Renovate to resell → flip loan. Buy before you sell → bridge. Build new → construction. Hold a rental → DSCR. Keep the flip as a rental → flip loan then DSCR (BRRRR).
The side-by-side
| Loan | Best for | Funds rehab | Term | Sizes off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fix & Flip | Buy-renovate-sell | Yes, draws | 6–18 mo | ARV |
| Hard Money | Any fast investor deal | Sometimes | 6–24 mo | Current value |
| Bridge | Timing gap / buy-before-sell | Rarely | 11–24 mo | Value / equity |
| Construction | Ground-up build | Yes, draws | 12–24 mo | Completed value |
| DSCR | Long-term rental hold | No | 30 yr | Rent (DSCR) |
Head-to-head matchups
Flip vs Hard Money
A flip loan is hard money — tuned for rehab with draws + ARV sizing. General hard money lends on current value and may skip structured draws.
Flip vs Bridge
Bridge spans a timing gap (often buy-before-sell) and rarely funds a full rehab; a flip loan is built to renovate and resell.
Flip vs Construction
Flip = renovate a standing home; construction = build new — larger, longer, more milestones.
Flip vs DSCR
Different jobs that pair: flip to buy+renovate, then DSCR to hold as a rental.
The BRRRR sequence
Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat — how a flip loan and a DSCR loan work together to build a rental portfolio:
Buy + Rehab
Use a fix & flip loan to acquire and renovate the property.
Rent
Lease it to establish market rent.
Refinance
Refi into a DSCR loan that qualifies on the rent — pulling your capital back out.
Repeat
Redeploy the returned capital into the next deal.
The decision framework
Renovating an existing home to resell?
→ Fix & flip loan.
Flipping but planning to keep it as a rental?
→ Flip loan → refi to DSCR (BRRRR).
Buying before you sell / spanning a gap?
→ Bridge.
Building new from the ground up?
→ Construction.
Fix & flip comparison FAQs
Flip vs hard money?
A flip loan is hard money tuned for rehab — adds draws and ARV-based sizing.
Flip vs bridge?
Flip renovates to resell; bridge spans a timing gap and rarely funds a full rehab.
Flip vs construction?
Flip renovates a standing home; construction builds new — larger and longer.
Flip vs DSCR?
They pair — flip to buy+renovate, then DSCR to hold as a rental (BRRRR).
How do I decide?
Match the loan to the project — we'll confirm the cheapest fit and any handoff.
Reviewed by the licensing team at Save Financial, a California-licensed mortgage brokerage (NMLS #377740, DRE #01875766) founded in 2009 and serving all 58 counties from offices in Newport Beach and Marina del Rey.