How to get a fix and flip loan is a file problem, not a relationship problem. Banks ask for two years of landlord tax returns and a house that already looks like a brochure. Jaken Finance Group underwrites after-repair value, loan-to-cost, scope, liquidity, and exit on non-owner-occupied investment property. Qualified files price at 8.99%–13.5% interest-only, with 7–10 business day closes once appraisal is paid and conditions are clear.
This is the apply-and-qualify walkthrough. Requirements checklist: fix and flip loan requirements. Rate math: fix and flip loan rates. Clock: how long a fix and flip loan takes to close. Submit: pre-qualify.
The five gates before anyone quotes you
Every serious desk opens the same four — Jaken Finance Group adds a fifth:
- Is it business-purpose and vacant-to-investor? Owner-occupied rehab belongs on FHA 203(k) or a conventional renovation loan, not this product. See FHA 203(k) vs hard money.
- Does ARV support the loan after a 75% cap? Three sold comps at your finish level — not the highest Zillow estimate on the block.
- Is the scope fundable? Line items that map to inspection milestones. A single “$45,000 rehab” line is not a scope.
- Is the exit dated? Resale with a DOM assumption, or a named DSCR refi at 5.75%–10.5%. “We will figure it out” is not an exit.
- Can you carry the gap? Even at high LTC you need closing costs, interest reserves, and a 10% contingency you can actually write a check for.
Fail any one of those and the fastest lender in America will still send you back to the PDF.
Step 1 — Confirm you are on the right product
| Your plan | Product | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Buy, rehab, sell in 6–12 months | Fix and flip / hard money | Draws + short IO term |
| Buy, rehab, hold as a rental | Bridge now, DSCR at lease-up | Do not carry 11% for two years |
| Scrape or build from dirt | Ground-up | Different draw and term |
| Financing already died | Fix-and-flip financing fell through | Second Look path |
If the house is livable and already rented, you are not shopping a flip loan. You are shopping DSCR.
Step 2 — Build the submission package
Minimum stack for a 7–10 business day clock:
| Document | Why desks reject the shortcut |
|---|---|
| Executed purchase contract | Price, dates, assignment language, who is on title |
| LLC articles, operating agreement, EIN | Most flips close in an entity — LLC investment loans |
| Line-item scope + contractor bid | Maps to draws |
| Three sold ARV comps | Same finish, same micro-location, recent |
| Two to three months bank statements | All pages — screenshots of a balance die in review |
| Insurance broker contact | Builder’s risk must be bindable |
| Exit memo | Sale or DSCR, with a month attached |
Scope template: how to submit a scope of work. First file: fix and flip loans for beginners.
Do not wait for a term sheet to form the LLC if the contract already names it. Vesting changes after appraisal are how 8-day files become 18-day files.
Step 3 — Run the numbers before you apply
Use the fix and flip calculator and the calculator walkthrough. Hard rules that save a declined file:
- Sale costs are 7%–9% of ARV, not 3%
- Hold months should include permit slip and at least 30 days of DOM
- Loan amount is the lower of your LTC request and 75% of ARV
- Interest-only on $180,000 at 11% is $1,650/month — six extra weeks is real money
ATTOM’s Q4 2025 flipping report (as cited by Kiavi in March 2026) showed national typical gross ROI around 23.6%. Gross is not what you keep. If the calculator prints less than about $15,000 net after carry and sale costs, pause. Either recut basis or model a DSCR hold.
Step 4 — Submit once, complete
Pre-qualify for fix and flip with the address and the PDF bundle labeled by property. Partial uploads produce partial term sheets.
What happens next on a complete Jaken Finance Group file:
| Clock | Event |
|---|---|
| 24–48 hours | Scenario review — leverage band, conditions, or a list of holes |
| Days 1–3 | Appraisal or valuation ordered after payment (select experienced files may use documented comps — appraisal policy is file-specific) |
| Parallel | Title, entity, insurance bind path |
| After valuation | Conditions, clear-to-close |
| 7–10 business days | Target close from a complete, paid file |
Closing times start when appraisal is paid and borrower conditions are satisfied — not when you first emailed a Zillow link. Access delays sit with the seller and the appraiser, not the rate sheet.
Hard-money process sibling: hard money loan application process. Overview: loan process.
Step 5 — Close, then draw like a contractor
Approval is not a lump-sum rehab check. Purchase proceeds fund at closing. Rehab sits in holdback and releases on inspection milestones — typically a 3–5 business day cycle after a clean inspection. Submit draw requests 48 hours before the milestone so the GC is not standing around. Full mechanics: fix and flip draw process.
Beginners lose weeks by buying cabinets before plumbing passes. Experienced sponsors lose weeks by skipping change-order notice when the scope moves.
Worked example — first-time sponsor, Rockford, Illinois
Composite Q3 2026 file:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Purchase (estate sale) | $96,000 |
| Rehab (roof, HVAC, kitchen, bath, flooring) | $54,000 |
| Total cost | $150,000 |
| ARV (three 2026 sold comps, same finish) | $205,000 |
| Requested leverage | 82% LTC = $123,000 |
| 75% ARV cap | $153,750 — request clears the cap |
| Cash to close (gap, costs, 6 months IO reserve) | ≈ $38,000–$42,000 |
| Rate | 11.50% IO (first file, mid-band) |
| Hold | 8 months including winter exterior |
The sponsor had zero closed flips. Approval turned on a licensed GC bid, a 27% ARV spread before sale costs, and bank statements that showed the reserve — not a résumé. Local product: Rockford single-family fix and flip · Illinois fix and flip.
Who gets a yes, who gets a rewrite
Usually fundable
- Non-owner-occupied SFR or 2–4 with a documented resale or BRRRR exit
- First-timers with contractor + margin + reserves
- Repeat sponsors asking for higher LTC on the same discipline
- LLC vesting with a complete entity stack
- Credit that is ugly but explained, when the asset is strong — 500 credit hard money
Usually a rewrite or a different product
- Owner-occupant “I’ll live in it while I renovate” — consumer loan, not this desk
- ARV supported only by actives and a podcast
- Gut / fire / foundation on a first file with no specialist bids
- Auction win with no title review and a 10-day close you cannot staff
- Foreign-source funds with no wire trail — see foreign national fix and flip if that is the real file
Proof of funds before you write the offer
Sellers and listing agents ask for POF on day one. A screenshot of a personal checking account that will not be the closing entity is how you lose a negotiation. Get a lender POF that matches the bid, then write the contract in the LLC that will vest.
- Retail and pocket listings: proof of funds for investors
- Assignment / wholesale: wholesaler proof of funds
- Double close: transactional funding
Auction and REO calendars do not wait for your first LLC banking appointment. If the sale is in nine days, the entity and the wire path need to already exist. Auction hard money.
What a “no” usually means
A decline on an asset-based file is rarely “we do not like you.” It is usually one of:
- ARV does not support the requested LTC after the 75% cap
- Scope and comps describe two different houses
- Liquidity does not cover IO + contingency
- Title or insurance cannot clear inside the contract
Fix the hole and resubmit. Do not send the same PDF to five lenders and call it shopping. Second path: hard money loan denied · investment property loan denied.
How to get a fix and flip loan with no money down
“No money down” in this market means qualified 100% LTC, not a gift. The rehab is still a holdback. You still need closing costs and a contingency you can fund. Full leverage guide: 100% financing. Down-payment gap capital: fix-and-flip down payment funding.
Do not apply for 100% LTC on a first cosmetic file with 12% ARV margin. That is how term sheets come back at 80% and the internet calls the lender a bait-and-switch. Model the conservative LTC on the calculator first.
Experience tiers vs. this desk
Many national platforms publish experience grids — 0 flips, 1–4, 5–10, 10+ over a 24–36 month lookback. Those grids move leverage and sometimes rate, and a few shops still require at least one prior investment exit (Lima One has said so on its standard fix-and-flip FAQ).
Jaken Finance Group does not use a closed-deal count as a hard knockout. A first file still needs a contractor, margin, and reserves. A tenth file still dies on a fake ARV. Bring HUD-1s if you have them; do not wait two years to apply if the deal is real. Beginners: no-experience fix and flip.
Common mistakes that add two weeks
- Applying in your personal name when title will vest in an LLC
- One-line rehab budgets
- ARV from the listing agent
- Liquidity in a retirement account with no withdrawal proof
- No insurance path on a coastal or wildfire address
- Resubmitting the same PDF after a denial — fix the hole first (hard money loan denied)
Call (833) 264-7776 if the close is inside 14 days and the packet is already assembled. Email is slower when title is on the clock.
How to get a fix and flip loan FAQ
How do I get a fix and flip loan?
Put a non-owner-occupied property under contract, build a line-item scope with contractor bids, support ARV with three sold comps, document liquidity, and submit the package. Jaken Finance Group reviews complete files in 24–48 hours and targets a 7–10 business day close after appraisal payment and cleared conditions.
Can I get a fix and flip loan with no experience?
Yes. First-time sponsors fund when ARV margin, a licensed contractor bid, and reserves carry the risk. Expect 80%–85% LTC on a first file rather than maximum leverage. There is no closed-deal minimum on Jaken Finance Group programs.
What documents do I need to apply for a fix and flip loan?
Purchase contract, LLC stack if vesting in an entity, line-item scope with bids, three sold ARV comps, two to three months of bank statements, insurance agent contact, and a written exit (sale pro forma or DSCR refi). W-2s and tax returns are not the primary gate.
How fast can I get approved?
Initial scenario review often returns in 24–48 hours on a complete package. Closings target 7–10 business days after appraisal payment and borrower conditions clear. Missing scope or weak comps add 7–21 days.
Submit the file, not the story
Have the address and the scope? Pre-qualify for fix and flip or call (833) 264-7776. Prefer a 15-minute screen first? Schedule a call.
Further reading: rehab loans for investment property · what is a hard money loan · proof of funds.
Rates, terms and conditions offered only to qualified borrowers and are subject to change at any time without notice. Closing times are in business days and commence upon receipt of appraisal payment and satisfaction of borrower conditions. Closing times may be delayed due to appraiser property access. All loans are subject to full underwriting for loan approvals. Jaken Finance Group only finances non-owner occupied investment properties.
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Jaken Finance Group, 2300 Barrington Road, Suite 400, Hoffman Estates, IL 60196