West Virginia · Mountain homes and rentals
Financing a mountain home or short-term rental in West Virginia.
Second homes, DSCR loans, resort condos, and the mountain-property details that trip up a file. Written by an owner who runs short-term rentals at Snowshoe himself.
Written by Austin Frangoules, Owner & CEO
Why we know this market
Austin Frangoules, East Coast Mortgage's owner, owns and manages seven short-term rental homes at Snowshoe in Pocahontas County. He has bought, financed, and run them himself, through ski seasons and quiet months alike. The questions on this page are ones he has had to answer with his own money, not just in someone else's file.
Second home or investment property? Decide this first.
Lenders sort every property into an occupancy type, and it changes which programs you can use, which documents you'll need, and the terms you'll see. A second home is one you occupy yourself for part of the year, that's suitable for year-round use, and that isn't controlled by a management company's rental arrangement. A home bought mainly to rent out is an investment property.
Occasional rental can fit on a second home. A home that's rented out most of the year is an investment property to a lender. Be straight about how you'll use it: occupancy is a representation you sign, and getting it wrong is a real problem, not a technicality.
DSCR loans for short-term rentals
A DSCR loan qualifies the property on its own rental income compared with its mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, and HOA dues, instead of your personal income. For investors with several properties or a tax return full of write-offs, that is often the cleanest path.
Where lenders differ is how they count short-term rental income. Some want a year of actual booking history. Some will use an appraiser's market rent or a third-party short-term rental projection on a property with no history. Some won't use short-term rental income at all. That spread is exactly why shopping many lenders matters on a mountain rental.
Resort condos and condotels
A lot of mountain inventory is condominiums in buildings with an on-site rental program, a front desk, or a high share of units rented short term. Those features can make a project non-warrantable under Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines, which rules out a standard conventional loan.
Non-warrantable doesn't mean unfinanceable. Portfolio and specialty lenders finance these projects regularly. We check the project early, before you're deep into a contract, so you know which lenders will look at it.
What a mountain property adds to the checklist
Rural mountain homes bring a few items most suburban files never see:
- Appraisals can take longer. Rural counties have fewer comparable sales, and the appraiser may need to reach further for them.
- Access matters. Homes on a private road may need a recorded road maintenance agreement before a lender will close.
- Well and septic systems are often inspected or tested as part of the deal.
- HOA rules decide what you can do. Confirm whether the association allows short-term rentals, how, and how those rules can change.
- Local lodging taxes and any registration rules apply to short-term rentals. Check them for the exact address.
- Insurance has to cover rental use. A standard homeowner's policy may not.
- Rental income is seasonal. Lenders reading actual history look at the whole year, so plan your reserves for the slow months too.
By the numbers
Pocahontas County (Snowshoe) financing data
Published figures only, each with its source and date. Not a rate quote, and not a commitment to lend.
$832,750
2026 conforming loan limit, one unit
Pocahontas County, WV. Above this, a loan is a jumbo. Source: FHFA
National 30-year fixed market average, month-end close
| Month | Conventional | FHA | VA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 6.87% | 6.40% | 6.42% |
| Sep 2026 | 7.60% | 7.25% | 7.25% |
| Oct 2026 (to October 8) | 7.50% | 7.17% | 7.18% |
The conventional average moved up 0.63 percentage points between August 31, 2026 and October 8, 2026.
National averages from the Mortgage News Daily daily rate index, as of October 8, 2026. These are market averages for top-tier borrowers, not East Coast Mortgage rates and not an offer of credit. Your rate depends on your credit, loan amount, property, and the market on the day you lock. Weekly market recaps
FHA loans are for a home you'll live in as your primary residence, so they rarely fit a vacation home or rental. The FHA figure is shown for completeness.
Common questions
Can I qualify using projected short-term rental income?
Sometimes. Some DSCR lenders accept a third-party short-term rental projection or an appraiser's market rent on a property with no history. Others require a track record. We shop both kinds.
Can I rent out my second home now and then?
Occasional rental can fit on a second home. If the home will be rented most of the year, a lender treats it as an investment property, and it should be financed that way.
Is a resort condo harder to finance?
It can be. Rental programs, front desks, and heavy short-term rental use can make a project non-warrantable, which rules out standard conventional financing but not portfolio or specialty lenders.
Is East Coast Mortgage licensed in West Virginia?
Yes. Our West Virginia license number is on our licensing page, and our loan officers licensed in West Virginia are listed on the West Virginia page.
Keep going
Qualify on the Property, Not Your Paycheck
The rental income the property brings in can qualify the loan, even if your personal income doesn't fit a typical file.
Second Home LoanFinancing for the Place You Escape To
A vacation home is financed differently than a rental property, and usually more favorably.
Non-Warrantable Condo LoanWhen the Condo Doesn't Fit the Standard Box
A condo building with too many rentals or an unusual setup can still be financed, just through a different path.
Construction LoanFinancing to Build, Not Just Buy
Building a home from the ground up needs a different kind of loan than buying one that already exists.
Land LoanFinancing for Land, Not Just Homes
Raw land, a buildable lot, or acreage you just want to hunt, camp, or ride on. There's a loan for that.
Sources
- Fannie Mae: Selling Guide B2-1.1-01, Occupancy Types
- Fannie Mae: Single-Family Selling Guide
- FHFA: Conforming loan limit values
- HUD: FHA mortgage limits lookup
- CFPB: Exploring your loan choices
General information, not advice for your specific situation. Program rules come from the agencies above and from each lender, and they change. A licensed loan officer confirms what applies to you.
Ready when you are
Have a plan in mind? Let's pressure-test it.
A real, licensed loan officer checks your plan against every lender that fits it. No obligation, no credit pull to start.
NMLS #2354674 · Equal Housing Opportunity · Not a commitment to lend