Fix and flip investing moves fast — and your financing has to move faster. The difference between landing a profitable deal and watching it slip away often comes down to one thing: having the right lender relationship in place before you need it.

Yet most investors waste critical time calling lenders one by one, comparing terms in spreadsheets, and discovering too late that a lender’s guidelines don’t fit their deal structure. A lender that looked right on paper turns out to require six months of documented flip experience you don’t have yet. Or their draw schedule releases funds too slowly to keep your contractor on site. Or their ARV calculation is more conservative than your numbers assumed.

This guide is built for real estate investors — from first-time flippers to experienced portfolio builders — who want a smarter approach to financing. Rather than a generic list of lender names, these are the actual strategies that help investors secure competitive fix and flip financing, close faster, and protect their margins.

One key insight upfront: the investors who consistently win deals don’t just find a lender. They find a broker with wholesale access to multiple fix-and-flip-friendly lenders across the full spectrum — from institutional players like PennyMac and Newrez to specialized non-QM shops like A&D Mortgage, Acra Lending, and Deephaven Mortgage. That access — and the ability to match your specific deal to the right lender’s actual guidelines — is what this guide is designed to help you understand.

Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647, works with all 30 of these wholesale lenders and will help you navigate which one fits your scenario.

1. Know the Lender Types Before You Shop

The Challenge It Solves

Fix and flip financing is not a single product. Walking into the market without understanding the three main loan structures means you’ll waste time applying to lenders whose products don’t fit your deal — and you may not discover the mismatch until you’re already under contract with a tight closing deadline.

The Strategy Explained

Think of fix and flip lending as a spectrum with three distinct categories, each suited to different deal types and borrower profiles.

Hard Money Loans: Asset-based, fast-closing, typically from private or semi-institutional lenders. Underwriting centers on the property and the deal, not the borrower’s income documentation. Higher rates and fees are the tradeoff for speed and flexibility. Well-suited for investors who need to close in days, not weeks.

Non-QM Bridge Loans: Offered by wholesale lenders like A&D Mortgage, Acra Lending, Deephaven Mortgage, Arc Home LLC, and LoanStream Mortgage. These sit between hard money and conventional financing — more structured underwriting than hard money, but far more flexible than agency guidelines. Often available to self-employed investors and those with non-traditional income documentation.

DSCR Loans: Debt-service coverage ratio loans underwrite based on the property’s rental income relative to its debt obligations. These are more relevant for investors who plan to convert a flip into a rental hold after rehab, rather than a straight sale. A&D Mortgage and Acra Lending are both known in the broker community for strong DSCR investor product menus.

There is also a fourth option worth knowing: the HUD 203(k) rehabilitation loan program. This is a government-backed product for owner-occupant rehab scenarios — not a fix and flip tool in the traditional investor sense, but relevant if your strategy involves purchasing and living in the property during renovation.

Implementation Steps

1. Define your exit strategy first: Are you selling at completion (flip) or converting to a rental (hold)? This determines whether a bridge loan or DSCR product is the right structure.

2. Assess your income documentation situation: W-2 income, self-employed, or no traditional income docs at all? Non-QM lenders like Deephaven and Acra can work with alternative documentation; hard money lenders may not require income docs at all.

3. Identify your timeline: How quickly do you need to close? Hard money moves fastest; Non-QM bridge takes slightly longer but often offers better pricing.

Pro Tips

Don’t assume the loan type with the lowest rate is the right fit. A Non-QM bridge loan at a slightly higher rate with a flexible draw schedule and a 12-month interest-only term may net you significantly more margin than a cheaper product that restricts how and when you access rehab funds. Structure matters as much as rate.

2. What Fix and Flip Lenders Actually Underwrite

The Challenge It Solves

Most investors approach fix and flip financing the same way they approach a conventional mortgage: they ask about the interest rate and move on. The problem is that rate is one variable in a much more complex underwriting picture — and the variables you’re not asking about are the ones that will determine whether your deal actually closes and whether it closes profitably.

The Strategy Explained

Fix and flip lenders underwrite on two primary metrics: Loan-to-Cost (LTC) and Loan-to-Value on After-Repair Value (LTV on ARV). Understanding both — and how they interact — is foundational to evaluating any fix and flip loan offer.

LTC (Loan-to-Cost) measures how much of your total project cost (purchase price plus rehab budget) the lender will finance. General market practice for fix and flip lending runs up to 85-90% LTC, depending on borrower experience and lender guidelines. The remaining 10-15% is your equity contribution.

LTV on ARV measures the loan amount against the property’s projected value after all renovations are complete. General market practice runs 65-75% LTV on ARV. This is the lender’s primary risk guardrail — it ensures that even if the renovation runs over budget or the market softens, the loan amount is covered by the property’s end value.

The CFPB provides guidance on home appraisals and property valuation, which underpins how ARV is determined. The FHFA sets broader property standards and loan limit frameworks relevant to any investor evaluating financing options.

Beyond LTC and ARV-LTV, experienced investors also evaluate: draw schedule terms (how renovation funds are released and on what timeline), interest-only period length, extension options if the project runs long, experience requirements (some lenders require documented prior flips), and credit score floors.

Implementation Steps

1. Run your LTC calculation before approaching any lender: Add purchase price plus total rehab budget to get total project cost. Determine how much you need financed and what percentage of total cost that represents.

2. Run your ARV-LTV calculation: Divide your anticipated loan amount by your estimated ARV. If this number exceeds 75%, you may need to bring more equity to the table or find a lender with more flexible ARV-LTV guidelines.

3. Ask every lender specifically about draw schedule terms: How many draws are allowed? What triggers each draw release? Is there an inspection requirement before each draw? These details directly affect your contractor’s ability to stay on schedule.

The Fully Worked Dollar Example

Here is how these numbers work in a real deal scenario. This is an illustrative example — not a rate quote or approval guarantee.

Purchase Price: $300,000

Rehab Budget: $75,000

Total Project Cost: $375,000

Estimated ARV: $500,000

LTC Calculation: If a lender finances 90% of total project cost, the loan amount is $337,500. Your equity contribution is $37,500 (10% of $375,000).

LTV on ARV Calculation: $337,500 loan divided by $500,000 ARV equals 67.5% — within the typical 65-75% market range, meaning this deal structure would likely pass the ARV-LTV test with most fix and flip lenders.

Interest-Only Payment Example: At a hypothetical 10% annual rate on $337,500, your monthly interest-only payment is approximately $2,813. Over a 9-month project timeline, that’s roughly $25,313 in carrying costs — a number that needs to be factored into your margin calculation alongside acquisition costs, rehab costs, and selling expenses.

This is why rate, LTC, and ARV-LTV all matter together: a lender offering 85% LTC instead of 90% means you need an additional $18,750 in cash at closing on this deal. That cash position requirement can determine whether you can execute the deal at all.

Pro Tips

Always build a 10-15% contingency into your rehab budget before running these calculations. Lenders who see a well-structured budget with a contingency line read it as a sign of experience. Investors who show up with a tight budget and no cushion signal risk — and lenders price that risk accordingly.

3. Use a Wholesale Broker to Access Multiple Fix and Flip Lenders at Once

The Challenge It Solves

Calling lenders one by one is not just slow — it’s structurally inefficient. Each lender sees only their own product menu. Each application creates a separate credit inquiry. And because you’re coming in as a retail borrower, you’re getting retail pricing, not the wholesale rates available to brokers who send volume to these lenders regularly.

The Strategy Explained

A wholesale mortgage broker operates as an independent intermediary with active lending relationships across dozens of lenders simultaneously. When you work with a broker, you are not getting one lender’s guidelines and pricing — you are getting access to the full competitive landscape of every lender on that broker’s roster, matched to your specific deal, credit profile, and timeline.

Here is how the mechanic works: Wholesale lenders like PennyMac, Newrez, UWM, A&D Mortgage, Acra Lending, LoanStream Mortgage, Arc Home LLC, and 20+ others set their wholesale pricing below what a retail borrower calling them directly would receive. That pricing is accessible only through approved broker relationships. A broker submits your loan to the lender whose guidelines and pricing are the strongest fit for your specific scenario — not the lender the broker happens to work for, because an independent broker has no institutional loyalty to any single lender.

For fix and flip investors specifically, this matters enormously. A&D Mortgage has a strong Non-QM and DSCR investor product menu. Acra Lending is known for credit-flexible underwriting in investor scenarios. Deephaven Mortgage specializes in non-agency products for self-employed and investor borrowers. Arc Home LLC covers both Non-QM and agency investor products. LoanStream Mortgage offers a broad specialty and Non-QM product range. Carrington Mortgage Services is widely recognized in the broker community for credit-flexible underwriting with lower FICO tolerance than many competitors.

No single retail lender offers all of these. A broker with all of them on their roster can match your deal to the right guidelines in a single conversation.

Implementation Steps

1. Identify a broker with verified wholesale relationships across both institutional lenders (PennyMac, Newrez, Freedom Mortgage TPO, CMG Financial) and specialized Non-QM shops (A&D, Acra, Deephaven, Arc Home, LoanStream).

2. Provide your deal details — purchase price, rehab budget, ARV estimate, and your credit and experience profile — in a single intake conversation. A good broker can tell you within that conversation which lenders are worth pursuing for your specific scenario.

3. Authorize a single application submission to the lender the broker identifies as the strongest fit. One application, one credit inquiry, one set of conditions to satisfy.

Pro Tips

Ask any broker you’re evaluating to name the specific lenders they have wholesale relationships with and to explain which ones they would target for your deal type and why. A broker who can answer that question specifically — not generically — is one who actually knows their lender roster well enough to use it strategically on your behalf.

4. Match Your Credit Profile and Experience Level to the Right Lender

The Challenge It Solves

Fix and flip lenders are not a uniform market. They segment borrowers by experience tier and credit profile, and applying to a lender whose guidelines don’t match your profile wastes time and risks your deal timeline. First-time flippers applying to lenders who require documented prior flips will get declined. Investors with strong credit and five completed flips applying to credit-flexible lenders may leave better pricing on the table.

The Strategy Explained

The fix and flip lending market has two broad borrower tiers, and knowing which tier you’re in determines which lenders are worth pursuing.

First-Time and Credit-Challenged Investors: Lenders in this tier prioritize deal strength and asset quality over borrower experience and credit score. Carrington Mortgage Services is widely known in the broker community for tolerating lower FICO scores than most competitors. Acra Lending specializes in credit-flexible and investor-scenario underwriting. Deephaven Mortgage focuses on non-agency products where alternative documentation and non-traditional credit profiles are accommodated. For investors who are new to flipping, these lenders evaluate the deal’s fundamentals — purchase price relative to ARV, rehab scope, and exit plan — more heavily than a long track record.

Experienced Investors with Strong Credit: Investors with multiple completed flips and strong credit profiles unlock different pricing tiers and higher LTC ratios at lenders like PennyMac, Newrez, and institutional-grade wholesale shops. Experience documentation directly affects the terms you’re offered — not just whether you’re approved, but how much the lender will finance and at what rate.

Documenting your flip experience is a skill in itself. Lenders want to see settlement statements (HUD-1 or Closing Disclosure) from prior flip transactions showing you as the seller, not just the buyer. Before-and-after photos, contractor invoices, and permit records all strengthen the picture. Fannie Mae’s investment property guidelines provide a baseline framework for how experience and property type interact in underwriting decisions.

Implementation Steps

1. Pull your credit report before approaching any lender. Know your FICO score and understand any derogatory items. If your score is below 680, focus your search on credit-flexible lenders like Carrington, Acra, and Deephaven rather than institutional lenders who price for higher credit profiles.

2. Compile your flip experience documentation into a single package: prior closing disclosures, project photos, and any contractor or permit records. This package should be ready before you begin any lender conversation.

3. Be honest about your experience level upfront. Misrepresenting experience to access better pricing is a compliance risk and will surface during underwriting. The right lender for your actual profile exists — find that lender rather than trying to fit a profile you don’t have.

Pro Tips

If you are a first-time flipper, consider partnering on your first deal with an experienced investor who can be listed as a co-borrower. Many lenders count the co-borrower’s experience when evaluating the loan, which can unlock better LTC ratios and lower rates than you would access as a solo first-timer.

5. Structure the Deal to Protect Your Margin

The Challenge It Solves

Investors who evaluate fix and flip loans on rate alone routinely discover that structural terms — draw schedule timing, interest-only period length, extension options, and reserve requirements — erode their margin in ways a rate comparison spreadsheet never captured. A loan with a slightly higher rate but a flexible draw schedule and a 6-month extension option may outperform a cheaper loan that restricts fund access and charges heavy extension penalties.

The Strategy Explained

Think of a fix and flip loan’s structural terms as levers that either protect or compress your net return, independent of the interest rate.

Draw Schedules: Rehab funds are typically held in a controlled account and released in draws tied to renovation milestones. The critical questions: How many draws are allowed? How quickly are draw requests processed? Is an inspection required before each release? A slow draw process means your contractor waits, your project timeline extends, and your carrying costs accumulate. Lenders like CMG Financial, PRMG, Kind Lending, and Plaza Home Mortgage offer broad investor product menus — ask each specifically about their draw timeline and inspection process before committing.

Interest-Only Period and Extension Options: Most fix and flip loans are structured as interest-only for the loan term. If your project runs long — contractor delays, permit issues, market timing — extension options matter. A lender that charges a heavy extension fee or has no extension option forces you into a rushed sale at a potentially suboptimal price. The Loan Store, LoanUnited, and Mega Capital Funding all operate in the investor lending space — evaluating their extension terms as part of your lender comparison is worthwhile.

Reserve Requirements: Some lenders require you to hold 3-6 months of payments in reserve at closing. This affects your cash position for the project and your ability to take on additional deals simultaneously.

Exit Strategy Alignment: If your plan shifts from a sale to a rental hold, you need a clear refinance path. A DSCR loan from a lender like A&D Mortgage or Acra Lending can serve as the permanent financing vehicle after the bridge loan matures — but only if you’ve planned that transition from the beginning. Misaligning your bridge loan term with your exit timeline is one of the most common and costly structural mistakes in fix and flip investing.

Implementation Steps

1. Build a project timeline with realistic milestones before selecting a lender. Map each milestone to a draw request. Then evaluate whether each lender’s draw process can realistically support that timeline.

2. Ask every lender about extension terms: What does an extension cost? How many extensions are available? What conditions trigger extension eligibility?

3. Model your exit strategy before closing: If you’re selling, what’s your target list date and your minimum acceptable net proceeds? If you’re holding, does the property’s projected rent support a DSCR refinance at a loan amount that covers your total project cost?

Pro Tips

Request a complete fee schedule from every lender, not just the interest rate. Origination points, draw inspection fees, extension fees, and prepayment penalties all affect your net return. A lender who is transparent about all fees upfront is a lender you can budget against accurately — that transparency is itself a signal of a lender relationship worth building.

6. Get Pre-Qualified Before You’re Under Contract

The Challenge It Solves

In competitive off-market and wholesale deal environments, the investor who can close fast wins. Sellers of distressed properties are not waiting for you to figure out your financing — they’re choosing the buyer who shows up ready. Investors who begin their lender search after they’re under contract are already behind, and they often pay for it in rushed decisions, unfavorable terms, or lost deals.

The Strategy Explained

Fix and flip pre-qualification is meaningfully different from a standard mortgage pre-approval. A conventional mortgage pre-approval is tied to a specific property and a borrower’s income qualification. Fix and flip pre-qualification establishes your borrowing capacity, your credit profile, and your experience tier with a lender or broker before any specific property is identified.

When you have a pre-qualification in hand, you can move on a deal with confidence. You know your maximum loan amount, your likely rate range, and your equity requirement. You can make an offer with a realistic closing timeline because you’ve already done the groundwork.

Many wholesale lenders and brokers offer soft-pull pre-qualification options — meaning your credit is reviewed without generating a hard inquiry that affects your score. This is particularly valuable for investors who are actively shopping multiple deals simultaneously and don’t want multiple hard inquiries accumulating on their credit report.

The five documents every fix and flip investor should have ready before making an offer: (1) two years of tax returns or alternative income documentation, (2) bank statements showing liquid reserves, (3) a list of prior flip transactions with closing disclosures if applicable, (4) a current credit report or authorization for a soft pull, and (5) a basic business entity structure document if purchasing through an LLC or corporation, which many lenders require for investment property loans.

Implementation Steps

1. Assemble your pre-qualification document package now, before you have a deal in hand. The time to organize your paperwork is not when you’re under contract with a 15-day close deadline.

2. Contact a wholesale broker with fix-and-flip-friendly lender relationships and request a soft-pull pre-qualification. Provide your deal parameters (typical purchase price range, typical rehab scope, target markets) so the broker can identify which lenders on their roster are the strongest fit for your deal profile.

3. Establish a clear communication protocol with your broker: Who do you call when a deal comes in? What’s the turnaround time for a term sheet? What information does the broker need from you to move immediately? Having this process mapped out in advance is what allows you to move at deal speed when opportunity appears.

Pro Tips

Pre-qualification is also a relationship-building exercise. The broker or lender who pre-qualifies you has already reviewed your profile and understands your deal parameters. When you call with a live deal, you’re not starting from scratch — you’re activating a relationship that’s already been established. That head start is often the margin between closing and losing a deal.

7. Build a Repeatable Lender Relationship Strategy for Multiple Flips

The Challenge It Solves

Investors who treat each fix and flip as a standalone financing event leave significant value on the table. The lender market rewards volume and track record — investors who close multiple deals per year with the same broker and lender relationships build a documented history that unlocks better terms, higher LTC ratios, and faster processing over time. Treating financing as a one-time transaction rather than a strategic relationship is one of the most common scaling mistakes in fix and flip investing.

The Strategy Explained

Wholesale lenders tier investors by volume and documented experience. An investor who has closed three deals through the same broker in 12 months is not the same credit risk as a first-time applicant — and lenders price that difference. The track record you build with a broker and their lending partners directly affects the terms available to you on your next deal.

Here is how the tiering mechanic works: As you close deals and build a documented history of successful flips — evidenced by closing disclosures showing profitable exits — lenders become more willing to offer higher LTC ratios, lower rate tiers, and faster processing. Some wholesale lenders have formal investor repeat programs; others build this flexibility into their underwriting guidelines informally. Lenders like Forward Lending, Brokers First Funding, Ameritrust Mortgage Corp., NexBank, and TheLender are all active wholesale relationships on Duane’s roster — for investors scaling beyond their first few flips, these lender relationships are worth establishing early. Specific program details for these lenders should be confirmed directly with Duane before structuring a deal around any particular product.

For investors scaling to multiple simultaneous flips, portfolio loan structures become relevant. Rather than financing each property individually, portfolio lenders can underwrite multiple investment properties under a single loan structure — reducing closing costs, simplifying draw management, and potentially improving overall pricing. NexBank, with its institutional-grade and jumbo-adjacent positioning, and Mega Capital Funding, with its broad specialty investor product menu, are both worth evaluating for investors at this stage.

Implementation Steps

1. After each completed flip, document the transaction thoroughly: closing disclosure showing your profit, before-and-after photos, and a brief project summary. This documentation becomes your investor track record file, which your broker can present to lenders when negotiating terms on your next deal.

2. Communicate your pipeline to your broker proactively. If you’re planning to close three deals in the next 12 months, your broker can structure your lender relationships to support that volume — including identifying lenders with portfolio structures for investors at your scale.

3. Review your lender relationship annually: Are the lenders you’re using still the right fit for your current experience level and deal profile? As your track record grows, you may qualify for lender tiers and product options that weren’t available to you when you started.

Pro Tips

The single highest-leverage relationship you can build in fix and flip investing is with a wholesale broker who knows your deal profile, your timeline preferences, and your growth trajectory. That broker becomes your deal-speed advantage on every subsequent transaction. The time invested in that relationship compounds across every deal you close.

HTML Comparison Table: Fix and Flip Lender Profiles by Scenario

LenderPrimary StrengthBorrower Profile FitLoan TypeNotable for Fix and Flip
A&D MortgageNon-QM and DSCR investor productsSelf-employed, investor borrowersNon-QM, DSCRFlexible underwriting for non-traditional income
Acra LendingCredit-flexible Non-QMCredit-challenged and investor scenariosNon-QMInvestor-scenario underwriting, lower FICO tolerance
Deephaven MortgageNon-agency / Non-QMSelf-employed and investor borrowersNon-QMAlternative documentation, non-traditional profiles
Arc Home LLCNon-QM and agency investorBroad investor profileNon-QM, AgencyInvestor-friendly across multiple product types
Carrington Mortgage ServicesCredit-flexible underwritingLower FICO investors, first-time flippersNon-QM, SpecialtyKnown for lower credit score tolerance in broker community
LoanStream MortgageBroad Non-QM and specialtyInvestor and self-employed borrowersNon-QM, SpecialtyWide product range for investor scenarios
Mega Capital FundingBroad specialty investor productsScaling investors, portfolio borrowersSpecialty, InvestorBroad product menu for experienced investors
PennyMacInstitutional pricing, agencyExperienced investors, strong creditAgency, ConventionalCompetitive wholesale pricing at institutional scale
NewrezInstitutional wholesale, broad productExperienced investors, strong creditAgency, SpecialtyBroad product access at wholesale pricing
NexBankJumbo and institutional-backed pricingScaling investors, higher loan amountsJumbo, SpecialtyInstitutional-grade pricing for experienced investors
CMG FinancialBroad wholesale product menuBroad investor profileAgency, SpecialtyEstablished wholesale lender with investor products
PRMGBroad wholesale, investor-friendlyBroad investor profileAgency, Non-QMInvestor products across multiple loan types
Kind LendingBroad wholesale product accessBroad investor profileAgency, SpecialtyWholesale lender with investor product options
The Loan StoreCompetitive agency pricingExperienced investors, clean creditAgencyLean, competitive pricing for qualified investors
LoanUnitedCompetitive agency pricingExperienced investors, clean creditAgencyAggressive agency pricing through wholesale channel

10 Fix and Flip Financing Questions, Answered Directly

What is a fix and flip loan?

A fix and flip loan is a short-term bridge loan used to purchase and renovate a property with the intent to sell it for a profit. These loans are typically structured as interest-only, run 6 to 24 months, and release renovation funds in draws tied to construction milestones rather than as a lump sum at closing.

How does LTV on ARV work for fix and flip financing?

LTV on ARV (After-Repair Value) measures your loan amount as a percentage of the property’s projected value after all renovations are complete. If a property will be worth $500,000 after rehab and the lender caps LTV on ARV at 70%, the maximum loan amount is $350,000 — regardless of your purchase price or rehab budget. This metric is the lender’s primary risk control on fix and flip deals.

Can a first-time flipper get a fix and flip loan?

Yes. First-time flippers have access to fix and flip financing, though the available lenders and terms differ from those available to experienced investors. Lenders like Carrington Mortgage Services, Acra Lending, and Deephaven Mortgage are known for underwriting investor scenarios where experience is limited, with greater emphasis on deal fundamentals and property quality. A wholesale broker can identify which lenders on their roster are most accessible for first-time flippers.

What credit score do fix and flip lenders typically require?

Credit score requirements vary significantly by lender and loan type. Hard money lenders may have minimal credit score requirements. Non-QM lenders like Acra Lending and Carrington Mortgage Services are known for tolerating lower FICO scores than conventional lenders. Institutional wholesale lenders typically prefer scores above 680-700. The right answer for your situation depends on your specific score and which lenders your broker has access to.

How fast can a fix and flip loan close?

Closing timelines for fix and flip loans range from as fast as a few days for hard money loans to 2-4 weeks for Non-QM bridge loans through wholesale lenders. Having your documentation package complete and a pre-qualification in place before you’re under contract is the single most reliable way to compress your closing timeline. Working through a wholesale broker with established lender relationships also speeds the process significantly compared to applying retail.

What is a draw schedule in fix and flip lending?

A draw schedule is the mechanism by which a lender releases renovation funds in stages rather than all at once at closing. Each draw is typically tied to a renovation milestone — foundation work, framing, electrical, finish work, and so on. The lender may require an inspection before releasing each draw to confirm the work has been completed. Draw schedule terms — how many draws are allowed, how quickly they process, and what triggers each release — directly affect your project timeline and carrying costs.

What is the difference between LTC and LTV on ARV?

LTC (Loan-to-Cost) measures the loan amount as a percentage of your total project cost, which is purchase price plus rehab budget. LTV on ARV measures the loan amount as a percentage of the property’s projected value after renovation is complete. Both metrics are used by fix and flip lenders simultaneously — your loan must satisfy both the LTC cap and the ARV-LTV cap to be approved. The binding constraint is whichever calculation produces the lower maximum loan amount.

Can I use a fix and flip loan if I am self-employed?

Yes. Non-QM lenders like A&D Mortgage, Acra Lending, Deephaven Mortgage, and LoanStream Mortgage specialize in underwriting self-employed and alternative-documentation borrowers. These lenders can often qualify self-employed investors using bank statements, asset depletion, or other non-traditional income documentation rather than requiring standard W-2 and tax return verification. A wholesale broker with Non-QM lender access is the most efficient path for self-employed investors.

How does a wholesale broker get me better fix and flip rates than going direct to a lender?

Wholesale lenders set pricing below retail for approved broker partners because brokers bring volume and handle the borrower relationship management that would otherwise fall on the lender’s retail staff. When you call a lender directly as a retail borrower, you receive their retail pricing. When a broker submits your loan through their wholesale relationship, you receive wholesale pricing — the same loan, the same lender, a lower cost. The broker earns a fee for their service, but the wholesale pricing differential typically more than offsets that fee.

What is the exit strategy requirement for a fix and flip loan?

Fix and flip lenders require a defined exit strategy because the loan is short-term and must be repaid at maturity. The two primary exit strategies are: (1) sell the property after renovation and use the sale proceeds to repay the loan, or (2) refinance into a longer-term product — typically a DSCR loan — if you decide to hold the property as a rental. Lenders want to see that your exit strategy is realistic relative to your loan term. Misaligning your exit timeline with your loan maturity date is a common and costly mistake that can force a rushed sale or an expensive extension.

Putting It All Together: Your Fix and Flip Financing Roadmap

Fix and flip financing is not a commodity — the lender, the loan structure, and the timing all affect whether a deal closes profitably or stalls out. The investors who consistently win are the ones who treat financing as a strategic tool, not an afterthought.

The strategies in this guide give you a framework that works deal after deal: understand the lender landscape before you shop, know what lenders actually underwrite and how LTC and ARV-LTV interact, use wholesale broker access to reach multiple lenders simultaneously, match your credit profile and experience to the right lender tier, evaluate structural terms as carefully as rate, get pre-qualified before you’re under contract, and build repeatable lender relationships that improve with every closed deal.

Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647, works with all 30 of the wholesale lenders named on this site — including specialized fix-and-flip-friendly shops like A&D Mortgage, Acra Lending, Deephaven Mortgage, and Arc Home LLC, alongside institutional players like PennyMac, Newrez, and Freedom Mortgage TPO. One conversation with Duane can tell you which lender fits your specific deal, your credit profile, and your timeline — without multiple applications or retail pricing.

Call 804-212-8663 or get your personalized rate estimate today with no credit impact and start your investor pre-qualification with the Mortgage Maestro’s expert guidance.

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