The practical path to short-term financing that spans a timing gap — define the gap, nail the exit, and close in days on the strength of the property.
This page was written and reviewed by Ruth Laus, who works on resources loans at Tidal Loans daily. Terms are checked against our current underwriting guidelines; last reviewed October 2026.
When a deal can’t wait for your capital to free up — your money is tied in a property you haven’t sold, or a long-term loan won’t close in time — a bridge loan spans the gap. It’s short-term financing underwritten on the property and your exit, not your tax returns, so it closes fast. This guide walks through how to get a bridge loan and how to structure it so the exit is airtight.
For the full product breakdown, see our bridge loan hub; below is the practical path.
Step 1: Define the Gap You're Bridging
A bridge loan solves a timing problem, so start by naming it. Are you buying before you sell? Repositioning a value-add property before refinancing? Beating a hard closing date on a purchase? Carrying a property between the end of construction and permanent financing? Knowing the exact gap tells you the term you need and the exit the lender will underwrite.
Step 2: Nail Down the Exit
The exit is the heart of a bridge loan — it’s how the loan gets repaid, whether that’s the sale of another property, a refinance into permanent financing, or a takeout loan. A lender underwrites that exit as carefully as the property itself, so be ready to show it’s realistic: a property that’s genuinely positioned to sell within the term, or a refinance the stabilized asset will clearly support.
Step 3: Submit the Property and Equity Picture
The application is light because the asset carries the file. You’ll provide the property’s value, the equity or down payment you’re bringing, and your exit plan. Bridge loans typically fund sized to the property, your experience, and the strength of your exit, with the balance from your equity. There’s no minimum credit score — a lower score is priced in, not a disqualifier.
Want it run by an actual underwriter before you commit?
Step 4: Get Your Terms
You’ll receive a term sheet with the loan amount, rate, and term — usually 6 to 24 months, interest-only, which keeps your monthly carry low while you wait for the exit. Because bridge loans are short and fast, the rate sits above a long-term mortgage; you’re paying for speed and flexibility.
Step 5: Close Fast and Execute
With in-house underwriting, a clean bridge file can close in fast. From there, you execute the plan — sell, refinance, or complete the reposition — and the exit repays the bridge. When the exit is a long-term hold, that takeout is often a DSCR loan, and you can pull equity through a cash-out refinance to redeploy.
Bridge Loan Basics at a Glance
Bridge Loan Basics at a Glance
Want it run by an actual underwriter before you commit?
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — it’s the most common use. A bridge loan lets you close on a new property now using the equity in the one you haven’t sold, then pays off when that sale closes. We’ll want to see the property you’re selling is realistically positioned to sell within the term.
There’s no minimum credit score. We pull a hard credit report, but a low score is priced in with a higher rate, lower leverage, or more reserves. The asset and the exit carry the underwriting.
Often within fast on a clean file, since we underwrite in-house. The timeline tracks the appraisal and your document turnaround rather than a bank’s committee.
Options can include an extension or refinancing into another short-term or permanent loan, depending on the situation. We build in margin and talk through contingencies before we fund, which is why the exit plan matters so much up front.
Bridge loans are sized to a portion of the property’s value — sized to the property, your experience, and the strength of your exit — with the balance coming from your equity or down payment. The exact figure depends on the property and the strength of your exit.