Home / Areas we serve
Where we lend: the District, Maryland and Virginia
All eight wards of Washington, DC, plus Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland and Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax in Northern Virginia.
Local guides
| Market | Jurisdiction | What investors buy there |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | District of Columbia | Rowhouses to renovate, two-unit conversions, condos and small apartment buildings |
| Silver Spring | Montgomery County, MD | Older single-family homes, condos near the Metro, long-term rentals |
| Hyattsville | Prince George’s County, MD | Bungalows and colonials to renovate, rentals near the University of Maryland |
| Bowie | Prince George’s County, MD | Suburban single-family flips and rentals |
| Bethesda | Montgomery County, MD | Tear-down rebuilds and high-end renovations |
| Arlington | Arlington County, VA | Higher-priced homes, rebuilds and long-term rentals near National Landing |
| Alexandria | City of Alexandria, VA | Historic rowhouses in Old Town, renovations in Del Ray and the West End |
| Fairfax | Fairfax County and City, VA | Split-levels and ramblers to update, rentals near George Mason University |
Anywhere in the region
You do not need to be in one of those markets. We lend across the District, all of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, and Northern Virginia. Through Optimus Capital Corp we also finance property in other states.
What to know about lending here
- Three jurisdictions, three rulebooks. DC, Maryland and Virginia each set their own transfer taxes, rental licensing and short-term rental rules, and counties add their own.
- DC’s vacant property tax. DC taxes most homes, rented or owner-occupied, at $0.85 per $100 of assessed value. The risk for investors is the vacant and blighted classes: a property left unoccupied for 90 days or more must be registered, and is taxed at $5.00 per $100 if vacant or $10.00 if blighted. A property under construction with permits from the last 12 months, or actively listed for sale or rent, can qualify for an exemption, but you have to apply for it.
- Rental licensing. DC, Montgomery County and Prince George’s County all license rental housing. Budget time for inspections before the first tenant moves in.
- Short-term rentals. In the District, a short-term rental license is available only to a person renting out their own primary residence, and a host-absent vacation rental is capped at 90 nights a year. Investment properties and second homes cannot be licensed, so most investor-owned homes in DC are underwritten on long-term rent. Maryland and Virginia counties set their own rules, and several also limit short-term rentals to a host’s primary residence.
- Historic districts. Much of central DC and Old Town Alexandria need historic review for exterior work.
- Closings. A title company or settlement attorney handles closings across the region. Have yours chosen when you apply.
Loan programs available everywhere we lend
| Program | Use it for | Top leverage |
|---|---|---|
| DSCR rental loans | Purchase or refinance of long-term rentals, rowhouses, condos and small multifamily | 85% loan-to-value to buy, 80% on a cash-out refinance |
| Ground-up construction loans | Building a home, an infill rowhouse or a rental from the ground up, lot included | 90% of cost for experienced builders, up to 70 to 75% of the finished value |
| Fix and flip loans | Purchase plus renovation of a property you intend to sell | 90% of the purchase price and 100% of the rehab, up to 70 to 75% of after-repair value |
| Portfolio and commercial loans | A group of rentals under one note, or multifamily and commercial property | 80% on a portfolio purchase; commercial priced per deal |
Have a DC-area deal in mind? Run it by us.
Send the address, the price and what you plan to do with the property. We will reply with the leverage and pricing that fit your deal.