Key facts
- Holly Niemeier pivoted to DSCR lending after a layoff and joined NEXA Lending.
- Niemeier originated 322 loans totaling $30 million in 2024-2025, with an average loan size of $92,000.
- She specializes in non-QM products, including DSCR, hard money, bridge, and blanket loans for real estate investors.
- DSCR and investor loan volume grew 40% from January 2022 to mid-2025, according to Optimal Blue.
- Bank of America analysts estimate non-QM originations will reach $175 billion in 2026, with DSCR/investor loans comprising 50% of collateral.
Holly Niemeier, a mortgage broker at NEXA Lending, has successfully carved out a niche in the investor lending space, particularly with debt-service-coverage ratio (DSCR) loans. After a layoff approximately three years ago, she considered leaving the mortgage industry but was encouraged to join NEXA Lending. There, she discovered and specialized in non-qualified mortgage (non-QM) products for real estate investors.
Niemeier has become a high-producing broker, originating 322 loans totaling about $30 million in 2024 and 2025, with an average loan size of $92,000. She focuses on clients who buy and flip homes. Known on social media as the “DSCR Queen,” she has shared her expertise at industry events, including a recent breakout session at the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) Fuse event.
She described her prior career as "transactional lending" and explained that she dedicated significant personal time to learning about DSCR loans to meet client demand. Niemeier engages in detailed phone calls with new clients to understand their portfolios and goals, aiming to be their primary financing contact and actively seeking referrals. Her expertise extends to various subcategories within the non-QM and investor space, such as hard money, bridge loans, commercial loans for multi-unit properties, blanket loans, and options for foreign nationals.
Niemeier emphasized the significant business potential in serving investors, noting their capacity to scale a broker's business by managing multiple properties and financing needs, including second liens, refinances, and cash-outs. She utilizes three virtual assistants for support but personally handles upfront preapprovals and origination. She works with a select group of lenders, including United Wholesale Mortgage, Pennymac, and Velocity Mortgage Capital.
Data indicates a surge in demand for investor loans since the COVID-19 pandemic. Optimal Blue reported that DSCR and investor loan volume grew by 40% from January 2022 to mid-2025, and their share of all non-QM production increased from 22% in August 2022 to 35% in August 2026. Bank of America analysts projected non-QM originations to reach $175 billion in 2026, with DSCR/investor loans making up 50% of the collateral.
Niemeier’s qualification process for investor loans is thorough yet quick, reviewing factors like homeownership status, credit, available funds, and property eligibility, noting minimal income documentation requirements. She ensures properties are rent-ready and aligns loan prepayment terms with investors' holding periods. Her business is almost entirely referral-driven, with clients including other investors, real estate agents, and property managers. She advocates for agent education in the DSCR channel and promotes an "investor challenge" to expand referral networks.