Buying Investment Property With 10 Percent Down -

The most common way to get low-down-payment terms is to live in the property for at least one year.

You can buy a 2–4 unit property with 3.5% down (or 10% if your credit score is between 500–579). You must live in one unit and can use up to 75% of the other units' projected rent to help qualify for the loan.

You get a standard 75% LTV loan from a bank and convince the seller to "carry" a second lien for 15%, leaving you to only bring 10% to the table .

Smaller local banks or credit unions often keep loans on their own books (portfolio loans). This allows them to offer 10% down terms for well-qualified investors with high credit scores (720+) and significant cash reserves.

Buying an investment property with is a high-leverage strategy that typically requires moving away from "big bank" conventional loans, which usually demand 15% to 25% down for non-owner-occupied rentals.

These loans qualify you based on the property’s rental income rather than your personal income. While 20% down is the industry standard, some niche DSCR programs allow 10% to 15% down if the property's cash flow is exceptionally strong (often a 1.20 DSCR or higher). 3. Creative Financing Strategies