Although rare, bridge loans sometimes pop up in the real estate industry. If a buyer has a lag between the purchase of one property and the sale of another property, he may turn to a bridge loan. Typically, lenders only offer real estate bridge loans to borrowers with excellent credit ratings and low debt-to-income ratios. Bridge loans roll the mortgages of two houses together, giving the buyer flexibility as he waits for his old house to sell. However, in most cases, lenders only offer real estate bridge loans worth 70% of the combined value of the two properties, meaning the borrower must have significant home equity in the original property or ample cash savings on hand.