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Investment property loans · Harris County, TX

Hard money, fix and flip and DSCR loans in Houston, TX

Houston has no zoning code, so investors underwrite deed restrictions, lot rules and flood maps rather than use districts. Common plays include renovating or replacing older frame houses in close-in wards such as Third Ward, Fifth Ward and Second Ward, where townhouse building has spread, buying post-war homes in Sharpstown for rentals, and building on the scattered vacant parcels of Acres Homes.

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Where investors buy

Neighborhoods investors look at in Houston

Inside the 610 Loop, prewar neighborhoods and streetcar suburbs sit next to newer townhouses and apartments, and Third Ward still has rows of shotgun houses north of Truxillo Street with brick homes to the south. Farther out, Sharpstown, dedicated in 1955, has post-war bungalows and mid-century houses, and Acres Homes has many small wood-frame houses, including shotguns.
Third WardSoutheast of downtown and east of the Texas Medical Center, near Texas Southern University and the University of Houston; the western side has developed under Midtown's influence while the northeast saw heavy demolition.
Fifth WardAbout two miles northeast of downtown between Buffalo Bayou and Lockwood Drive; parts have historically drained through open ditches, so check drainage on each lot.
Second Ward (East End)Just east of downtown along Buffalo Bayou, with 1920s buildings, lofts in former industrial space and townhouses that first appeared there in the 2000s.
Houston HeightsA streetcar suburb founded in 1891 with homes from the early 1900s, where buyers renovate historic houses and some older homes have been replaced by larger new ones.
Acres HomesNorthwest Houston area first sold in acre-sized homesites, now mostly small tract and wood-frame houses with undeveloped land in a checkerboard pattern.
SharpstownFrank Sharp's master-planned southwest Houston community, dedicated in 1955, with post-war bungalows, mid-century modern and traditional homes, often on large lots.

Loan programs

Loans for Houston 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 Houston

30-year loans for Houston 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 Houston

Buy and renovate in Houston 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 Houston

Close quickly on a Houston 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 Houston

Financing for new builds in Houston, 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 Houston

Financing for Houston 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 Houston

Local rules and costs that change a deal's numbers or closing date in Houston and Harris County. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
  • Check the recorded deed restrictions on every lot: Houston has no zoning, so restrictions are the main land-use control, and the city's Legal Department can enforce some of them.
  • Plan for elevation in any rehab budget in the 100-year floodplain: under Chapter 19, a substantial improvement (work costing 50 percent or more of the structure's market value) must bring the whole building to two feet above the 500-year flood elevation, and new construction must meet that height in the 500-year floodplain too.
  • Read the seller's disclosure closely; the Texas Property Code form asks about floodplain status and flooding, and those answers should match what you see on the floodplain maps.
  • Price property taxes at the non-homestead level using the appraisal district's value (Harris Central Appraisal District for most of the city), since a rental cannot claim the residence homestead exemption the seller may have had.

Get your terms

Have a Houston 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 Houston: common questions

Do you offer hard money loans in Houston?

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

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 Third Ward, Fifth Ward and Second Ward (East End), among other parts of Houston.

How much can I borrow for a Houston 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 Houston?

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