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Investment property loans · Kanawha County, WV

Hard money, fix and flip and DSCR loans in Charleston, WV

Charleston is West Virginia's capital and the seat of Kanawha County, set where the Elk River meets the Kanawha. Investors look at older single-family and two-family houses for rent or resale, from the brick homes of the East End to the early suburbs of the West Side and the Kanawha City corridor along MacCorkle Avenue. The city counted 48,864 people in 2020, down from a 1960 peak of 85,796, and the 2020 census put the rental vacancy rate at 12.2 percent, so rent and vacancy assumptions need care. Low streets near both rivers are the first to flood.

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Where investors buy

Neighborhoods investors look at in Charleston

The East End's historic district is mostly brick single-family and two-family houses of two to two-and-a-half stories, plus some three- to six-story apartment buildings, largely from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Edgewood on the West Side was the city's first planned suburb, built in the early 20th century with Colonial Revival, Craftsman and Late Victorian homes. The 2020 census counted 25,766 housing units, 14.3 percent of them vacant.
East EndA National Register district bounded roughly by the Kanawha River and Bradford, Quarrier and Greenbrier streets, with houses mostly from the late 1800s and early 1900s and the 1815 Holly Grove mansion as its oldest home.
West SideHome to Edgewood, the city's first planned suburb, developed in the early 20th century and listed on the National Register in 1989.
Kanawha CityA mostly residential neighborhood in southeastern Charleston along MacCorkle Avenue, developed from the 1890s and annexed in 1929, and home to CAMC Memorial Hospital and the University of Charleston.
DowntownDowntown's older commercial blocks include the Security Building, the Kanawha County Courthouse and the Masonic Temple, and about 50 Charleston properties are on the National Register.

Loan programs

Loans for Charleston 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 Charleston

30-year loans for Charleston 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 Charleston

Buy and renovate in Charleston 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 Charleston

Close quickly on a Charleston 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 Charleston

Financing for new builds in Charleston, 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 Charleston

Financing for Charleston 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 Charleston

Local rules and costs that change a deal's numbers or closing date in Charleston and Kanawha County. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
  • Budget for West Virginia's transfer excise tax: $1.10 per $500 of value, plus a county tax of 55 cents per $500 that a county commission can raise to as much as $1.65, plus a $20 fee on sales. By law the seller pays unless the buyer accepts the deed with the tax unpaid. Confirm the Kanawha County rate with the County Clerk.
  • Check FEMA flood zones near both rivers. The National Weather Service gauge at the South Side Bridge puts minor flood stage at 30 feet, notes backwater flooding along the Elk River part of the city from 22 feet, and lists low parts of MacCorkle Avenue in Kanawha City at 35 feet and Kanawha Boulevard and Park Avenue on the West Side at 38 feet. The state's WV Flood Tool maps the floodplain, but confirm with FEMA's maps and the local floodplain administrator.
  • Ask the Charleston Historic Landmark Commission, reached through the city Planning Department at 915 Quarrier Street, whether a building is locally designated before you plan exterior work. The commission is on the State Historic Preservation Office's list of certified local governments, which enforce state and local rules that protect designated historic properties.

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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 Charleston: common questions

Do you offer hard money loans in Charleston?

Yes. United Lending LLC offers private real estate financing for investors in Charleston and the rest of Kanawha 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 Charleston?

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 East End, West Side and Kanawha City, among other parts of Charleston.

How much can I borrow for a Charleston 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 Charleston?

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 Charleston or have a West Virginia 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 West Virginia, your loan officer will tell you what's needed before closing.

West Virginia

More places we lend in West Virginia

Sources (10)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. West Virginia Legislature: House Bill 4408 (2026), text of W. Va. Code 11-22-2
  2. National Weather Service: Kanawha River at South Side Bridge (Charleston) gauge
  3. West Virginia GIS Technical Center: WV Flood Tool
  4. West Virginia SHPO: Certified Local Governments / Historic Landmark Commissions
  5. West Virginia SHPO: Historic Landmark Commissions list (PDF)
  6. Kanawha County: County Clerk
  7. Wikipedia: Charleston, West Virginia
  8. Wikipedia: East End Historic District (Charleston, West Virginia)
  9. Wikipedia: Edgewood Historic District (Charleston, West Virginia)
  10. Wikipedia: Kanawha City