Texas · Build-for-Rent
Texas build-for-rent financing.
Ground-up construction for single family rental communities, then a DSCR take-out once the homes are leased. Up to 85% of cost during the build, interest-only on drawn funds, $1M to $5M.
By David Hodara ·
85% LTC
Construction leverage
$1M-$5M
Loan range
12-24 months
Term
DSCR portfolio
Exit
Texas build-for-rent market context
Build-for-rent in Texas sits between two underwriting worlds, and that is exactly where files get stuck. During construction it is a development loan, judged on budget, contractor and absorption. After delivery it is a rental portfolio, judged on aggregate rent roll. A sponsor who lines up only the first half discovers the problem at the worst moment, with houses finished and a construction loan maturing.
The financeable version of a Texas BTR project is usually a horizontal-complete lot package delivered in phases, so the first homes lease while the last are still framing. Phasing is what keeps the interest carry sane, and it is also what a take-out lender wants to see before committing to the portfolio.
Typical loan products for Texas build-for-rent
Each deal gets routed to the product structure that fits. Most build-for-rent deals in Texas use one of the following.
Construction loans
Ground-up financing for a rental community delivered as houses rather than as a building. Up to 85% LTC, draws tied to milestones.
Bridge loans
Land or lot-package acquisition while horizontal work and permits are finished, ahead of the construction draw.
DSCR loans
Take-out once the homes are leased, underwritten on the community's aggregate rent roll.
Buying Texas build-for-rent from outside the US
We finance build-for-rent in Texas for investors based outside the United States as readily as for US borrowers. The loan is made to a US LLC rather than to an individual, which keeps it business-purpose, and the underwriting looks at the property rather than at a US credit profile a non-resident has no way to build.
That means no US credit history, no US income documents, no foreign-national rate premium, and no requirement to travel to the United States to close. If you do not yet have the entity, forming one is a step in the process rather than a prerequisite you have to solve alone.
Top Texas markets we actively fund
We work build-for-rent deals across Texas, with deepest lender relationships in the metros below.
Texas build-for-rent FAQ
Who finances build-for-rent projects under $5M?
We do, as a construction loan up to 85% of cost with a DSCR take-out arranged before the build starts. Under $5M is the part of the BTR market institutional programs tend to skip, because the portfolio is too small for an aggregator and too large for a one-house construction lender.
Is a BTR project financed as construction or as a rental portfolio?
Both, in sequence. Construction financing during the build, drawn against inspected work, then a refinance into DSCR on the aggregate rent roll once the homes are leased. Arranging the second before starting the first is what keeps the maturity from becoming the problem.
How many homes does a BTR project need for this structure?
It works from a handful of homes upward. Below roughly ten, the economics usually favour treating them as individual spec builds with individual exits; above that, one facility and one portfolio take-out is cheaper and much less administrative work.
What leverage applies during the construction phase?
Up to 85% of total cost including the lot package, with interest accruing only on drawn funds. Leverage on the DSCR take-out is up to 80% of value, so the equity requirement typically steps down rather than up when the project stabilizes.
Can a foreign national finance build-for-rent in Texas?
Yes. We lend to a US LLC rather than to an individual, and we underwrite the property rather than a US credit profile, so a non-resident with no US credit history and no US income documents can borrow on the same terms a US borrower receives. There is no foreign-national rate premium, and you do not have to travel to the United States to close. The structure is the same in Texas as in every other state.
Got a Texas build-for-rent deal? Send it over.
Term sheet inside 48 hours, or a fast no so you can move on. Business-purpose CRE financing only.