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UNITEDLENDING

Investment property loans · Hamilton County, TN

Hard money, fix and flip and DSCR loans in Chattanooga, TN

Chattanooga's investor stock centers on streetcar-era neighborhoods that began as separate towns, such as Highland Park and St. Elmo, and on large older houses near the UTC campus in Fort Wood. Buyers renovate Victorian and Craftsman homes and hold rentals for students and workers. Before buying, check whether a property sits in a local historic district and what the city's short-term rental rules allow.

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Where investors buy

Neighborhoods investors look at in Chattanooga

Former small towns such as Highland Park and St. Elmo are mostly 1880s to 1930 Queen Anne, Victorian and Craftsman houses, and Fort Wood has larger late 1800s homes, many now divided into apartments.
Highland ParkAbout 1,000 homes, mostly built from 1900 to 1930 in Queen Anne, bungalow and Craftsman styles, with revitalization under way since the early 1990s.
St. ElmoVictorian and bungalow houses in the valley below Lookout Mountain, a local historic district since 1996.
Fort WoodLarge houses from the 1880s through the early 1900s next to UTC, many converted to apartments with steady student rental demand, inside a local historic district.
Lupton CityHas applied to become a local historic district, so check the status before planning exterior changes.

Loan programs

Loans for Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga

30-year loans for Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga

Buy and renovate in Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga

Close quickly on a Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga

Financing for new builds in Chattanooga, 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 Chattanooga

Financing for Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga

Local rules and costs that change a deal's numbers or closing date in Chattanooga and Hamilton County. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
  • In the St. Elmo, Fort Wood, Ferger Place and Battery Place local historic districts, the Chattanooga Historic Zoning Commission reviews exterior work against each district's guidelines, so plan for a certificate of appropriateness.
  • Read the short-term vacation rental article of the city zoning code (Chapter 38, Article XVII) before underwriting nightly rental income.
  • Hamilton County reappraises on a four-year cycle; the last reappraisal was 2025 and the next is set for 2029.
  • Tennessee recordation taxes apply at closing: 37 cents per $100 on the deed, figured on the sale price or the value if higher, and 11.5 cents per $100 of the loan, after the first $2,000, on the deed of trust.

Get your terms

Have a Chattanooga property in mind?

Contact details first, then single-tap answers on the property, the amount and when you need to close. A loan officer phones you back with terms.
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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 Chattanooga: common questions

Do you offer hard money loans in Chattanooga?

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

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 Highland Park, St. Elmo and Fort Wood, among other parts of Chattanooga.

How much can I borrow for a Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga?

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 Chattanooga or have a Tennessee 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 Tennessee, your loan officer will tell you what's needed before closing.

Tennessee

More places we lend in Tennessee

Sources (8)Checked November 6, 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. City of Chattanooga: Historic Planning and Zoning
  2. City of Chattanooga: Zoning and maps (STVR ordinance link)
  3. Hamilton County Assessor of Property: FAQs
  4. Tennessee Department of Revenue: Recordation tax due date and rates
  5. UT County Technical Assistance Service: Transfer tax
  6. Wikipedia: Highland Park, Chattanooga
  7. Wikipedia: St. Elmo Historic District
  8. Wikipedia: Fort Wood Historic District