Maryland contains two very different investor propositions. Baltimore offers some of the lowest entry pricing on the East Coast alongside a distinctive rowhome inventory and complications that do not exist elsewhere. The Washington suburbs in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties are high-basis, high-demand markets with correspondingly tight ratios.
The short answer: A DSCR loan qualifies on the property’s rental income rather than the borrower’s personal income. The debt service coverage ratio divides gross rent by the monthly payment including taxes, insurance and any HOA; a ratio of 1.0 or better means the property covers its own debt. No W-2 or tax returns are required and LLC borrowers are welcome. In Maryland, the practical question is usually whether local rent-to-price ratios and carrying costs support the ratio a given capital source requires.
Baltimore City offers some of the lowest entry pricing on the East Coast and correspondingly strong nominal ratios, subject to ground rent, vacancy and title diligence that no other state requires at the same scale. Montgomery and Prince George’s counties are high-basis Washington-adjacent markets with tight ratios and conventional collateral. Annapolis and the Eastern Shore add seasonal and waterfront dynamics.
Primary markets: Baltimore · Columbia · Silver Spring · Rockville · Annapolis · Frederick
Rent-to-price ratios vary sharply within Maryland, and that is what determines whether a DSCR clears. A property that ratios comfortably in one metro can fall short in another at the same purchase price. Where the ratio comes in light, the options are more equity, longer amortization, or a capital source offering sub-1.0 or no-ratio programs — those exist, but not every lender writes them.
Your rental ratios cleanly above the lender’s minimum, the property type is conventional, and you value one relationship across a growing portfolio.
The ratio comes in light, the property type gets excluded — condotels, 5-to-8 unit, non-warrantable — or you need a no-ratio program that not every lender writes.
No lender is best for every deal. Kiavi, Visio Lending, LendingOne, CoreVest, Angel Oak, Griffin Funding all write DSCR rental loans in Maryland and all are legitimate options. They differ on leverage, credit floors, property types and experience requirements. The useful question is which fits this deal.
Works: A buy-and-hold investor purchasing a stabilized rental, or a BRRRR investor refinancing out of a bridge or renovation loan into permanent debt.
Does not: The property is owner-occupied, or rent falls short of the payment with no compensating equity and no access to a sub-1.0 program.
Ground rent is a leasehold structure Maryland carries at a scale no other state does. Many older Baltimore properties are held as leasehold rather than fee simple, with annual ground rent owed to a separate holder and a statutory process to redeem and convert to fee simple. Title work has to identify it, some capital sources will not lend on unredeemed leasehold at all, and an out-of-state investor will not think to ask. It is the single most important Maryland-specific diligence item.
Almost entirely. Baltimore offers low basis and strong nominal ratios alongside ground rent, vacancy and title considerations. Montgomery and Prince George’s counties are high-basis, high-demand markets where ratios are tight but the collateral is conventional. Capital sources that decline Baltimore leasehold will often write the DC suburbs without hesitation.
There is no single best lender for every scenario. Kiavi, Visio Lending, LendingOne, CoreVest, Angel Oak, Griffin Funding all write DSCR rental loans and each has different guidelines. The right answer depends on the specific deal. LendingStreet places the same scenario across 30+ capital sources so the comparison happens on one application.
Yes, in all 50 states including Maryland. These are business-purpose loans on non-owner-occupied investment property, from $150,000 with no stated maximum. No W-2 or tax returns required and LLC borrowers are welcome.
Have a Maryland deal? Tell us the scenario and we will price it across our capital sources.
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