Hard Money
Hard money loans, arranged through our private funding network
A hard money loan is lent against the property rather than against your pay stubs. That is why investors use it: the deal and the equity carry the decision, so it can move when a bank cannot. We arrange this financing through our own private funding network, and we do it every day.
Qualifying transactions may close in as little as 24 to 48 hours.
On a complete file with clear title.
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So we can send your options and answer questions.
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What a hard money loan actually is
It is short-term financing secured by real estate, where the property's value and your equity in it do most of the work. Income documents matter far less than they would at a bank, and some lenders on our desk publish no minimum credit score at all for this kind of loan.
That access has a price: hard money costs more than a thirty-year mortgage and is written for months rather than decades. It is a tool for a specific job — buying at auction, funding a renovation, closing before a deadline, or taking equity out quickly — and not a loan to sit in.
Every hard money loan needs an exit before it funds: a sale, or a refinance into longer-term financing. A lender wants to know how their money comes back, and frankly so should you.
What decides a hard money deal
The property
Type, condition and location. This is the security, so it carries more weight than anything about you.
Your equity
What you are putting in, or how much is already in the property. Each lender publishes its own ceiling as a share of value.
The exit
Sale or refinance, and how realistic it is. A signed listing or a term sheet for the takeout carries real weight.
Speed needed
How fast you must close. It shapes which lenders on our desk can even be considered.
Credit
Some lenders publish no minimum at all; others do. It usually affects what you pay more than whether you are considered.
Experience
Completed projects help, particularly where renovation is involved. First-timers are placed, generally on tighter terms.
Questions we get asked
How fast can a hard money loan close?
Faster than a bank, but the honest answer depends on the lender, the appraisal or valuation, title, and how complete your file is. We tell you what the specific lender we are placing with says about their own timelines rather than quoting an average.
Do I need good credit?
Not always. Several lenders on our desk publish no minimum credit score for asset-led loans and underwrite the equity instead. Credit still tends to affect pricing.
How much can I borrow against the property?
It is set as a share of value — and for a renovation, also as a share of cost and of the after-repair value. The ceiling varies by lender. Tell us the numbers and we will show you what ours publish.
What does it cost?
More than a conventional mortgage, and it varies by lender, by deal and by how much equity is in it. We show you the actual figures from the lenders we would place with rather than an advertised rate that nobody gets.
Can I use it for a property that needs work?
Yes — that is one of the most common uses, and the renovation money is typically released in draws as the work is completed.
How much can be financed
The highest figures published by the 4 cited lenders on our desk for this product. Whichever cap is lowest for your deal is the one that applies.
Up to
100%
Of total cost
purchase plus renovation
Up to
80%
Of after-repair value
what it should be worth finished
Up to
80%
Of current value
on a refinance
These are maximums, not what everyone gets: the top of a range is reserved for the strongest files, and what is available depends on the lender, the property, your experience and your credit. This is not an offer — terms are set by a lender in writing after underwriting.
Who uses hard money
- Investors buying a property a bank will not lend on because of its condition.
- Buyers at auction or on a short contract, where the deadline is days not weeks.
- Owners with real equity whose tax returns do not tell the whole story.
- Anyone a bank has already declined for reasons that have nothing to do with the deal.
- Investors who need to close now and refinance into long-term money later.
What people use it for
- Buying a distressed property, with or without a renovation.
- Closing fast on a contract with a hard deadline.
- Taking equity out of a property quickly for another deal.
- Buying before selling, when the timing does not line up.
- Bridging a property that is not stabilised or leased yet.
- Funding a partner buyout or an estate situation on a short clock.
The words lenders use, in plain English
- Asset-led
- The decision rests on the property and your equity in it rather than on your income documents. That is the whole difference from a bank loan.
- LTV
- Loan-to-value. The loan against what the property is worth. This cap, more than anything about you, usually decides the loan size.
- Equity
- The difference between what the property is worth and what is owed on it. On a purchase it is what you put in.
- Exit
- How the loan gets repaid — a sale, or a refinance into a longer loan. A hard money lender underwrites this before they fund.
- Points
- A fee charged at closing as a percentage of the loan, separate from the interest rate. Usual on asset-led money.
- Interest-only
- You pay interest each month and the principal at the end. Standard here, because these loans are short.
- BPO
- Broker Price Opinion — a faster, cheaper valuation than a full appraisal, used by some lenders to move quickly.
How it tends to work
Illustrative arithmetic to show how a lender thinks, using round numbers. Not an offer, not a quote, and not terms available to anyone in particular — real figures depend on the lender, the property and your file.
Equity decides it
A property worth $400,000 with nothing owed. If a lender caps at 70% of value, the loan is $280,000 and the rest of your equity stays in the property. Your income barely enters the conversation.
Buying before selling
You are buying at $350,000 while your current property is under contract. A short loan covers the purchase; the exit is your sale, and the lender will want to see that contract.
The cost of speed
Hard money is priced above long-term money and charged in points at closing. On a six-month hold that cost is real, and it belongs in your numbers from the start rather than as a surprise at the settlement table.
What you will be asked for
Short — that is the point. Nobody is reading two years of tax returns here.
- The purchase contract, or the current mortgage statement on a refinance
- Photo ID for everyone on the loan
- Proof of funds for your share
- Recent bank statements
- Your LLC papers: articles, operating agreement, EIN letter
- Your exit plan — a listing, a term sheet, or the refinance you intend
- A scope of work, if any renovation is involved
- Authorisation to pull credit, at most lenders
From enquiry to closing
- 1
Tell us the property and the timeline
What it is, what it is worth, what is owed, and when you must close. That is enough to know which lenders can realistically move.
- 2
We match it to the desk
Some lenders on our network publish no minimum credit score at all; others are faster but tighter on leverage. Which one fits depends on your file.
- 3
Valuation
An appraisal or a broker price opinion. This is usually what sets the timeline — not the paperwork.
- 4
Title and insurance
Title work starts immediately because it is the other thing that can hold a fast closing.
- 5
Closing
Documents, signing, funding. On a clean file with title clear, this is the shortest part.
What goes wrong
No exit, or a vague one
'I'll refinance' is not a plan. Lenders ask what happens if the sale is slow, and a borrower who has not thought about it is the one who ends up refinancing a bridge with another bridge.
Leaving title until late
A lien, a probate issue or an unreleased mortgage will stop a fast closing dead. Start title on day one.
Budgeting the rate but not the points
Points are charged at closing and are real money. Ask for the total cost, not the rate.
Assuming fast means no underwriting
It is lighter, not absent. Valuation, title and insurance still have to happen.
Holding it too long
This is short-term money priced accordingly. A plan that slips from six months to eighteen changes the economics entirely.
Related financing
Tell us about the property
A few short steps. The property, the numbers and your timeline are what we need.
Step 1 of 5
Your details
Where can we reach you?
So we can send your options and answer questions.
We save your details as soon as you continue, so you never have to start over.
This is not an offer and not an approval. Terms are set by a lender, in writing, after underwriting, and vary by lender, by property and by file.
On a deadline?
Tell us the property and what you are trying to do. We will tell you quickly whether it is something our lending network can place.