--- title: "Freddie Mac Multifamily Experience : INSIGNIA Financial Services" description: Freddie Mac will begin accepting ownership of two- to four-unit properties (duplexes, triplexes or quadplexes) as relevant experience for all loans in its Optigo® Small Balance Loans (SBL) program. image: https://m.insigniafs.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/multifamily-1024x680-1.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/freddie-mac-small-balance-loans#main-content) ![INSIGNIA 002B67 2023 (200X74 px) Trans](https://m.insigniafs.com/hs-fs/hubfs/INSIGNIA%20002B67%202023%20(200X74%20px)%20Trans.png?width=200&height=74&name=INSIGNIA%20002B67%202023%20(200X74%20px)%20Trans.png) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Contact us](https://insigniafs.com/contact/) [Contact us](https://insigniafs.com/contact/) Dec 20, 2022 12:18:50 PM # Freddie Mac Multifamily Experience [John Morelli](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/author/john-morelli) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/freddie-mac-small-balance-loans) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/freddie-mac-small-balance-loans) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/freddie-mac-small-balance-loans) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/freddie-mac-small-balance-loans) Freddie Mac will begin accepting ownership of two- to four-unit properties – aka duplexes, triplexes or quadplexes – as relevant experience for all loans in its Optigo® Small Balance Loans (SBL) program, effective December 15, 2022. Previously, Freddie Mac defined multifamily experience as controlling ownership of a property with at least five units or more and excluded two- to four-unit properties. By expanding their borrower experience definition, Freddie’s SBL program increases opportunities for investors who focus on small multifamily housing to grow their portfolios by accessing financing outside of banks. ##### What Qualifies as Experience? Here’s what you should know. Freddie Mac expanded their definition of multifamily experience to include borrowers who have a portfolio of two- to four-unit properties that meet the following criteria: - The borrower must own at least 10 units total - The borrower must have owned each property for at least two years - The borrower must have a controlling interest in all 10 units - The 10 units do not need to be contiguous or located in the same county The new requirements provide investors access to agency debt when beginning to invest in larger properties, such as those with five to 50 units, rather than continuing to rely on a bank. Non-recourse financing provided by Freddie Mac allows borrowers to only put up the property as collateral, unlike banks who regularly require personal assets in addition to the property as collateral. This allows borrowers the ability to scale their portfolios faster as they do not have contingent liabilities on their balance sheet and free up access to capital. ##### Freddie SBL Expands Financing on Two-to-Four-Unit Properties Under Its Link Loans Program Freddie Mac has financed duplex, triplex and quadplex properties in the past under its Link Loans program. Under the old rules, however, all the units had to be contiguous. Few investors acquire properties right next to each of their other properties, and they were, unfortunately, unable to take advantage of Link Loans. Additionally, Freddie Mac is opening its Link Loans program to all of its designated market tiers – Top, Standard, Small and Very Small. (These are roughly analogous to commercial real estate’s traditional primary, secondary and tertiary market tiers.) With these additional tweaks to [their programs](https://mf.freddiemac.com/docs/product/small_balance_loan.pdf), Freddie Mac is now accepting a bundle of ***non-contiguous*** properties — with at least 10 total units as long as the following conditions are met: - Minimum loan amount of $2 million - Buildings are within 3 miles of any other building included in the loan (exception up to 5 miles may be considered) - Buildings are in the same county - No owner-occupied units - Non-contiguous single-unit buildings are not allowed - All the properties must use common property management and provide common financials after closing   Contact us to discuss how you can take advantage of these eligibility changes, and continue to build your multifamily portfolio with the power and support of Freddie Mac and Optigo.  [CRE](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/tag/cre), [Lending](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/tag/lending), [apartment](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/tag/apartment), [commercial real estate](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/tag/commercial-real-estate) ## Related posts [![](https://m.insigniafs.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/apartment-green.jpg?height=200&name=apartment-green.jpg)](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/cre-capital-markets-placement-services) [CRE](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/tag/cre), [bridge loans](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/tag/bridge-loans), [fix and flip](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/tag/fix-and-flip) ## [CRE Capital Markets Placement Services](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/cre-capital-markets-placement-services) [John Morelli](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/author/john-morelli) Apr 17, 2022 8:15:31 AM The integrated real estate Capital Markets Advisory Group at INSIGNIA Financial Services provides... [Read more](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/cre-capital-markets-placement-services) [![](https://m.insigniafs.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/B2R1-scaled.jpeg?height=200&name=B2R1-scaled.jpeg)](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/the-impact-of-rising-interest-rates-on-ltr-and-dscr-loans) [Lending](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/tag/lending), [DSCR Loans](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/tag/dscr-loans), [loans](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/tag/loans), [commercial real estate](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/tag/commercial-real-estate) ## [The Impact of Rising Interest Rates on DSCR Loans](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/the-impact-of-rising-interest-rates-on-ltr-and-dscr-loans) [John Morelli](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/author/john-morelli) Jun 14, 2022 1:34:23 PM It is no secret that when choosing an investment strategy, you need to consider many factors – risk... [Read more](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/the-impact-of-rising-interest-rates-on-ltr-and-dscr-loans) [![](https://m.insigniafs.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Investor-DSCR-Bank-Rates-Without-the-BS-CREF-Blog-Post-LinkedIn-Post-1.png?height=200&name=Investor-DSCR-Bank-Rates-Without-the-BS-CREF-Blog-Post-LinkedIn-Post-1.png)](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/the-most-flexible-dscr-loan) [DSCR Loans](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/tag/dscr-loans), [bridge loans](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/tag/bridge-loans), [fix and flip](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/tag/fix-and-flip) ## [DSCR+ Loan for Single Family Rentals](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/the-most-flexible-dscr-loan) [John Morelli](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/author/john-morelli) Mar 25, 2022 3:36:39 PM INSIGNIA Investor DSCR+ Loan DSCR as Low as .75x 620 Minimum FICO Cash Out Up to $750K 85% LTV with... [Read more](https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/the-most-flexible-dscr-loan) [facebook-f icon](https://www.facebook.com/GoINSIGNIA) [linkedin-in icon](https://www.linkedin.com/company/insigniafs) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/INSIGNIAfs) [instagram icon](https://www.instagram.com/INSIGNIAfs) --- © 2024 INSIGNIA Financial Services, LLC.  All rights reserved. The information provided herein is intended for business users only and is not intended for use by the general public or individual, personal, or household consumers. Programs may be cancelled or modified at any time without prior notice. Programs may not be available in all jurisdictions. These materials are intended to provide general information to the reader. This information is made available with the understanding that INSIGNIA Financial Services, LLC is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. We use reasonable care in providing information but cannot guarantee accuracy or completeness. Information is provided with no warranty, express or implied, any and all such warranties are expressly disclaimed. We assume no liability for any loss, damage, or expense from errors or omissions in these materials, whether arising in contract, tort, or otherwise. Freddie Mac® and Optigo® are registered trademarks of Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae® is a registered trademark of Fannie Mae. INSIGNIA Financial Services LLC is not affiliated with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. We do not conduct business in Alaska, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "John Morelli", "url" : "https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/author/john-morelli" }, "dateModified" : "2024-07-17T02:52:37.677Z", "datePublished" : "2022-12-20T18:18:50.000Z", "headline" : "Freddie Mac Multifamily Experience : INSIGNIA Financial Services", "image" : [ "https://m.insigniafs.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/multifamily-1024x680-1.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://m.insigniafs.com/cre-finance-insights/freddie-mac-small-balance-loans", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://m.insigniafs.com/hubfs/INSIGNIA%20Financial%20Services%20Logo%202026.png" }, "name" : "INSIGNIA Financial Services, LLC" } } ```