On this page
- National lenders that lend in Kentucky
- Advertised rates in Kentucky, lowest first
- Fees and terms of lenders in Kentucky
- Hard money lenders based in Kentucky
- Other regional lenders that list Kentucky
- Choosing a hard money lender in Kentucky
- Transfer and mortgage taxes in Kentucky
- Example: closing costs on a $300,000 flip in Kentucky
- Foreclosure and loan documents in Kentucky
- Kentucky home prices
- Rental (DSCR) lenders that list Kentucky
- Lenders that do not publish a state list
- Frequently asked questions
National lenders that lend in Kentucky
| Lender | Fix-and-flip rate | Max leverage | Min credit score | Loan size | Time to close |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lima One Capital | As low as 7.75% | Up to 95% LTC, 75% of ARV, 100% of rehab | 660 | $100K to $5M | Within 3 weeks for repeat borrowers; Bridge Plus in as few as 7 days |
| Kiavi | As low as 8.25% | Up to 100% LTC / 80% ARV (an FAQ on the same page says up to 95% LTC) | Not stated | $100K to $5M | As few as 7 days |
| Easy Street Capital | Starting at 8.90% | Up to 93% LTC (90% of purchase, 100% of rehab), up to 75% of ARV | 600 | $75K to $5M+ | As little as 24 to 48 hours (its pages give both) |
| New Silver | 9% to 11% | Up to 90% LTC | Not stated | Up to $5M | Average 10 days to close |
| Sherman Bridge | As low as 9.99% | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Express Capital Financing | 10% to 12% | Up to 90% of acquisition and 100% of renovation (its meta description says up to 75% of total project cost) | 600 | $150K to $10M | As little as 5 days |
| LendingOne | Not published | Up to 92.5% LTC, 100% of rehab | Not stated | $100K to $3M | As little as 5 days (its FAQ says 10 business days) |
| Upright | Not published | Up to 90% of purchase, 92.5% of total cost, 75% of ARV; 100% of rehab | Not stated | $125K to $3.5M (1 to 20 units) | As few as 7 days |
| Ternus | Not published (priced by experience, credit and leverage) | Up to 90% of purchase (100% on Elite), 100% of renovation, capped at 70% of ARV (75% on Elite) | 660 for loans above $500K | $50K to $1M | Not stated |
| Griffin Funding | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | From $100K | Often 7 to 10 days |
Rates are each lender's advertised starting rate for fix-and-flip loans, read from its own website on October 22, 2026. Click a lender for its full terms.
Advertised rates in Kentucky, lowest first
Bars show each lender's advertised starting rate and the interest-only monthly payment it implies on a $250,000 loan (loan x rate / 12). Your quote depends on experience, credit and the property.
Fees and terms of lenders in Kentucky
| Lender | Points and fees | Term | Prepayment penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lima One Capital | Origination can be deferred to when you exit (amount not stated) | 13, 19 or 24 months | Not stated on its fix-and-flip page |
| Kiavi | Not stated (no application fee) | 12, 18 or 24 months | Not stated |
| Easy Street Capital | 0 to 2 points plus a $1,995 document fee | 6 to 18 months | Not stated |
| New Silver | 1% to 1.75% origination | Not stated for this program | Not stated |
| Sherman Bridge | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Express Capital Financing | Not stated | 12 months | No prepayment penalty |
| LendingOne | 1 point or $2,000 (whichever is greater) plus $1,395 processing and legal | 12 months | No prepayment penalty |
| Upright | Not stated | 6 to 24 months | No prepayment penalty |
| Ternus | Not stated | 12 months | No prepayment penalty |
| Griffin Funding | Not stated | Typically 12 to 24 months | Not stated |
From each lender's own pages, October 22, 2026. Payments, draws and state lists are in each full lender profile.
Hard money lenders based in Kentucky
MM Lending
Louisville, KY. Phone: (502) 400-3011.
- Loans: Fix and flip, fix to rent, new construction, DSCR rental
- Loan size: Not stated
- Rates: Not published; up to 90% of purchase and 100% of rehab, fix-and-flip up to 75% LTV, 12-month term; says it is a direct private lender
- Where: Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky
Windstone Private Lending
Louisville, KY. Phone: 502-450-9775.
- Loans: Fix and flip or fix and rent, bridge, transaction funding
- Loan size: Not stated
- Rates: Not published; up to 90% of purchase and rehab, initial terms up to 6 months, no prepayment penalty; says it is a direct lender, not a broker
- Where: Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Arkansas
Kentucky Private Lending
Louisville, KY. Phone: (502) 727-1019.
- Loans: Fix to flip, fix to rent, bridge
- Loan size: Not stated
- Rates: Not published; in-house underwriting
- Where: Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio
Other regional lenders that list Kentucky
| Lender | Based in | Loans | Loan size | Rates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridge Street Capital | Miami, FL | Fix and flip, DSCR rental, construction, short-term rental | $50K to $3M (fix and flip) | Fix and flip 10.5% to 11.75%; DSCR 6.0% to 7.99%; construction 10.99% to 12.25%; origination from 1.5% |
| Tidal Loans | Houston, TX | Fix and flip, new construction, bridge, DSCR rental, transactional funding, multifamily, commercial | Not stated | Not published; up to 90% of purchase and 100% of rehab |
Each lists Kentucky among the states it serves on its own website.
Choosing a hard money lender in Kentucky
- Credit below 650: Easy Street Capital, Express Capital Financing publish a 600 minimum credit score and lend in Kentucky.
- Smaller loans: Easy Street Capital (from $75K), Ternus (from $50K).
- Speed: Easy Street Capital, Express Capital Financing, LendingOne advertise closings in 5 days or less.
Transfer and mortgage taxes in Kentucky
Buying and financing a Kentucky property triggers one tax on the deed totaling $300 on a $300,000 purchase, at the rates the state source gives. The table lists each one with its dollar amount in this example.
| Tax | Rate | Example amount | Who pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real estate transfer tax | 50 cents per $500 of value (or fraction) | $300 on $300,000 | Seller (the statute imposes it on the grantor) |
Sources: KRS 142.050. Read on October 22, 2026. Local add-on taxes are listed only where the state source states them.
Example: closing costs on a $300,000 flip in Kentucky
| Line | How it is worked out | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| LendingOne origination | 1 point or $2,000, whichever is greater: 1% x $255,000 = $2,550 | $2,550 |
| LendingOne processing and legal | Flat fee it publishes | $1,395 |
| Real estate transfer tax | 600 x $0.50 = $300. Paid by the seller under the state source, so not in your total | ($300) |
| Lender fees and taxes at closing | Sum of the lines above | $3,945 |
| Down payment | $300,000 price - $255,000 loan | $45,000 |
| Cash to close before third-party costs | $3,945 + $45,000 | $48,945 |
Example at list prices: a $300,000 purchase with a $255,000 loan (85% of the price), using LendingOne's published fees (it lends in Kentucky) and the state taxes above. Title insurance, appraisal, recording fees, insurance, rehab holdbacks and interest are not included, and your lender's quote can differ. Seller-paid taxes shown in brackets ($300) still come out of the deal: they reduce what the seller nets, and some contracts shift them to the buyer.
Foreclosure and loan documents in Kentucky
The standard Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac security instrument for Kentucky is a mortgage (Form 3018), per Freddie Mac's uniform instruments list. Private lenders write their own documents, so check which instrument your loan uses.
Why it matters: the security instrument and the foreclosure route decide what happens if a project goes wrong and the loan is not repaid. This is general information, not legal advice.
Kentucky home prices
Kentucky's purchase-only house price index rose 4.3% over the year to 2026 Q2, above the U.S. figure of 2.1%, and is up 39.8% over five years (U.S.: 33.4%). Past gains do not guarantee future prices, so base your after-repair value on recent comparable sales. Source: FHFA House Price Index (state purchase-only data, not seasonally adjusted; changes computed from index levels).
Kentucky metros: FHFA price changes
| Metro (FHFA purchase-only index) | 1 yr to 2026 Q2 | 5 yrs |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | +3.2% | +41.2% |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | +2.4% | +34.1% |
Of the 2 Kentucky metros in FHFA's purchase-only index of the 100 largest metros, Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN rose most over the year (+3.2%) and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN least (+2.4%), against +4.3% for Kentucky as a whole. Metros that cross state lines are listed under each state they include. Source: FHFA purchase-only metro index (not seasonally adjusted), changes computed from index levels for 2026 Q2 vs the same quarter one and five years earlier.
| Other metro (FHFA all-transactions index) | 1 yr to 2026 Q2 | 5 yrs |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | +6.1% | +52.5% |
These metros are not in the purchase-only list, so the figures come from FHFA's all-transactions metro index, which also counts appraisals from refinances and is not directly comparable with the purchase-only figures.
Rental (DSCR) lenders that list Kentucky
For a property you plan to keep and rent, these lenders offer 30-year DSCR loans and list Kentucky. See DSCR loans compared or run the DSCR calculator.
| Lender | Starting rate | Min DSCR | Min credit | Why it is listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Street Capital | From 5.75% (its FAQ dates this to September 2025) | No minimum | 640 | Its DSCR state list |
| Griffin Funding | From 5.99% (1-year ARM); 30-year fixed from 7.125% (October 2026) | No minimum; no-ratio program | 620 | Says it originates DSCR loans in all 50 states and DC |
| Upright | From 5.99% (as of August 2026) | 0.90x (1.15x for short-term rentals) | 660 | Its hard money state list; confirm for DSCR |
| New Silver | From 6% | 0.75 | 660 | Its state list, which marks rental-only states |
| Kiavi (loans made by Figure Lending) | As low as 6.25% | 0.8x | Not stated | Kiavi's state list; rental loans are made by Figure Lending |
| Express Capital Financing | From 6.25% | 1.0x (also lists a no-DSCR option) | 650 | Its DSCR state list |
| Lima One Capital | As low as 6.5% | 1.0 | 660 | Its DSCR state list |
| LendingOne | Not published | As low as 0.75 | Not stated | Its DSCR state list |
Lenders that do not publish a state list
Groundfloor, RCN Capital, CoreVest do not publish which states they lend in. Ask them directly about Kentucky.
New to these loans? Read the fix-and-flip loan guide, rates and requirements, or compare all national lenders.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the hard money lenders in Kentucky?
10 of the 13 national hard money lenders we compared say on their websites that they lend in Kentucky. The lowest advertised starting rates among them: Lima One Capital (as low as 7.75%), Kiavi (as low as 8.25%), Easy Street Capital (starting at 8.90%). We also list 3 lenders based in Kentucky.
What do hard money loans cost in Kentucky?
Among national lenders that lend in Kentucky, the lowest advertised starting rates are Lima One Capital (as low as 7.75%), Kiavi (as low as 8.25%), Easy Street Capital (starting at 8.90%). Points and fees come on top, and starting rates go to the most experienced borrowers with strong credit. Check each lender's terms.
Does Kentucky use a mortgage or a deed of trust?
The standard Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac security instrument for Kentucky is a mortgage (Form 3018). Private hard money lenders draft their own documents, so confirm what your loan uses.
What taxes do you pay when buying and financing an investment property in Kentucky?
Kentucky charges real estate transfer tax: 50 cents per $500 of value (or fraction). On a $300,000 purchase with a $255,000 loan that comes to $300 (real estate transfer tax). See the table above for who pays each one.
Can I get a hard money loan in Kentucky with a 600 credit score?
Easy Street Capital, Express Capital Financing publish a 600 minimum credit score and list Kentucky. Expect higher pricing and lower leverage than borrowers with stronger credit.
How fast can a hard money loan close in Kentucky?
Published closing times from lenders that cover Kentucky: Lima One Capital: within 3 weeks for repeat borrowers; Bridge Plus in as few as 7 days; Kiavi: as few as 7 days; Easy Street Capital: as little as 24 to 48 hours (its pages give both); New Silver: average 10 days to close; Express Capital Financing: as little as 5 days.
Do hard money loans in Kentucky have prepayment penalties?
Lima One Capital, Kiavi, Easy Street Capital, New Silver, Sherman Bridge, Express Capital Financing, LendingOne, Upright, Ternus, Griffin Funding say their fix-and-flip loans have no prepayment penalty, and all lend in Kentucky. Others do not state a policy on their fix-and-flip pages, so ask before you sign.
Can I get a DSCR loan in Kentucky?
Yes. 8 of the rental lenders we checked list Kentucky, including Easy Street Capital, Griffin Funding, Upright. Advertised starting rates and minimum DSCRs are in the table above.