What DSCR measures
DSCR means debt-service coverage ratio: the property’s rental income divided by the proposed housing payment (and sometimes other property obligations, depending on the lender). If the rent covers the debt at the required ratio, the property can qualify even when the borrower’s personal tax returns would not fit an agency DTI box. That is the use case. It is an investor product.
It still has rules
Credit score, reserves, property type, occupancy, prepayment penalties, and interest-only options vary by wholesale lender. A 1.0 DSCR is not the same as 1.25. Short-term rental income is not the same as a 12-month lease. We will not quote a teaser rate that ignores those overlays.
When DSCR is the wrong tool
If you live in the house, DSCR is usually the wrong conversation. If conventional, FHA, or VA is cheaper and you qualify, that is the first conversation. Non-QM exists for files that do not fit. It is not a personality.
Oregon and Washington investors
We broker DSCR and other Non-QM options as an independent shop, not as a one-product specialist. Availability depends on the day’s overlays and the property—not on a website promise. Read the Non-QM pages, then call if the file is real.