Don't use DSCR until you actually need it. If conventional financing works for property number two, take the cheaper money. Quick background, since the acronym drives the decision. DSCR is the debt service coverage ratio, which measures the property's rent against its payment. Historically these loans wanted rent around 125 percent of the payment to qualify; some programs now allow roughly 100 percent or even 75 percent coverage, with your own income expected to absorb the shortfall. Those thresholds and the down payment requirements move around by program and over time, so confirm any specific number as current when you apply. The reason to hold DSCR in reserve is cost. A DSCR loan almost always carries a rate premium over conventional, even with excellent credit and a large down payment, because it's priced off the property rather than your qualified income. So the sequence for your plan: - Conventional on property number two, since your DTI supports it. - Pencil in DSCR as the likely tool for number three, which for many investors is around the point where conventional's financed-property limits start to bite. We can't promise which programs you'll qualify for two years from now, but this order keeps your borrowing costs as low as possible along the way. Happy to map the specifics in a free Roadmap conversation.