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What is a Hard Money Investor

What is a Hard Money Investor?

So, you and your spouse are ready to buy a new home. Around 32% of homeowners with less than stellar credit got turned down for a housing loan in 2017 alone, though. So, you’ve come up with another idea. You want to rent out another property that you own and put that money toward the house of your dreams. The problem is that the house needs a lot of work. Work that you can’t afford, either. You may want to enlist the help of a hard money investor.

By going through one of these investors, you’ll be able to get the loan that you need in a few days so you can start your renovation project. There are many pros and cons to these types of loans.

To help you weigh these pros and cons and decide if going through an investor would be right for you, here is a quick guide on everything that you need to know about them.

So What is a Hard Money Loan?

Let’s start from the beginning by telling you a little more about the loan. A hard money loan is a short term loan given to you to pay for real estate investments. The money that you’re given can vary depending on what you’re putting up for collateral, your credit history, and the value of the house you’re doing renovations on.

This money is given to you by a private investor rather than a bank. The interest is usually a little higher on hard money loans, and you’ve got a shorter time to pay it off. Even so, it can be worth it for you to use them as a means to fund your real estate projects.

Hard Money Loan Vs. Other Loans

Why not go through a soft loan rather than a hard one? If you wanted to go the soft money route you would have to jump a lot more hoops. First, you have to have a good credit history. This will be reported to your creditor as an inquiry. “This Inquiry will have a small but negative impact on your credit score.”

On top of having a good credit score, you also have to give up proof of income. If all this checks out then the bank might approve you for the loan.

Getting a hard money loan is a little bit easier than that. When you try to get one of these loans, you’ll be giving up property as collateral to the hard money investor. It’s because you’re giving up something physical as collateral that the investors are less picky about your financial status and credit history.

Why Go Through a Hard Money Investor?

The interest rate on hard money loans is higher than soft ones, and you don’t have as long to pay it off. So, why would you seek an investor? The answer is that the process is faster, there is more flexibility with it, and the approval rates are higher.

Speed

Soft money lenders go through your application with a fine-tooth comb. They take everything into account from your credit history to your bank statements. As you can imagine, this makes the process go much slower.

Again, in the case of hard money loans, you’re giving up something as collateral. The hard money investor doesn’t want to have to take the property that you give up, but they can if they have to. This means that they aren’t as thorough with looking over your application. You’ll know much faster if you got the loan or not.

Flexibility

Large banks and corporations have strict repayment schedules that you have to abide by. Hard money investors are a little more flexible than that. If you build a good relationship with the investor, they may be willing to talk things out. You’ll be able to get a repayment schedule that works for you.

Approval

The most important thing to a hard money investor is collateral. If they have to take your property back they can sell it fast, and they know it. They may look through your finances and credit history, but these things will mainly affect how much money you’ll get. It’s more likely that you’ll be approved for the loan than not.

Sources:

Maldonado, Camilo. “32% Of Applicants With Less Than Perfect Credit Were Denied Mortgages In 2017.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 27 July 2018, https://www.forbes.com/sites/camilomaldonado/2018/07/27/32-percent-of-applicants-without-perfect-credit-denied-in-2017/#26ea218a4b18

“What Exactly Happens When a Mortgage Lender Checks My Credit?” Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-exactly-happens-when-a-mortgage-lender-checks-my-credit-en-2005/.