Skip to content
UNITEDLENDING

Investment property loans · Berks County, PA

Hard money, fix and flip and DSCR loans in Reading, PA

Reading's housing is heavy on brick twins and rowhouses from its railroad and factory era, which lends itself to renovate-and-rent plans and to full rehabs for resale. Old mills add larger conversion projects, such as the former Curtis and Jones shoe factory, now apartments. The Schuylkill River on the west and Mount Penn on the east frame the city, and the lowest streets near the river are the first to flood.

  • No credit pull to start
  • About a minute
  • A loan officer calls you

Where investors buy

Neighborhoods investors look at in Reading

Large parts of the older city are brick semi-detached houses and rowhouses built between about 1880 and 1925, mixed with granite Gilded Age mansions such as Stirling on Centre Avenue and brick mill and factory buildings from the 1800s.
Queen Anne Historic DistrictA large National Register district made up mostly of brick semi-detached houses and rowhouses built from about 1880 to 1925, with a few stone churches and small commercial buildings.
Centre AvenueThe 24-room granite Stirling mansion at 1120 Centre Avenue, built in 1890 to 1892, shows the scale of the city's Gilded Age houses; homes this size call for bigger rehab budgets and a zoning check before any conversion.
Outlet DistrictOld factory buildings here were reused for outlet shopping, and the former Curtis and Jones shoe factory, once part of the Reading Outlet Center, reopened after a 2016 renovation as the Big Mill Apartments.

Loan programs

Loans for Reading 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 Reading

30-year loans for Reading 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 Reading

Buy and renovate in Reading 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 Reading

Close quickly on a Reading 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 Reading

Financing for new builds in Reading, 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 Reading

Financing for Reading 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 Reading

Local rules and costs that change a deal's numbers or closing date in Reading and Berks County. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
  • Budget for Pennsylvania's 1% realty transfer tax plus any local share, and get the exact combined rate for a Reading address from the Berks County Recorder of Deeds before you finalize closing costs.
  • Check FEMA flood zones on low-lying blocks near the Schuylkill: the National Weather Service lists flooding on Water and Canal Streets at minor flood stage, and the river's record crest at Reading came during Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
  • Check that you have no final, unappealable tax, water, sewer or trash delinquency and no long-uncorrected serious code violation on any property you own in Pennsylvania: state law lets a municipality deny permits to such an owner, though it cannot deny a permit needed to fix a violation.

Get your terms

Have a Reading 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.
  • 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

Loans in Reading: common questions

Do you offer hard money loans in Reading?

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

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 Queen Anne Historic District, Centre Avenue and Outlet District, among other parts of Reading.

How much can I borrow for a Reading 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 Reading?

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

Pennsylvania

More places we lend in Pennsylvania

Sources (7)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. Pennsylvania Department of Revenue: Realty Transfer Tax
  2. National Weather Service: Schuylkill River at Reading gauge
  3. Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes: 53 Pa.C.S. § 6131, Municipal permit denial
  4. Wikipedia: Reading, Pennsylvania
  5. Wikipedia: Queen Anne Historic District (Reading)
  6. Wikipedia: Stirling (Reading, Pennsylvania)
  7. Wikipedia: Curtis and Jones Company Shoe Factory