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UNITEDLENDING

New construction · investment builds

Ground-up construction loans for investors building from an empty lot.

United Lending offers financing for new construction on investment property, from spec homes built to sell to rentals built to hold. Every build is different, so there's no rate sheet: a loan officer looks at the lot, the plans and the budget, then quotes the project.

Get a quoteModel the sale
  • No credit pull to start
  • About a minute
  • A loan officer calls you

How the loan is sized

What a construction loan pays for, and how it gets repaid.

A ground-up construction loan finances a building that doesn't exist yet. It usually covers part of the lot and the build budget, goes out in stages as the work gets done, and is repaid when the finished property sells or moves onto a long-term loan.

Whether a build works comes down to the margin: what the finished property is worth, less selling costs, less the lot, the hard costs and the soft costs such as plans, permits and fees. The cost of the money comes out of what's left, so a realistic schedule matters as much as the budget.

We quote each project on its own numbers: the plans, a line-item budget, your builder, the timeline and comparable sales or rents for the finished property. Send what you have through the form and a loan officer will call you to go over it and quote the build.

Building to rent? Once a 1–4 unit rental is finished and leased, it can move onto one of our 30-year DSCR loans. Buildings of five units and up go to our multifamily and commercial financing.

Margin = finished value − selling costs − (lot + hard costs + soft costs) − financing
  • Start permits early. Months spent waiting on approvals still cost interest.
  • Leave room in the schedule for inspections, weather and supply delays.
  • Plan the sale or the lease-up from the first day, not after the build is done.
  • Owner-builders don't qualify. If you'll live in the finished house, you need a residential construction loan.

Terms

Quoted on your project, not from a rate sheet.

We don't publish set terms for ground-up construction financing. Leverage, rate and structure depend on the property, the plans or the rent roll, and your experience, so a loan officer quotes them after seeing the deal. All loans are subject to appraisal and underwriting.
Get a quote

Send the address, the numbers and your timeline in about a minute. A loan officer calls you back to talk it through.

Get a quote

Application to closing

Lot to finished building in four moves.

  1. Price the whole projectTotal the lot, hard costs, soft costs and selling costs, and set them against a realistic finished value.
  2. Send it or callUse the form here or call (718) 704-0499 with the lot address, plans, budget and timeline.
  3. Get a quoteA short call goes over the plans, the budget and the builder, and your loan officer comes back with a quote.
  4. Close and break groundSign the loan documents, start the build and keep the schedule you planned.

Who it's for

Who builds with our ground-up financing.

Spec home buildersBuild on an empty lot, sell the finished house and repay the loan from the sale.
Build-to-rent investorsPut up a new rental, lease it, then move it onto a DSCR loan for 1–4 units or our multifamily financing for five and up.
Teardown and rebuildBuying a house that isn't worth saving? A new build on the same lot is a ground-up project, not a rehab.
Flippers moving into new constructionTell us your track record and your builder's, and we'll tell you how it shapes the quote.
Lot owners ready to startAlready own the land? Tell us what you paid and when, and we'll go over how it fits into the deal.
Builders in other statesWe finance investment builds nationwide. Send the lot's address and we'll confirm we can work in that state.

Where we lend

Construction loans by state

We lend nationwide. These states have their own pages, with local markets and things to check before you buy.

Get your terms

Lot, plans and a budget? Send the build for a quote.

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.
  • About a minute to fill in
  • No credit pull to start
  • A loan officer calls you back
  • Investment property only

Rather talk now? (718) 704-0499

Step 1 · About a minute in allNo credit pull

Your contact details

By pressing “Get my terms”, I agree that United Lending may contact me about this inquiry, and I accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

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

Construction loans: common questions

What are your ground-up construction loan terms?

We quote every project individually rather than publish a rate sheet. Leverage, rate and how the build money is released depend on the plans, the budget, the builder and the finished value. Send the project through the form or call (718) 704-0499 for a quote.

How much of the land and construction do you finance?

That's set per project. Leverage on the lot, the share of the build budget funded and how the money is released all depend on the plans, the budget, the builder and the finished value. Send a line-item budget and we can answer quickly.

What do I need to apply for a ground-up construction loan?

Start with the lot address, plans, a line-item budget, a realistic build timeline, your builder's details and comparable sales or rents for the finished property. If you're borrowing in an LLC, have the entity documents ready too. A complete package gets you a faster, firmer answer.

Can I build a rental and then refinance it with you?

Yes. Once a 1–4 unit rental is finished and leased, it can move onto our 30-year DSCR loan, fixed or adjustable. Buildings of five units and up go to our multifamily and commercial financing. Tell us the plan at the start so the construction loan and the refinance line up.

What if my build runs behind schedule?

Call your loan officer as soon as the schedule slips, not at the last minute. Every extra month of a build costs interest, so plan some slack into the timeline before you start.

Can I use a ground-up loan to build my own home?

No. Our construction financing is business-purpose only, for investment projects the borrower won't occupy: houses built to sell, or rentals built to hold. If you plan to live in the finished home, look for a residential construction loan instead.

Other loans for investors

Short-term

Fix and flip loans

Short-term money for the purchase and the renovation, paid off when you sell.

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

Subject to appraisal and underwriting.

Terms and requirements
Long-term

DSCR rental loans

30-year financing for 1–4 unit rentals, qualified on the rent instead of your tax returns.

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

Subject to appraisal and underwriting.

Terms and requirements
Long-term

Multifamily and commercial loans

Loans on apartment buildings of five units or more, mixed-use buildings and commercial property.

Quoted on your deal. Send it and a loan officer calls you with a quote.

About this loan