Real estate investing is a passive income source that’s not only attractive but also profitable. Understanding the market and sourcing the funds to secure good deals is a great place to start.
If you are a real estate investor looking for funding opportunities. Private money mortgage lenders could be your ideal option. Below, we’ve explored how private money lending works and why you should consider this option for real estate investing.
How Private Money Lending Works
Private money lending is an alternative to traditional loans from banks and lending institutions. Unlike conventional loans, private money loans are fast, flexible, and convenient. Most private money lenders do not look at the credit history.
Instead, they use the property to be purchased as a security for the loan, making it an ideal option for many people with a bad credit score. These lenders take a slightly higher risk in exchange for the slightly higher interest rates.
That said, private money lenders work just like hard money lenders. But with a few differences in how they operate their lending businesses. While hard money lenders are licensed to run their businesses, most private money lenders aren’t licensed.
However, both are legal and regulated by the state and federal lending laws. In some instances, private money lenders may be required to obtain a license before lending out to many people.
Like hard money lenders, private money lenders will set some requirements to determine who qualifies for real estate investment loans and who doesn’t. Often, the private money lenders’ requirements aren’t self-evident. They also vary from one lender to another and from time to time. However, the ability to repay the loan ranks at the top of the requirement list.
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Private Money Mortgage Lending Requirements
Private money lenders can be individuals running private money lending companies or a group of private investors who pool together their money for lending purposes. Either way, the lender will want to confirm that you have a plan and strategy for repaying their loans. When borrowing the loan for real estate investments, the lender will consider the following:
1. Your Real Estate Investment Portfolio
How well you perform in the real estate investment market is perhaps the first impression. If you have a track record as a prolific investor who knows how to hunt and close outstanding deals, you’ll have survived this critical selection criterion.
Here, you don’t have to prove that you are hyper-successful in real estate investing. Instead, you just have to show you understand the market and are a seasoned and hardworking player.
2. Your Cash Reserves
How much cash you have will determine whether or not you’ll meet the repayment terms and conditions. Most private money lenders require borrowers to make some upfront fees and to commit to some monthly payments.
If you don’t have enough cash reserves and have no proof of how you’ll repay the monthly dues, securing a private money loan becomes a bit challenging.
3. The Quality of the Deal and How Much Down Payment You Can Make
Unlike hard money lenders who will outrightly look at how much equity you can put into the property, private money lenders may go one step further. They will consider the quality of the deal, for instance, the value, condition, and location of the property.
That way, they will make their evaluation on whether it’s worth funding the project or not. It’s worth noting that private money lenders are more organized in how they assess the risks. They look at it not just from the borrower’s capability but also based on the market dynamics.
Why Use Private Money Lenders
There are several reasons you would want to use private money mortgage loans to fund your real estate investments. Despite the slightly higher rates, ranging from around 7% to 15% per month, these loans come with some benefits. These include:
- Faster processing – Compared to traditional bank loans, loans from private money lenders have shorter processing times. Depending on how many clients and how much loan the lender is processing, you can have the whole process done in a few weeks, if not days. Since the lender(s) are the sole decision-makers, there are no strict reporting or lengthy bureaucratic processes.
- Flexibility and convenience – The ease of securing private money loans means you can close great real estate deals in days. This is an added advantage for investors competing for high-value properties in a quick sale. And unlike traditional loans that can take months before you know if you can qualify for a given amount, private lenders will be upfront with you from the very start.
- Reliability – Provided you are working with a legit private lender, you can always bet on their reliability and consistency. If the lending company promises to pay in two days or a week, you’ll receive your money. They understand the purpose of the loan, and they always keep their promise to avoid losing good clients.
How to Find Private Money Mortgage Lenders
Some hard money lenders in the market are private mortgage lenders, and vice versa is also true. It’s hard to draw a distinct line between the two lending parties, and provided the company is registered and legit, what matters is the money you need to fund the real estate investment.
When looking for a reliable private mortgage lender, always consider their market reputation, fees, interest rates, and other loan repayment terms. The first step you should take is to ask around for reputed private lenders. Consult your fellow real estate investors and even do some research online for the best private money lenders in your locality.
You also want to review the different lenders you’ve found, then narrow down your options to at least the best three or five. From here, you can contact the lending companies and ask more about their terms of service, fees, qualification criteria, and everything in between.
If you do this right, you’ll finally settle at one private lender that has the best lending terms, quality client support, and an outstanding market reputation.
Grow Your Real Estate Investments with Private Money Lenders
Taking your real estate investments to the next level sometimes means knowing the right people who are willing to take some risk so you can both make a profit in the long run.
Finding these private money lenders doesn’t have to be stressful. Provided you know where to look and how to spot a great opportunity from a raw deal.