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Investors searching Lima One vs Jaken Finance Group want clarity on leverage, close speed, and whether national product grids or focus-market depth fits their next fix-and-flip or BRRRR bridge file.
Lima One Capital built a national rental and fix-and-flip brand with published experience tiers. Jaken Finance Group built metro-specific investor hubs with worked economics in Chicago, Charlotte, Tampa, Indianapolis, and the DMV.
The most useful Lima One and Jaken Finance Group comparison starts with a fixed scope and expected hold period. Ask both lenders to price those inputs, including points and draw costs. Recheck the quotes if the work or exit changes.
Author: Jason Taken, Principal · Related: Lima One fix and flip requirements · Kiavi alternatives · Best hard money lenders 2026
Side-by-side program market overview (2026)
| Factor | Jaken Finance Group | Lima One Capital (public positioning) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Non-owner-occupied investment RE | Fix-and-flip + rental portfolio nationally |
| Geography | Focus states + DC/DMV depth | National scale |
| Close speed | 7–10 business days on qualified HM files | Varies by file; institutional process |
| LTC / leverage | Up to 100% of cost, capped at 75% of after-repair value | Published tier programs — verify current |
| Rental / DSCR | State + metro DSCR hubs, calculator | Established rental portfolio programs |
| Local content | Metro hubs, neighborhood spokes, case studies | National marketing; less neighborhood depth |
| Best fit | Sponsors who want local comp discipline in focus markets | Sponsors scaling multi-state with published grids |
When Jaken Finance Group may fit better
Chicago two-flat or collar county BRRRR — RLTO, Cook County tax reassessment, and collar vs city NOI are documented on Illinois hubs and Chicago fix and flip. National grids may not surface RLTO expense in pro forma conversations.
Florida coastal insurance — Wind and flood tiers swing DSCR by parcel. Jaken Finance Group publishes Florida DSCR insurance impact and metro spokes with address-level diligence checklists.
A rowhouse addition can change both the rehab scope and the expected exit date. Give each lender the same plan status and use the DC rehab timeline to test the hold. A Bethesda rental loan needs its own rent and expense evidence, even under the same sponsor.
Stress-test the amount of work behind each offer. The Park Circle project discussion and Petworth rowhouse discussion provide starting points. Read Greenville Nicholtown and Fountain Square when preparing the income evidence for a potential hold.
When Lima One may fit better
Multi-state portfolio at scale — If you fund simultaneous projects across many states and value standardized experience tiers, Lima One’s national footprint and rental heritage may reduce friction.
Published product grids — Sponsors who want predictable LTC/LTV matrices by experience score without metro-specific nuance often prefer institutional grids.
Rental-first strategy — Investors building large rental portfolios nationally may prioritize Lima One’s rental brand depth over regional boutique focus.
Lima One experience tiers — how grids differ from boutique underwriting
Lima One publishes experience-based leverage tiers (often described as Core / Pro / Elite in investor marketing). Sponsors with documented closed deals climb tiers and unlock higher LTC on repeat files. That helps multi-state operators who want predictable matrices instead of negotiating every deal.
| Sponsor profile | Typical Lima One fit | Typical Jaken Finance Group fit |
|---|---|---|
| 10+ closed flips nationally | Grid LTC by tier | Focus-market file with local comp packet |
| First Chicago two-flat | May hit experience minimums | Chicago two-flat guide + RLTO math |
| Rental portfolio 20+ doors | Rental + refi product depth | Focus-state DSCR with metro insurance guides |
| Single Tampa coastal flip | SFR template | Florida insurance impact diligence |
If your file is grid-friendly SFR in a state Lima One targets heavily, compare their tier quote. If your file is multifamily in Chicago or row homes in DC, compare Jaken Finance Group’s local hubs — the binding constraint is usually comp discipline, not brand logo.
Rental portfolio continuity: Lima One vs Jaken Finance Group BRRRR
Lima One strength: scale rental acquisition and portfolio refi under one national brand with published rental programs.
Jaken Finance Group strength: bridge → stabilize → DSCR in focus metros without handing off to a third-party refi shop that re-underwrites from scratch — see DSCR Illinois, DSCR Florida, DSCR North Carolina.
Model both exits with the DSCR calculator before you pick acquisition lender.
Shared bridge underwriting checklist
Draw milestones, rate/point comparison, and extension fees follow the same institutional logic for any national bridge lender. For the full checklist (IO carry, minimum interest, Plan B DSCR), see Jaken Finance Group vs Kiavi — then apply the same questions to your Lima One term sheet.
Also see: Kiavi vs Lima One · Focus-state comparison
Bottom line
Lima One wins on national scale, rental portfolio depth, and published experience tiers. Jaken Finance Group wins on focus-market economics, neighborhood depth, and DMV/RLTO/coastal insurance diligence where local underwriting details change outcomes.
Run your deal through both if eligible — the right lender is the one that closes on your timeline with terms that survive your actual rehab scope and exit.
Test both a resale and a rental exit in the fix-and-flip calculator before selecting a short-term loan. Ask which payoff or extension costs apply if the sale takes longer. Request a financing review with the chosen exit and the cash available if that exit changes.
Lima One rental grid vs. Jaken Finance Group BRRRR stack
Lima One publishes experience-tier LTC for national SFR — strong for sponsors scaling identical suburban ranch pipelines.
| Milestone | Lima One | Jaken Finance Group |
|---|---|---|
| Flip bridge | Published grid | 8.99%–13.5% — focus states |
| Rental portfolio | Core brand strength | DSCR 5.75%–10.5% |
| No-seasoning cash-out | Verify program | Gary case study |
| Chicago two-flat | Template friction | RLTO-aware underwriting |
Kiavi vs Lima One · fix and flip calculator · pre-qualify.
Illinois prices behind a focus-market flip
National grids price many states from one matrix. Illinois has its own price path. The Illinois all-transactions house price index was 565.87 in the second quarter of 2026, up 6.0% from 533.90 a year earlier. The index is not seasonally adjusted. The first quarter of 1980 equals 100.
Illinois unemployment, not seasonally adjusted, was 4.9% in August 2026 and 4.6% in August 2025. The series is FRED ILURN. Quote both rates. Do not turn the gap into a percent change of the unemployment rate. It is a state figure, not a neighborhood vacancy rate.
A 6.0% statewide price gain is not your after-repair value. Collar and city comps still have to be local. Jaken Finance Group’s Illinois notes start at hard money lenders Illinois.
Example: a $310,000 all-in house and both exits
Example. Purchase $240,000. Rehab $70,000. All-in cost $310,000. After-repair value $400,000. These are round illustration numbers, not a closed Jaken Finance Group loan.
The fix-and-flip loan is the lower of 100% of cost and 75% of after-repair value. Seventy-five percent of $400,000 is $300,000. Full cost is $310,000. The loan is $300,000. The sponsor still brings $10,000 of project cost, before points and interest reserves.
The rate is 8.99%–13.5% interest-only. The term is 6–12 months. A complete file closes in 7–10 business days. One month of interest at 10.25% on $300,000 is $2,562.50. Six months is $15,375.
A no-rehab bridge is a different cap: up to 90% of the purchase price, for 12–24 months, at the same interest-only band. Ninety percent of this $240,000 purchase would be $216,000, which does not fund the rehab. Use the flip structure when the $70,000 scope is part of the plan.
Hold exit: cash-out versus the bridge payoff
If the sponsor keeps the house, the next loan is DSCR, not another interest-only bridge. Rates run 5.75%–10.5%. Cash-out goes up to 80% of value in select markets for qualified borrowers. Eighty percent of $400,000 is $320,000. A rate-and-term refinance can go to 85%, or $340,000. A purchase can go to 85%. Allow about 14 business days for the DSCR closing.
Principal and interest on $320,000 at 7.50% for 30 years is $2,237.49. That rate is inside the DSCR band. It is an illustration.
Example rent of $2,700 a month covers that payment 1.21 times ($2,700 ÷ $2,237.49). Taxes and insurance are not in the payment. If those two bills total $450 a month, the full housing payment is $2,687.49, and $2,700 of rent covers it 1.00 times. A file at 1.00 can fail a higher coverage test. Price the tax bill before you choose the rental grid over a sale.
Lima One’s strength on this choice is a national rental book with published tiers. Jaken Finance Group’s strength is keeping the bridge and the DSCR quote in one focus-market file, including DSCR loans in Illinois. Run the DSCR calculator with the insurance quote in the expenses.
Documents that make the tiers comparable
Collect one packet and send it to both lenders:
- Purchase contract, rehab budget, and three sold comps.
- Proof of the six or more prior exits the tier will rely on.
- Entity documents and the liquidity for the $10,000 gap plus reserves.
- Exit choice in writing: list in month six, or lease and refinance.
- For a coastal or city file, include the insurance quote or the cost of any local rent rules.
Call (833) 264-7776 and ask for a focus-market term sheet next to the national grid. Jaken Finance Group lends in all 50 states. The comparison is still about this scope, not about a logo.
Cook County’s median listing price was $350,000 in September 2026, up from $339,500 in September 2025. The series is not seasonally adjusted. See FRED MEDLISPRI17031. The $240,000 purchase in the example above is below that county median. It is not a luxury-collar file. Do not borrow $750,000 Naperville comps for it.
Six months of carry versus six months of DSCR payments
During the rehab you pay the bridge, not the rental loan. Six months at $2,562.50 is $15,375 of interest, and the $300,000 principal is still due.
Once the house is leased, six DSCR payments at $2,237.49 total $13,424.94. Those payments are lower than the bridge interest, and part of each one is principal. You cannot start them until the rehab is done and the DSCR file is complete. Adding the $15,375 bridge interest to the project is how sponsors discover the $10,000 cash gap was not the whole cash need.
If taxes and insurance are $450 a month, the full payment in the example is $2,687.49. Six of those payments equal $16,124.94. Rent of $2,700 then leaves $12.51 a month before repairs and vacancy. That is not a cushion. Either raise the rent assumption with a real lease or sell. Lima One’s rental grid will not invent the missing coverage, and neither will Jaken Finance Group.
Price the sale the same way. Six months of bridge interest is $15,375. Selling costs at 8% of the $400,000 value are $32,000. Proceeds after the $300,000 loan, those costs, and the interest are $52,625 before points. That sale profit disappears if the after-repair value was optimistic by the same $52,625. Do not skip the comp photos.
Rates, terms and conditions offered only to qualified borrowers and are subject to change without notice. Lima One Capital is a separate company; this page is Jaken Finance Group’s educational comparison only. Jaken Finance Group only finances non-owner occupied investment properties.