Hard Money and Bridge Loans For Real Estate
Although the hard moneylenders were largely affected when real estate industry crashed in the 80’s, recent credit crunch has brought more business to this sector. People who are in need of loans are turning towards hard money loans after the financing by traditional lenders and banks has come to a halt. The casualness and irresponsibility of these banks and lenders when giving out loans in the past has hit them hard and they are going through a severe liquidity crisis. With this serious drop in supply for finances, hard moneylenders are seen as a reasonable alternative. People and businesses are short of funds, and naturally they have to go for the best substitute available. A hard money loan comes as a last resort in such situations.
Characteristics of a hard money loan:
Hard money loan goes by the principles of mortgage; the distinguishing characteristics are the interest rate and the time consumed in approval. A loan application can take quite some time before getting through all the procedures and verification process that are part of a bank policy. Whereas hard money loans are issued normally by private lenders (though you can find many commercial hard money lenders as well) in relatively short time at higher interest rates and lower loan to value (LTV) ratio. The interest rate or loan to value ratio is not fixed and it keeps changing with the ups and down of real estate market. Hard money loans are often for short period of time (also known as bridge loans) that means the correct quick-sale valuation of the property is vital for the lenders.
Some tips for the borrowers and lenders:
As a borrower, you need some extra efforts to convince hard money lenders (these extra efforts are compensated by their fast approval time, once they are convinced), a hard money lender will believe you more if you are ready to put your cash into the deal as well. This is why they emphasize on low LTV ratio more than your previous credit score when compared to traditional lenders. Along with the advantage of their availability in even hard financial times, they are a much better option when you need quick finance. Being a lender, you should be extremely careful when determining the current value of property. Over estimation or wrong valuation can cause you serious loss in case of default. Also borrowers should try to reach hard moneylenders themselves, without bringing too many agents and brokers in between, as it will save them lots of upfront costs and expenses.
Author: William King
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Hard Money is Private Money Lending
Who knows the term hard money?
Hard money is private money lending, money you will receive from individuals that will loan you their money against your real estate, hard money lender is the bank and the bank will Loan you their money and put a lien against your real estate, the same with hard money lenders.
What is the difference between the hard money lender’s programs and the bank across the street?
1. Hard money lenders can help investors with large loan amounts, while banks will make it very difficult on the borrower to loan these large amount, so the loan would probably end up with an insurance company to loan the money and the requirements are high.
2. Hard money lenders can fund any hard money loan within a week, while for the banks it will take at least a month or even more.
3. Hard money lenders will ask for very little documentation, while the banks would ask for almost everything you have, taxes, income, assets, history of the property before and plans for after the purchase, business license, basically they will definitely want to see more from you to loan you some money.
4. Hard money lenders have guidelines but they can make exceptions without processing it through a whole underwriting team- while the bank need to go through different departments and underwriters and processors just to make an exception, and then the exception will not get excepted.
As you see to get a hard money loan is much easier then to get a loan from a bank because of the whole process, the banks are big companies and big companies have many different rules inside their companies, and to get an exception for these rules is almost impossible, and that is why many investors would rather go with a hard money lender.
So now you’re probably thinking what is the catch with the hard money lenders? OK, so let’s talk about all the reasons why you should not consider applying for a hard money loan:
1. Hard money lenders for their services will charge you 4 to 9 points on the loan- while the banks will charge you only 1 to 2 points. Example: If you have a loan amount of $1,000,000 and your hard money lender will charge you 5 points up front then you will pay $50,000- while the bank will charge you 2 percent which is $20,000, that is a bit difference but under different circumstances for some people it’s still a great deal.
2. Hard money lenders because of the fact that they will loan you money without showing your credit history and your income they will set the loans interest rate 9 percent-15 percent- while the banks will set your loans interest rate to 7 percent- 10 percent, again that is a huge difference if you’re thinking about it but for these people that want the hard money loans it’s still a great deal.
You have to understand that most investors or home buyers can not qualified today with banks for any type of Loan, hard money lenders can get you the deals you want (foreclosures, reo’s) without even thinking about showing all the unnecessary documentation, all you need to have is some money in your pocket if you’re purchasing, and if you’re refinancing then you need enough equity since the hard money lenders will probably go up to 65 percent at the most, also to find good hard money lenders it’s not so hard, it’s actually very easy because there are many private hard money lenders that are looking for real estate properties and notes to buy so they can make their points up frond and of course the high interest rate, if you will think about it, it’s much better then put the money in the bank.
Example: If a hard money lender put $1,000,000 in the bank and the bank will pay him 5 percent a year- while if he will loan the money to an investor that want to purchase a property or to refinance a property, he will charge his 5 points and he will get 15 percent interest rate on his money, that’s a big difference. Good luck to you all investors out there.
Author: Yanni A Raz
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A Look at Hard Money Loans For Home Purchase and Residential Hard Money Lenders
Hard money is a way to secure property in a short period of time then refinance into conventional finance and can provide an alternative source of financing for real estate investors. Conventional institutional lenders will not finance hard, hairy loans and on the other side equity investors demand very high returns and/or shares of profits.
Investors who borrow hard money understand that this type of loan is more expensive than conventional loans. A hard money borrower perceives that the loan’s value extends beyond its cost. Investor rehab loans are particularly easy to find with a number of competitors but at the same time you should watch out for the hard money lenders that are also wholesalers.
The Lenders
Lenders of so-called “hard money” are becoming more common and more accessible: Perform a search for “Las Vegas hard money lenders” and you will discover many results, many for the state of Nevada, specifically. There are even private lenders based online, at your convenience.
Lenders have much stricter criteria these days, and for a good reason. In today’s society, the laws favor consumers, not banks. So lenders turn to look at whether or not the applicant is worth the financing and if the business plan is practical. They can scroll through the list of entrepreneurs and make a selection based on the person they wish to lend money. Most loans when approved are made via credit card or PayPal.
Most lenders ask borrowers to pay a minimum of five percent upfront deposits, as a guarantee. The greater amount of deposit will shrink your interest rates and mortgage payments under most circumstances. Lenders want the loan to be current, not to have to complete a foreclosure. But can you make up the defaulted amount over a period of months?
The Borrowers
Most people apply for hard money loans when they have credit problems, are in default, have had a foreclosure or bankruptcy, have been recently unemployed, or for some reason cannot provide proof of income.
Borrowers are advised not to work with hard money lenders who require exorbitant upfront fees prior to funding. If you feel you have been the victim of unfair practices, contact your state’s attorney general office or the office of the state in which the lender operates.
Some borrowers love to use hard money lenders on all real estate deals. Borrowers of hard money loans qualify based on the value of their property more so than the quality of their credit history. However, there is a market out there that hard money lenders cannot fund. So make sure you do your research right before taking on a hard money loans.
Author: Cebi Moshi
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Real Estate Investing with Hard Money Loans
Most seasoned real estate investors face situations where they require more money than what the traditional lenders will lend, and here is where real estate investing with hard money loans given by the specialized lenders is useful.
The hard money lenders are actually private money lenders who provide money for a short term. These loans carry a strict repayment schedule. It is given the name as hard money on account of its strict nature. The rates of interest of such loans are also higher than the market rates, and the fees charged upfront, range between 4 to 10 points.
The money lenders of hard money give the investors the access to the capital that is asset based, wherein the loan amount is secured by way of a collateral security. The rate of interest ranges between 14 to 18 percent annually and the term of the loan is normally six to twelve months.
Along with the property as collateral security, the hard money lender requires can require credit reports and well as documented experience in previous deals you have done. The lenders indulge in inspecting the property and making appraisals, before approving the loans.
The lenders of hard money study the intent of the investment on part of the investors, the strategy of exit that is adopted, the information of the property that is provided such as the residential or commercial nature of the property and also check the credit ratio of the concerned borrower. The financial strengths of the borrowers play a vital role in securing the loan.
The fees that are charged are dependant on the risk factors and the quality of the real estate deal. The plans of using the money set by the investors are also carefully studied by the hard money lenders. Hence, it is recommended that the borrowers provide a proper business plan for securing the hard money loans. They need to convince the lenders about the low risk nature of the concerned investments.
The conditions and the terms of approving real estate investing with hard money loans, vary for different lenders. The investors have to find the perfect lenders suitable for them, and ensure that they keep a good relationship with them.
Such types of loans are useful for procuring or purchasing properties. They are also useful for the buyers having low finances, against those that are required for the project, but have good fixed incomes.
Some of the lenders of hard money have choices regarding the type of the real estate investments, such as rehabbing houses, purchasing houses and the options of lease purchasing.
It is easy to lose a potential deal for lack of finances and hence, maintaining proper relations with the hard money lenders is a priority for the investors. The support of such money lenders is very important for the investors if they want to complete the real estate project in a proper manner. Good relations with lenders are a blessing in disguise for the investors.
Author: Charles W. Moore
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Times
