Short-Term Rental & Investment Property Financing
Buying an investment property, purchasing your next home, or exploring options for the home you own? Let’s find financing that fits your goals.
Lisa Stepp-Seritt brings 25 years of mortgage experience, specializing in short-term rental and investment-property financing while helping homebuyers and homeowners explore their options.
25 Years Mortgage Experience • Short-Term Rental & DSCR Specialist • Lisa Stepp-Seritt, NMLS #680403
Explore DSCR loans, rental-income qualification, and financing strategies for your next investment property.
First home or next home—explore down payment, credit, and mortgage options that may fit your situation.
Explore refinancing and home equity financing for your next goal.
Loan availability and eligibility vary by borrower, property, lender, loan program and state.
Lisa’s Specialty
A great-looking property is only part of the picture. Let’s review the purchase price, projected rental income, down payment, and financing structure before you make your next move.
No obligation. Financing options depend on the borrower, property, and program guidelines.
Experience navigating complex mortgage and investor financing scenarios.
Financing strategies designed around the property, projected income and investor goals.
Access to financing solutions beyond traditional conventional mortgage programs.
Review the property, numbers, down payment and financing structure before moving forward.
Financing Options
Every property and investor is different. The right financing strategy depends on the property, projected income, down payment, credit profile and long-term goals.
Financing based primarily on the property's rental income rather than traditional personal income qualification.
Documentation and eligibility requirements vary by lender, borrower, property and transaction.
Explore DSCR LoansLoan options designed for vacation rentals and other income-producing short-term rental properties.
Programs may consider approved market rent, existing rental history or eligible third-party rental data.
Explore Short-Term Rental FinancingTraditional financing options for qualifying investment properties and borrowers.
Explore Conventional Investment Property LoansFinancing options for self-employed investors using qualifying bank deposits rather than traditional tax-return income.
Explore Bank Statement LoansPrograms that may allow eligible assets to help support income qualification.
Explore Asset-Based FinancingFinancing solutions for investors whose scenario may not fit a standard mortgage program.
Includes vacation home, second-home, jumbo, portfolio, cash-out and cabin-specific options.
Explore Additional Investor Loan OptionsLisa also helps investors structure vacation home, second-home, cabin, mountain, jumbo, portfolio and cash-out financing when those programs fit the borrower, property and transaction.
The Process
A clear path from first conversation to closed loan, designed for investors, vacation-home buyers, and borrowers who want a smarter financing strategy.
We review your deal, goals, and credit profile. I'll match you to the right DSCR or investor program before you ever write an offer.
Many DSCR programs evaluate the property's rental income rather than relying on traditional personal-income calculations. Depending on the lender and transaction, income may be evaluated using market rents, existing leases, property history or eligible short-term rental data.
My team knows short-term rental financing documentation. We handle appraisal scheduling, rental income analysis, and lender communication, start to finish.
Some qualified transactions may close in as little as 18 days. Actual closing timelines vary based on the property, appraisal, inspections, documentation, lender, title work, insurance, borrower responsiveness, and loan program.
Investor Resources
Learn how financing, projected rental income, cash flow and property qualification can impact your short-term rental investment before you make a decision.
New VideoRealistic rental income, true operating expenses, total housing payment, debt-service-coverage ratio and cash-on-cash return, and how they work together.
Watch the video →Tools and guidance to help investors evaluate a property and understand financing options before moving forward.
Explore Investor Deal DeskEducational content covering financing strategies, DSCR loans, down payments, reserves and property qualification.
Explore Short-Term Rental Financing GuidesMarket-specific information for short-term rental investors, including Smoky Mountain and Sevier County financing resources.
Explore Market ResourcesEducational articles, guides, calculators and other tools for real estate investors researching short-term rental financing.
Explore Investor LibraryVideos, articles and educational content that help investors understand financing and investment-property decisions.
Explore Training & EducationFrom the Investor Library
A complete walkthrough of qualifying, structuring, and closing on your first, or fifth, short-term rental in today's rate environment. Written for serious investors.
Lisa Stepp
Senior Loan Officer & Short-Term Rental Financing Specialist
New · VideoShort-Term Rental Financing
7 min read · Watch and read →
DSCR Loans
8 min read · Read article →
AirDNA
8 min read · Read article →
Share the property details for a preliminary financing review before you make an offer.
Featured Free Training
A beautiful property, mountain view and game room do not automatically create positive cash flow. Before making an offer on a Smoky Mountain short-term rental, review these five critical numbers: realistic revenue, occupancy and seasonality, total operating expenses, the actual debt payment, and realistic cash flow.
Smoky Mountain Investor Guide
Explore financing considerations for cabins and investment properties in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Wears Valley and unincorporated Sevier County.
For Homebuyers
Unsure about your credit, down payment, or monthly payment? Let’s talk through your goals and explore potential next steps—even if you’re still getting ready.
Let’s Talk About Buying a HomeFor Homeowners
Planning improvements or reviewing your current financing? Let’s discuss refinance and home equity options, including the costs and tradeoffs.
Mortgage Education
Practical mortgage and real estate education for homebuyers, veterans, real estate investors, Realtors, and homeowners, including short-term rental, DSCR, investment-property, VA, renovation, conventional and non-QM mortgage topics.
For Homebuyers & Realtor Partners
Lisa Stepp-Seritt explains how the two credit-scoring models differ and how a stronger qualifying score may affect pricing on eligible loans.
For Homebuyers & Realtor Partners
Lisa Stepp-Seritt explains a lending partner’s update that relies on automated underwriting approval instead of a set minimum credit score for eligible agency products. Exceptions apply.
For Homebuyers & Realtor Partners
Learn how a 2-1 mortgage buydown uses funds set aside at closing to temporarily reduce the buyer’s monthly payment, how payments change each year, and what buyers and agents should consider before making an offer.
For Investors
Learn the important questions to ask about short-term rental regulations, actual income, operating expenses, insurance, financing, cash requirements, and reserves before making an offer.
For Homebuyers
Watch Lisa Stepp-Seritt explain VA renovation financing and the questions to ask before making an offer.
VA Financing
Considering a home that needs repairs? Lisa Stepp-Seritt, Senior Loan Officer with Mpire Financial, NMLS #680403, works with buyers in multiple states and can help you understand how VA renovation financing may fit your situation.
Keep Learning
Short trainings and videos to help you evaluate financing options before you write an offer.
An 8-minute training on accelerated depreciation, bonus depreciation and the tax questions to bring to your CPA.
Watch and read
A growing library of short-form videos on DSCR, short-term rental financing and investor strategy.
Watch
A quick mini-class on DSCR underwriting and projected rental income.
WatchA free investor training you can watch right here on the site.
WatchReviews
Read verified feedback from borrowers, investors and real estate professionals who have worked with Lisa.
These links open Lisa's public Google Business Profile and the official Google review form in a new browser tab. Reviews are never embedded or scraped on this site.
Quick Answers
Quick answers to the questions buyers and investors ask most before they book a call.
Yes. While short-term rental and investment-property financing are Lisa's specialty, she also helps buyers explore conventional, FHA, VA, USDA and renovation options for a primary home.
Just your goals, an approximate timeline and your questions. You don't need documents to get started, and please don't share Social Security numbers or other sensitive financial information through website forms.
Start with the Short-Term Rental Financing guide or the DSCR calculator, or send a property through Review My Deal. Lisa can then walk through the purchase price, projected rental income, down payment and financing structure with you.
Often, yes. Many DSCR programs evaluate eligible property rental income rather than relying primarily on traditional personal-income calculations. Some programs may not require traditional W-2 or tax-return income documentation, though documentation and eligibility requirements vary by lender, borrower, property and transaction.
Lenders look at market-based rents, short-term rental performance, and underwriting guidelines to determine DSCR. Lisa helps you understand how your property's actual or projected income may be viewed.
Financing is available in eligible states, subject to licensing and program requirements. Lisa helps investors explore financing options in eligible states through Mpire Financial and its lending network.
Vacation-home loans focus more on personal use and second-home guidelines, while short-term rental loans are structured as investment loans using rental income. Lisa helps you choose the right strategy for your goals.
About Lisa
Based in Knoxville, Lisa Stepp-Seritt is a Senior Loan Officer with Mpire Financial, NMLS #680403, with 25 years of mortgage-industry experience serving buyers in East Tennessee and in other eligible states, subject to licensing and program requirements. Her educational focus includes short-term rental and investment-property financing, DSCR loans, VA loans, renovation financing and other mortgage strategies for homebuyers and real estate investors.
Short-term rental financing is not always a one-size-fits-all decision. Lisa’s role is to help investors understand the options, identify potential financing challenges and choose a strategy that fits both the property and the investor.
She compares DSCR, conventional, second-home, jumbo and other available options based on the borrower, property type and transaction. Program availability and eligibility vary by lender, borrower, property, occupancy and state.
Whether you’re buying a home, evaluating an investment, or exploring your current mortgage options, let’s talk about your next step.
Have a question first? Contact Lisa
Lisa Stepp-Seritt | NMLS #680403 · Mpire Financial | NMLS #2108504 · Equal Housing Opportunity.
All loans subject to credit and underwriting approval. Program availability and guidelines may change.
