Bridge Financing for Investors

Short-term capital that carries a property from where it is now to a defined near-term event — a sale or a refinance. It trades a higher cost for speed and flexibility, and it is underwritten primarily on the exit rather than on the property's current cash flow. It is temporary by design, which is why the way out has to be real before it makes sense.

Because the exit repays the loan. A bridge does not rely on day-one income; it relies on the takeout closing. A property can be excellent and the bridge still be a bad idea if there is no credible, provable way out inside the term. The exit gets more scrutiny than the property itself.

A specific sale supported by comparable sales, or a specific refinance that genuinely underwrites — with a timeline that fits inside the term and a margin for slippage. "I'll figure it out" or "the market will be better by then" are not exits. A strong file often carries a fallback exit as well. Read bridge exit risk for how this is stress-tested.

Bridge terms are short by nature and set per transaction — {{CLAIM:bridge.term_range}}, confirming against the current program sheet. The right term is the runway the exit actually needs plus a realistic margin, which is why the timeline is underwritten as carefully as the numbers.

Some bridges include extension options for when an exit takes longer than planned — {{CLAIM:bridge.extension_terms}}, confirming. An extension is a safety valve, not a substitute for a realistic timeline; a deal that only works with an extension was scoped too tightly to begin with.

Leverage is set per transaction — up to {{CLAIM:bridge.max_ltv}} of value or {{CLAIM:bridge.max_ltc}} of cost, confirming. Because a soft exit needs somewhere to go, the room between the loan and the exit value is part of what keeps a bridge safe, so maximum leverage and a strong exit rarely travel together.

Bridge pricing is higher than permanent debt because it is fast, flexible, and short — {{CLAIM:bridge.rate_range}}, confirming. Since it is short-term, the real cost is a function of how many months you carry it, which is one more reason the exit timeline drives the economics.

Speed is the point of the product. On a complete file with a clear exit and a clean valuation, a bridge moves faster than permanent financing: same-day approval on a complete submission, then 3–5 business days to funding. The gating item is usually exit evidence, not the property.

Yes — bridging between a sale and a purchase is a classic use. The exit is the proceeds from the property you are selling, which is one of the cleaner takeouts when that sale is genuinely under contract. If the first sale is not firm, the exit is not firm either.

This is exactly what the underwriting is meant to prevent, which is why a fallback exit and an extension path are discussed up front. If the primary exit stalls, options include an extension, pivoting from refinance to sale, or a different takeout. The specifics live in the loan documents and vary by transaction.

Bridges are often used on transitional commercial and multi-unit assets with a defined stabilization plan. If the takeout is a permanent commercial loan, confirm what that refinance will require in commercial financing before the bridge closes, so the exit is scoped correctly.

No. Submission begins a review. All financing is subject to a defined and credible exit, program availability, underwriting, property eligibility, borrower qualification, and final approval.