Current DSCR HELOC guidelines, updated from one source.
Treat these as program parameters, not an offer: the maximum combined loan-to-value, the minimum credit score, the line sizes, and the draw and repayment periods on a rental line qualified by its rent, all drawn from one guideline source this page keeps current.
Of the rental’s value, first mortgage included
Behind a first mortgage the strongest tier reaches 70% of value across all liens combined; a first-lien line on a rental with no mortgage reaches 75% at the top tier and runs to $1,000,000 at the reduced ceiling on the largest lines.
Credit score for a second-lien line
A 720 score opens the second-lien program; the first-lien tiers start at 700 and step up from there. At 700 and above the program’s tradeline-depth rules fall away entirely, on either lien position.
Automated valuation on lines to $400,000
The program writes second-lien lines from $50,000 to $500,000, and first-lien lines to $1,000,000; up to $400,000 the valuation is an automated model plus an inspection, and the largest lines, above that threshold, require a full interior appraisal.
Interest-only, then 25 years of repayment
A 5-year interest-only draw period and a 25-year repayment period make up the 30-year line. The rent must cover the qualifying payment at 1.10 or better, measured on the whole line at a stressed rate.
| Credit profile | Max combined LTV | Max line | Lien position · valuation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 740+ | 70% | $500,000 | Second lien behind the first mortgage · Automated valuation + inspection to $400,000, full interior appraisal above |
| 720+ | 70% | $500,000 | Second lien behind the first mortgage · Automated valuation + inspection to $400,000, full interior appraisal above |
| 740+ | 75% | $500,000 | First lien on a paid-off rental · Automated valuation + inspection to $400,000, full interior appraisal above |
| 720+ | 70% | $500,000 | First lien on a paid-off rental · Automated valuation + inspection to $400,000, full interior appraisal above |
| 720+ | 65% | $750,000 | First lien on a paid-off rental · Automated valuation + inspection to $400,000, full interior appraisal above |
| 720+ | 65% | $1,000,000 | First lien on a paid-off rental · Automated valuation + inspection to $400,000, full interior appraisal above |
| 700+ | 70% | $500,000 | First lien on a paid-off rental · Automated valuation + inspection to $400,000, full interior appraisal above |
The 70% combined loan-to-value ceiling behind a first mortgage requires a 720 credit profile. A first-lien line on a paid-off rental starts at a 700 profile, reaches 75% loan-to-value at the top tier, and runs to $1,000,000 at 65% on lines above $500,000. The rent must cover the qualifying payment at 1.10 or better.
Current DSCR HELOC snapshot · updated October 29, 2026 · seven tier rows across both lien positions · variable rate through the draw and repayment periods · at least 80% of the line (and $50,000) drawn at closing · later draws from $5,000 · first or second lien position · vesting in the owner’s LLC allowed · no reserves required · 6 months of ownership before the line.
This page describes a wholesale program as its guidelines stand, read from one centralized source and refreshed as it changes; it does not offer credit, quote terms, or promise approval. The line a given rental supports depends on the valuation, the lease and the rent, the credit tier, the lien position, the entity, the property type, and full underwriting. No rate, index, payment, or fee appears here. Lendmire, LLC (NMLS #2371349) is a mortgage broker, not a lender, licensed in sixteen states for consumer mortgages. Equal Housing Opportunity.
What a DSCR HELOC is — and how the rent sizes the line.
A DSCR HELOC on a Texas rental is sized the way a line of credit is and qualified the way a DSCR loan is: by the equity that is actually there, the tier the credit profile lands in, and the rent the property earns. The cards below cover the line itself, the rent test, the tier ladder, and how the file closes.
For the program overview, see Lendmire’s DSCR HELOC program; for a rental line qualified on your own income instead of the rent, see the investment property HELOC.
A line on the rental, behind the mortgage you keep
Think of it as a credit limit secured by the rental. During the draw period you borrow and repay as you like, paying interest only on what is out; once the draw period ends, the balance converts to a fully amortizing repayment schedule. A paid-off rental can carry the line in first position instead.
The rent qualifies the line, not your tax returns
Because the payment used in the test is a fully amortizing payment on the entire credit limit at a stressed rate, a Texas rental with thin cash flow qualifies for a smaller line than its equity would allow. Equity sets the ceiling; rent sets what the ceiling can actually fund.
Your credit tier sets the ceiling and the cap
Leverage steps with the tier and with the lien position. The same Texas rental supports one line behind a first mortgage and a larger one when it is paid off, because the first-lien tiers read the property alone; the ladder on this page shows both columns.
Valuation, the lease, the LLC, and closing
The file closes on the valuation, the lease, the credit report, title, and insurance that covers both liens. Smaller second-lien lines use an ownership-and-encumbrance report instead of a full title policy; a first-lien line always takes the full policy. No reserves and no cash to close are required.
The arithmetic is the same on every Texas file: the ceiling for the tier and the lien position, multiplied by the value, minus the balance already on the rental, capped at the maximum line. A rental with a small first mortgage leaves a wide gap; a recent purchase at high leverage may leave none.
Texas’ rental equity in figures — and how a line fits it.
Where Texas’ landlords hold their equity differs by market: deep-equity cities with long tenures, newer markets of recent purchases, resort markets with seasonal rents. The cards below sketch each tracked market and link to its guide.
Statewide figures provide general market context, not an appraisal or an income calculation. Read the median against the balance on your own rental. Where values have run ahead of the mortgages on them, the room under the ceiling is wide and the rent test is the tighter of the two gates; where purchases are recent, the room is narrow and the ceiling is the tighter gate.
Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2024) housing and population estimates, including tenure, home values, gross rents, and household income.
Where Texas’ landlords hold their equity — market by market.
The Texas markets below are the ones Lendmire tracks; each has a guide with the city’s figures, submarkets, and calculator.
Houston
Roughly 391,519 Houston households own their homes (42% of the total), and the rental stock beside them is where a DSCR HELOC is written against a wide range of equity positions. Census context: median value near $277,800, median household income near $64,813, population near 2.33M.
San Antonio
In San Antonio, owner households number near 289,380, about 52% of households, and the metropolitan market there produces a steady flow of rental equity lines sized by tier and by rent. Census context: median value near $235,700, median household income near $65,056, population near 1.48M.
Dallas
Roughly 226,615 Dallas households own their homes (42% of the total), and the rental stock beside them is where a DSCR HELOC is written against a wide range of equity positions. Census context: median value near $320,700, median household income near $70,518, population near 1.31M.
Austin
Roughly 198,180 Austin households own their homes (43% of the total), and the rental stock beside them is where a DSCR HELOC is written against a wide range of equity positions. Census context: median value near $555,300, median household income near $93,658, population near 980K.
Fort Worth
Roughly 195,072 Fort Worth households own their homes (57% of the total), and the rental stock beside them is where a DSCR HELOC is written against a wide range of equity positions. Census context: median value near $303,000, median household income near $79,507, population near 963K.
El Paso
El Paso ranks sixth by owner households among Lendmire’s Texas markets — roughly 149,169, about 61% of households — a metropolitan market where small landlords hold rentals they bought years ago and a rent-qualified line is an everyday tool. Census context: median value near $184,500, median household income near $59,745, population near 680K.
The tables do not change from one Texas city to the next. What changes is the rental stock, the values, and the rents the market supports, which is why each market has its own page. A state rule, where Texas has one, applies in every market and is noted here.
Four ways Texas landlords put a rental equity line to work.
Why a line rather than a refinance? Because most Texas investors need money in pieces and want to keep the mortgage they have. The four uses below are the ones the program sees most, and each one works with a closing draw and a line that stays open.
Bridge a sale, a tax bill, or a buyout
Timing problems are capital problems. A DSCR HELOC on a seasoned Texas rental turns a timing problem into a draw and a repayment, without a refinance and without the owner’s personal income in the file.
Consolidate business debt at the property level
A Texas landlord carrying repair cards, a contractor note, or a short-term loan can draw once against the rental’s equity and retire them. The line replaces several payments with one, and the first mortgage is not refinanced to do it.
Rehab and repairs staged over months
A roof, a kitchen, a unit turn between tenants: the invoices arrive in pieces, and a line pays them in pieces. A Texas landlord draws the closing minimum, draws the rest as each phase bills, and keeps the first mortgage where it is.
Fund the next purchase without refinancing
A line that stays open fits a buying program: draw for one earnest-money deposit and down payment, repay from a later refinance or sale, draw again. The Texas rental behind the line keeps its mortgage and its rate throughout.
Estimate your Texas rental’s available credit line before requesting a quote.
Enter your Texas rental’s value, the balance on it, your credit tier, and whether the line sits behind a first mortgage or stands first on a paid-off property. The result is the room under the ceiling, capped at the program maximum, with the closing draw and the valuation path beside it. The rent must still cover the line; the lender decides that from the lease.
Texas rental available-equity calculator
The arithmetic the program uses, with your Texas figures: value times ceiling minus balance, capped at the maximum line for the tier.
Illustrative starting assumptions: a $285,000 rental value near Texas’ median owner-occupied home value and a $130,000 modeled remaining first-mortgage balance (U.S. Census Bureau). Combined loan-to-value ceilings and line caps follow the current program tables for the lien position and credit tier selected and update from Lendmire’s centralized guideline source on the live page. The rent test is the lender’s: the gross rent must cover the qualifying payment on the whole line at the program’s coverage minimum. Every field is editable.
Illustrative estimate only — not a credit decision, approval, quote, or commitment to lend. The actual line amount, combined loan-to-value, and eligibility depend on the automated valuation or appraisal, the lease and the rent, the credit profile, the vesting, documentation, and full underwriting by the selected wholesale lender; the rate, the payment, and any costs are provided in writing by a licensed loan officer. Minimum score, line-size, coverage, and draw requirements follow the current program snapshot shown on this page. Licensed in sixteen states for consumer mortgages.
Same rental equity, four very different ways to reach it.
Four routes to the equity in a Texas rental, compared on the question that matters most to a landlord: what does the lender read, and what happens to the loan already on the property? The cards below answer both for each route.
A rent-qualified line, an income-qualified line, a cash-out refinance, or a bank statement line.
The route when the owner’s income is the problem and the rental’s income is not: the lease and the market rent carry the line, the entity stays on title, and nothing about the first mortgage changes. It caps lower than the income-qualified line and starts at a stronger credit tier.
Qualified on the owner’s documented income and debt-to-income ratio, vested in the owner’s own name, and written behind the first mortgage. It reaches a higher ceiling than the rent-qualified line and starts at a lower credit floor, at the cost of the full income file. For the income-qualified route, see Lendmire’s investment property HELOC.
A DSCR cash-out refinance replaces the first mortgage with a larger one and hands over the difference as a lump sum, qualified on the rent like the line. It reaches more of the equity in one closing, at the cost of the existing rate and a new thirty-year loan on the whole balance. For the refinance route, see the investment property cash-out refinance.
For the Texas self-employed owner whose business deposits tell a better story than the returns, on a property held personally. Where the rental’s own rent covers the line, the DSCR HELOC asks for less; where it does not, the bank statement line reads the owner instead. For the deposit-qualified route, see the bank statement HELOC.
What to prepare for a Texas scenario review.
A DSCR HELOC file is shorter than an income-qualified one, because the owner’s income is not in it. What the lender needs is the property’s file: the lease, the rent, the mortgage statement, title, insurance, and the entity papers if an LLC holds the deed.
This is a general preparation guide, not a universal checklist. The selected lender may request additional information based on the lease, the entity, the property, the lien position, and the credit profile. Nothing here is legal or tax advice.
Details that can change the line.
The tables set the ceiling; the details below move the actual line on a Texas rental up or down, or decide whether the file closes at all. Each card ends with the thing to confirm before you plan around a figure.
Use these checks to keep the Texas file clean and fundable.
Three things decide most Texas files: the credit tier, which sets the ceiling and the cap; the valuation, which sets the value the ceiling applies to; and the rent, which decides how much of the line the property carries. The rest are gates: lien position, vesting, seasoning, the property list, and the listing history.
- Confirm the vesting: Whether every member of the entity will sign as a guarantor on the line.
- Confirm the dates: The date of the most recent purchase or refinance of the property, note date to note date.
- Confirm the draw plan: How the payment changes when the draw period ends and the repayment period begins.
Title in your name or your LLC
A trust on title is a different question from an entity on title: a land trust is on the program’s ineligible list, and a revocable trust is read by the lender case by case. A Texas rental in an LLC is written in the LLC’s name; a rental in a land trust is not written at all.
The seasoning clock on purchases and refinances
A rental bought or refinanced inside the program’s seasoning window is not eligible yet, measured note date to note date, and ownership seasons on its own clock from the purchase settlement. A Texas investor who closed this spring plans the line for after the window.
The closing draw and the later draws
Later draws carry a minimum of their own, so the line is drawn in meaningful pieces rather than small ones. Interest-only payments run through the draw period on whatever is outstanding; the repayment period amortizes the balance after.
The rent must cover the qualifying payment
The rent the lender uses is the lesser of the lease and the appraiser’s market-rent schedule, and a lease above market counts only with three months of receipts. A Texas owner who raised the rent last month and cannot show receipts is read at the market figure.
Second lien behind the mortgage, or first lien on a paid-off rental
Behind a first mortgage the line is a second lien with the second-lien ceiling, floor, and cap. On a rental with no mortgage the line stands first, starts at a lower floor, reaches a higher ceiling, and runs to a larger cap. A Texas owner chooses by what is on the property today.
From a Texas rental prequalification to a funded line.
Four steps, one file: review, prequalify, verify, close. Each one below says what the lender reads and what the Texas owner provides, and none of them promises a timeline, because the valuation, the title search, and the entity review set their own.
Scenario review
Before any application, the scenario is read against the program: lien position, tier, valuation path, seasoning, the property list, and the entity. A Texas owner leaves the review knowing the line the tables support and the gates the file must clear.
Prequalification
The lender pulls the credit report, confirms the tier, and reads the lease and the entity papers. The prequalification states the line the file supports, the valuation path it will take, and the documents still owed; it is not a commitment, and nothing is drawn yet.
Verification and valuation
The automated valuation and inspection, or the full interior appraisal on larger lines, set the value; the title search confirms the vesting, the liens, and any solar agreement; insurance is updated to cover both liens; and the lease and rent schedule are matched. The Texas line is re-sized on the verified value.
Closing and funding
Closing documents are signed by every borrower and guarantor, non-borrowing owners sign their acknowledgments, and the closing draw funds after any rescission period the law provides. The rest of the Texas line is available through the draw period.
A brokerage that matches the line to the rental.
The DSCR HELOC is a niche product, and the niche is where a broker earns the file: knowing which program writes an LLC-vested rental line, at what ceiling, with what rent test, and whether the Texas owner would do better on another route entirely.
Four routes, the right one quoted
Every Texas rental file is read against the DSCR HELOC, the investment-property HELOC, the DSCR cash-out refinance, and the bank statement HELOC. The ceiling, the floor, the paperwork, and what happens to the first mortgage are compared before an offer is written.
The entity stays on title
An LLC-vested Texas rental does not have to be deeded to a personal name to borrow against it. The program writes the line in the entity’s name, the members sign as guarantors, and the deed never moves; the loan officer reads the entity papers at the scenario review so nothing surprises the title search.
Licensed, in writing, the lender never named
Lendmire is the broker, not the lender. The program is placed with select lenders in the wholesale network; the figures on this page are program parameters subject to underwriting, and the rate and the payment on a Texas line are quoted in writing, never on a web page.
Trusted by landlords & investors alike.
Texas DSCR HELOC FAQs
The questions Texas landlords ask before a rent-qualified line, answered from the program as it stands; figures live in the snapshot above.
What is a DSCR HELOC?
A home equity line of credit on a rental property that qualifies on the property’s rent instead of the owner’s income. The lender divides the gross rent by the qualifying payment on the line, the quotient must reach the program’s coverage minimum, and the owner’s tax returns and debt ratio never enter the file. The line sits behind the first mortgage or stands first on a paid-off rental, and title may stay in an LLC.
Can the rental stay in my LLC?
Yes. Entity vesting is a feature of the program, not an exception to it. Bring the operating agreement, the articles, the good-standing certificate, and the member list; the line is recorded in the LLC’s name and the first mortgage, whoever holds it, stays where it is.
How is the rent test calculated?
The property’s gross rent is set against a stressed, fully amortizing payment on the full line, and the ratio must reach the coverage minimum in the snapshot. Nothing about the owner’s income enters the calculation; a Texas landlord with no tax returns at all qualifies if the rent does.
Is an appraisal required?
Yes, in one of two forms: an automated valuation with a property inspection report on lines to the threshold, a full interior appraisal above it. The lender never waives the valuation, and the line is sized on the value it produces, not on the owner’s estimate.
How do the draw period and repayment work?
Interest-only through the draw period on the drawn balance, fully amortizing through the repayment period after. The closing draw is set by the program, the later draws have a floor, and the rate is variable throughout; a Texas owner plans the line around the shift in payment when the draw period ends.
How much can I borrow against a rental?
The line is the rental’s value times the combined loan-to-value ceiling for your credit tier and lien position, minus the balance already on the property, capped at the program maximum and limited by what the rent will carry. The snapshot shows the ceiling, the floor, and the caps; the calculator on this page runs the arithmetic on your figures.
What does the closing look like on an LLC-held rental?
An entity closing adds signatures, not steps: the authorized member signs for the LLC, each member signs as a guarantor, and the title company records the line against the rental in the entity’s name. The first mortgage, whoever holds it, is not involved.
Do I need tax returns or W-2s?
No. The DSCR HELOC qualifies on the rental’s rent, and the owner’s income is not calculated; no tax returns, no W-2s, no debt-to-income ratio. What is documented is the property: the lease, the rent schedule, the mortgage statement, title, insurance, and the entity papers. The program is rent-qualified, not undocumented.
Is there a minimum line or a minimum draw?
There is a minimum line, a minimum closing draw as a share of the line and as a dollar amount, and a minimum later draw. A Texas owner planning a small reserve should size the line for what will actually be drawn, because interest accrues on the closing draw from day one.
Can I open a line if the rental was recently listed for sale?
A recent listing blocks the line for a set number of months after the listing came down. A Texas owner who tested the market and withdrew the listing waits out the window before the file is eligible; a listing that is older than the window is not a problem.
Keep the first mortgage, keep the LLC, reach the equity.
Request a quote and a loan officer sizes the line on the Texas rental’s figures, compares it with the income-qualified line and the cash-out refinance, and puts the terms in writing. The first mortgage stays where it is.
This guide covers Texas — for the program overview and the tiers, see Lendmire’s DSCR HELOC program.
Top markets in Texas: Houston · San Antonio · Dallas · Austin · Fort Worth · El Paso
All Texas city guides (83): Abilene · Allen · Amarillo · Arlington · Austin · Baytown · Beaumont · Brownsville · Bryan · Burleson · Carrollton · Cedar Park · Celina · College Station · Conroe · Corpus Christi · Dallas · Denison · Denton · DeSoto · Eagle Pass · Edinburg · El Paso · Euless · Flower Mound · Fort Worth · Fredericksburg · Frisco · Fulshear · Galveston · Garland · Georgetown · Grand Prairie · Grapevine · Harlingen · Houston · Irving · Killeen · Kyle · Laredo · League City · Leander · Lewisville · Little Elm · Longview · Lubbock · Mansfield · Marfa · McAllen · McKinney · Mesquite · Midland · Mission · Missouri City · North Richland Hills · Odessa · Pasadena · Pearland · Pflugerville · Pharr · Plano · Port Arthur · Richardson · Rockwall · Round Rock · Rowlett · San Angelo · San Antonio · San Marcos · Sherman · South Padre Island · Sugar Land · Temple · Texarkana · Texas City · The Woodlands · Tyler · Victoria · Waco · Waxahachie · Wichita Falls · Wimberley · Wylie
Also in this state: DSCR Loans in Texas · Super Jumbo DSCR Loans in Texas · Short-Term Rental Loans in Texas · Investment Property Cash-Out Refinance in Texas · Hard Money Loans in Texas · Bank Statement Loans in Texas · Super Jumbo Bank Statement Loans in Texas · Bank Statement HELOC in Texas · Investment Property HELOC in Texas