Hard Money Loans

We all know banks are not lending money.

We also know that the few opportunities that may exist from borrowing are made much  more difficult by the banks requiring better credit than ever, and many of you have suffered credit hits because of the current downturn, reduced revenues and increased overhead expenses.  Thus, it is even harder to get a loan.

This is a problem.

Aside from normal operating requirements requiring lines of credit, and the desire to make acquisitions of many sorts, there is also a great need for capital to fund workouts. Workouts reduce debt paying small amounts in consideration of large reductions of debt. But you must be able to support the cash requirement or it cannot be done.

Frequently this becomes a critical issue as a workout may mean you remain financially alive so the capital required to fund a workout is critical to your emergence and survival.
So what does one do when loans are generally unavailable and with an upside down situation even with good credit banks are reluctant to lend to you.

The answer, hard money. Non bank lending, private lending, high points, high interest, low loan to value ratio but flexible terms.
Currently we are arranging a hard money loan with 10 points and 14 – 16% interest…Wow! Who would believe this? Not all hard money lenders are this steep but this situation is.

Why would someone do this? Simple, the nest savings will be many hundreds of thousands of dollars, about a million, and the actual cost of the loan for the first year is about $50,000. Steep? Yes. But compared to saving his business and reducing his debt by a million, the $50,000 is a bargain. It facilitated huge gain and survival, all for a mere $50,000.

This here is a place for hard money even at its hardest. Especially when supporting a workout…

Call us if this issue is holding you back…There is an answer.

Call Norm at 413-584-2581…he will arrange a no obligation teleconference for us to discuss your options.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, nearly a quarter of a million home owners face foreclosures every three months, across America.

Sixty percent of the effected families wish that they knew better about the mortgage they were dealing with. Still, it’s never too late to understand your options in case of a foreclosure.

Hard Money Loans

Hector Milla Editor of the “Best Loan Modification Companies” website — http://www.BestLoanModificationCompanies.com — pointed out;

“…Typically the best option that most are unaware of is getting a hard loan. To many, it is possibly the simplest option to stop foreclosure and requisite. These hard money loans are never offered by the banks or financial institutions. In order to avail these, you will have to look in your local area for private lenders. A legal expert can easily locate such lenders but nowadays nearly every community has at least one private lender who specializes in hard money loans…”

Terms

The private lenders will provide up to 60 to 70 percent of the amount as collateral against the value of your home. A major drawback is that the interest rate will be on a higher side ranging from 11 to 19 percent, in most cases. Furthermore, to safeguard the interest of a lender, the appraised value of the home will be assessed lower than its original market value.

Nevertheless, getting a hard loan is sometimes very beneficial as the home owners not only get the financial help they require but it seldom entails any income or credit evaluation.

“…Before you embark on a journey to financial freedom with hard loans, make sure to consult an attorney. As hard loans are mostly unregulated, an attorney can easily assess the terms of the lender and protect you from any undue claims…” H. Milla added.

Further information about how to get professional assistance with a mortgage loan modification by http://www.BestLoanModificationCompanies.com

A hard money loan is a type of asset-based loan, which is usually provided by a private lender, oftentimes an individual.

Terms vary between lenders, are usually more specific and strict than with conventional lenders, and they often come with high interest rates. Typically, a maximum of 70% of the home’s market value will be loaned by the hard money lender.

Hector Milla Editor of the “Best Mortgage Loan Modification” website — http://www.BestMortgageLoanModification.net — pointed out;

“…It is possible to refinance a hard money loan into a more traditional mortgage on a foreclosure or any other property; however, the borrower will want to fully research the terms of both the hard money loan and refinancing loan. He/She will also want to make sure they qualify for the refinancing that they want…”

Qualifying for hard money may be easier in certain aspects(often credit score is not considered) than with typical lending institutions, so this is an important point to consider.

If the deal is not structured right, there may be seasoning issues with the institution when the decision to refinance is made. Seasoning is a term that refers to the length of time that the property has been owned by the seller. Different types of loans have different seasoning requirements, and these will need to be fully understood before setting up the deal.

Many hard money lenders will not issue a loan on a home that will be the borrower’s primary residence, so this will also need to be considered.

The new value of the home at the time of refinancing will need to be verified, and any repair or fix-up costs will need to be validated through receipts and other paperwork. The investor may also need to wait from 6-12 months to refinance depending on seasoning issues.

“…In conclusion, it is possible for a foreclosure property to be refinanced from a hard money loan originally used to purchase the home –or other property– but this will depend on several factors: the terms of the original loan, the terms of the new refinanced loan, and whether or not the buyer qualifies for both loans. This is not a situation to jump into without thorough and proper research…” H. Milla added.

Further information about how to get professional assistance with a mortgage loan modification by visiting; http://www.BestMortgageLoanModification.net

Hard money loans are specialty loan products, only taken on by investors who are willing to invest in high risk loans.

The loan to value ratios are low, the interest rates are higher, the points or fees are typically much larger than other mortgage loans, and these types of loans are often due and payable sooner.

Natalia Osorio Editor of the “Loan Modification Foreclosure” website — http://www.LoanModificationForeclosures.com — pointed out;

“…The financing criteria for a hard money loan is often based exclusively on the value of the collateral which is the property being financed, and no or very little consideration is given to a borrower’s credit. This means that even a person in foreclosure whose credit and credit score has severely declined can qualify for this type of loan if there is a sufficient amount of equity in their property that reduces the investor’s risk. The loan to value is 65% or less. This means that if your home has a value of $350,000, the maximum loan amount would be $227,500 which is 65% of $350,000. Hard money lenders really prefer making loans on properties with a loan to value of 50% or less…”

Interest rates on hard money loan to stop foreclosure immediately will be substantially higher than other mortgage loans, often 12% or even greater. Often they are interest only loans so that none of the payments apply to the principle.

In addition, a hard money loan will charge the borrower the maximum amount of points allowed under mortgage law regulations. So expect to pay at least six points or six percent of the loan amount to acquire this financing. Usually the six points plus all other closing costs are included in the total amount of the loan, so you will need some wiggle room in the value of your collateral to cover the loan closing costs as well.

These loans are often amortized over 30 years, but are due and payable within eighteen months to five years.

“…In addition, if you own other property, you are an especially good candidate for a hard money loan to stop foreclosure immediately because these lenders are open to cross collateralizing your other property. This means that other properties of yours would be encumbered in the hard money loan as well…” N. Osorio added.

Because of the small number of qualifying features, as well as the independent nature of these investors, hard money loans can close very quickly and can be excellent to stop a foreclosure.

Further information about how to get professional assistance with a mortgage loan modification by http://www.LoanModificationForeclosures.com

Hard money loans are a specific type of asset-based loans. In this type of loan, a borrower receives funds that are secured by the value of a parcel of real estate. These loans are paid back with a higher interest rate than conventional commercial or residential property loans. This type of loan is rarely, if ever, issued by a commercial bank or other deposit institution.

Hard money loans are very similar to bridge loans. Bridge loans typically have similar criteria for lending. They also have similar costs to the borrower. The primary difference between a hard money commercial loan and a bridge loan is that a bridge loan frequently refers to a commercial property or investment property that is in transition. The property may not fully qualify for traditional financing yet. Hard money commercial loans refer not only to asset-based loans with a high interest rate but also loans for a financial situation that is possible distressed. Examples of this include cases where someone is arrears on an existing mortgage or where bankruptcy and foreclosure proceedings are already in process.

Hard money mortgages, both commercial and residential, are made by private investors. They typically make loans only in their local areas. The credit score of the borrower is not important because the loan is secured by the value of the collateral property. The maximum loan to value ratio is 65-70%. This means that if a piece of property is worth $100,000, the lender would give the borrower $65,000 to $70,000. This low LTV (loan-to-value) ratio gives the lender added security in the event that the borrower cannot pay and the lender has to foreclose on the property.

Commercial hard money lender programs are similar to traditional hard money loans in terms of the LTV requirements and interest rates. A commercial hard money lender is typically a strong financial institution with the deposits and abilities to make discretionary decisions on loans that are non-conforming. These borrowers do not conform to the standards of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or other residential conforming credit guidelines. Since it’s a commercial property in question, the loan does not generally conform to a standard commercial loan guideline either.

Traditional commercial hard money loans are very high risk and have a higher than average default rate. Just like in a normal commercial loan, when a property owner defaults on a commercial hard money loan, he or she can potentially lose the property to foreclosure.

For more information on hard money lending, please visit http://www.pitbullmortgageschool.com.

Author: Joseph Devine
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Anti-angiogenic Food

For real estate investors there are numerous benefits and advantages to private real estate money versus hard money loans or mortgage loans to fund your real estate investing business. Knowing the advantages can mean the difference between making a real estate deal work or losing a good deal to your competitors.

As the credit-bubble continues to unwind, traditional sources of real estate financing are drying up and real estate investors need to find alternative sources of capital such as private real estate money.

Advantage #1: Speed and Cash Flow

The ability to close a real estate deal in less than two weeks is a huge advantage over having to wait weeks or even months for a typical bank loan approval. The importance of speed cannot be overstated in a competitive market and quick cash gives you a big edge over other investors.

Imagine if you are the seller and someone comes to you to buy your house and has a two or three month escrow period before closing plus several financing contingencies versus another investors who will close in two weeks with no contingences.

Not hard to tell which offer the seller will accept. And the real power of this offer is the seller may accept a lower price to close quickly with no contingencies. So not only do you get the deal from the other investor, but you get it at a lower price. The power of private real estate money is the ability to close quickly and drive better deals terms to your advantage.

Advantage #2: Simple Paperwork

Have you ever gone to a closing on a traditional mortgage loan and had to sign 2 inches of paper work. Now image going to closing and only signing two or three documents (yes that is not misprint).

Private real estate money deals are incredible simple and the total paperwork is normally less than 10 pages and includes two or three simple documents. The documents included in a private real estate money transaction are a mortgage (Deed of Trust), an installment note and possible a disclosure statement. The only other required paper work is to name your lender on your property insurance as you would in any normal loan situation.

Advantage #3: You Control Terms and Conditions

One of the incredible advantages of a private real estate money transaction is you control the terms and conditions of the loan. For example, you can offer a very short term loan of only 6 months if you know you are going to flip the property for quick profit. Or you can offer a 5 or 10 year term if you plan on holding the property for a long term rental.

You can also control the conditions of the loan such as not allowing a prepayment penalty for early prepayment. Most normal mortgages and hard money loans require a 1% to 10% prepayment penalty to pay a loan off early. With private lending transaction you control the conditions and can simply add a clause that allows an early prepayment without a penalty. That can mean a huge savings down the road.

Advantage #4: Reduced Fees and Costs

Private real estate money is less costly than mortgage loans or hard money loans. For example, most hard money loans can ultimately have total interest cost of 20% or greater by the time you factor in all the fees, points, interest and other costs. Even mortgage loans can be very costly with fees and upfront points factored in and the high interest rates most investors must pay versus home owners. Loans from private real estate money sources usually have no points and very few costs. The total cost of most private loans is somewhere in the 9% to 15% range with little upfront or back-end fees.

Advantage #5: Flexibility

Private real estate money provides tremendous flexibility for both you the borrower, but also for the private lender. The private lender can invest small amounts of $5,000 or less in deals or large amounts to fund larger apartments or commercial property purchases. You can also work with lenders to structure a term that fits the lenders needs.

A commercial hard money loan is a non-conventional commercial real estate loan that is not made by a traditional bank. This type of commercial financing has been in use for over 50 years. Such loans usually have a first lien on commercial property. If a hard money loan has a secondary lien, it is known as mezzanine financing.

There are three financing options for most commercial real estate scenarios: traditional banks, intermediate lenders and hard money lenders. The primary rationale for a small business considering a commercial hard money loan is that traditional or intermediate commercial financing options are not viable.

In those situations where traditional banks and intermediate lenders both say “NO”, it then makes good business sense to explore under what terms a hard money commercial loan might be available. Many viable small business projects can be funded ONLY via a hard money lender. Before accepting “NO” from the traditional banks and intermediate lenders as the “FINAL ANSWER”, a prudent small business borrower should determine if a hard money lender will say “YES”.

Commercial hard money loans are typically completed more quickly than a traditional commercial loan. Compared to traditional bank business loans, commercial hard money loans will generally involve a higher interest rate (prevailing range of prime rate plus 4-8% for typical scenarios), higher fees and shorter-term financing (one to three years). However, because many hard money loans offer interest only terms, the payments can be lower than a fully-amortized loan with a lower interest rate.

Three common commercial financing scenarios using hard money loans are described below.

COMMERCIAL HARD MONEY LOAN SCENARIO # 1:
Low Credit Scores

Most traditional commercial loans have very strict standards for acceptable credit scores by the guarantors for a commercial real estate loan. Hard money loans are much more flexible and low credit scores are acceptable.

COMMERCIAL HARD MONEY LOAN SCENARIO # 2:
Need to Obtain Commercial Financing Quickly

Traditional commercial loans will normally require several months to complete. Hard money loans can be obtained within a few days in some situations. This difference will be critical if commercial financing is required within a short time frame.

COMMERCIAL HARD MONEY LOAN SCENARIO # 3:
Special Small Business Situations Not Easily Understood by Traditional Banks and Intermediate Lenders

• Foreclosure
• Bankruptcy
• Special Purpose Properties
• Tax Liens
• Losses
• Negative Net Worth
• Less than one year in business
• Environmental Requirements

For each of the three scenarios described above, a commercial hard money loan will involve shorter-term financing, higher fees and higher interest rates than a commercial loan from a traditional bank or an intermediate lender. However, the critical point which must not be overlooked is that for most situations covered by the three scenarios, commercial financing would be declined by either traditional banks or intermediate lenders. It is under these circumstances that a commercial hard money loan becomes a practical and viable solution for many small business owners.

Copyright 2005-2006 AEX Commercial Financing Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Author: Stephen Bush
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Benefits of electric pressure cooker

What is hard money used for?

A: Hard money is generally used as a bridge to allow the borrower or property to be brought into compliance with conventional financing guidelines or sold. It is generally a short to medium term solution (1-5 years) and it is used for all types of real estate: commercial, retail, office, industrial, raw land, construction, land development, multi-family, single family homes and manufactured homes.

Q: Why would anyone borrow hard money when banks charge lower interest and less fees?

A: There are many reasons why a borrower would choose to use private or hard money over less expensive institutional financing, but the following will address the most common uses. Speed of funding is the most common reason — banks typically take a minimum of 45 days to fund a residential loan, 60-90 days to fund a commercial loan, and 120 or more days to fund a construction or development loan. Private money, however, is typically funded within two weeks, and can be funded as quickly as 24 hours in certain cases. Another type of project suitable for private money is a property that either lacks cash flow to meet bank requirements or requires physical improvements. Banks will not typically fund a loan secured by a property that requires rehabilitation prior to its use, and thus the borrower will obtain a private money loan to purchase and rehab the property, and then payoff the private money loan with conventional financing. Sometimes a borrower will purchase a commercial property that has no tenants. Banks will not loan on such properties but private money will provide a bridge loan to purchase the property and provide the borrower with time to lease up the property. Once the leases are in place and have been “seasoned” for at least 12 months, a commercial lender will refinance the private money loan with institutional financing. Banks are also prohibited by law from making most types of raw land loans, so private money is practically the exclusive source of financing for raw land. Equity in the subject property or other properties owned by the borrower is another factor. For example, Coppercrest Funding http://www.coppercrestfunding.com loans based on the value of the property and not the purchase price, and is also able to cross-collateralize the loan with other properties, so we sometimes lend 100% of the purchase price.

Q: What are the interest rates?

A: Private money rates generally range from 12 to 14%. The rate is determined by looking at a combination of factors: (a) LTV ratio, (b) strength of borrower, (c) condition/desirability of property, (d) actual cash-in or real equity contributed by borrower.

Q: What fees are involved?

A: Hard Money Lenders charge a loan fee generally equal to 3 to 5% of the gross amount of the loan. There is also charge typical lender fees, such as a document preparation fee, a loan processing fee and an application/inspection fee. There are also third party fees involved, including escrow fees, title insurance fees and account servicing fees. CopperCrest Funding doesn’t not charge hidden junk fees, but some lenders do, so make sure you read the paperwork or have an attorney take a look at it for you.

Q: Can the fees be paid from the proceeds of the loan?

A: Yes, so long as there is enough equity in the project. Most often, all fees other than the application fee are paid from the loan proceeds.

Q: Is there a pre-payment penalty?

A: Generally hard money loans have a 3-6 month minimum interest requirement. For example, with a 6 month minimum interest clause, if the borrower repays the loan in 4 months, there is a penalty of two months interest. If the borrower repays the loan after six months, then there is no pre-payment penalty.

Q: How quickly can a private money loan close?

A: CopperCrest Funding have closed loans the same day when presented with a complete loan package, but we typically take one to two weeks. Since hard money is coming from private sources, and every deal is unique it is important to ask about closing timelines on a case by case basis, and each lender is different.

Q: Is an appraisal required?

A: Typically hard money loans require an appraisal, but if there is not enough time to obtain an appraisal and there are good comparable sales information then the lender can waive the appraisal requirement.

Q: Why do they call it “hard money”?

A: We have heard many explanations, but the most common answer is that the lending is based on “hard” assets as opposed to the borrower’s credit or income.

Hopefully this article answered some of your questions about hard money. If you are in a unique situation whether you have a great one of a kind investment opportunity or are facing a foreclosure because of an unexpected happening, hard money may be the solution for you. Remember, just like with any loan or mortgage, ask a lot of questions and read the paperwork.

Author: Matt Hartley
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Canadian crossborder shopping

When you need funding urgently but you can’t wait for weeks to search lenders for traditional loans, you can opt for Hard Money Loan.

A hard money loan is a type of borrowing in which a borrower receives loans based on the value of a specific parcel of commercial real estate. This means a loan where the lender approves the loan request by deciding upon the value of and equity in the assets, without spending considerable time traditional lenders spend on documentation and verification of borrower for the same amount of loan. The most important issue in case of hard money loan is that this loan involves much higher interest rate than other categories of loans.

Key Features of Hard Money Loan

While in traditional loans a lender spends considerable amount of money and time on verifying borrower’s credentials, his income, source of income, tax history, credit history etc, in case of hard money loan, lenders avoid the above procedure because the loan amount in hard money loan is based upon the value of the real assets or collateral anchoring the loan, therefore, hard money loan is provided at the least possible time. Hard money loans are also those loans that need to fund quickly and the borrower cannot afford to wait for weeks or months for a traditional lender.

Hard Money Loans: Key Factors

1 Fastest Processing

2 Not linked with borrowers’ credit record, income level, source etc.

3 Can be borrowed even in case of legal & operation issues

4 TERMS: Flexible loan terms between 6 months and 20 yrs

5 LOAN SIZE: £500,000 to £75 million

6 COLLATERAL: Real estate and other fixed or liquid assets

7 Special Situation Financing Structure offered for all type of commercial or residential real estate development that cannot be funded by the more traditional lender

Loan Structure

A hard money loan is provided when the related real estate is offered as collateral and the amount of loan is based on the quick-sale value of the property against which the loan is made. Normally, most lenders fund in the 1st-lien position, meaning that in the event of a default, they are the first creditor to receive remuneration.

The loan amount in case of hard money loan is decided as the a percentage of the quick-sale value of the subjected property. This percentage is called the Loan-to-Value or LTV ratio and typically fluctuates between 60-70% of the value of the property. Value, in this case is determined as ‘today’s purchase price’ This the amount that a lender could reasonably expect to realize from the sale of the property in the event that the loan defaults and the property must be sold in a 1-4 months’ time.Therefore, based on the above, a hard money lender, may structure a loan as follows:

68% Hard Money Loan

18% Borrower equity (cash or additional collateralized real estate)

14% Seller carry back loan or other subordinated (mezzanine) loan

Eligibility: Are you eligible for Hard Money Loan?
It has been seen that hard money loan is ideal for borrowers who are unable to borrow from traditional source. Such borrowers are often surrounded by legal & operational issues. In such cases, hard money loan providers solve the problems and get the property suitable for borrowing from traditional lenders. Though the type of property to be considered as collateral depends upon the lender, normally the following income producing and non-income producing properties are considered suitable for collateral:

Income producing Properties:

Apartments

condo/co-op conversions

retail/shopping/strip centers

mixed use properties

industrial, office buildings

hotels/motels

medical, mobile home parks and restaurants

Non-income producing properties:

land acquisition

development and construction

bank workouts, foreclosures and bankruptcies.

LOAN Amount and Interest Rate

Loan size varies from lender to lender but the normal range is £500,000 to £75 million on different categories of properties. Repayment duration is normally in between 6 months to 20 years. Interest rate is based on various factors such as loan amount, repayment duration, risks involved etc but usually remains in the range of 10%-13% with a low fees starting at 2%.

At time, there are few lenders who provide upto 100% loan but very rarely. Typically for a hard money residential loan, borrower’s 15% equity in land or liquid assets is taken as sufficient collateral. Similarly, in case of commercial property 25% equity is usually taken as sufficient security.

Loan Processing

Processing documents for hard money loan is easier and fast compared to documentation for other categories of loans. One can fill out the online application form from the website of different lenders or can phone these lenders’ representatives who provide fast service on call.

Author: Steve A Clark
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Low-volume PCB maker

Gold Quest Group www.GoldQuestGroup.net is a hard money lender located in Houston, Texas.

A hard money loan is a type of asset-based loan financing in which a borrower receives funds secured by the value of a parcel of real estate. Hard money loans are typically issued at higher interest rates than conventional commercial or residential property loans and are almost never issued by a commercial bank or other deposit institution. Hard money is similar to a bridge loan which usually has similar criteria for lending as well as cost to the borrowers. The primary difference is that a bridge loan often refers to a commercial property or investment property that may be in transition and does not yet qualify for traditional financing.

Many hard money mortgages are made by private investors, generally in their local areas. Usually the credit score of the borrower is not important, as the loan is secured by the value of the collateral property. Typically, the maximum loan to value (LTV) ratio is 65-70%. That is, if the property is worth $100,000, the lender would advance $65,000-70,000 against it. This low LTV provides added security for the lender, in case the borrower does not pay and they have to foreclose on the property.

Home Equity Loan – Equity is defined as the monetary value of a property or business beyond any amounts owed on it in mortgages, claims, liens, etc. In simpler terms, home equity is how much house you have earned.

Equity is the difference between what your house is worth and what you owe on it. For example, if your house is worth $120,000 and you owe $100,000, your equity is $20,000. You can get a home equity loan, depending on your credit rating and a number of other factors, for the $20,000 that you have built up in equity.

Construction Loan – This type of loan is temporary and used for construction of buildings and homes. A construction loan also gives the contractor small amounts of money over the construction period. It is not till the job is completely finished when a permanent loan is used to pay off the rest of the construction.

To find out if a Hard Money Loan or a Bridge Loan or other Real Estate or Commercial Loan offered by Gold Quest Group is right for you, contact us at (713) 621-6466 or online at www.GoldQuestGroup.net