DSCR Loans: What Does Interest-Only Mean?

DSCR loans are excellent for real estate investors who are working with rental properties. In today’s unpredictable market, one of the best options for investors is an interest-only DSCR loan. This will provide more flexibility, greater cash flow, and the ability to purchase more properties. So what exactly does interest-only mean and is it right for you? Let’s take a closer look.

What is interest only DSCR?

Interest only loan products are loans where you are only paying on the interest that is owed on the loan. The principal on these types of loans never goes down unless you decide to put a  little money towards it. One thing to keep in mind with DSCR loans is that there are prepayment restrictions for the first 3 to 5 years. In most cases this means that you have a 20% cap during this prepay period. Paying a little extra doesn’t normally create an issue. It is just something that you need to keep in mind when working with an interest only loan.  

Example:

Loan amount: $200K

Rent: $1,700

DSCR ratio 1.1 

Loan Type	Rate	$200,000 x rate = annual interest	Annual interest ÷ 12 = monthly payment	Payment amount to mortgage company	Add the Taxes, Insurance, HOA, and Flood = $150.00  This creates the Grand total for the month
Interest Only	8.25%	$16,500	$1,375	$1,375	$1,525

One more step. Adding the DSCR ratio.

What you will normally find is that the interest only rates in this market will be a little higher than the amortized loan rate. However, we still have one more step before we can determine if you can qualify for the DSCR loan on this property. We will need to multiply the grand total for the month by the DSCR ratio. This will help us to determine if the property will qualify for a DSCR loan based on the current rent amount of $1,700. Just as a reminder, the rents are based on what is happening in the market and the assessments done by an appraiser.

DSCR ratio 1.1	Grand total for the month	Grand total for the month x 1.1 =	Difference after adding the  DSCR ratio and the $1,700 rent
Interest only	$1,525	$1,677.50	Will qualify for DSCR

With DSCR loans you will have the flexibility of a 5, 7, or 10 year period. A DSCR interest only loan also provides an excellent opportunity for you to cash flow on the property. 

If you have any questions or want to run though the DSCR numbers, contact us today. We can help you compare a DSCR loan to an amortized loan. This will help you determine which is a better fit for your needs. 

Watch our most recent video to Discover Your Best Option: DSCR Loan – Interest Only vs Amortized.