REAL ESTATE INVESTOR FINANCING
Bridge Loans
Short-term capital when timing matters.
Short-term, interest-only capital for investment properties that are rent-ready, stabilized, or require only minor work. Used for a purchase, rate-and-term refinance, cash-out refinance, maturing-loan payoff, or transition into permanent rental financing. Two approaches: Maximum Leverage (higher LTV) or Express Close (no appraisal, fastest execution).
Available approaches
Two ways to structure this deal
These are separate programs with separate parameters — never merged into one table. Both feed into the same application; the selected approach is captured when you apply.
Prioritizes maximum leverage (up to 80% LTV) with a fast core close.
- Maximum Leverage
- Up to 80% LTV
- Term
- Approximately 12–18 months
- Loan Amount
- Up to $3 million
- Purposes
- Purchase, rate-and-term, cash-out
- Appraisal
- No full appraisal on qualifying loans under $1M
- Closing
- 10 days or less on qualifying files
- Points
- Zero-point & deferred-point options
- Prepayment Penalty
- None
- Up to 80% LTV
- 10-day core close
- No full appraisal under $1M
- 12–18 month interest-only
- Deferred-point option
- No prepayment penalty
Prioritizes speed — no appraisal and express closing options as fast as 48 hours, at a lower baseline leverage.
- Maximum Leverage
- Up to approximately 75% LTV
- Term
- Approximately 12–18 months
- Loan Amount
- Up to $3 million
- Purposes
- Purchase, rate-and-term, cash-out
- Appraisal
- No traditional appraisal required on the express program
- Closing
- As fast as 48 hours on prepared qualifying files
- Points
- Zero-point & deferred-point options
- Prepayment Penalty
- None
- Up to ~75% LTV
- No appraisal
- As fast as 48-hour express close
- No prepayment penalty
- Short-term investor capital
Typical Market
What investors commonly see in the market
Typical market ranges for bridge / short-term investment financing across independent lenders. These are broad market reference points, not averages and not a guarantee.
- Maximum LTV
- Typical market range ~70–80% LTV
- Term
- Approximately 6–24 month terms
- Interest Structure
- Generally interest only
- Speed
- Often faster than conventional mortgage timelines
- Credit
- Varies widely by program and lender
The Green Fire Strategies programs shown below are separate from these market ranges — compare the two directly.
Who
Who this product is for
Bridge is for investors who need temporary capital for a time-sensitive acquisition, refinance, stabilization, equity access, or transition into long-term rental financing. That includes buyers competing for a property where a conventional loan cannot close fast enough, investors with a maturing short-term loan that needs to be paid off, owners who want to pull equity out of a stabilized rental before it qualifies for permanent debt, and investors using bridge as a stepping stone into DSCR financing once a property is stabilized and producing qualifying rental income.
What
What the financing does
A bridge loan provides short-term, interest-only capital to acquire, refinance, or access equity on a qualifying investment property, with a clear exit through sale or permanent financing. Because it is sized around the property value and a defined exit rather than a long amortization, it can close faster than long-term rental financing and be used before a property fully qualifies for permanent debt.
When
When an investor uses it
Use bridge when timing matters more than long-term pricing — a fast acquisition where speed wins the deal, a maturing loan that must be paid off, a cash-out need before a property is stabilized enough for permanent financing, or a planned transition into DSCR financing once the property is producing qualifying rent. It is the tool for the gap between now and the permanent takeout.
Why
Why use this instead of traditional financing
Bridge closes faster than long-term rental financing and can be used before a property qualifies for permanent debt, which a conventional bank loan often cannot do on that timeline. It is short-term bridge capital for investors who need speed, flexibility, or a transition window — and because it is interest only and short-term, it matches a hold period measured in months rather than decades. For a property you intend to stabilize and refinance or sell, that alignment usually makes more sense than locking into a long-term loan prematurely.
Use cases
Typical use cases
- Fast acquisitions where speed wins the deal
- Rent-ready acquisitions needing only minor work
- Rate-and-term refinance for better terms
- Cash-out refinance to access equity before stabilization
- Maturing-loan payoff
- Transition into DSCR financing after stabilization
Process
How the loan works
- 1
Identify the need
The investor has a time-sensitive acquisition, refinance, equity access, or transition that needs short-term capital with a defined exit.
- 2
Submit the deal
Purchase price or current value, existing balance if refinancing, the property condition, and the exit strategy are submitted.
- 3
Value and exit review
The lender reviews the property value, borrower profile, liquidity and reserves, and the credibility of the proposed exit (sale or permanent financing).
- 4
Close
The bridge loan closes to fund the acquisition or refinance, typically faster than a conventional mortgage.
- 5
Stabilize or hold
The investor stabilizes or holds the property during the bridge term, preparing it for the planned exit.
- 6
Exit
The investor exits by selling the property or refinancing into long-term financing — most often DSCR rental financing once the property is stabilized.
Underwriting
What lenders generally evaluate
A bridge lender evaluates the property value, the borrower profile, and — critically — the proposed exit. Because bridge is short-term, the exit strategy matters as much as the entry: the lender wants to see a credible path to sale or to permanent financing within the term. They also review the borrower's liquidity and reserves, credit, and experience, and whether the property is rent-ready, stabilized, or needs only minor work.
Exit
Exit strategies
- Refinance into long-term DSCR rental financing after stabilization
- Sell the property and repay from sale proceeds
- Refinance into another short-term structure if more time is needed
Considerations
Important considerations
- Short-term, higher cost of capital than long-term financing — it is bridge capital, not a hold loan
- Requires a clear, credible exit strategy within the term
- Reserves may be required
- Actual leverage and terms depend on the transaction, borrower, property, and capital source
Build toward the full capital requirement
Your first loan funds the property. Gap capital can fund the rest. Qualifying borrowers may be able to combine primary hard-money financing with eligible gap capital to address the purchase or down payment, closing costs, reserves, rehab, and other eligible deal costs — building toward 100% of the capital the deal requires when the combined structure qualifies.
- Primary Financing
- The hard-money loan — acquisition plus eligible rehab or construction, sized around total project cost and after-repair value.
- Gap Capital
- Eligible supplemental capital that may help cover the down payment, closing costs, reserves, rehab float, earnest money, and other eligible shortfalls the primary loan does not cover.
- Full-Capital Structure
- The combined stack. Potentially cover up to the full capital requirement when the combined structure qualifies and the primary lender's source-of-funds rules are satisfied.
100% financing is not guaranteed. The primary lender's source-of-funds, equity, reserve, and seasoning rules still control whether borrowed gap capital counts toward required liquidity. Qualify from a position of strength first, then preserve working capital when the structure permits.
Ready to apply for Bridge Loans?
One focused application. No cost, no obligation, and no credit pull to request your terms.
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