Short answer: Not through a conventional, conforming mortgage — but yes, through several other loan types built specifically for this. Fannie Mae's own underwriting rules require that a borrower on a standard conventional loan be a natural person; Fannie Mae's Selling Guide (§ B2-2-01) states that Fannie Mae purchases or securitizes mortgages made to natural persons, with only narrow exceptions (for example, certain inter vivos revocable trusts where an individual is the beneficiary). An LLC or other holding company isn't an eligible borrower under those rules. That's why you can't walk into a bank and get a standard 30-year conventional mortgage with your LLC as the named borrower.
What you can do is get financing in your LLC's name through DSCR loans, portfolio loans held by the lender itself, small commercial mortgages, and hard-money or bridge loans — all of which are built to accommodate entity ownership from day one.
Why Conventional Lenders Say No
Most conventional mortgages are originated to be sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, which means the lender has to underwrite to those agencies' rules to be able to sell the loan. Both agencies require a natural person as the borrower on standard 1-4 unit conventional loans, in part because consumer-protection rules (like the Truth in Lending Act and the ability-to-repay requirements under Regulation Z) are built around individual borrowers, not business entities. An LLC also can't sign a note the same way a person can — someone still has to sign on the LLC's behalf and, in almost every case, personally guarantee the debt, which is part of why agency guidelines don't bother making room for entity borrowers on this loan type.
This is separate from — but related to — the due-on-sale question we cover in does transferring a mortgaged property to an LLC trigger the due-on-sale clause. That article is about moving an existing conventional loan into an LLC after closing. This one is about getting a new loan with the LLC as the borrower from the start — which sidesteps the transfer question entirely, but requires a different kind of loan product.
Loan Types That Will Close in Your LLC's Name
DSCR Loans
A DSCR (debt-service coverage ratio) loan is underwritten using the property's rental income relative to its debt payments, rather than your personal income or W-2s. Because DSCR loans are sold to private investors instead of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, lenders offering them can vest title directly in an LLC at closing. You'll still typically sign a personal guaranty, and rates and required down payments are usually higher than a conventional owner-occupant loan, but the loan and the deed are in the LLC's name from the start — no post-closing transfer, and no due-on-sale exposure from a later transfer.
Portfolio and Commercial Loans
Community banks and credit unions that keep loans on their own books ("in portfolio") rather than selling them aren't bound by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac's natural-person rule, and many will lend directly to an LLC, especially for investment property. Properties with five or more residential units are financed as commercial real estate as a matter of course — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's own multifamily programs routinely lend to LLCs and LPs on those larger properties, since the natural-person requirement is specific to the 1-4 unit residential programs.
Hard Money and Bridge Loans
Private, asset-based lenders will generally lend to an LLC without hesitation, since they underwrite primarily around the property and the exit strategy rather than the borrower's personal financial profile. These loans carry shorter terms and higher rates, and are typically used for acquisition, renovation, or bridge financing rather than long-term holds.
What Lenders Will Still Want From You Personally
- A personal guaranty in nearly every case for a single-member or small-member LLC — the LLC's liability shield protects your other assets from lawsuits and claims against the property, but it typically doesn't protect you from the lender if the LLC defaults on the loan itself.
- Your personal credit and financial history, even on DSCR loans where income isn't the underwriting driver — most lenders still pull credit and want to see reserves.
- LLC formation documents: articles of organization, an operating agreement, an EIN, and often a certificate of good standing from the state.
- A business bank account in the LLC's name, kept separate from your personal accounts.
- Seasoning or a track record — some lenders want to see the LLC (or its owners) has some operating history before lending against a larger loan amount.
Expect the rate and required down payment on an LLC-titled loan to run higher than a conventional loan in your personal name — that gap compensates the lender for taking on a loan type it can't sell to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and for the reduced consumer-law protections that come with lending to a business entity instead of an individual.
If the Property Is Already in Your LLC and You Want to Refinance
If you already moved a conventional loan into your LLC using the Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac servicing exemption described in how to avoid triggering the due-on-sale clause when using an LLC, both agencies generally require the property to be deeded back to a natural person before you can refinance it as a standard conventional loan. Your alternatives are to deed the property back to yourself, refinance conventionally, and transfer it back into the LLC under the same exemption afterward — or refinance directly with a DSCR or portfolio lender that will refinance the loan while keeping the LLC as titleholder throughout.
If you're weighing whether to hold real estate in an LLC at all, our broader guides on land trusts and how they compare to living trusts cover the privacy and estate-planning side of that decision; this article is specifically about the financing mechanics.
Every lender's overlay is different, and loan-level details (loan size, property type, state, occupancy) change what's available to you. Talk to a lender who explicitly offers DSCR or entity-titled loans, and to an attorney who can confirm your LLC is properly formed and documented before you close.