Lender guide
How to Choose a Portfolio or Blanket Lender
Once you hold several rentals, a blanket loan can simplify everything, or tie your hands. The release terms decide which. Here is how to judge a portfolio lender.
Portfolio and blanket loans are how investors scale past the conventional property count limits. The trade is that your properties become entangled under one loan, so the fine print matters more than the rate. Where we link to a lender, we say so plainly. See our disclosure.
The five things that actually separate portfolio lenders
- The release provision. The single most important term. Can you sell one property out of the blanket loan, and on what terms? Negotiate this before you sign, not when you need to sell.
- Minimum portfolio size and loan amount. Some lenders want a minimum number of properties or a minimum total loan. Confirm you qualify before you apply.
- Recourse. Whether the lender can pursue you personally, or only the properties, matters most in a downturn. Know which you are signing.
- Property types and condition. Blanket loans vary on what they will hold, single family, small multifamily, mixed quality. Make sure your actual portfolio fits.
- Rate, term, and reporting. Compare the all-in cost and how much ongoing reporting the lender requires, since a portfolio loan is a longer relationship than a single rental loan.
A comparison you can fill in
| Compare | Lender A | Lender B |
|---|---|---|
| Release provision terms | ||
| Minimum properties and loan size | ||
| Recourse or non-recourse | ||
| Property types allowed | ||
| Rate, term, and reporting load |
Compare current rates. These are starting points to research, not endorsements. Confirm terms on each lender website. Some links may be affiliate links; see our disclosure.
Established lenders to research
These are well-known names in portfolio and blanket lending for investors. We list them as starting points, not endorsements; confirm current terms directly. Our independent Rate and Terms Survey tracks the category.
- CoreVest specializes in blanket and portfolio loans for rental investors.
- Lima One Capital offers rental portfolio products alongside its other investor loans.
- Other names worth a quote include Visio Lending and Kiavi, among others.
Our standing rule. We update this guidance from the quarterly survey, disclose any affiliate relationship, and never let a referral fee change who we include or how we describe them.
Next, read the full method in the rental portfolio guide, and plan the path in the DSCR guide.