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How much can a foreign national borrow for U.S. property?

In short: U.S. lenders can qualify you three ways without a U.S. credit file — on the property's expected rent (DSCR), on your foreign income against a 43% debt-to-income cap, or on your liquid assets spread over 60–120 months. Pick your path, enter a rate, and this calculator back-solves your maximum loan, maximum purchase price, required reserves and an indicative cash-to-close band — the honest starting budget for a cross-border property search.

Reviewed by America Mortgages Closing DeskLast updated 6 July 2026

How will you qualify?

Expected monthly rent

Target DSCR

Most FN programs want 1.0–1.25+.

Interest rate

% / yr

Indicative — your quoted rate may differ. We never pre-fill a rate.

Term

years

Down payment

Foreign-national floor: 25%.

Est. monthly tax + insurance + HOA

Reserve months to evidence

Shown, not paid at closing.

Short-term rental (Airbnb / STR)Applies the 20% haircut to expected rent.

Pick a path and enter your figures

Your maximum loan, purchase price and an indicative cash-to-close band appear instantly. Figures stay in your browser.

How this calculator works

max P&I → max loan = P&I ÷ factor → max price = loan ÷ (1 − down%)

Every path first finds the largest monthly principal-and-interest payment your evidence supports. On the DSCR path that is qualifying rent ÷ target DSCR − monthly taxes/insurance/HOA (short-term rentals take the standard 20% haircut first). On the income path it is (annual income ÷ 12) × DTI cap − existing debts − TIA. The asset path is the income path with imputed income = qualifying assets ÷ depletion months (60, 84 or 120).

That payment converts to a principal through the standard amortizing factor — the inverse of M = P·r(1+r)ⁿ/((1+r)ⁿ−1) at your user-entered rate and term. The maximum purchase price then follows from your down payment: price = loan ÷ (1 − down%), floored at the 25% foreign-national minimum. Reserves are reported as months × the estimated full payment (evidenced, not paid), and cash-to-close adds an indicative 2–5% closing-cost band to the down payment. If the inputs can't support any payment, the tool says so — it never shows a negative budget.

Worked example

An overseas investor expects $3,500/month rent on the kind of property they're targeting, sets a 1.25 target DSCR, estimates $800/month for taxes, insurance and HOA, enters a 7% rate over 30 years, and plans the minimum 25% down with 12 months of reserves.

Example inputs

Path: Rental income (DSCR)
Expected monthly rent: $3,500
Target DSCR: 1.25
Tax + insurance + HOA: $800/mo
Rate (user-entered): 7.00% / yr · 30 years
Down payment · reserves: 25% · 12 months

Computed results

Max supportable P&I: $2,000.00
Max loan: $300,615
Max purchase price: $400,820
Down payment (25%): $100,205
Reserves to evidence (12 mo): $33,600
Cash to close (indicative): $108,221 – $120,246

$3,500 of rent at a 1.25 DSCR leaves $2,000.00 a month for principal and interest after the $800 TIA. At 7% over 30 years that supports a loan of about $300,615, which with 25% down means a purchase price up to $400,820 with $100,205 down — plus $33,600 of reserves to evidence and roughly $108,221–$120,246 of total cash to close.

Example figures are fixed sample numbers computed by the same engine that powers the calculator above — illustrative only, not a quote.

FAQ

Affordability questions, answered

How do foreign nationals qualify for a U.S. mortgage without U.S. income or credit?

Through non-QM (non-qualified-mortgage) programs that replace the W-2-and-FICO checklist with one of three evidence paths: the property's expected rental income (DSCR), your documented foreign income against a debt-to-income cap, or your liquid assets converted into imputed income (asset depletion). This calculator models all three — pick the tab that matches how you'd document your finances.

Why is the down payment fixed at a minimum of 25%?

Foreign-national programs run 25–30% down (70–75% loan-to-value) because the lender can't rely on a U.S. credit file. The calculator floors your input at 25% so it never shows a purchase price no program would actually finance. U.S. expats with U.S. credit can often go lower — see our expat programs.

What is asset depletion and who uses it?

Asset depletion divides your qualifying liquid assets by a fixed number of months — typically 60, 84 or 120, with 84 the common default — and treats the result as monthly income. It suits retirees, business owners with lumpy income, and investors who are asset-rich but don't draw a salary. $1M in assets over 84 months, for example, imputes about $11,900/month of income.

What are reserves, and do I pay them at closing?

No — reserves are money you must SHOW, not spend. Programs typically want 6–12 months of the full housing payment (PITIA) sitting in accounts after closing. The calculator reports them separately from cash-to-close for exactly that reason: they affect how much liquidity you need, not what you hand over.

How accurate is the cash-to-close band?

It combines your down payment with an indicative 2–5%-of-price closing-cost band — the published range for U.S. purchases — so treat it as a planning envelope, not a settlement statement. Run the specific property through our PITI + closing-costs calculator for the itemized view, including foreign-buyer line items.

Which of the three paths gives the biggest loan?

It depends on your profile. Strong rent on the target property usually makes DSCR the cleanest (the property qualifies, not you). High documented income with low debts favors the income path. Large liquid portfolios favor asset depletion. Many clients qualify under two paths — our specialists run all three and pick the program with the best terms.

Keep going: related calculators & guides

Mortgage Payment (PITI) + Closing Costs

All-in monthly payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance, HOA) plus an indicative closing-cost and cash-to-close band, with foreign-buyer line items (remote notarization, LLC setup, international wires)..

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FIRPTA Withholding / Net Proceeds

Estimates FIRPTA withholding when a foreign owner sells US property (15% default; 10% tier $300k–$1M and 0% ≤$300k with buyer-residence intent, boundaries inclusive), known state overlays (HI, CA), the Form 8288-B reduction note, and estimated net proceeds at closing.

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Foreign National Mortgages

The program page behind these numbers — no U.S. citizenship, residency or credit required.

Purchase U.S. Property from Overseas

The end-to-end buying process for foreign nationals and expats, step by step.

Important information

Illustrative and educational only. Results are indicative estimates, not a quote, an offer of credit, or a commitment to lend.
Cost and fee figures are indicative ranges, not quotes; actual amounts vary by state, provider, program and transaction, and are confirmed in writing at pre-approval.
Indicative ranges only, not an offer of credit. Actual rates, LTV and terms depend on the program, property, borrower profile and prevailing market conditions, and are confirmed in writing at pre-approval.
Qualification paths, down-payment minimums, DTI caps and reserve requirements vary by program and are confirmed during pre-approval.

America Mortgages, Inc. — NMLS 2810389 (America Mortgages Nationwide). Methodology last reviewed 6 July 2026. This tool never quotes a rate: every interest and FX rate is entered by you, and every output is an indicative estimate, not an offer or commitment to lend.