To qualify for the best investment property refinance rates, you’ll need to clear some additional hurdles if you want to refinance rental property mortgage. The extra work will be worthwhile, though, if it lowers your monthly cost and allows you to keep more of the rental money. In this article, amthucdatviet.com will discuss how to refinance rental property mortgage.
Choose a motivation for refinance rental property mortgage
Consider your financial objective carefully before beginning to compare rates. You will pay closing expenses, like with any refinance, but by specifying the precise expenditures involved, you can make sure that you reap the maximum financial rewards. The following motives for refinancing are common:
- Lowering your rate. Mortgage payments decrease when interest rates on investment properties decline. This gives you more rental money with which to start early mortgage repayment or pay for minor repairs and renovations.
- Shortening your loan term. If you generate rent from two to four-unit homes and wish to use the tenants’ rent payments to utilise the equity more quickly, switching from a 30-year term to a 15-year term may be a viable option. If there is a vacancy in one or more of the apartments, make sure you can pay the increased monthly payment.
- Tapping equity for improvements. You might be eligible for a cash-out refinance, which entails borrowing more than you owe and keeping the cash difference, if you’ve established equity in your homes. The additional money might be utilized to repair countertops and flooring in an older property, tidy up landscaping, or upgrade appliances.
- Settling the hard money loan taken to purchase the property. You can pay off a high-interest hard money loan that you took out to purchase a fixer-upper property by refinancing it for a reduced interest rate.
- Increasing your rental income.Successful real estate investors look for ways to increase their return on investment on a regular basis. You can increase your rental revenue when you refinance rental property mortgage by:
- Raising rents after making improvements to a property
- Paying off smaller rental property mortgages faster so you’re earning only rental income
Know the requirements to refinance rental property mortgage
According to research, rental home default and foreclosure rates typically increase when the housing industry is experiencing difficult financial circumstances. The government-sponsored companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which support the housing market, have higher rules that lenders must adhere to in order to accept a refinance of a rental property.

You usually need the following to be eligible for a refinance of your rental property:
- At least 20% equity. Although Fannie Mae rules only require 15% equity to refinance rental property mortgage an investment property, most lenders default to a 20% minimum. If you have an underwater investment property, which is one where the value of the property is less than the loan balance, ask your loan officer if they have any special refinancing possibilities.
- A lower debt-to-income (DTI) than primary residences require. Lenders frequently set the maximum DTI ratio at 43%, which is the proportion of your gross monthly income to your monthly debt payments. This limit is lower than the principal residence’s 50% maximum DTI ratio.
- Higher minimum credit scores. Significant changes to the way credit scores affect mortgage rates were disclosed by Fannie Mae. Currently, a 620 minimum credit score is required to refinance rental property mortgage; however, the following modifications will take effect on May 1, 2023:
- The new threshold for obtaining the best prices is 780.
- The new pricing adjustments will result in a modest price increase for scores between 680 and 779.
- Under the new pricing modifications, scores between 640 and 680 will be less expensive.
- Proof of extra cash reserves. Lenders require you to have “liquid” assets, which are accounts that can be quickly converted to cash, equal to up to six months’ worth of mortgage payments, to guarantee you have additional funds to cover vacancies when you are in between renters. Each rental property you own must comply with the mortgage reserve rule, so if you own four investment properties, you must show that you have enough cash on hand to satisfy the requirement for all four properties.
According to the amount of financed properties you own, look at the chart below to determine how many months’ worth of mortgage reserves you’ll need:
- A valuation to confirm the house’s worth and the going rental rate. In addition to figuring out how much your house is worth, lenders also need to know whether the rent you’re getting is reasonable for the area in which you live. In order to cover the extra work the appraiser must do to examine other nearby investment properties, a “comparable rent schedule” typically carries a premium.
- Title work showing the home in your name. Only if title is held in your name can mortgage lenders lend on your property. To complete a refinance rental property mortgage of an investment property, investors who have formed partnerships or LLCs to reduce their responsibility may need to transfer title into their individual names.
- Confirmation of how many financed properties you own. You are only allowed to finance ten homes in total with Fannie Mae, including your personal house.