The reason real estate investors choose to use hard money loans is that they provide a means to purchase and rehab property and make a substantial profit that they may not have without the use of this expensive money. The hard money loans are expensive and even if they were legal for a home owner to borrow from the private lenders offering these loans it would never be advisable. So how hard are these private loans you should ask? The answer is threefold. They are restrictive in loan to value, they are high in rate and high in fees.

Restrictive in Loan to Value.

The maximum loan to value for many hard money loans range from 50% to 70%. No deals are done at the higher loan to value for two reasons. First the hard money lender requires lots of equity in case of default they can list and sell the property quickly because they will in theory be below market value. The reason I say in theory is because there are so many REO’s, Short Sales and foreclosure properties on the market today that what was normally considered an exceptional deal is common place. For that reason The private lenders are more particular about the properties and loans they choose to fund.

Secondly, any real estate investment that has less than 30% equity are not good investments for the investors unless they are purchasing the property for the cash flow. In that case they are long term investments and not suitable for the short term nature of these expensive bridge loans.

High Interest Rates.

Whether you are an investor buying and or rehabbing commercial or residential investor properties the rates are substantially higher than they would be for conventional commercial or residential lending. The rates are higher because the risks are higher. The risks are higher because these loans are not underwritten based on the standard conventional guidelines and there is a very limited or no secondary market for private bridge loans. This is generally not an issue because the borrowers know these are only short term loans. The terms range typically from 3 to 24 months. Therefore, the higher interest rate is of minimum importance because both lenders and borrowers know that the borrowers have an exit strategy to quickly payoff these high interest rate loans. Many lenders require a viable exit strategy before they make the loans.

Higher Points.

Because these loans are short term in nature the hard money lenders always charge discount points. They typically charge 4 to 6 discount points. In addition the private money brokers will charge 2 to 5 points. So on average a borrower is paying 8 to 10 points. Plus closing costs. These are high fees. They only make sense when an real estate investor will make substantially more money and they have no other way to fund the deals.

Why Use Hard Money Lenders.

Simply to make money. As a real estate investor you have choices in financing your deals. You can choose conventional financing that requires at 30% to 35% down payment for properties that are in good shape. There are many other conventional requirements including credit, cash reserves and the current value of the property versus the after rehab value of the property. These all make conventional financing almost impossible.

The other option is to use your own funds and not finance a deal at all. But, most astute real estate investors know that if they can make a net profit of $25,000, $50,000, $100,000 or more using a hard money loan they do not like the fees but they we pay them versus not making any money because of lack of financing.

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Hard Money loans are a great way for real estate investors to take advantage of a market where there is an abundance of opportunities for them. Short sales, Foreclosures, REO’s, Rehab commercial and residential investment properties are available for never before seen deep discounts. As a real estate investor now is the time to be in the game and buy as much as you can. But there is a misconception that even though hard money lenders are focused on the collateral that they will do any loan regardless of credit, income,or character.

Collateral is King.

Yes, the main determining factor is not credit, verifiable income, or assets like in a conventional loan. For hard money lenders the Collateral is king. This means that if the collateral is good then there is a good chance for them to do the deal. The misconception is that the collateral is the only thing. No they are not credit score driven, but if you submit a credit report that shows you do not pay anyone the hard money lenders are likely to pass. No they are not income drive. But if you show no ability or history to repay a loan they are likely to pass. If you have no assets, no verifiable income and terrible credit, Hard Money Lenders will still pass on the deal even if the collateral is good with a low loan to value.

Other Factors in Qualifying for a Hard Money Loan.

Because these are private investors they are not blind and they all set their own criteria. The key is that they are comfortable that the borrower will do what they say they will doe (like rehab the home in 30 to 60 days) and pay them back. Therefore a positive track record as a real estate investor and or a good team including Realtor, contractor and loan consultant are all important to them. It is also of utmost important to have a viable exit strategy. It is not good enough to say you will refinance the property if by looking at your credit profile you will not qualify for a refinance loan. Likewise it is not good enough to say you will sell the property if you do not have pre-approved buyers (more than one) waiting to purchase the property.

Hard Money Loans Guidelines.

So we know that the collateral is king and the borrower does not have to meet conventional guidelines to qualify, but there the bridge money investors look at a complete profile and it is important for we are pretty sure you will qualify before you or I invest a lot of time and energy in submitting a deal that has no merit.

Another Misconception About Hard Money Loans.

Some people believe hard money lenders ultimately want you to fail so they can get the property. Truthfully that is not why they are in the business. Just like banks do not want to own REO’s private investors who make bridge loans do not want to own your properties. The reason the offer such low loan to values is if they do need to get involved they can sell them quickly to replenish their funds and do what they do, lend money.

So do not be misled. You must be able to deliver what you said and show that you can quickly take the private lender out of the transaction if you want to take advantage of the market to day using hard money loans. I can help you package your deals so you could qualify.

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During these economic times hard money loans have flourished. All Dominion Mortgage has been successful in helping investors meet their real estate investment goals because we know how investors can make money in commercial and residential investment real estate using hard money or bridge loans. While sub prime lending has all but gone away hard money loans have gathered more steam. The reason is that banks and other financial institutions the offer conventional financing have suffered record losses and many of them have gone out of business. This is primarily due to the fact that they were lending at or near 100% value of the property. When there is no equity in a property there are limited options during a down turn in value and ultimately banks and people lose. The more that banks and investors in the financial markets loss, the tighter financing became. This tight financing reduces the profits for lending institutions because they make money originating loans which is not happening now. This then leads to more tightening and ultimately the credit crunch.

Hard Money Loans.

The private investors that lend these equity loans work on different criteria. First, these loans are short term in nature. The commercial and residential real estate investors who use bridge loans to finance the acquisition and rehab of their properties generally go into the loan with an exit strategy. With most bridge loans being only six months to three years in length the borrowers are prepared to refinance or sell the properties moving them from the books of the hard money lenders. Secondly, the key to bridge loan lending is the after rehab value. If the lenders are only lending from 50% to 70% of the after rehab value then if there is a problem there is plenty of room for a quick sale to other real estate investors and the lenders do not lose money. At these equity points even the real estate investor is protected because they have options they would not have if they were doing a high loan to value loan.

Credit Crunch and Hard Money Loans.

So whether you are financing commercial real estate investments or residential real estate investments the low or no money down bridge loans for investors are a viable option for you. Those deals that may have been financed through conventional lenders are being turned away because of limit funds and tighter credit policies, the hard money lenders are thriving. Many people believe these equity loans are only for people who are not of the highest quality, but that is furthest from the truth, especially during tight credit times. The bridge loans are based on the equity of the properties and the ability of the borrower to complete their project within a reasonable budget and stated time. When those keys are in place, regardless of credit, the properties become viable investments for hard money lenders.

For all of your real estate investment financing needs contact All Dominion Mortgage and Financial Services today. Email us at louisj@alldominionmortgage.com or leave a comment below.

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