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in San Bruno, CA
San Bruno sits in the heart of the Peninsula's office boom. Burlingame's 220 Park just hit 100% occupancy with tenants like Confluent and Upstart.
DSCR loans use the property's rental income to qualify you. Hard money lenders care about the property itself and your exit strategy. One is built for long-term holds. The other is built for speed and flexibility.
San Mateo County's median household income sits at $156,000 annually. The 2026 conforming loan limit is $1,249,125. Both programs operate outside those traditional boxes.
DSCR loans let the property's income do the talking. You don't need to show your personal W-2s or tax returns. The lender looks at the rental income the property generates and compares it to your loan payment.
Most DSCR lenders want a debt service coverage ratio of at least 1.0 to 1.25. That means the monthly rent should cover the loan payment plus taxes and insurance. Down payments typically run 20% to 25%.
Hard money lenders fund based on the property value and your exit plan. They care less about your credit score and more about the deal itself. Closing happens in days, not weeks. The tradeoff is a higher interest rate and a shorter loan term.
Hard money down payments range from 20% to 30%. Terms typically run 6 to 24 months. Interest rates run 8% to 15% depending on the property condition and your experience. Credit requirements are flexible, but the lender wants proof you can execute the exit.
DSCR loans cost less but take longer to close. Hard money closes fast but costs more. DSCR rates run 6% to 8%. Hard money runs 8% to 15%. If you're buying a rental and holding it, DSCR wins on cost.
DSCR requires the property to cash-flow. Hard money doesn't care if it breaks even. That matters in San Bruno, where rents are strong but purchase prices are steep. A property that barely covers the DSCR loan payment might not qualify.
Pick DSCR if you're buying a rental property in San Bruno to hold long-term. You have stable rental income from the property. You want the lowest possible rate. You can wait 30 to 45 days for closing.
Pick hard money if you're flipping a property or need to close in days. You're buying below market and adding value through renovation. You plan to refinance or sell within 24 months. You want flexibility on credit and income verification.
No. DSCR lenders typically accept 620+ FICO. Hard money lenders care less about credit and more about the deal. Both skip traditional credit-based underwriting.
No. DSCR qualification is based entirely on the property's rental income. Your W-2s and tax returns don't factor in. The property must support the loan payment.
Hard money typically closes in 5 to 10 days. DSCR takes 30 to 45 days. Speed is hard money's biggest advantage over DSCR.
You refinance to a permanent loan (DSCR or conventional), sell the property, or extend the hard money term. Most hard money deals refinance to DSCR after the property is stabilized.
Yes. DSCR rates run 6–8%; hard money runs 8–15%. But hard money closes faster and doesn't require the property to cash-flow. Cost versus speed is the real tradeoff.