Prince George’s County is the yield lane in the DC metro — Metro-adjacent duplexes, UMD spillover, and brick stock at fraction of DC rowhouse cost. DSCR loans in Prince George’s County MD qualify on property cash flow, not W-2 — the permanent-debt exit after hard money bridge funds value-add.
No DC TOPA process applies on this side of the line. That is a real timing advantage over DSCR Washington DC. It is not the same as “no rules”: the county now has a permanent rent stabilization law, a rental license system, and town-level tax rates that often run higher than DC’s. The sections below walk through each.
PG County DSCR by corridor (2026)
| Corridor | Stabilized gross | Appraised value | DSCR at 70% LTV* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyattsville duplex | $3,600–$4,400/mo | $500K–$580K | 1.04–1.10 |
| College Park duplex | $3,800–$4,800/mo | $510K–$590K | 1.10–1.21 |
| Greenbelt Metro MF | $4,200–$5,500/mo | $560K–$680K | 1.05–1.14 |
| Bowie suburban SFR | $2,900–$3,400/mo | $520K–$620K | about 0.81 |
*Gross rent divided by principal, interest, tax, and insurance at an illustrative 8.25% 30-year rate. Tax uses each town’s combined 2026–2027 rate from the state table cited below. Insurance is $150–$200/mo. Bowie’s higher value per dollar of rent is why it trails.
Parent hub: DSCR loans Maryland · City spoke: hard money Hyattsville
Who uses DSCR in Prince George’s County
- Cross-river sponsors exiting DC flips into PG BRRRR for ratio-friendly permanent debt
- UMD-adjacent operators holding grad-student and commuter leases on 12-month terms
- Yield-focused portfolio builders stacking duplexes while avoiding DC recordation on refi
PG DSCR sponsors carry block-walk discipline — county-wide averages mislead on ARV and achievable rent.
Jaken Finance Group PG County DSCR parameters
| Parameter | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rates | 5.75%–10.5% |
| LTV | Up to 85% purchase, 80% cash-out, and 85% rate-and-term in select markets for qualified borrowers |
| DSCR minimum | 1.0–1.25 |
| Property types | Duplexes, SFR holds, small MF (2–4 unit) |
| Timeline | About 14 business days on a complete file; small MF can run longer |
Worked example: Hyattsville Route 1 duplex DSCR exit
Context: Sponsor acquired via hard money PG County — not the College Park file on that page (different deal).
Property: 1924 duplex on Route 1 corridor — both sides vacant at acquisition, open county violations cleared in month 2.
Acquisition + rehab (bridge, already closed): $392,000 + $94,000 — kitchens, baths, panel, HVAC, violation clearance Stabilized rents: $2,025/mo + $1,875/mo = $3,900/mo gross Tenant mix: Side A 12-month grad-student lease; Side B Metro commuter couple Appraisal at refi: $542,000 Property tax: $734/mo — Hyattsville’s combined 2026–2027 rate of $1.626 per $100 (city $0.63 + county $0.884 + state $0.112) Insurance: $160/mo (illustrative quote) DSCR refi at 71% LTV: $384,820 @ 8.25% = $2,891/mo principal and interest Total payment: $3,785/mo, so DSCR is ~1.03 — clears a 1.0 floor, not a 1.13 pricing tier Recycled equity: about $58K, assuming a bridge payoff near $327K — redeployed into a Silver Spring acquisition To reach 1.13 on the same inputs, the loan would need to drop to about $340,400 (63% LTV). Your 27% operating budget still governs cash flow after the payment.
Second profile: Bowie SFR hold refi
Property: 4-bedroom SFR near Bowie Town Center — flip ARV compressed; sponsor pivoted to hold at month 5.
Stabilized rent: $3,150/mo (family lease, 24-month) Appraisal: $585,000 Tax: about $765/mo at Bowie’s combined $1.57 per $100 · Insurance: $150/mo (illustrative) At 68% LTV: $397,800 @ 8.05% = $2,933/mo principal and interest. Total payment $3,848, so DSCR is ~0.82 — fails Largest loan at 1.00: about $303,200, or 52% LTV Lesson: Bowie trades on owner-occupant resale velocity, not rental yield. A pivot from flip to hold here usually means leaving substantial cash in the deal or selling.
Municipal permit jurisdiction — refi timing risk
“Prince George’s County” spans incorporated cities and unincorporated land:
| Jurisdiction | Permit authority | Refi risk |
|---|---|---|
| Hyattsville (incorporated) | City permits | City inspection backlog |
| College Park | City permits | UMD move-in season delays |
| Unincorporated PG | County DPS | Different fee schedule |
Confirm jurisdiction at LOI — permit path errors add 30–60 days to stabilization and push hard money maturity.
Rental license: county or town?
The same split applies to rental licenses. DPIE’s rental housing licenses page says DPIE administers single-family and multifamily licenses countywide, with listed exceptions. Owners in these towns apply with the municipality instead: Berwyn Heights, Bowie, Brentwood, Capitol Heights, Cheverly, College Park, District Heights, Edmonston, Forest Heights, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Landover Hills, Mount Rainier, New Carrollton, Riverdale Park, Seat Pleasant, Laurel, and University Park.
DPIE tells owners to check the “Town” column in the state’s SDAT property search to see which applies. Do that before you sign leases. A refi package with leases but no valid license for the right jurisdiction invites a condition.
Lead registration on pre-1978 rentals
Half of the county’s housing predates the lead-paint cutoff. The ACS puts the county’s median year built at 1977, per Census Reporter’s 2020–2024 profile. The Maryland Department of the Environment’s lead registration rules for landlords require owners of rentals built before 1978 to:
- Register each property with the state and renew every year by December 31, at $30 per unit.
- Provide a valid lead inspection certificate at each tenant turnover, unless the property is certified lead-free.
- File a new registration with a new tracking number after any change in ownership. Owner records must match state tax records exactly.
That last rule bites BRRRR sponsors who buy in one LLC and refinance in another. Register under the entity that will hold title at the refi. Keep the certificate for each current lease in the DSCR package. MDE notes the records may be required for rent court and for programs like Section 8.
Rent stabilization: the rule most “no rent control” pitches miss
Prince George’s County passed the Permanent Rent Stabilization and Protection Act of 2024 (PRSA). DPIE’s PRSA page sets the yearly ceiling for regulated units:
| Period | Regulated units (not age-restricted) | Age-restricted senior units |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 17, 2024 – Jun 30, 2025 | 6.0% | 3.3% |
| Jul 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2026 | 5.7% | 2.7% |
| Jul 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2027 | 5.7% | 2.7% |
The general formula is the lower of 6.0% or CPI-U plus 3 points. Exemptions that matter to DSCR investors include:
- Units completed on or after January 1, 2000.
- Accessory dwelling units.
- A two-unit building originally built as such, but only while the owner lives in one unit.
- Landlords who own five or fewer county units, but only if the owner is a natural person, a natural person’s living trust, or a decedent’s trust or estate.
Most DSCR loans close in an LLC, and a 1924 Route 1 duplex predates 2000. Read literally, that combination is regulated. Underwrite renewal increases at no more than 5.7% through June 2027. DPIE also requires every owner to file a PRSA annual report by September 30, covering July 1 through June 30. Regulated properties attach a rent roll, and the duty applies even to exempt properties. Owners can request an exemption ruling through PGC311. The page does not say how PRSA interacts with each town’s own code, so confirm that with DPIE or counsel.
County data to sanity-check the pro forma
| Data point | Figure | Source and period |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent, county | $1,799/mo | ACS 2020–2024 5-year, via Census Reporter |
| Renter-occupied share | 37.7% | Same ACS release |
| Homes in 2–4 unit buildings | 9,252 of 365,506, about 2.5% | Same ACS release |
| FHFA house price index, county | +2.8% in 2025; +37.6% since 2020 | FRED series ATNHPIUS24033A |
| HUD Small Area FMR, 2BR: 20781 / 20740 / 20770 | $1,920 / $2,400 / $2,200 | HUD FY2026 Small Area FMRs |
Duplexes are rare in this county, so true two-unit comps are thin. Expect the appraiser to stretch distance and adjust single-family sales. The Route 1 sides at $2,025 and $1,875 sit within about 5% of HUD’s $1,920 two-bedroom figure for ZIP 20781, a sign the rents are supportable.
Tax rates used on this page come from the Maryland SDAT 2026–2027 tax rate table. The unincorporated county pays $1.000 county plus $0.112 state per $100. Towns add their own levy and receive a lower county rate, so always use the combined figure for the parcel’s town.
College Park vs Hyattsville — refi basis and rent bands
Both corridors sit on Metro-adjacent duplex stock, but refi files diverge on tenant profile and permit jurisdiction:
| Corridor | Typical duplex buy (distressed) | Stabilized gross | Appraisal band | Refi note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyattsville Route 1 | $360K–$420K | $3,600–$4,200/mo | $500K–$560K | City permits; grad-student mix |
| College Park (Berwyn Rd area) | $380K–$450K | $3,800–$4,800/mo | $510K–$590K | UMD lease demand; tighter DOM on renovated units |
| Greenbelt (Metro walk) | $420K–$520K | $4,200–$5,500/mo | $560K–$680K | Small MF; longer refi timeline |
UMD calendar: August move-in and January semester starts compress lease-up windows — sponsors who stabilize in June–July or December often hit refi 30–45 days faster than mid-semester acquisitions with vacant units.
Cross-river math, corrected for tax: hold rent at $3,900, value at $542K, and the loan at 71% LTV and 8.25%. Only the tax rate changes.
| Location of the same duplex | Monthly tax | DSCR |
|---|---|---|
| Washington DC (Class 1, $0.85) | $384 | ~1.14 |
| Unincorporated PG County ($1.112) | $502 | ~1.10 |
| College Park ($1.415) | $639 | ~1.06 |
| Hyattsville ($1.626) | $734 | ~1.03 |
| Greenbelt ($1.8145) | $820 | ~1.01 |
At equal value and rent, DC’s lower tax rate actually wins the ratio. PG County’s edge is the purchase price per dollar of rent and the lack of a TOPA process, not the tax bill.
Green Line Metro rent achievement
Metro-adjacent PG duplexes underwrite to achieved lease, not Zillow peak:
- West Hyattsville / Prince George’s Plaza: $1,850–$2,100/side on renovated 2BR after $90K–$110K reposition
- College Park: $1,950–$2,350/side with UMD staff leases — require 12-month term in refi file
- Greenbelt: $2,100–$2,600/side on walk-to-Metro units — verify parking in lease; underwriters haircut rent without off-street or permit parking documented
Pull three leased comps within 0.5 mi on same Metro station — not Bowie SFR rents on a Hyattsville duplex file.
PG County vs DC TOPA advantage
Maryland holds avoid DC TOPA timelines — a real advantage for sponsors recycling capital from DC rowhouse flips into PG BRRRR. Closing costs do not disappear, though: Maryland and the county levy their own recordation and transfer taxes, so get a title quote before you model cash-out. Model lease-up under Maryland law and the county rent stabilization rules below.
Underwriting file checklist
- Executed leases + 1007 rent schedule
- Violation clearance documentation if acquired distressed
- LLC vesting docs
- Property tax bill stress-tested +8–10% post-rehab
- Hard money payoff + scope summary for no-seasoning files
- Block photos + vacancy GIS screenshot for appraisal support
- Rental license from DPIE or the correct town
- MDE lead registration in the refinancing entity’s name + current inspection certificate
- PRSA annual report receipt or exemption ruling
Related programs
- Hard money lenders Prince George’s County
- Hard money Hyattsville
- Fix and flip loans Maryland
- Blog: DMV cross-border investing
PG County DSCR — yield vs DC gates (2026)
PG County refi wins on purchase basis and no TOPA process — not on tax. Town rates of $1.4–$1.8 per $100 can trim the ratio versus DC on equal rent.
- Route 1 duplex: $3,900/mo → 71% LTV ~1.03 DSCR with Hyattsville tax
- Corridor: Hyattsville / College Park / Greenbelt — separate comp sets
- vs DC: Cross-river stack after DC flip extraction
- Block walk: County averages mislead on achievable rent
Underwriting anchor: Stabilized rents: $2,025/mo + $1,875/mo = $3,900/mo gross — refresh executed lease, insurance quote, and tax reassessment before DSCR application. DSCR 5.75%–10.5% · PG hard money · (833) 264-7776.
Pre-Qualify for PG County DSCR · (833) 264-7776
Rates, terms and conditions offered only to qualified borrowers. Jaken Finance Group only finances non-owner occupied investment properties.