I’m hoping to get some insight from investors who have dealt with bridge loan underwriting.

I own a fully renovated single-family investment property in St. Louis with a Certificate of Occupancy, and I’m refinancing an existing private loan rather than purchasing a new property.

A lender recently declined the file because they could not verify a few months within the required 12-month payment history as consecutive under their underwriting guidelines. From my understanding, the issue is related to how those months were documented rather than the property’s condition.

I’m trying to better understand my financing options.

For those who have been through something similar:

• Have you seen bridge lenders evaluate this type of situation differently?
• Is a short-term bridge loan followed by a rate-and-term refinance a common approach?
• Are there other financing structures I should be considering?

I’m interested in learning from others’ experiences and appreciate any insight.