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UNITEDLENDING

Investment property loans · Middlesex County, MA

Hard money, fix and flip and DSCR loans in Cambridge, MA

Cambridge sits across the Charles River from Boston and is home to Harvard and MIT. Investor deals here are mostly two- and three-family houses and small apartment buildings bought to renovate and rent, in a rental market shaped by the universities and the Kendall Square employers. Purchase prices are high, and historical review and the gap between owner-occupied and rental tax bills both shape the numbers.

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Where investors buy

Neighborhoods investors look at in Cambridge

Much of the housing is wood-frame two- and three-family houses and Victorian single-family homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Brick apartment blocks line parts of Massachusetts Avenue, and newer buildings cluster in East Cambridge and Kendall Square.
CambridgeportBetween Central Square and the Charles River, with Victorian houses and two-families.
Mid-CambridgeBetween Harvard and Central Squares, covered by the Mid Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District since 1985.
East CambridgeNear Kendall Square and Lechmere, with part of the neighborhood in the East Cambridge National Register district.
North CambridgeBeyond Porter Square toward the Arlington and Somerville lines, with many two-family houses and the Alewife Red Line station.
The PortBetween Central and Kendall Squares, with older multi-family housing close to the labs and offices.

Loan programs

Loans for Cambridge real estate investors

Pick the loan that fits the deal: short-term money to buy, renovate or build, or a long-term loan to hold the property. Published limits are subject to appraisal and underwriting.
Long-term

DSCR rental loans in Cambridge

30-year loans for Cambridge rentals of 1–4 units, fixed or adjustable, qualified on the rent with no personal income verification: up to 85% of the price on a purchase, with loans from $75,000.

Purchase LTV up to85%
Term30 years
Income docsNot required
Loans from$75K

Subject to appraisal and underwriting.

DSCR loans: terms and requirements
Short-term

Fix and flip loans in Cambridge

Buy and renovate in Cambridge with up to 95% of the price and 100% of the rehab budget, on a 12–18 months interest-only loan with no prepayment penalty when the house sells.

Purchase price up to95%
Rehab funded up to100%
Term12–18 months
Prepayment penaltyNone

Subject to appraisal and underwriting.

Fix and flip loans: terms and requirements
Short-term

Bridge loans in Cambridge

Close quickly on a Cambridge property with up to 95% of the cost financed and a 12–18 months interest-only term, then sell it or refinance onto a long-term loan. No prepayment penalty.

Leverage up to95% LTC
Term12–18 months
PaymentsInterest only
Prepayment penaltyNone

Subject to appraisal and underwriting.

Bridge loans: terms and requirements
Short-term

Ground-up construction loans in Cambridge

Financing for new builds in Cambridge, from spec homes built to sell to rentals built to hold. Every project is quoted on its plans, budget and builder.

Quoted on your deal.

Construction loans: get a quote
Long-term

Multifamily and commercial loans in Cambridge

Financing for Cambridge apartment buildings of five units or more, mixed-use and commercial property, quoted on the building's income.

Quoted on your deal.

Multifamily and commercial: get a quote

Good to know

Before you buy in Cambridge

Local rules and costs that change a deal's numbers or closing date in Cambridge and Middlesex County. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
  • Check the build year before you plan a teardown. Cambridge's demolition review covers every building over 50 years old, and the Historical Commission can delay demolition for up to 12 months if it finds a building significant and preferably preserved.
  • Check whether the property is in a historic district or one of the four neighborhood conservation districts: Mid Cambridge, Half Crown-Marsh, Avon Hill and Harvard Square. New construction, demolition and exterior changes visible from a public way need approval there.
  • Run the tax bill without the residential exemption. It only applies to an owner's principal residence, and for FY2026 it took $510,208 off the taxable value of an owner-occupied home, so a rental can owe much more than the seller paid.
  • For a building with 50 or more units, plan for yearly energy reporting under the Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance.

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Have a Cambridge property in mind?

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United Lending LLC offers business-purpose financing secured by non-owner-occupied investment real estate. We do not offer loans for personal, family or household purposes, or loans on owner-occupied primary residences.

Questions

Loans in Cambridge: common questions

Do you offer hard money loans in Cambridge?

Yes. United Lending LLC offers private real estate financing for investors in Cambridge and the rest of Middlesex County: fix and flip and bridge loans sized on the deal, and DSCR rental loans sized on the rent. We're headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, and lend nationwide.

Do you offer DSCR loans in Cambridge?

Yes. Our DSCR loans are 30-year loans on 1–4 unit rentals, fixed or adjustable, qualified on the property's rent against its monthly payment with no personal income verification, up to 85% loan-to-value on a purchase and loans from $75,000. Investors use them for rentals in Cambridgeport, Mid-Cambridge and East Cambridge, among other parts of Cambridge.

How much can I borrow for a Cambridge flip?

Up to 95% of the purchase price and up to 100% of the rehab budget, on a 12–18 months interest-only loan. Those are maximums, subject to appraisal and underwriting: the property, your experience and the comps set what your loan gets.

Is there a prepayment penalty on a loan in Cambridge?

There's no prepayment penalty on fix and flip or bridge loans. DSCR rental loans come with a choice of prepayment terms, from none up to five years, set out in your written terms before you commit.

Do I need to live in Cambridge or have a Massachusetts LLC?

No. You can borrow in your own name or through an LLC, wherever you live; many of our borrowers invest outside their home state. If your LLC was formed outside Massachusetts, your loan officer will tell you what's needed before closing.

Massachusetts

More places we lend in Massachusetts

Sources (9)Checked November 10, 2026

United Lending's loan terms are its published program limits. The local rules and costs on this page come from the public sources below, checked on the date shown; confirm them with the city, county or your closing attorney before you rely on them.

  1. Cambridge Historical Commission: Demolition Review
  2. Cambridge Historical Commission: Map of Historic and Neighborhood Conservation Districts
  3. Cambridge Historical Commission: Mid Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District
  4. Cambridge Historical Commission: staff memo, 78 Otis Street (East Cambridge National Register District)
  5. City of Cambridge: Residential Exemption
  6. City of Cambridge: FY26 tax rate letter to the City Council (October 6, 2025)
  7. City of Cambridge: Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO)
  8. City of Cambridge: BEUDO Regulations, Ordinance 8.67 (April 13, 2026)
  9. Wikipedia: Cambridge, Massachusetts