Champions Funding Review 2026: Broker-Only DSCR Loans

Which Champions Funding this review covers

This Champions Funding review covers Champions Funding, LLC, a non-QM mortgage lender at 365 E. Germann Rd., Suite 140, in Gilbert, Arizona (NMLS 2254210). Brokers call it "Champs," and it runs its website at champstpo.com. The championsfunding.com address in older records did not load when we tried it on Nov. 3, 2026.

Two other companies have similar names. Champion Mortgage was the reverse mortgage brand of Mr. Cooper Group, which agreed in July 2021 to sell that servicing portfolio to Mortgage Assets Management, per HousingWire. Champions Group is a home-services company that Blackstone agreed to buy on Feb. 17, 2026, per CrowdfundedWealth. Neither one is connected to the Gilbert lender.

Champions Funding says it was founded in 2021. It announced its launch on March 2, 2022, with Evan M. Stone as CEO and Patty Arvielo, co-founder and CEO of New American Funding, as chairwoman. Stone founded Pacific Union Financial, per the same release. The company holds a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) designation from the U.S. Treasury, and CrowdfundedWealth reports that the Treasury's Sept. 17, 2026 list of certified CDFIs includes it. Its team page lists Bryan Filkey as president.

You reach Champions Funding through a mortgage broker

Champions Funding is a wholesale and correspondent lender. Its site says the information there "is solely intended for mortgage bankers, mortgage brokers, and financial institutions" and "is not an advertisement to extend credit directly to consumers." No borrower application sits on the site, and its Quick Pricer is open to licensed professionals only.

To get a Champions DSCR loan, you work with a mortgage broker or loan officer who has signed up as a Champions partner. The broker prices the loan, submits it and talks to Champions for you. If a broker quotes you a "Champs" loan, ask for the program name (Accelerator or Equity First) and the matrix date, so you can check the terms below against the version they used.

CrowdfundedWealth's tabulation of 2025 federal HMDA data counts 7,110 DSCR-type Champions loans totaling $2.71 billion, out of 11,067 loans for $4.68 billion in all. HMDA has no DSCR field, so CrowdfundedWealth built that count from other fields, such as business purpose, investment property and no debt-to-income ratio reported.

Champions Funding's DSCR programs

Champions lists four rental programs that qualify on the property's income instead of your tax returns or W-2s. The three matrices we read carry a revision date of Nov. 2, 2026.

Every Accelerator and Equity First loan is business-purpose on an investment property. Neither you nor a family member may live in it.

Accelerator 1-4 unit: LTV by credit score

The 1-4 unit matrix sets the maximum loan-to-value by your credit score, your DSCR and the loan purpose. For loans under $1,000,000, the Nov. 2, 2026 matrix shows:

Bigger loans get lower caps. In the top loan band, $2,500,001 to $3,000,000, a 740+ borrower with a 1.00+ DSCR tops out at 70% on a purchase. Loans under $150,000 cap at 75% for purchase or rate-term and 70% for cash-out.

Other rules on the same matrix:

• Loan structures: 30-year fixed, 5/6 ARM, 7/6 ARM and 10/6 ARM.
• Interest-only: 660 minimum score, 75% purchase or rate-term, 70% cash-out. Champions calculates DSCR on the interest-only payment.
• Property: single-family (attached or detached), 2-4 units and warrantable condos. Non-warrantable condos and condotels take a 5% LTV cut. Rural properties are not eligible.
• Short-term rentals: eligible, capped at 75% for purchase or rate-term and 70% for cash-out. The matrix sends brokers to the full guidelines for how the income is counted.
• Reserves: none at $1.5 million or less, 2 months of payments above $1.5 million, 6 months above $2.5 million. Cash-out proceeds can count.
• Borrowers: citizens, green card holders, and visa holders who have U.S. credit. First-time investors qualify with no late housing payments in the last 12 months.
• Credit events: a bankruptcy, foreclosure, short sale or modification 36+ months back brings no cut. At 24 months, the cap drops to 75% purchase or rate-term and 70% cash-out.
• Where: the matrix refers to state licensing for ineligible states, and the licensing page says business-purpose loans are available in "most states." CrowdfundedWealth reports that Champions' business-purpose survey names North Dakota and South Dakota as the only states it doesn't close in. The matrix excludes Baltimore, Philadelphia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Hawaii's lava zones 1 and 2.

The 5-8 unit and Equity First rules

The 5-8 Unit Accelerator requires a DSCR of at least 1.00 and loan amounts from $400,000 to $2,000,000. The matrix shows a 720+ score row with caps of 75% purchase, 70% rate-term and 65% cash-out under $1,000,000. The product page says scores "as low as 700," so confirm the floor with your broker. Connecticut, Florida and New Jersey get lower caps, and Illinois and New York loans are by exception only. You must have owned and managed rental or commercial property for a year or more within the last three years. First-time investors aren't eligible. Up to 2 units can sit vacant, counted at 75% of market rent. Short-term rental income, mixed-use buildings and gift funds are not allowed. Reserves are 6 months of payments, and cash-out can't cover them.

DSCR Equity First sets no minimum credit score and no minimum DSCR. It caps leverage at 55% LTV/CLTV for $125,000 to $1,999,999, or 60% for $300,000 to $1,500,000, and $150,000 of equity must remain after the loan. The 60% tier also needs no 90-day late payments in the last 12 months on the property. It covers 1-4 units, condos and 5-8 unit buildings, with a $400,000 minimum on 5-8 units. The matrix allows a loan one day after a bankruptcy, and a foreclosure on the subject property needs 12 months. Foreign nationals and ITIN borrowers are eligible. The only term is a 30-year fixed with no interest-only. Equity First does not lend in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey (natural persons), New Mexico, New York, Vermont or Wisconsin. The matrix cuts the cap by 5% in 30 listed states and DC, including Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas (refinances).

Prepayment, rates and who services the loan

Both Accelerator matrices carry a prepayment premium of 5% of any amount you prepay during the prepayment period. They don't state how long that period runs. The matrices say the premium is not allowed in Alaska, Maryland, New Mexico and Vermont, and Mississippi requires a step-down. The licensing page links a separate Prepayment Penalty Matrix with state rules, so ask your broker which row applies to you. Equity First requires a flat 5% premium with no step-down and no buyout.

Champions publishes no rates and no fee schedule. Your broker gets pricing from the Champions pricer and adds their own compensation, so ask for a Loan Estimate or term sheet that shows both.

Champions lists a servicing division with a borrower login portal. For customer support and loan payments, its site gives (800) 365-7107 and a P.O. box in Dallas. CrowdfundedWealth reports that this Dallas contact applies to loans closed after Dec. 1, 2025, and that earlier loans stay with a Phoenix address. Ask your broker who will service your loan.

Champions Funding reviews and complaint record

Champions sells to brokers, and we found little public review history from borrowers. As of Nov. 3, 2026:

• Trustpilot: a page exists for champstpo.com. We could not confirm its rating or review count.
• BBB: we found no BBB profile for Champions Funding.
• Google: the lender's review page links to a Google profile. We found no published rating or count for it.
• Champions' own review page shows three short testimonials from broker partners, with no dates or scores.

CrowdfundedWealth reports 15 complaints about Champions in the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database, filed June 10, 2023 through April 28, 2026, as searched Oct. 21, 2026. It counts 12 about mortgages, 2 about credit reporting and 1 about a personal loan. The mortgage complaints split into closing (5), the payment process (4) and applying (3). It reports a timely response on all 15. Those complaints cover all Champions loans, including its consumer non-QM programs, not only DSCR loans.

We found no regulatory enforcement action against Champions Funding, LLC in a search on Nov. 3, 2026.

Who the Champions programs fit, and who should look elsewhere

Going by the Nov. 2, 2026 matrices, Champions' programs are built for:

• An investor who already works with a mortgage broker and wants a DSCR loan without tax returns.
• A rental that doesn't cash flow at 1.00, since the 1-4 unit program goes down to 0.75 and offers a no-ratio tier.
• An owner of a 5-8 unit residential building who has at least a year of landlord experience.
• A borrower with a recent bankruptcy or a low or no credit score who will keep 40% to 45% equity, and at least $150,000 of it, through Equity First.

Look at a direct lender if you want to apply yourself or see rates before you talk to anyone. Champions also doesn't fit rural properties, mixed-use buildings, short-term rentals in 5-8 unit buildings, or a borrower who wants no prepayment premium.

Champions Funding FAQ

Is Champions Funding a direct lender?

No. Champions Funding is a wholesale lender. You reach its DSCR loans through a licensed mortgage broker or loan officer who is a Champions partner.

Is Champions Funding legit?

Champions Funding, LLC is a Gilbert, Arizona mortgage lender with NMLS ID 2254210. It holds a Treasury CDFI designation and lists mortgage licenses in 34 jurisdictions on its licensing page.

What credit score does Champions Funding need for a DSCR loan?

The 1-4 unit Accelerator starts at 600 with a 60% purchase cap. You need 700 or higher for 80%. Equity First has no minimum score.

Does Champions Funding offer no-ratio DSCR loans?

Yes, on 1-4 unit properties with a 640 or higher score. A no-ratio loan under $1 million tops out at 75% LTV on a purchase.

What is Champs TPO?

Champs TPO is the name Champions Funding uses on its broker website, champstpo.com. It is the same Gilbert, Arizona lender.