A US credit score measures how a person has handled US consumer debt. A non-resident usually has none, and consumer lenders cannot work around that. A business-purpose mortgage to your US LLC on an investment property does not need to: the borrower is the company, and the question the lender asks is whether the property and the plan support the loan.
The same applies to income. There are no US pay stubs or US tax returns to collect, and none are asked for. The no US credit Q&A covers the underwriting side; this page sets out what replaces the credit check.
What replaces the US credit check
| Consumer file item | What a business-purpose lender looks at instead |
|---|---|
| US credit score | Identity documents and standard KYC on each owner of the LLC |
| US pay stubs and tax returns | Proof of source of funds for the equity, traced to its origin |
| Debt-to-income ratio | For a rental, the rent against the debt service (DSCR); for a flip or build, the budget and the exit |
| Personal bank history in the US | A funded US bank account in the LLC's name, with a recent statement |
| Your residence | The investment property: value, condition, rent or resale price |
The terms do not change because you live abroad
On our programs there is no foreign-national rate premium and no reduction in leverage. Bridge and DSCR loans go up to 80% LTV, ground-up construction up to 85% LTC, and fix and flip or renovation up to 90% LTC. Short-term loans typically run 8% to 12% interest-only; DSCR loans are 30-year fixed from 6% to 6.5%. The rate Q&A and the down payment Q&A put numbers on both.
What can still stop a file
- Your country is not eligible, which is checked first, before any time is spent on the property
- The money for the equity cannot be traced to a documented origin
- Any personal use of the property by you or your family
- A property outside the box: commercially zoned, 10 or more units, or a loan under $1M
- A deal that does not stand on its own: rent too low for the debt, or a budget and exit that do not hold
US investors and non-residents, side by side
A US investor borrowing through an LLC goes through much the same file: the entity, the property, the plan and the equity. The difference is that a US investor's experience and credit can move the leverage within the published maximums, while a non-resident is assessed on the asset, the documented funds and the track record at home. Neither pays more for where they live.
Experience counts for both. A first renovation or first build is financed, but a lender looks harder at the budget, the contractor and the exit; someone who has completed similar projects, in the US or in their home market, gets more room. Describe your track record plainly when you send the deal.
Sequence for a non-resident
- Send the deal and get a term sheet in 24 to 48 hours
- Form the US LLC and apply for its EIN with Form SS-4, no Social Security number needed
- Open and fund the LLC's US bank account once the EIN is issued
- Assemble identity and source-of-funds documents while appraisal and title run
- Close remotely, in about two weeks on a clean file; the 1% to 2% fee is paid at closing
The full checklist, with the tax points to plan before buying, is on the foreign national loans page.