Financing a rental property differs from buying a primary residence in several important ways. For a conventional investment property loan, expect to put down 15 to 25 percent, have a credit score of at least 680, and meet stricter debt-to-income requirements. Interest rates for investment properties are typically 0.5 to 0.75 percent higher than primary residence rates. One popular strategy for your first rental is house hacking, where you purchase a multi-unit property of two to four units using an FHA or conventional primary residence loan with a lower down payment. You live in one unit and rent the others, with the rental income helping you qualify and cover the mortgage. Another option is a DSCR loan, which qualifies based on the property rental income rather than your personal income, making it ideal for investors who are self-employed or already have multiple properties. Lenders will want to see cash reserves, typically six months of mortgage payments for the investment property. At National Mortgage Home Loans, we offer conventional investment property loans, DSCR loans, and multi-unit financing to help new and experienced investors build their portfolios.