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Investment property loans · Hamilton County, OH

Hard money, fix and flip and DSCR loans in Cincinnati, OH

Cincinnati's neighborhoods, many of them once separate villages, spread over hills and ridges above the Ohio River, so investors choose a strategy neighborhood by neighborhood. In Over-the-Rhine the work is bringing 19th-century brick buildings back as apartments and storefronts, while early-1900s houses in Price Hill and older homes in Northside suit flips and long-term rentals. Every rental also needs a city registration on top of the county filing.

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Where investors buy

Neighborhoods investors look at in Cincinnati

Over-the-Rhine's National Register district is packed with ornate brick buildings that German immigrants put up between about 1865 and the 1880s, in Italianate, Greek Revival and Queen Anne styles. Up on the hills, many of Price Hill's surviving houses date from the early 1900s, and Clifton keeps some 19th-century estate buildings next to denser streets around Ludlow Avenue.
Over-the-RhineListed on the National Register in 1983 and a Cincinnati local historic landmark, OTR lost about half its historic buildings after 1930, and redevelopment led by the nonprofit 3CDC has focused on restoring vacant buildings for housing and small businesses.
NorthsideFormerly North Cumminsville, Northside drew renewed buyer interest in the 1980s for its older homes, and its business district around Knowlton's Corner is full of independent shops and restaurants.
Walnut HillsAnnexed in 1869, Walnut Hills holds the Gilbert-Sinton, Gilbert Row and Peebles' Corner National Register districts, and Peebles' Corner is where six streetcar lines once met.
Price HillEast Price Hill joined the city in 1870 and West Price Hill in 1902, many of the houses still standing were built in the early 1900s, and Glenway Avenue is the main commercial street.
WestwoodBordering Cheviot and north of Price Hill, Westwood was a village until Cincinnati absorbed it in 1896, drew wealthy families such as James Gamble's in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and has its own Westwood Town Center Historic District.
CliftonMany of Clifton's 19th-century estates became parks or were torn down, and its gas-lit Ludlow Avenue business district sits beside the University of Cincinnati's neighborhoods.

Loan programs

Loans for Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati

30-year loans for Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati

Buy and renovate in Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati

Close quickly on a Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati

Financing for new builds in Cincinnati, 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 Cincinnati

Financing for Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati

Local rules and costs that change a deal's numbers or closing date in Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
  • Register each rental with the City of Cincinnati within 60 days of acquiring it under Municipal Code Chapter 874 (Ordinance 406-2019); this is separate from the Hamilton County Auditor's rental registration.
  • Budget for Hamilton County's transfer costs: a state conveyance fee of $1 per $1,000 of the sale price, a county permissive tax of $2 per $1,000, and $0.50 per parcel.
  • Check whether a building sits in Over-the-Rhine or another local historic district before scoping exterior work, and confirm with the city what review applies to the changes you plan.
  • Budget for a slope, foundation or retaining-wall review on steep lots, since much of the city sits on hills and bluffs above the Ohio River.

Get your terms

Have a Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati: common questions

Do you offer hard money loans in Cincinnati?

Yes. United Lending LLC offers private real estate financing for investors in Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati?

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 Over-the-Rhine, Northside and Walnut Hills, among other parts of Cincinnati.

How much can I borrow for a Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati?

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

Ohio

More places we lend in Ohio

Sources (9)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 Cincinnati: Residential Rental Registration, Ordinance 406-2019
  2. Hamilton County Auditor: Transfer and conveyance policies and fees
  3. Wikipedia: Cincinnati
  4. Wikipedia: Over-the-Rhine
  5. Wikipedia: Northside, Cincinnati
  6. Wikipedia: Walnut Hills, Cincinnati
  7. Wikipedia: Price Hill
  8. Wikipedia: Westwood, Cincinnati
  9. Wikipedia: Clifton, Cincinnati