Who is a mortgage loan originator serving Franklin and Middle Tennessee?

Keith Goeringer is a Loan Originator at Barrett Financial Group, NMLS #488023, serving buyers in Franklin, Williamson County, and Middle Tennessee. Call or text (615) 955-0461 or email keith@keithgo.com.

What does DSCR stand for?

Debt-service coverage ratio. For this product it is the property's rent divided by the new PITI payment. 1.0 means rent covers the payment.

What is a good DSCR ratio?

Many programs start at 1.0. Stronger ratios get better pricing. Some lenders allow slightly under 1.0 with more down payment or reserves. We will quote the minimum for that lender.

Do I need a down payment?

Yes. DSCR is not a zero-down primary loan. Plan on a larger down payment than FHA 3.5%. The exact minimum depends on the lender, the ratio, and occupancy as an investment.

Can I use a DSCR loan for a primary residence?

No. If you will live in it, we use conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, or THDA. DSCR is for rentals.

How fast can I close on a DSCR loan?

When rent documentation, insurance, and the appraisal are clean, DSCR can close on a normal timeline. Short-term rental income and unique properties add time. Do not schedule tenants based on a hope date.

InvestorsQualify on rent

Invest Smarter: DSCR Loans for Rental Properties

A DSCR loan qualifies an investment property from the rent compared with the new PITI payment, not from your personal W-2. If the debt-service coverage ratio is at least 1.0 on many programs, the property can carry itself. It is not a primary-residence loan.

Talk DSCR (615) 955-0461

Who qualifies

You are buying a rental, not a home you will occupy as a primary residence.
You want to qualify from the property's rent instead of personal DTI.
You are adding to a portfolio or buying the first rental and a conventional investor overlay does not fit.
You can document rent with a lease, a market rent schedule, or short-term rental history the lender accepts.

How it works

1
We look at the property's market or actual rent.
2
We compare that rent to the new mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, and HOA (PITI).
3
If rent covers the payment at the program's DSCR minimum (often 1.0 or higher), the property can qualify.
4
Personal income and employment are typically not used the way a conventional investor file uses them.

Conventional investor loans still look at your job, your DTI, and how many mortgages you already have. After a handful of properties, Fannie and Freddie run out of room. DSCR keeps going if the house cash-flows on paper.

DSCR means debt-service coverage ratio. Rent divided by PITI. 1.0 means the rent equals the payment. Some lenders want 1.0. Some want 1.25. Some will go slightly under 1.0 with more down or more reserves. We quote the actual overlay, not a slogan.

Short-term rentals and 'no limit'

Some DSCR programs will use short-term rental income, including Airbnb-style properties, when the history or a third-party estimate supports it. That is lender-specific. A tourist-heavy Nashville ZIP is not an automatic yes. Send the address and the trailing statements.

There is no GSE-style 10-financed-property cap on many DSCR programs. That does not mean infinite blank checks. Each property still has to hit the ratio, and you still need down payment, reserves, and a credit profile the overlay accepts.

What you still need

A down payment. DSCR is not $0 down. The number is usually higher than a primary FHA file. We will quote it for the property.

Credit that is good enough for the overlay. This is not a 500-score product.

An exit plan if the unit sits vacant. Ratio math assumes rent. January in a short-term unit is not a spreadsheet.

Who should not use DSCR

Anyone who will live in the house. That is a primary-residence conversation: conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, THDA.

A first rental that already cash-flows and fits a conventional investor overlay with a cheaper rate. We will tell you if DSCR is unnecessary.

How it compares to Conventional investor

Feature	DSCR	Conventional investor
Income used	Property rent vs PITI (DSCR)	Your personal income and DTI
Employment	Typically not underwritten like a W-2 file	Required
Number of properties	No GSE 10-property cap on many programs	Typically limited
Best for	Scaling a rental portfolio	First few rentals that still fit GSE rules

Common myths

DSCR is only for experienced investors.
First-rental buyers use it when conventional investor rules do not fit. Experience helps. It is not a membership card.
You need perfect credit.
You need credit the overlay accepts. Perfect is not the product. A wrecked file still will not close.
Short-term rentals never qualify.
Some programs accept them with the right history or estimate. Some do not. Send the address before you underwrite a fantasy cap rate.

Sources and what to verify

This is general mortgage education, not a commitment to lend. Rates, programs, overlays, and eligibility depend on the borrower, the property, and investor guidelines. Confirm current terms with Keith Goeringer or the official agency (HUD, VA, USDA, FHFA, THDA, CFPB). NMLS #488023. Barrett Financial Group.

Questions about DSCR?

Keith Goeringer will tell you what you qualify for and what it will cost. No call center.