Workbook
Every Sheet in This Workbook
Each guide states the date its figures were verified and links to the lender materials behind them. Every sheet on the site is listed below, in order.
Better information. Smarter decisions.
The full library
A complete library of guides, tools, and checklists for smarter real estate investing.
Learn more about the workbookWhat the ratio measures, how lenders calculate it, and where the product genuinely helps.
Start here to build a strong foundation.
| Row | Sheet | What it covers | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What Is a DSCR Loan? Meaning, Formula and How It Works | The underlying mechanics, the four published formulas, and the methods lenders use to establish rent. | July 28, 2026 |
| 2 | DSCR Loan Pros and Cons: The Honest Version | The honest version, including the situations in which another product is the better choice. | July 28, 2026 |
| 3 | What Is a Good DSCR Ratio? A Simple Guide for Rental Investors | What 1.0 and 1.25 mean, a worked rental example, and why a passing ratio is not the same as positive cash flow. | July 28, 2026 |
| 4 | Debt Yield vs. DSCR: What Each Ratio Tells You About a Property Loan | How debt yield and DSCR are calculated, and how each one, alongside LTV, caps the loan amount. | July 28, 2026 |
Credit, coverage, cash and paperwork: what a lender needs before it will approve the file.
Know what lenders look for.
| Row | Sheet | What it covers | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | DSCR Loan Requirements: What You Actually Need in 2026 | Credit, rental coverage, reserves, documentation, and how lender overlays interact. | July 28, 2026 |
| 6 | DSCR Loan Down Payment Requirements | Why 20% is the practical planning figure, when 15% is legitimate, and how an advertised 10%-down structure actually works. | July 28, 2026 |
| 7 | DSCR Loans for an LLC: How Entity Borrowing Works | Entity records, guarantee rules, vesting, and the due-on-sale issue that can arise during a refinance. | July 28, 2026 |
| 8 | DSCR Loan Appraisal: How Value and Rent Affect Your Loan | How the appraised value and market rent set your loan amount and ratio, and what to do if either comes in low. | July 28, 2026 |
How the property changes the loan: houses and condos, two to four units, larger buildings and short-term rentals.
Start from the property you want to buy.
| Row | Sheet | What it covers | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | DSCR Loans for Rental Property: What Qualifies and What Changes | Which houses, condos, small multifamily and vacation rentals qualify, and how HOA dues and taxes move the ratio. | July 28, 2026 |
| 10 | DSCR Loans for Multifamily Properties | How lenders add up rent across two to four units, and the cash to budget for a duplex, triplex or fourplex. | July 28, 2026 |
| 11 | Commercial DSCR Loans: A Beginner’s Guide to Financing Larger Rental Properties | How lenders measure coverage on net operating income for five or more units, and what to compare between offers. | July 28, 2026 |
| 12 | DSCR Loans for Airbnb and Short-Term Rentals: A Beginner’s Guide | Projections, booking history or long-term rent: which income a lender counts, and how far the choice moves the ratio. | July 28, 2026 |
| 13 | Airbnb Loans: How to Finance a Short-Term Rental | DSCR and the other ways to finance a short-term rental, plus local rules and the cash to budget beyond the down payment. | July 28, 2026 |
Refinancing, equity lines, construction and portfolio loans, and how a DSCR loan compares with the alternatives.
Choose the structure that fits the deal.
| Row | Sheet | What it covers | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Investment Property Loans: Types, Best Options and Rates | Conventional, DSCR, blanket, hard money and home equity financing compared, with what higher investor rates cost. | July 28, 2026 |
| 15 | DSCR Loan vs. Conventional Loan: Which Fits Your Rental Property? | Your income or the rent: how each loan qualifies you, and where down payment, LLC ownership and cost differ. | July 28, 2026 |
| 16 | DSCR Loan vs. Hard Money Loan: Which Fits Your Property? | A rental you keep or a short renovation: what each loan costs, and how to plan the refinance from one to the other. | July 28, 2026 |
| 17 | DSCR Cash-Out Refinance: How Much Can You Get? | How LTV limits, the new payment, seasoning and closing costs decide how much cash a rental refinance releases. | July 28, 2026 |
| 18 | DSCR HELOC vs. HELOAN: How to Borrow Against a Rental Property | A credit line or a lump sum against a rental: how lenders size each, and what to compare before signing. | July 28, 2026 |
| 19 | DSCR Construction Loans: How to Finance a Rental You Build | How construction financing and a DSCR loan fit together, and the cash to hold for interest, delays and the payoff gap. | July 28, 2026 |
| 20 | DSCR Portfolio and Blanket Loans: How to Finance Several Rentals | Separate loans or one blanket loan: how lenders test coverage, how release clauses work, and the shared-collateral risk. | July 28, 2026 |
What the financing actually costs, from the rate through closing charges to the exit.
Know the cost before you commit.
| Row | Sheet | What it covers | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | DSCR Loan Rates Today (July 2026) | A dated pricing table, the benchmark scenario behind every figure, and the effect of each major rate input. | July 28, 2026 |
| 22 | DSCR Loan Closing Costs and Prepayment Penalties | The fee categories, the four early-payoff structures, and the breakeven calculation for removing a penalty. | July 28, 2026 |
How the published programs compare, and what to confirm in writing before you pay for an appraisal.
Compare on the same published fields.
| Row | Sheet | What it covers | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | The 9 Best DSCR Loan Lenders of 2026, Ranked | Standardized published specifications for nine major programs, each with the date the figure was verified. | July 28, 2026 |
| 24 | How to Choose a DSCR Lender: The Questions That Actually Decide It | The seven questions to get answered in writing before you pay for an appraisal. | July 28, 2026 |
Calculators that reproduce the worked example used throughout these guides.
Run the numbers on your own deal.
| Row | Sheet | What it computes | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | DSCR calculator | The ratio on a fixed payment and an interest-only payment. | Live |
| 26 | Cash-to-close calculator | Down payment, closing costs, prepaids and reserves in one documented figure. | Live |
| 27 | Prepayment penalty calculator | A step-down penalty against the extra interest on a penalty-free loan. | Live |
| Row | Sheet | What it covers | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | DSCR Loan Document Checklist | The property, credit, funds and entity records to collect before underwriting begins. | July 28, 2026 |
| 29 | LLC Entity Document Checklist | Formation records, operating agreement powers, guarantor questions and vesting details for an entity file. | July 28, 2026 |
| 30 | DSCR Lender Question Sheet | Seven questions to get answered in writing, with room to record three lenders side by side. | July 28, 2026 |
DSCRLoans101 is an independent editorial site. We do not originate loans and we are not affiliated with any lender. Every figure on this page comes from published lender materials or primary sources, and we publish the date we verified it.