Lima One Capital Review

Lima One Capital at a glance: an institutional investor lender with real one-stop-shop advantages, but unpublished pricing and recurring process complaints.

What is Lima One Capital?

Lima One Capital is a Greenville, South Carolina lender that has focused on real estate investors since 2010. It is a subsidiary of MFA Financial, a publicly traded real estate investment trust that completed its acquisition of Lima One in 2021. The company reports funding more than $10 billion in loans across 46 states, with over 30,000 loans closed — company figures, not independently audited. Beyond DSCR rental loans, it lends on fix-and-flips, new construction, bridge deals, and multifamily, and services its loans in-house. NMLS #1324403.

Lima One’s DSCR loan program

Lima One’s rental program covers single-family homes, 1–9 unit properties, warrantable condos, short-term rentals, and portfolios of two or more properties, with loan amounts from $85,000 to $2.5 million. The company sets its minimum DSCR at 1.0, though it says properties at 1.2 or above qualify for its best pricing. Minimum credit score is 660, with no personal income documentation required on single-family rentals. Leverage runs up to 80% on purchases and rate-and-term refinances (75% cash-out), and up to 75% on short-term rental purchases. Borrowers can choose fixed or adjustable rates, interest-only or fully amortizing payments, and a no-prepayment-penalty option. Lima One requires three months of ownership seasoning, waived when refinancing out of one of its own bridge or construction loans. It does not lend in Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Vermont.

Strengths

Lima One’s scale and backing stand out: a publicly traded parent, an A+ BBB rating with accreditation dating to 2013, and a servicing operation evaluated by S&P Global. Its DSCR box is broad — short-term rentals, 1–9 unit properties, foreign nationals, and portfolio loans all fit, and the seasoning waiver makes it a refinance path for investors already using its fix-and-flip or construction loans. Keeping servicing in-house means borrowers deal with one company for the life of the loan rather than a transferred servicer.

Watch-outs

Lima One publishes teaser rates ("as low as 6%") but no full rate sheet or fee schedule — pricing requires talking to a loan consultant, and unexpected fees are a recurring theme in negative reviews. Borrower complaints on forums and review sites also cite underwriting delays and last-minute conditions near closing. The CFPB database shows 37 complaints since 2017, most closed with explanation. In 2020, California regulators briefly revoked its state lending license over an unfiled annual report, resolved by consent order the same year.

Who Lima One fits

Lima One fits investors who want one lender across strategies — flipping or building, then refinancing into a DSCR loan without a seasoning wait. Its 1–9 unit and portfolio flexibility suits investors scaling past single properties, and the 660 minimum score is accessible. Investors who want published pricing and a fully digital quote before speaking to a salesperson, or who invest in the four excluded states, should look elsewhere.