Commercial, SBA or Residential DSCR: Which Financing Path Fits?
Use the property, occupancy and proceeds purpose to choose a financing path: occupied commercial assets use conventional CRE review, eligible operating-business uses may fit SBA, and non-owner-occupied residential rentals use DSCR review.
Key loan facts
- Loan Amount
- $100,000 to $15,000,000
- Eligible properties
- Multifamily, Office, Retail, Industrial, Mixed-use, Self-storage, Cold storage, Hotels, Motels, Data centers
- Maximum Leverage
- 75%; 80%
- Minimum FICO
- 680; 680; Owner-occupied commercial real estate eligibility requirements apply. RPC's public minimum FICO is 680; this is RPC's guideline, not a universal SBA credit-score rule. Business repayment capacity and SBA eligibility are reviewed individually; no common SBA DSCR floor is published here.
- Minimum DSCR
- 1.15x; 1.10x
Which facts decide the program before you compare loan amounts?
Start by separating a commercial asset, an operating business's premises and a residential rental. Then identify whether the transaction is a purchase, rate-and-term refinance, cash-out or business acquisition. The largest displayed limit should not determine the product; the limit belongs to a specific use and property.
Where it fits
The comparison below describes public guidelines, not interchangeable underwriting rules. SBA terms receive individual review, while conventional commercial and residential DSCR have their own published leverage and DSCR figures. Renovation and ground-up projects also have distinct programs and should not be described as stabilized rentals.
Illustrative example
Illustrative: a leased office purchase starts in conventional CRE, a shop purchasing its own premises warrants SBA review, and an investor purchasing a rental house starts in residential DSCR. A cash-out purpose changes the relevant ceilings even if the property stays the same.
Initial fit check
Occupied commercial real estate, minimum FICO 680, minimum DSCR 1.15x, and no more than 75% LTV. Value, income, title and documents must support the request.
Apply with your property and financing request, or submit a deal as a broker through Partners.
Eligible Asset Types
- Multifamily
- Office
- Retail
- Industrial
- Mixed-use
- Self-storage
- Cold storage
- Hotels
- Motels
- Data centers
How do the public financing guidelines differ?
As of 2026-10-08| Financing path | Property / use | Loan limit | Leverage | DSCR / credit | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial purchase / rate-and-term | Occupied commercial real estate only | $15 million | 75% LTV | 1.15x / FICO 680 | As little as 30 days |
| Commercial cash-out | Occupied commercial real estate only | $5 million | 75% LTV | 1.15x / FICO 680 | As little as 30 days |
| Residential DSCR | Non-owner-occupied residential investment properties only | $5 million | 80% purchase LTV; cash-out confirmed per deal | 1.10x / FICO 680 | Confirmed per deal |
| SBA 7(a) | Owner-occupied commercial real estate, business acquisition, equipment and working capital | $5 million per loan | Up to 90% financing for qualifying SBA transactions | Business repayment reviewed individually / RPC minimum FICO 680 | As little as 45 days for qualified transactions |
| SBA 504 | Owner-occupied commercial real estate and long-life equipment | $5 million SBA/CDC portion; $5.5 million qualifying manufacturing/energy | Up to 90% financing for qualifying SBA transactions | Business repayment reviewed individually / RPC minimum FICO 680 | As little as 45 days for qualified transactions |
- • 504 total project financing can be larger than its SBA/CDC portion. SBA owner-occupied CRE eligibility applies. All limits are subject to underwriting.
Source: Riverside Park Capital (2026-10-08), https://riversidepark.capital/commercial-vs-sba-vs-dscr-financing. Data may be cited or embedded with attribution.
Methodology
- Public lending guidelines reviewed 2026-10-08. Program limits are ceilings, not a commitment to lend. Examples labelled illustrative are calculations, not closed transactions.
Underwriting Guidelines
- Maximum loan amount: $15 million
- Maximum LTV: 75%
- Minimum FICO: 680
- Minimum DSCR: 1.15x
- Occupied commercial real estate only
- Closing in as little as 30 days
- Commercial financing is available in 48 states. Washington, DC is unavailable. Check the property's state before proceeding.
- All property types are subject to underwriting.
- Maximum loan amount: $5 million
- Maximum purchase LTV: 80%
- Minimum FICO: 680
- Minimum DSCR: 1.10x
- Non-owner-occupied residential investment properties only
- Cash-out refinance leverage is confirmed per deal
- Residential DSCR financing is available in 43 states. Washington, DC is unavailable. A portfolio's properties must each be in an eligible state.
- Up to 90% financing for qualifying SBA transactions
- Owner-occupied commercial real estate eligibility requirements apply
- SBA 7(a): up to $5 million per loan
- SBA 504: SBA/CDC portion up to $5 million ($5.5 million for qualifying manufacturing and energy projects); total project financing can be larger
- Closing in as little as 45 days for qualified transactions
- Owner-occupied commercial real estate eligibility requirements apply. RPC's public minimum FICO is 680; this is RPC's guideline, not a universal SBA credit-score rule. Business repayment capacity and SBA eligibility are reviewed individually; no common SBA DSCR floor is published here.
- RPC handles SBA terms individually. Submit an application for review; this page does not offer an automated rate-sheet quote.
Who This Is For
- Borrowers identifying the right program before applying
- Brokers comparing property and proceeds purpose across financing paths
Who This Is Not For
- Vacant commercial properties under this occupied-property program
- Consumer home mortgages
- Unrestricted cash-out above the commercial cash-out loan limit
Frequently Asked Questions
Request Financing
Tell us about the property. We send preliminary terms, which are an estimate and not an approval.
Request Financing View Program GuidelinesSubject to underwriting, collateral review, borrower qualification, and lender approval. Not a commitment to lend.
Ready to start a loan request?
Commercial real estate and investor property loans. $100,000 to $15,000,000
Subject to underwriting, collateral review, borrower qualification, and lender approval. Not a commitment to lend.