Bridge Loan Requirements
AAPL Member · Direct Lender Since 2016 · NMLS #1979189
A bridge loan is the most exit-driven product we offer, and that shapes every requirement. Where a long-term loan asks “can you afford this for 30 years,” a bridge loan asks one question: “how does this get paid off in the next few months?” A bridge loan is short-term, asset-based financing that carries you over a temporary gap — buying before you sell, closing fast on a deal that isn’t yet ready for permanent financing, or stabilizing a property before you refinance. Because it’s secured by the property and built around your exit, the requirements are about the asset and the plan, not your tax returns. Here’s what it takes to qualify, from a direct lender funding bridge loans since 2016.
The Exit Is the Requirement
Everything starts with how the loan ends. The most common exits are a sale — often of another property whose proceeds repay the bridge — or a refinance into permanent financing such as a DSCR loan once the property is stabilized and leased. A credible, specific exit is the single most important thing you bring. “I’ll have this listed and under contract” backed by comps, or “this refinances into a DSCR loan at a clear value,” is fundable; an open-ended plan is not. We underwrite to the exit before we fund, so the payoff path is clear from day one.
The Property and Your Equity
Because the property is the collateral, we look at its current value and, for a value-add deal, its stabilized value. Leverage is sized against that value and the strength of your exit. If you’re bridging against a property you already own, your equity carries the deal — that’s how a buy-before-you-sell or a cash-out bridge works. If you’re acquiring, you’ll bring a down payment scaled to the deal. Either way, there has to be enough equity or cash in the position to make the short-term risk sensible.
Credit: Light Touch, No Minimum
We pull a hard credit report, but there’s no minimum credit score. On a bridge loan, the property’s value and the strength of your exit plan carry the most weight, so a weaker score adjusts your rate, leverage, or reserves rather than disqualifying you. Because the loan is short-term and exit-driven, credit is one of the lightest-touch parts of the file.
Reserves, Entity, and Speed
Bridge loans are typically interest-only, which keeps the monthly carry low, but you still need reserves to cover those payments through the bridge period and any cushion until the exit lands. Most investors close in an LLC, fully supported and recommended for liability protection. And because the entire point of a bridge loan is speed — often closing in a week or two — having your documents ready is itself a practical requirement. The faster you can produce the contract, proof of equity, and entity papers, the faster we close. Size a deal first with our hard money loan estimator.
Bridge Loan Requirements at a Glance
Bridge Loan Requirements at a Glance
What You'll Need to Provide
A light, fast-moving file. Expect the purchase contract or proof of ownership, evidence of your exit — a listing agreement, comps, or a refinance scenario — proof of equity or funds, entity documents, and basic property and insurance information. No tax returns or pay stubs. Our loan document checklist has the full list, and a clean, ready file is what lets a bridge loan close on the timeline that makes it worth doing. For a straightforward purchase-and-rehab instead, our hard money loans or fix and flip loans may be the better fit. Current pricing is on our bridge loan rates page.
Frequently Asked Questions
A clear, credible exit. A bridge loan is short-term, so we underwrite to how it gets paid off — usually a sale or a refinance into permanent financing. A specific, supported exit plan matters more than any other single factor, including your credit.
There’s no minimum credit score. We pull a hard credit report, but a lower score doesn’t disqualify you; it’s priced into the rate, leverage, and reserves. The property’s value and your exit plan carry the most weight.
No. Bridge loans are underwritten on the property and your exit rather than your personal income, so there are no tax returns, W-2s, or pay stubs. That’s part of why they close so quickly.
Often within a week or two on a clean file. Because there’s no income verification and the underwriting centers on the property and exit, the main thing that determines speed is how quickly you can produce the contract, proof of equity, and entity documents.
Yes. Your equity in an owned property can carry the deal — that’s exactly how a buy-before-you-sell or cash-out bridge works. We lend against that equity and repay the loan from your sale or refinance.
Need to move fast on a deal?
Tell us the property, your equity, and your exit. We map the payoff before we fund — and we close on the timeline that makes a bridge worth doing.