A California bridge loan is short-term, interest-only real estate financing designed for one job: closing on a new California property before the existing one sells. The loan is secured against the departing residence (or sometimes the new purchase), pays interest only for 12 months, and gets paid off when the original property closes. In California's competitive jumbo market — where contingent offers rarely win — bridge financing is the standard tool for moving up, moving across town, or capturing time-sensitive investment opportunities.
DSCR Capital Partners offers California bridge loans from $1,000,000 to $20,000,000, with a base rate of 8.50%, up to 60% LTV, and a typical 14–21 day close. We are licensed for bridge financing in California — this is a California-only program through our wholesale lender network.
California Bridge Loan Terms — 2026 Program
Wholesale Bridge Loan Highlights CA Only
Base Rate8.50% @ Par
Payment StructureInterest-Only, 12-month term
Minimum Loan$1,000,000
Maximum Loan$20,000,000
Max LTV ($1M–$5M)60%
Max LTV ($5M–$10M)55%
Max LTV ($10M–$20M)50%
Property Type1–4 Unit SFR / Condo
OccupancyOwner-Occ, 2nd Home, Investment
Minimum FICO680
CitizenshipU.S. Citizen / Permanent Resident
Loan Term1 year + two 6-mo extensions
Extension Fee0.50% of original + $500 review
Listing RequirementAvg marketing time ≤ 6 months
Origination Fee2% of loan amount
Lender Fee$1,695
Pledge Account Setup$250 (Bridge-to-Sale)
Trust / Entity Review$350 if applicable
When a California Bridge Loan Wins
Five scenarios where California bridge financing is the right tool:
- Buying before selling in the Bay Area or West LA. Sellers in competitive California markets routinely reject contingent offers. A bridge loan lets you submit a non-contingent offer on the new home, close, then sell the departing residence on a calm timeline.
- Trading up in coastal California. Buyers moving from a $2M Pasadena home to a $5M Manhattan Beach property need to close on the new property before the old equity unlocks. A bridge loan against the existing $2M home funds the $5M down payment.
- 1031 exchange timing pressure. When the 45-day identification window or 180-day close window collides with a slow-selling relinquished property, a bridge loan keeps the exchange compliant.
- Investment property opportunistic acquisitions. When a Los Angeles or San Francisco off-market deal surfaces, the 14–21 day bridge close beats the 30–45 day conventional close that would lose the deal.
- Distressed-sale, value-add, or repositioning plays. Properties that won't qualify for conventional financing today — deferred maintenance, vacant units, low cap rates — can close on a bridge loan and refi to permanent financing after stabilization.
California Bridge Loan vs. Other Options
| Loan Type | Time to Close | Max LTV | Rate (mid-2026) | Best For |
|---|
| CA Bridge Loan | 14–21 days | 60% ($1M–$5M) | 8.50%+ | Non-contingent offers, fast close |
| Jumbo Conventional | 30–45 days | 80–90% | 6.50–7.25% | Long-term hold, full income docs |
| HELOC on departing home | 30–60 days | 70–80% CLTV | Prime+1 to Prime+3 (variable) | Small bridge amounts, retained home |
| Hard Money | 7–14 days | 65–70% | 10–13% | Sub-680 FICO, fix-and-flip |
| DSCR Loan | 21–30 days | 80% | 6.50–7.50% | Investment property long-term |
How California Bridge LTV Works
Loan size is the primary driver of LTV. The structure tiers downward to manage tail risk on larger files:
- $1,000,000 – $5,000,000: 60% LTV maximum. This is the sweet spot — deepest lender competition, fastest underwriting, cleanest pricing.
- $5,000,000 – $10,000,000: 55% LTV maximum. Standard for upper-Bel Air, Hidden Hills, Tiburon, Beverly Hills, La Jolla, and Newport Coast properties.
- $10,000,000 – $20,000,000: 50% LTV maximum. Ultra-jumbo bridge territory. Lender may reduce LTV further on exception files. Common in Holmby Hills, Pacific Heights, Malibu Colony, and Montecito.
LTV is measured against the appraised value of the property securing the bridge. On loans above $1.5M, the lender requires two independent appraisals — one engaged by the bank's residential appraisal manager, one ordered through an approved AMC. The lower of the two values typically sets the LTV denominator.
California Bridge Loan Markets We Serve
Bridge loans price into demand. These are the California metros where we see the deepest bridge volume:
Los Angeles County & Greater LA
Beverly Hills
Bel Air
Brentwood
Pacific Palisades
Malibu
Hidden Hills
Calabasas
Encino
Studio City
Hollywood Hills
West Hollywood
Santa Monica
Manhattan Beach
Hermosa Beach
Redondo Beach
Pasadena
San Marino
La Cañada Flintridge
Arcadia
Glendale
San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco
Pacific Heights
Sea Cliff
Presidio Heights
Atherton
Hillsborough
Woodside
Portola Valley
Palo Alto
Los Altos
Los Altos Hills
Menlo Park
Tiburon
Belvedere
Mill Valley
Sausalito
Ross
Kentfield
Berkeley
Piedmont
San Diego County
La Jolla
Rancho Santa Fe
Del Mar
Solana Beach
Coronado
Point Loma
Carmel Valley
Encinitas
Carlsbad
Rancho Bernardo
Poway
4S Ranch
Orange County
Newport Beach
Newport Coast
Corona del Mar
Laguna Beach
Dana Point
Irvine
Yorba Linda
Anaheim Hills
Central Coast, Wine Country & Resort Markets
Montecito
Santa Barbara
Hope Ranch
Carpinteria
Napa
St. Helena
Yountville
Healdsburg
Sonoma
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Pebble Beach
Lake Tahoe (CA side)
What's Required to Close a California Bridge Loan
The documentation footprint is intentionally light. Bridge underwriting prioritizes property value and exit strategy over full income analysis:
- 1003 loan application with borrower details and the property securing the bridge.
- Tri-merge credit report with 680+ mid-FICO.
- Two appraisals on files above $1.5M; one appraisal on files at $1.5M or below. All appraisals require a comparable rent survey.
- Listing agreement on the departing residence (if Bridge-to-Sale), with average marketing time in the neighborhood not exceeding 6 months.
- Title commitment showing clean title with the existing mortgage being paid off or subordinated.
- Asset documentation — the most recent two months of statements showing reserves and ability to carry interest-only payments through the bridge term.
- Trust or entity documents if title vests in a trust or LLC (most California estate-planning trusts are eligible; $350 review fee applies).
The Bridge-to-Sale Workflow in California
The classic California use case:
- Identify the new property. You're ready to buy, but your existing California home hasn't sold yet.
- Bridge loan secured against the departing residence. We lend up to 60% of the appraised value of the home you're selling, less the existing mortgage balance.
- Cash proceeds wire to escrow on the new home. You close the new purchase with non-contingent funds.
- Existing home gets listed and sold. Average California marketing time at our target price tier is 30–90 days; we allow up to 6 months baseline.
- Bridge loan paid off at the sale closing. Interest accrues only for the months the bridge was outstanding.
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$1M–$20M jumbo bridge financing. 14–21 day close. No impact to credit.
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California Bridge Loan Pricing & Fees
What the total cost looks like on a representative $2,000,000 California bridge loan, 60% LTV, 12-month term:
- Base rate: 8.50% interest-only
- Monthly interest payment: $14,167/mo ($170,000 annualized if held the full 12 months)
- Origination fee (2%): $40,000 at close
- Lender fee: $1,695 at close
- Pledge account setup (Bridge-to-Sale): $250
- Trust / entity review: $350 (if applicable)
- Two appraisals: ~$1,500–$3,000 combined
- Title, escrow, recording (CA): ~$3,500–$6,000
The cost is real, but it has to be measured against the alternative: losing the new home to a non-contingent bidder, or accepting a fire-sale price on the existing one. For most California jumbo buyers, the bridge fee profile pencils against either of those outcomes.
Extensions & What Happens if the Sale Takes Longer
The 12-month term covers the vast majority of California bridge files, but the program includes two structured 6-month extensions for slower sales or repositioning plays:
- First 6-month extension: 0.50% of original loan amount + $500 renewal review fee. Total term extends to 18 months.
- Second 6-month extension: Another 0.50% + $500 fee. Total term extends to 24 months.
- Beyond 24 months: Property must be refinanced into a permanent loan (jumbo conventional, DSCR, or portfolio) or otherwise resolved.
Common Reasons a California Bridge File Doesn't Close
- Listing-time exceeds 6 months in the property's neighborhood. The lender pulls average days-on-market data for the comparable price tier. Slower markets (luxury Montecito or remote Lake Tahoe) sometimes can't meet the 6-month threshold; we route to alternative bridge programs.
- NRA borrower. Non-Resident Aliens are not eligible for this program. We offer foreign-national alternative bridge options on case-by-case basis.
- Sub-$1M loan size. The program floor is $1,000,000. Bridge needs below that should look at HELOC, second mortgage, or non-jumbo private money.
- Property type outside 1–4 unit SFR/condo. 5+ unit multifamily, mixed-use, and pure commercial are not eligible. Bridge needs on those property types go to commercial bridge lenders.
- Title issues or open litigation. Title must be clean. Active disputes, mechanic's liens, or judgment liens delay or kill the file.
Why DSCR Capital Partners for California Bridge Loans
- California-licensed broker. NMLS #2591548. We handle CA bridge files as a core specialty, not a side product.
- Wholesale lender access. Direct access to the institutional bridge programs underlying this rate sheet — we pass through wholesale pricing rather than retail.
- 14–21 day close standard. Our process is built around the speed California jumbo buyers need to win deals.
- Single point of contact. One loan officer manages your file from intake to funding. No call-center handoffs.
- Bridge + permanent financing. When the bridge needs to convert to a 30-year DSCR or jumbo loan, we handle both ends in-house.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a California bridge loan? +
A California bridge loan is short-term real estate financing that "bridges" the gap between buying a new property and selling an existing one. It's typically a 12-month interest-only loan secured against the departing property, allowing the borrower to close on the new home before the old one sells. Used heavily in California for jumbo $1M+ transactions where conventional contingent offers are not competitive.
How much can I borrow on a California bridge loan? +
$1,000,000 minimum to $20,000,000 maximum. LTV caps tier by loan size: 60% LTV up to $5M, 55% LTV from $5M to $10M, and 50% LTV from $10M to $20M. Maximum loan amount also depends on the appraised value of the property being used as collateral.
What is the interest rate on a California bridge loan? +
8.5% base rate in 2026 on our primary California bridge program — interest-only payments for the 12-month term. Final rate depends on FICO, LTV, occupancy, and property type. Bridge rates are higher than 30-year conventional mortgages because the loan is short-term and the underwriting allows for fast close.
How fast can a California bridge loan close? +
Most California bridge loans close in 14–21 days. Some files close in 10 days when the appraisal is ordered immediately and title is clean. Compare to 30–45 days on a conventional jumbo mortgage. Speed is the primary reason investors and high-net-worth buyers choose bridge financing.
Can I get a California bridge loan on an investment property? +
Yes. California bridge loans are available on owner-occupied primary residences, second homes, and investment properties. The same 8.5% rate and 60% LTV cap apply across occupancy types. Eligible property types include 1–4 unit single-family residences (SFR), including condos and townhomes.
Do I need to be a U.S. citizen for a California bridge loan? +
You need to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Non-Resident Aliens (NRAs) are not eligible for our primary California bridge program. ITIN borrowers should ask about case-by-case exceptions.
What credit score is required for a California bridge loan? +
680 FICO minimum on our standard California bridge program. Files with credit scores above 720 generally receive faster approval and better pricing flexibility on loan-size-driven LTV exceptions.
Can I extend a California bridge loan past 12 months? +
Yes. Two 6-month extensions are available, taking the total term up to 24 months. Each 6-month extension costs 0.50% of the original loan amount plus a $500 renewal review fee. The extension allows time for slow-selling departing-residence properties without forcing a fire-sale.
Is the California bridge loan interest-only? +
Yes. The entire 12-month term (and any extensions) is interest-only. No principal payments are required until the loan is paid off in full at sale, refinance, or maturity.
Can I use a California bridge loan for a property in another state? +
No. This program is licensed for California real estate only. The subject property securing the bridge must be located in California. Out-of-state bridge needs require a different lender and licensing footprint.
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Related Resources
DSCR Capital Partners is a brand of UTM Financial, LLC (NMLS #2591548), a licensed California mortgage broker. The California bridge loan program described on this page is offered through a wholesale lender partner; specific program terms, rates, and fees are subject to change without notice and final terms depend on full underwriting. Rates shown are base rates at par pricing for borrower-paid compensation files; your final rate may vary based on FICO, LTV, occupancy, property type, and market conditions on the day of lock. Loans secured by California real estate only. Equal Housing Lender. Not a loan commitment.