Hard Money Loans: An Attractive Option For Some Investors
Have you ever pondered when you should choose to borrow from hard money lenders for investing in real estate. Here’s a layman’s guide to borrowing through hard money loans. To start with, we will make you aware of the downsides of hard money. Later, we will introduce you to the upsides of hard money. So, keep reading……
Hard money lenders are experienced investors and require a good return on their investment. This often causes hard money loans to become a last resort for people investing in real estate. The interest rates can be quite high, making hard money loans an expensive option for funding your real estate deals.
Hard money lenders are third party lenders and unlike the big institutional lenders charge interest rates above market rates. Hard money lenders typically require 5-10 percentage points higher interest rates than private money or conventional lenders. Plus, hard money lenders will typically charge you “points” on a loan which is pre-paid interest thereby making this a rather expensive funding alternative.
So why would you use hard money loans? Well, for one thing, hard money loans are typically for around 65-70% of the ARV (after repair value) of the property. This is an important point because it means you can get finance for any rehab costs that you have ahead of you and if your ARV is sufficiently greater than your costs you can get into a deal with little or no money down.
If you are trying to fund real estate investments and have poor credit, hard money loans are a viable option. Hard money lenders take the security of the loan into consideration and do not consider character or loan serviceability. For those who are on a strict time limit, hard money loans are also attractive since there is little to no wait time for approval.
Hard money lenders are found in various places. Your local newspaper probably provides a “money to lend” classified category. Check there first. There is also probably a local real estate investing association. Local hard money lenders solicit new business at these meetings. Finally, run an internet search for “hard money lenders” or “hard money loans.” You are sure to find hits.
Here’s a layman’s guide to borrowing hard money loans. Third-party lenders who charge interest rates higher than the prevalent market rates for lending are called hard money lenders. The interest rates charged by them are typically 5-10 percentage points higher than the conventional lenders. They are beneficial because they allow you to obtain the necessary cash flow to finance renovation costs which may lie in your future. They are also notorious for charging “points” on a loan which is essentially a pre-paid interest on loan. They will often attend to solicit new business. Finally, don’t forget to check online - just search for “hard money lending“.
- David Williams
