Open a foreign national loan file and you'll feel it right away. Bank statements in three languages. An accountant's letter that looks nothing like what you're used to.
A credit report from a bureau you've never heard of. Welcome to foreign income documentation — where every lender plays translator and detective at the same time.
This is one of the hardest parts of foreign national lending. The paperwork piles up fast. Accountant letters. Translated bank statements. International credit reports. Asset verification forms.
Each document raises more questions. Is this bank statement real? Was it translated right? Does this borrower truly earn what they claim? One wrong answer can stall or kill a deal.
Why This Matters More in 2026
Foreign money is pouring back into U.S. real estate. The numbers tell the story.
Cushman & Wakefield reports that 65 percent of global funds now target U.S. commercial real estate. That's 10 percent higher than before the pandemic.
Knight Frank's 2026 survey shows global investors plan to deploy nearly $150 billion into commercial property this year. Two out of three say they'll focus on buying.
Private real estate fundraising jumped 29 percent last year to $222.2 billion.
On the residential side, Non-QM lending — the main path for foreign national borrowers — could make up over 15 percent of all mortgage originations by year's end.
More international buyers want U.S. property. More capital is in play. And every one of those deals comes with a documentation challenge.
What Makes These Documents So Hard?
Foreign income doesn't come with a W-2 or 1099. It comes from financial systems that work differently than ours. Here's where deals get stuck.
Translated bank statements need a certified translator. But even good translations require a trained eye. Do the balances match? Do deposits line up with claimed income? Are the patterns consistent?
Accountant letters vary by country. Format, terms, and standards all differ. A "certified" financial statement in one country may not meet U.S. lender standards.
Foreign credit reports use different scoring models. They're often in another language. Sometimes they lack the detail U.S. lenders expect.
Currency and asset seasoning add more friction. Exchange rates shift. Assets sit in multiple foreign accounts. Verifying everything takes time and skill.
DSCR and asset-based paths let borrowers qualify on the property's income or their global assets instead of traditional pay stubs. But these still need careful review of foreign-sourced funds.
How Capital Direct Funding Solves This
We don't expect borrowers to become Sherlock Holmes. That's our job.
Capital Direct Funding has built streamlined systems for handling global documentation.
We work with borrowers from all over the world. We know the quirks of international income verification. And we move fast.
With over $100 million in transaction volume, we bring deep Non-QM lending expertise to every deal. We offer bridge loans, hard money lending, and creative financing built to close — even when the paperwork looks like it came from a United Nations filing cabinet.
Foreign national borrowers bring real value to U.S. real estate. They just need a lender who gets it. We get it.
Whether you're an international investor, a broker with foreign clients, or a real estate pro navigating a cross-border deal — CDF is your partner.
Ready to Move Forward?
Don't let foreign documents slow your next deal. Capital Direct Funding has the expertise and the lending solutions to get you to the closing table.
Call us today: (626) 796-1680
Visit: capitaldf.com
Capital Direct Funding Inc. — Bridge Loans, Hard Money Lending & Foreign National Financing Solutions