First-time investor
- Credit 660–69970% LTV
- Credit 700–71975% LTV
- Credit 720+80% LTV
Direct lender · Not a broker
First-Time Real Estate Investor Loans. No completed deals required.
Up to 100% LTC on eligible Fix & Flip loans, subject to the applicable ARV limit. Zero completed projects does not automatically disqualify you. See real terms in 5 minutes with a soft credit pull — no hit to your score.
Inc. 5000 #1,036 (2025) · 477 loans closed · Business-purpose lending in 48 states.
- To real terms
- 5 minutes
- To a decision
- 4 hours
- Fastest funding
- 24-48 hours
What you get
What zero experience actually qualifies for
First-time real estate investors can qualify for Fix & Flip / Commercial Bridge loans or DSCR buy-and-hold financing without a completed investment deal.
Fix & Flip / Commercial Bridge. First-time investors are included in the published experience-and-credit grid. With a 660+ credit score, first-time investors can qualify for:
- 660–699 credit: up to 70% LTV
- 700–719 credit: up to 75% LTV
- 720+ credit: up to 80% LTV
Additional completed projects can qualify you for higher leverage tiers.
With three completed projects and a loan amount of $1,000,000 or less, eligible borrowers can qualify for up to 100% LTC, subject to the applicable ARV (After-Repair Value) limit. See the full Fix & Flip leverage grid.
DSCR buy-and-hold purchase. No investment experience is required. The loan is sized around the property's rental income, with a 1.00x DSCR floor, rather than your investment track record or tax returns. Purchase LTV reaches up to 80% for eligible single-family non-owner-occupied properties and 70% for eligible commercial properties. See DSCR purchase terms.
The full experience-and-credit grid, first-time investor row included
1–2 projects
- Credit 660–69975% LTV
- Credit 700–71980% LTV
- Credit 720+85% LTV
3–5 projects
- Credit 660–69980% LTV
- Credit 700–71985% LTV
- Credit 720+90% LTV
6–9 projects
- Credit 660–69985% LTV
- Credit 700–71990% LTV
- Credit 720+93% LTV
10+ projects
- Credit 660–69985% LTV
- Credit 700–71990% LTV
- Credit 720+95% LTV
Two different limits
What does 100% LTC mean, and what is ARV?
A Fix & Flip loan can be limited by two different measures: cost and property value. LTC measures how much of the project's eligible cost can be financed, while ARV measures the property's expected value after renovation.
Cost constraint
LTC — Loan-to-Cost
LTC measures the loan amount against the total eligible project cost — typically the purchase price plus approved rehab costs. For eligible Fix & Flip loans, up to 100% LTC is available once you have three completed projects and a loan amount of $1,000,000 or less. First-time investors and borrowers below that tier are subject to the applicable experience-and-credit grid, with published leverage ranging from 70% to 80% depending on credit tier.
Value constraint
ARV — After-Repair Value
ARV is the estimated market value of the property after the planned renovations are completed. It represents what the property is expected to be worth when the project is finished, rather than its current as-is value.
The ARV limit provides a separate value constraint on the loan amount. Even when a borrower qualifies for a high LTC percentage, the final advance remains subject to the applicable ARV limit, property valuation, and program guidelines.
Example — a first deal
A first-time investor with 700 credit buys a property for $200,000 and budgets $40,000 for approved rehab, creating a total project cost of $240,000.
At 75% under the first-time-investor tier, the loan amount would be up to $150,000, subject to the applicable program requirements.
For an eligible borrower who later qualifies for 100% LTC, the same $240,000 project could potentially support financing up to $240,000 based on eligible project cost, but the actual loan amount would still be subject to the applicable ARV limit and other underwriting requirements.
Illustrative only. Subject to underwriting, valuation, property eligibility, and applicable program guidelines.
If you don't qualify for the top tier
What if my credit score is below 660?
The standard experience-and-credit grid starts at 660 credit. If your score is below 660, or the leverage available under the standard grid does not fit your deal, there are still financing options to consider.
F.L.E.X. 50™ has no minimum credit score and provides up to 50% of the property's value, with a lighter documentation requirement. It does not require tax returns, W-2s, or bank statements.
DSCR purchase loans are another option for eligible investment properties. Instead of relying primarily on your employment income or tax returns, DSCR qualification focuses on the property's ability to support its debt through rental income. This can make DSCR financing a potential alternative when your credit score or investment experience limits conventional leverage.
Below 660, leverage is determined by the property and program
- Single-family90%
- Multifamily80%
- Retail70%
- Industrial65%
- Storage65%
- Mixed-use65%
- Office60%
- Hospitality60%
- Land55%
Published pricing
What does a first-time investor loan cost?
For first-time investors, Fix & Flip / Bridge loan rates start at 10.99% with a 1.50% lender fee at closing. The light-documentation F.L.E.X. 50™ option has a 15.00% fixed rate and a 5.00% lender fee.
Being a first-time investor does not by itself determine the published starting rate. Final pricing depends on the applicable program, loan characteristics, and underwriting.
| F.L.E.X. 50™ — Light Documentation | Standard Fix & Flip / Bridge | |
|---|---|---|
| Interest rate | 15.00% fixed | Starts at 10.99% |
| Lender fee | 5.00% at closing | 1.50% at closing |
| Loan-end fee | 0.50% | 0.50% |
| Annual servicing fee | 0.25% | 0.25% |
| Application fee | $599 at term-sheet execution | $599 at term-sheet execution |
| Property valuation | $999 AIVAA | $999 AIVAA |
| Technology fee | $999 | $999 |
| Maximum leverage | Up to 50% of the property value | Determined by the applicable experience-and-credit grid |
| Documentation | No tax returns, W-2s, or bank statements | Standard documentation requirements |
Who qualifies
First-time investor loan requirements
CR Equity AI offers business-purpose financing for eligible real estate investors. First-time investors can qualify through two primary paths: Fix & Flip / Bridge and DSCR purchase loans.
| Situation | What applies |
|---|---|
| Your first deal, ever | For Fix & Flip / Bridge loans, zero completed projects is the first-time-investor tier on the published experience-and-credit grid, with 70% to 80% LTV depending on credit tier. For DSCR purchase loans, no prior investment experience is required — qualification focuses on the property's rental income. |
| Self-employed, no track record | Fix & Flip / Bridge financing focuses on the property and transaction; DSCR financing focuses on rental income and debt-service coverage. F.L.E.X. 50™ offers a lighter documentation option — no tax returns, W-2s, or bank statements. |
| Credit 660 and above | On the published experience-and-credit grid: 70% LTV at 660–699, 75% at 700–719, 80% at 720+. Higher experience tiers may provide access to higher leverage. |
| Credit below 660 | The standard experience-and-credit grid starts at 660 credit. Below that threshold, applicable leverage depends on the property type and program. F.L.E.X. 50™ is another option and has no minimum credit score. |
| Buying to flip | Fix & Flip financing is designed for eligible properties being acquired and renovated for resale. The loan amount is subject to the applicable LTC, ARV, property, and program limits. |
| Buying to hold long-term | DSCR purchase financing is designed for eligible investment properties held for rental income. No prior investment experience is required, with purchase financing of up to 80% LTV on eligible single-family non-owner-occupied properties. |
| ITIN or foreign national, first deal in the U.S. | ITIN and foreign-national status is handled under its own loan program and does not automatically determine first-time-investor eligibility. See the ITIN & foreign national loan program for applicable eligibility, documentation, and leverage requirements. |
Not eligible
What we don't lend on
Certain properties and transactions are outside the program guidelines, regardless of investment experience. These include:
- Owner-occupied primary residences
- RV parks and trailer parks
- Loans under $100,000
- Deals without a credible exit or repayment plan
These restrictions apply to first-time investors as well as experienced borrowers.
Why CR Equity AI
Why a first deal works here
Direct lender. CR Equity AI evaluates eligible business-purpose transactions and funds qualifying loans directly, without requiring a completed investment track record.
AIVAA™ — AI Valuation & Analytics Assessment. Property valuation starts in property valued in minutes, not weeks, helping you understand the property's value without waiting on a traditional valuation process before moving forward. A full audit-ready valuation report is available in 4-6 hours.
Soft credit pull only. Get real terms in 5 minutes without a hard inquiry impacting your credit score.
Fast funding. Eligible loans can fund in as little as 24-48 hours once the property title is clear.
The difference
A first-time investor loan vs. a conventional bank loan
Conventional banks typically evaluate the borrower's financial history, income documentation, credit, and property before approving an investment loan. CR Equity AI evaluates the property, transaction, and applicable program requirements, so you do not need a completed investment track record to pursue your first deal.
| Conventional bank loan | CR Equity AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Investment track record | May require established investment or landlord experience, depending on the loan program | No completed investment deal required |
| Income documentation | Often requires tax returns, W-2s, pay stubs, or other income documentation | Requirements vary by program |
| Prior landlord history | May be considered for investment-property financing | No prior investment-property track record required |
| Time to see terms | Often takes days or longer after application and documentation | Real terms in 5 minutes |
| Credit inquiry | May involve a hard credit inquiry during the application process | Soft credit pull to get terms — no hard inquiry |
| Property valuation | Typically requires a third-party valuation or appraisal as part of the lending process | AIVAA™ property valuation starts in minutes |
| Funding speed | Often measured in weeks, depending on the loan and approval process | 24-48 hours once title is clear |
The key difference: a first-time investor does not need an established investment track record to explore financing with CR Equity AI. Qualification still depends on the property, transaction, credit, program requirements, and applicable underwriting criteria.
Questions
First-time investor questions
Direct answers. The number is on this page, not behind a call.
Yes. First-time investors are a named row on our published experience-and-credit grid, not an exception we make. With a 660+ credit score, a first-time investor qualifies for 70% to 80% LTV, depending on credit tier.
Direct lender. We lend our own capital.
No. Zero completed projects is its own row on the grid, labeled "first-time investor." Completed projects raise your ceiling above that row — they are not a gate to get in the door.
660 or higher puts you on the published grid at 70% to 80% LTV. Below 660, we look at the property type instead of the grid — leverage still exists, priced off the asset.
The light-documentation option has no minimum credit score at all.
Yes, and experience never enters the file. DSCR sizes the loan on the property's rental income, with a 1.00x floor — not on how many deals you have closed.
Purchase LTV reaches up to 80% on single-family non-owner-occupied and 70% on commercial.
LTC is loan-to-cost — the advance measured against the purchase price and the rehab budget, not a percentage of value. Up to 100% LTC is the Fix & Flip ceiling, and it requires three completed projects and a loan of $1,000,000 or less. A first-time investor starts on the experience-and-credit grid instead and moves toward that ceiling deal by deal.
ARV is the after-repair value — what the property is worth once the rehab is done. Every Fix & Flip loan we write is priced against it.
LTC measures a different thing: how much of the deal's cost the loan covers. ARV answers what the property will be worth; LTC answers how much of the purchase and rehab the advance reaches.
On the Fix & Flip / Bridge track, a first-time investor with 720+ credit reaches 80% LTV. On the DSCR purchase track, no experience requirement applies and the ceiling is 80% on single-family non-owner-occupied.
The 100% LTC advance is reserved for sponsors with three or more completed projects.
The experience grid does not apply below 660. We look more closely at the property type, value, and overall deal strength instead.
The light-documentation F.L.E.X. 50™ option has no minimum credit score and lends up to 50% of the property value regardless of your file.
The standard Fix & Flip / Bridge loan starts at 10.99% with a 1.50% lender fee. The light-documentation option is a 15.00% fixed rate with a 5.00% lender fee. Both carry a 0.50% fee when the loan ends.
The published pricing policy lists every fee.
Yes. If you are buying a rental to hold rather than sell, that is a DSCR purchase, not a Fix & Flip. DSCR is underwritten on the property's rent, with no experience requirement and no personal income verification either way.
No, on either path. Fix & Flip and Bridge underwrite the deal, not your pay stubs. DSCR underwrites the property's rent against the payment. Neither path asks for tax returns, W-2s, or a two-year income history.
ITIN and foreign national investors have a dedicated DSCR and full-documentation program for U.S. investment property and second homes. That program is a borrower type, not a first-time-investor exception — see its own eligibility and leverage.
Homes you plan to live in, RV parks, trailer parks, loans under $100,000, or a deal without a clear repayment plan. Those disqualifiers apply regardless of experience level.
The underlying product is the same short-term, asset-based financing described on our hard money page — Fix & Flip, Commercial Bridge, or F.L.E.X. 50™. "First-time investor" describes your experience tier on the grid, not a separate loan product.
Next step
See what your first deal qualifies for
Real terms in 5 minutes. Soft credit pull only — no hit to your score to get terms. No completed deals required.