Best Credit Union For Investment Property

Best Investment Property Loan Providers

Tom has 15 years of experience helping small businesses evaluate financing and banking options. He shares this expertise in Fit Small Businesss financing and banking content.

This article is part of a larger series on Business Financing.

Investment property loans are often found through online mortgage providers, investor-only lenders, and larger banks. Investment mortgages typically range from $75,000 to more than $2 million, requiring a minimum down payment as high as 25%. These rental property loans often have higher interest rates than conventional mortgages due to the perceived risk that the borrower may walk away and stop making payments on the property if its not profitable or not sufficiently appreciating.

We reviewed several different lenders who offer investment property loans. Our criteria for review included down payment requirements, the amount that the lender will approve, interest rates, and the length of the underwriting process. Based on these criteria, here are our recommendations for the five best investment property loan providers:

Why We Like LendingOne: Investors seeking to rehabilitate homes can utilize LendingOnes rehab loan home options. Between lines of credit and term loans, LendingOne offers flexibility for properties of four or fewer units. LendingOne will finance up to 90% of the homes value for qualified borrowers.

Best Savings Account For Low Deposits: Digital Federal Credit Union

• Low APY following initial rate

Best For

• Those with $1,000 or less to deposit

If you just dont have that much to open a savings account with, a Digital Federal Credit Union Primary Savings account might be good option. A substantial 6.17% APY will apply to the first $1,000 you deposit in this DCU account. It only takes a $5 deposit to open an account, so you wont have to break the bank to get in on this bonus rate. After that, your interest-earning potential will see a serious dip, as any amount over the initial $1,000 will receive a 0.25% APY decrease.

Current and retired employees or members of eligible companies or organizations make up the majority of DCUs member base. If you dont fall into one of those categories, though, youll need to be a spouse or immediate family member of someone who does, or live, work, attend school or worship in a qualified community.

DCU is much more than a personal banking destination. Becoming a member with this credit union could deliver wider options for your financial life. Members can take advantage of vehicle loans, student loans, personal loans, rewards and low interest credit cards, insurance offers, realty services, financial advisor services and business banking.

Home Equity Lines Of Credit

Home equity lines of credit known as HELOCs are revolving credit lines that usually come with variable rates. Your monthly payment depends on the current rate and loan balance.

HELOCs are similar to credit cards. You can withdraw any amount, any time, up to your limit. Youre allowed to pay the loan down or off at will.

HELOCs have two phases. During the draw period, you use the line of credit all you want, and your minimum payment may cover just the interest due. But eventually , the HELOC draw period ends, and your loan enters the repayment phase. At this point, you can no longer draw funds and the loan becomes fully amortized for its remaining years.

Compared with conventional mortgages, HELOCs offer more flexibility and lower monthly payments during the draw period. You can borrow as much or as little as you need when you need it.

The potential drawbacks are the variable interest rates and the possibility that the monthly payments could skyrocket once the repayment phase begins.

In some house flipping situations, a HELOC could be a lower-cost alternative to a hard money loan.

But unlike a hard money loan, a HELOC could have more risk attached: if you dont already own an investment property, youll secure the HELOC with your primary residence. If you default on the loan, the lender will foreclose on yourhome, not the investment property.

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Turn To A Local Bank Or Broker

If your down payment isnt quite as big as it should be or if you have other extenuating circumstances, consider going to a neighborhood bank for financing rather than a large national financial institution.

Theyre going to have a little more flexibility, Huettner says. They also may know the local market better and have more interest in investing locally.

Mortgage brokers are another good option because they have access to a wide range of loan products but do some research before settling on one.

What is their background? Huettner asks. Do they have a college degree? Do they belong to any professional organizations? You have to do a little bit of due diligence.

A Path Forward For Rental Investors

While every real estate investor follows a different path, heres a sample outline for how a rental investor might finance their first rental properties:

Property 1: House hack a 2-4 unit property with conventional or FHA financing .

Property 2: Use either a conventional bank or online landlord lender .

Properties 3-4: If youre getting more ambitious with the renovations, use either an online buy-and-rehab loan, a community bank loan, or a hard money loan for the purchase and renovation. Then refinance it using an online investment property mortgage.

Properties 5-8: Start raising some capital from friends and family. Use this to help with the down payment and/or renovation costs. Use either a local community bank or an online landlord loan for long-term financing.

Properties 9+: Try to increasingly use private funds. To free up some of the private funds tied up in your existing portfolio, consider refinancing several of your properties under a blanket loan to cash out and use the money towards new acquisitions. Use either community banks or online landlord lenders for financing as needed.

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Is Using A Heloc For An Investment Property Tax Deductible

It depends on what you use that HELOC for. If you take out a HELOC on your investment property and use those funds for home-related expenses, you can write those expenses off on your taxes. But if you used a HELOC for other expenses, like debt consolidation or tuition, it cant be deducted from your taxes.

What Are Credit Unions

Credit unions are considered a type of financial institution that mainly deals with members and serves their needs. The main goal of many credit unions is to improve the community by offering better services to their members.

Most Credit Unions provide their members with the same benefits as a typical bank does, if not better. The only difference is that they have much better interest rates and improved terms.

The national credit union administration typically insures credit Unions . It is the same as FDIC. Only it ensures Credit Union deposits rather than bank deposits.

Not only that, but it also works to protect its members and monitor these same credit unions financially.

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Do You Finance Investment Properties To Be Used For Rental Homes

Yes, we have both purchase and refinance options for investment properties! Visit our Mortgage web page for more information about our products.

You can view our daily mortgage rates on our Mortgage Rates page, and get an instant Custom Rate Quote for your specific purchase, refinance, investment or home equity need!

Need financial advice?

Stanford FCU has over 100 years of combined real estate lending knowledge and experience. Our in-house home loan experts are among the best in the industry. So, whatever your situation, chances are weve helped someone with a very similar situation before.

Contact a Mortgage Consultant or apply online with no obligation to get started today!

Use Real Estate To Create Retirement Income

Real estate is a popular way for individuals to generate retirement income. In fact, its Americans favorite long-term investment, according to a 2021 Bankrate study.

That popularity partially relies on real estate producing a steady stream of income, as investors collect a regular monthly rent from their tenants. For retirees, a steady income is exactly the kind of security that theyre looking for when not fully employed.

And retirees have upside on that income. Over time, a well-managed property can increase its rents, putting more money into investors pockets each month. The property can also increase in value, so when it comes time to sell or even invest in another property, theres equity that can be tapped. Of course, investment property has other advantages, especially around taxes.

If you dont want to get into managing property directly, you can buy it via real estate investment trusts in the stock market and let a professional manager deal with all the problems. REITs are tremendously popular with retirees because of their steady dividends.

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Is The Money In Credit Union Accounts Safe

Yes. Like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which handles banks, the National Credit Union Administration insures customers deposits in case a credit union fails. All federally chartered credit unions must carry NCUA insurance. It covers credit union members deposit accounts: checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as share certificates. The NCUA insures up to $250,000 per depositor, per institution, per ownership category. Ownership category refers to account types such as single or joint .

Best For Customer Service: Wings Financial Credit Union

Wings Financial Credit Union

• Savings APY: Up to 0.55%
• Checking APY: Up to 1.76%

Wings Financial Credit Union offers convenient, 24/7 text support and phone support six days a week, making it our pick for best customer service.

• Large network of free ATMs

• Minimal fees

• Only has branches in five states

Minnesota-based Wings Financial Credit Union makes it easy for customers to bank with them at more than 31 branches total in five statesMinnesota, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and Washington. Those without access to a physical branch can still visit one of 80,000 surcharge-free ATMs nationwide since Wings is part of the CO-OP and Allpoint networks. Some perks you’ll get as a member include:

• 24/7 text support.
• Phone support Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST.
• No-fee checking account.
• Ability to earn cash back on debit card purchases.

Residents of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Seattle-Tacoma, Detroit, Orlando, and Atlanta, or those who have worked in aviation, are eligible to join. You also can join the Wings Financial Foundation for $5 to become eligible to join this highly rated credit union.

Like most credit unions, Wings Financial offers a range of banking products such as loans and credit cards. Unlike some, it also offers investment and insurance products that allow you to keep your entire financial life with one institution, which is another benefit for those who want to keep things simple.

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Is It A Good Idea To Get A Heloc For My Investment Property

Whether its a good idea to get a HELOC for your investment property depends on your individual circumstances, financial goals, and intended use for the HELOC.

A HELOC in general could be a good fit if you want a flexible, ongoing source of financing that you can tap into for virtually any purpose. However, make sure youre comfortable with the variable-rate structure of a HELOC, which can cause your rate and monthly payment to unexpectedly change in the future.

Best Credit Union For Children Teens & Young Adults: Pen Air Federal Credit Union

• Cannot upgrade rate over time

Best For

• Parents looking for a credit union with child- and teen-friendly accounts

Pen Air Federal Credit Union is a large credit union with branches in Alabama and Florida. However, the institution’s services can be applied for and accessed online or through your mobile device if you don’t live in these states. The firm has a handful of strong offerings, with its Level UP Youth Accounts being some of its best accounts. In fact, Pen Air offers both a youth savings account and a youth checking account.

The Level UP Savings Account is available as a joint account for children 18 or younger, and it only requires a $25 minimum deposit to open. Once you become an account holder, your balance will begin earning a 0.40% APY, which is one of the better rates currently on the market for a children’s account. As a way of padding your child’s future account balance, Pen Air offers a $10 bonus when you open your account. But if you reach $250 and $500 balances, you’ll receive another $20 and $30 bonus, respectively. That means your bonus could be as much as $60 in total.

Like all credit unions, you must become a member of Pen Air before opening an account. Here’s the various ways you and your family can join:

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Best For Rehab Loans: Lendingone

LendingOne

Why We Chose It: LendingOne earns our nod for best rehab lender because they are one of the very few commercial lenders that make it easy to get a pre-approval letter, they finance up to 90% loan-to-cost and provide lower rates and fees than their competition.

• Pre-approval/proof of funds available online within minutes

• High leverage

• Founded by investors to improve upon traditional lenders limitations

• $175 charge for each draw

• Only available for one- to four-unit properties, no commercial

In 2014, Bill Green and Matthew Neisser founded LendingOne in response to their frustrations felt toward the difficult lending environment from rigid bank criteria and the easier, though more expensive, hard money alternatives.

As a direct private real estate lender, LendingOne has become the best rehab lender in the industry because they help investors get what had been missing in the market, such as pre-approval letters and proof of funds, higher leverage, and lower rates and fees.

LendingOne offers fix-and-flip and rehab-to-rent loan products. Down payments range from 10% to 20%. For rehab to rent, they have a 30-year fixed-rate loan as well as 5/1 and 7/1 ARM loans. Their fix-and-flip loans can finance up to 90% of your repair costs. Two years of interest only payments are an option on the fix-and-flip loans too. LendingOne loans on two- to four-unit properties only, including condos and townhouses.

How To Choose The Best Credit Union

When looking for a credit union, you have to consider these essential factors.

First, take a look at the financial services they offer. Many larger credit unions provide high-interest rates, free checking and savings accounts, and low monthly maintenance fees.

You also want to join a credit union that is federally insured. Many of the best credit unions offer reward bonuses for the credit card and provide you with a mobile app where you can look at your credit history.

A full-service credit union also provides no ATM fees and has minimum balance requirements.

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Are The Best Credit Unions Also The Biggest

Not necessarily. Some of the biggest credit unions have similar advantages to banks, including highly rated mobile apps and wide ranges of financial products. But you might get more personalized service at a small, local credit union. And some credit unions belong to the Co-op network, meaning you can bank at over 5,000 credit union branches across the country and use more than 30,000 ATMs thats a larger ATM network than many banks have.

Dont count out your local credit union when searching for a financial institution.

Best Credit Union Mortgage Lenders

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How We Chose The Best Credit Unions

We evaluated more than 50 credit unions, considering several factors critical to consumers. Our team looked at fees for checking and savings accounts, ATM access, rates on deposits, product offerings, and more when selecting the best options. The credit unions we chose are available to consumers nationwide, and many of them allow you to qualify for membership with relative ease. Every credit union on our list offers deposit insurance to keep your money safe, up to applicable limits.

Glossary Of Landlord Loan Terms

ARV: After repair value, or the value of a property after all renovations are complete.

DSCR: Debt service coverage ratio. The ratio between a rental propertys gross income and the full loan payment. For example, if the rental income is $1,000, and the monthly loan payment is $800, then the DSCR is 1.25 . Different lenders sometimes use different calculations, and may use net or gross rental income.

DTI: Debt-to-income ratio. There are two ratios used: a front-end ratio, which only looks at the loans monthly payment compared to your gross monthly income, and a back-end ratio, which takes all of your debt into account. This is used primarily by traditional banks and lenders, but not used as frequently by landlord lenders.

HELOC: Home equity line of credit. A rotating line of credit that you can draw against, secured with a lien against real property .

Lien: The legal attachment of a debt to a property, to serve as collateral. When you take out a home or rental property mortgage, the lender attaches a lien against your property, allowing them to foreclose on it to recover their funds if you default.

LTV: Loan-to-value ratio. The percentage that the lender will lend against the value of the property .

PITIA: The full monthly mortgage payment, including principal, interest, taxes, insurance and HOA or condo association fees .

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