via a Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR) loan.

According to market evaluations from financial and real estate reporting platforms like CNBC Select and Money , several prominent lenders stand out for investment property refinancing based on specialty, speed, or portfolio structure:cnbc.com+1

• Visio Lending — Noted by CNBC Select as a top choice for DSCR loans, making it ideal for landlords who want to qualify based on the property’s rental income rather than personal tax returns (operates in 41 states with a 680 minimum credit score requirement).cnbc.com
• Kiavi — Highlighted by CNBC Select for speed and widespread availability (50-state footprint), catering well to residential real estate investors looking for efficient processing.cnbc.com
• Lima One Capital — Recommended by CNBC Select for experienced real estate investors with scaled or growing portfolios (operates in 46 states).cnbc.com
• CoreVest — Noted by CNBC Select as a strong option for mid-sized portfolios and larger rental or multifamily properties.cnbc.com
• CrossCountry Mortgage & Guaranteed Rate — Frequently rated by Money as top overall conventional lenders, working well if your personal debt-to-income (DTI) ratio and traditional documentation easily support conventional Fannie/Freddie investment loan caps.money.com

Key Conditions & Realities for Investment Refinancing

• Rate Premiums: Non-owner-occupied mortgage and refinance rates typically run 0.50% to 1.00% higher than primary residence rates.
• LTV and Reserves: Lenders generally cap Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratios lower for investment properties (often maxing out around 70%–75% for cash-out refis on 2-4 unit properties) and require robust cash reserves (frequently 2 to 6 months of mortgage payments in the bank).
• DSCR Alternatives: If your personal tax write-offs make your taxable income look too low for a conventional refi, look into DSCR lenders where a ratio of D S C R=N e t O p e r a t i n g I n c o m e D e b t S e r v i c e above 1.0 or 1.2 lets you qualify using the rent check instead of W-2s.rocketmortgage.com

To help narrow down the best path, could you share:

• Are you looking for a rate-and-term refinance or a cash-out refinance?
• Do you prefer qualifying via traditional tax returns/W-2s or via property cash flow (DSCR)?

For refinancing a rental property, I’d start by comparing DSCR (Debt-Service Coverage Ratio) lenders with conventional investment-property mortgage lenders. DSCR lenders specialize in non-owner-occupied properties and can often qualify you based on the rental property's income rather than your personal salary or tax returns.

The best deal depends on whether you want a lower monthly payment, cash out some of your equity, or refinance into a long-term fixed rate. Here are several lenders worth putting on your shortlist.

1. Rental-property refinance lenders to compare

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1. Kiavi

Best starting point for DSCR refinancing

Kiavi offers rental-property refinancing, including rate-and-term and cash-out options. Its programs include 30-year fixed-rate loans, adjustable-rate options, and financing based primarily on property cash flow.

• Advertised rates starting at 6.125%
• Up to 80% loan-to-value (LTV) on eligible properties
• No personal income or W-2 verification for qualifying programs

Rates and eligibility depend on the loan scenario; confirm the current quote and fees.

Explore Kiavi rental loans ·www.kiavi.com+1

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2. Lima One Capital

Best for flexible loan structures and portfolios

Lima One offers rental loans for individual investment properties and portfolios, including fixed-rate, adjustable-rate, and interest-only structures.

• Advertised rates starting at 6.25%
• Up to 80% LTV for eligible rate-and-term refinances
• Up to 75% LTV for eligible cash-out refinances
• Programs for single-family rentals and short-term rentals

A strong candidate if you want to access equity or tailor payments to your investment strategy.

Explore Lima One rental loans ·www.limaone.com+1

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3. DSCR Direct

Worth checking for a pricing benchmark

DSCR Direct publishes state-specific pricing for investment-property loans, including refinance products. Its Virginia pricing page listed a 6.125% rate-and-term refinance rate in September 2026 for a particular high-credit, low-leverage scenario.

• Rate-and-term and cash-out refinance options
• Rental-income-based qualification
• Useful as a benchmark when comparing written quotes

That published rate is not a personalized offer, and the pricing assumptions matter.

View DSCR Direct's Virginia pricing ·dscrdirect.net

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4. Visio Lending

Best for long-term rentals and vacation properties

Visio specializes in DSCR financing for rental properties, with 30-year fixed-rate terms, options for borrowing through an LLC, and no personal income verification on qualifying programs.

Its broker guide lists refinance financing up to 80% LTV, making it another useful comparison for a conventional long-term rental.

Explore Visio Lending ·visiolending.com+1

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5. Conventional mortgage lenders

Best alternative if you have strong personal income and credit

Don't overlook banks, credit unions, and mortgage brokers offering conventional investment-property refinances. Full-documentation loans can be competitive for borrowers with strong credit, sufficient equity, and readily documented income.

For a property with five or more units, Fannie Mae's multifamily financing network is another route. Its conventional multifamily program lists fixed and variable rates, terms of 5–30 years, and up to 80% LTV for qualifying stabilized properties.multifamily.fanniemae.com+1

Explore Fannie Mae multifamily financing

2. How to compare competitive terms

Advertised starting rates are useful for narrowing your options, but they are not necessarily the rates you'll qualify for. Ask at least three lenders for written quotes using the same loan amount, property value, and loan structure.

One important distinction: the lowest advertised rate isn't always the cheapest loan. A slightly higher rate with lower fees or no prepayment penalty could work out better, depending on how long you plan to hold the property.

3. Let’s narrow this down to the best lenders for your situation

I can make a more targeted shortlist if I know a few details about your property and goals.

Optional details — estimates are fine.

Property location (state)

[Input placeholder: e.g. Virginia] (Current value unavailable.)

Property type

Single-family rental

Duplex, triplex, or fourplex

Short-term / vacation rental

Multifamily, 5+ units

Main refinancing goal

Lower my interest rate or monthly payment

Pull equity out (cash-out refinance)

Switch to a fixed-rate mortgage

Qualify based on rental income rather than personal income

Estimated property value ($)

[Input value unavailable]

Mortgage balance ($)

[Input value unavailable]

Approximate credit score

760+

740–759

700–739

Below 700

Not sure

Income documentation preference

I can provide tax returns and income documentation

I'd prefer qualification based on rental income

Either is fine — I want the best overall terms

[Compare lenders for my property]

With those details, I can focus on lenders most likely to offer competitive terms for your specific refinance, rather than just a general list of investment-property lenders.