Acra Lending vs Defy Mortgage
What each lender publishes about financing short-term rentals, side by side. Acra Lending: all except ak, nd, sd. Defy Mortgage: all except ak, az, id, mi, mn, nv, nd, or, sd, ut, vt.
The short version
- Acra Lending needs 12 months of STR history; Defy Mortgage accepts STR history or a projection.
- Both publish a 640 minimum credit score.
- Defy Mortgage has the higher max purchase LTV (85% vs 75%).
- Defy Mortgage has the higher max cash-out LTV (80% vs 70%).
- Defy Mortgage has the lower minimum loan ($75K vs $100K).
- Only Defy Mortgage publishes a minimum DSCR (0.75).
- Acra Lending does not publish a policy on first-time investors; Defy Mortgage allows them.
Based only on published figures, checked Oct 19, 2026. Published maximums usually need top credit. Confirm with the lender.
| Term | Acra LendingWholesale | Defy MortgageDirect lender |
|---|---|---|
| STR income method | 12-month history Lender sources · checked Oct 18, 2026 | Either defytpo.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 |
| STR income details | STR allowed case-by-case. Refinances need 12-month rental-agency ledgers; purchases use the appraiser's market rent under standard DSCR rules. See lender sources | 12-month history: 12-month operating history accepted; factor not published. Projection: Purchase: AirDNA, 80% of annual revenue ÷ 12; operator experience in the last 12 months required. STR min DSCR 1.15. STR max LTV 75%. defytpo.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 |
| Min credit score | 640 api.acralending.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 | 640 defymortgage.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 |
| Min DSCR | Not published | 0.75 defymortgage.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 |
| DSCR below 1.0 | Yes api.acralending.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 | Yes Lender sources · checked Oct 18, 2026 |
| No-ratio option | Yes api.acralending.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 | Not published |
| Max LTV (purchase) | 75% api.acralending.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 | 85% defymortgage.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 |
| Max LTV (cash-out/refi) | 70% api.acralending.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 | 80% defymortgage.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 |
| Min loan | $100K api.acralending.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 | $75K defymortgage.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 |
| Max loan | $3M api.acralending.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 | Not published |
| Prepayment | 1-5 year options (fixed or 5/4/3/2/1 step-down) or no prepay api.acralending.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 | Standard 5-year step-down (5/4/3/2/1); flat 5% also available defymortgage.com · checked Oct 19, 2026 |
| States served | All except AK, ND, SD Lender sources · checked Oct 18, 2026 | All except AK, AZ, ID, MI, MN, NV, ND, OR, SD, UT, VT Lender sources · checked Oct 18, 2026 |
| First-time investors | Not published | Yes Lender sources · checked Oct 18, 2026 |
| Channel | Wholesale | Direct lender |
| Last verified |
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Not a lender or broker. No referral fees. For education only. Figures come from each lender's public pages on the date shown and can change without notice, so verify them with the lender. Rates are estimates, not quotes. How we source data.