Author: Ammar Elaqad

Is Hard Money Lending a Good Idea?

Posted on January 30, 2023December 31, 2023 by Ammar Elaqad

Hard money lending can be a good option for investors looking to purchase and rehabilitate properties, as it involves shorter loan terms and higher interest rates than traditional mortgages. However, it can also be a high-risk investment, as the interest rates are higher, and the terms are shorter than traditional mortgages.

It is essential to thoroughly research the borrower and the property before making a hard-money loan and have a clear exit strategy in case the loan defaults. Additionally, it’s always important to consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions. That’s where Private Money Billboard can help!

What is a Hard Money Loan?

A hard money loan is a momentary loan secured by real estate. They are often used to finance the purchase and renovation of properties, particularly in the real estate investment market. Private individuals or organizations provide hard money loans rather than financial institutions such as banks.

Hard money loans have several characteristics that distinguish them from traditional mortgages:

They are issued for a shorter term, usually one to three years, and have higher interest rates than traditional mortgages.
They are based on the value of the property rather than the borrower’s creditworthiness.
They are used as a “bridge” loan until a long-term financing option, such as a traditional mortgage, can be secured.
They are used when traditional financing is unavailable, such as when the borrower has poor credit or the property requires significant repairs.
They may require a larger down payment than traditional mortgages.

It is important to note that federal and state laws may regulate hard money lending. Before entering any agreement, understanding the laws and regulations surrounding hard money lending is essential.

Are There Benefits of Hard Money Loans?

There are several benefits of hard money loans for borrowers:

Faster Approval and Funding: Hard money lenders approve and fund the loans much faster than traditional mortgages, benefiting borrowers who need to move quickly to purchase or renovate a property.
Flexibility: Hard money lenders are often more willing to consider unconventional or unique properties and situations, making them a good option for borrowers who may not qualify for traditional financing.
Alternative for Borrowers with Poor Credit: Hard money loans are based on the value of the property rather than the borrower’s creditworthiness. It makes the loans a good option for borrowers with poor credit or limited credit history.
Short-term financing: Hard money loans are issued for a shorter term than traditional mortgages. It makes loans an alternate option for borrowers who plan to hold the property for a short period before flipping it or refinance with a long-term loan.
Less paperwork: The application process for hard money loans is less cumbersome than traditional mortgages. It makes it a good option for borrowers who want to avoid a lot of paperwork.
Ability to Purchase and Renovate Properties: Hard money loans are used to finance the purchase and renovation of properties. This option allows borrowers to purchase properties that may not be in good condition and make the necessary repairs.
Can be used as a bridge loan: Hard money loans can be used as a bridge loan, which means it’s used as a short-term loan until an investor can secure a long-term financing option.

However, remember that hard money loans come with higher interest rates and shorter loan terms, making them more expensive than traditional mortgages in the long run.

Additionally, the risk of default is higher, and lenders may only recoup their investment if the borrower can repay the loan. Carefully consider the costs and risks of a hard money loan before entering into any agreements or committing to any of our listings.

Situations That Require the Use of Hard Money Loans

There are several situations where a hard money loan may be the best option for a borrower:

Flipping properties: Real estate investors can use hard money loans to purchase, renovate, and quickly re-sell properties for a profit. The short-term nature of hard money loans is well-suited to this investment strategy.
Time-sensitive purchases: If a borrower needs to close a deal quickly, a hard money loan can provide the necessary funding faster than traditional financing options.
Credit issues: Borrowers with a limited or poor credit history may not qualify for traditional mortgages, making hard-money loans a viable alternative.
Unique properties: Hard money lenders may be willing to finance properties that traditional lenders would not, such as properties with unusual or non-conventional features or needing significant repairs.
Bridge loans: Investors can use hard money loans as a “bridge” loan to finance a property while a borrower secures long-term financing.
Commercial Real Estate: Hard money loans are applicable in commercial real estate, particularly for properties such as rental properties, where the lender can also secure the loan with the rental income.

How to Find Hard Money Loan Deals

There are various ways to find hard money loan deals:

Online marketplaces: Several online marketplaces connect borrowers with hard money lenders. These platforms allow borrowers to submit loan requests and view offers from multiple lenders.
Local networking: Attending local real estate investment clubs or networking events can be an excellent way to meet hard money lenders and learn about potential loan opportunities.
Referrals: Many hard money lenders rely on referrals from real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and other industry professionals. Asking around in your professional network may lead to potential loan opportunities.
Directly contacting hard money lenders: Borrowers can also reach out directly to local or online hard money lenders. By contacting a lender, you can learn more about the loan process, their lending criteria, and if you qualify for their loan.
Real estate agents: Real estate agents can also help you find hard money loans. They may have a list of trusted lenders and can help you navigate the loan process.

Not all hard money lenders are equal, so research the lender’s reputation, terms, and conditions before entering into any agreements. It’s also advisable to compare offers from multiple lenders to ensure you get the best terms possible.

Private Money Billboard: Making Hard Money Easy

Private Money Billboard is an online platform for entrepreneurs to find investment opportunities or funding depending on their business’s current goals. Whether you are a real estate investor, a borrower seeking funds, or searching for investment opportunities, Private Money Billboard has all you will need.

Contact us today if you lend money for leads straight to your phone or inbox or need a hard money loan– we can point you in the right direction.

What Is a Hardship Loan?

Posted on January 9, 2023May 21, 2023 by Ammar Elaqad

A hardship loan is a loan that covers unfortunate financial shortages. These financial shortages are subject to an individual’s income going down or expenses increasing.

A hardship loan is very distinct from the other types of loan as it’s designed to meet specific individual needs. With a hardship loan, you are only eligible when you aren’t in a position to pay any of your basic bills.

Note that a hardship loan can’t be utilized in buying luxurious or secondary needs such as cars or business expansion. It’s also a loan provided by private investors rather than banks and credit unions.

What are hard money lenders charging?
It’s in the public domain that the rate at which a private investor charges for a loan varies from one investor to the other, however, with a slight variation.

Depending on the unavoidable circumstance an individual is undergoing, the hard money lenders will decide the rate they will charge. Below is a list of different hard money loans and the expected loan charges.

Secured Hardship Personal Loan
Individuals with a secured hardship loan must have collateral before securing a loan. Most lenders will put less strict qualification guidelines with collateral in place.

This makes it easy for borrowers with low credit scores to acquire quick approval.

The good thing about secured hardship personal loan, it has lower interest rates, larger loan amounts, and longer terms.

However, lenders in possession of your property can claim it and sell it to compensate for their losses when they cannot pay back their money.

Unsecured Hardship Personal Loan
Unlike the secured hardship loan, an unsecured personal hardship loan doesn’t require collateral. The lenders must assess your financial situation and credit score to determine your eligibility and the amount of money you can borrow.

It’s an implication that if you have a poor or low credit score, you might struggle to acquire an unsecured hardship personal loan, as the lenders are very strict with the requirements.

Unsecured hardship personal loan is associated with several benefits as you don’t need a valuable item to use as collateral. However, your lender will be taking more risks as there’s no collateral, implying the more risks faced, the higher your interest rates and annual percentage rates develop.

401 (k) Hardship Withdrawal

Depending on an individual’s situation, you can take a short-term loan from your 401 (k) retirement plan.

It’s a loan offered by the employers for specific reasons, which include:
College Degree Funding
Primary Residence Repair
Avoiding Foreclosure or Eviction
Covering Funeral Expenses
Paying off qualifying medical bills
It’s advisable to discuss the hardship situation with your plan administrator before securing this loan to ensure that you can meet all the eligibility requirements. The advantage of 401 (k) hardship withdrawal is that you can avoid taking high-interest loans.

Also, you don’t need to meet any lenders’ requirements. On the downside, you might be required to pay a penalty fee or taxes when you withdraw from 401 (k).

Home Equity Loan
To own a house or a home, you need to have money, but at the same time, did you know you can get money from your house in case of emergencies? If you have a property and a significant amount of money, you could secure loans in hard times when you desperately need money.

The good thing about home equity loans is that they offer fixed interest rates, which are mostly lower than personal loans. It’s also accompanied by longer terms which imply repaying the loan would be easier. On the other hand, this could lead to one taking substantial debts. It might also prove too challenging, especially when individuals struggle to pay their mortgages. In the case of default, individuals risk losing their homes.

Payday Alternative Loan
The common payday loan offers quick money but at a very high-interest rate. A payday alternative loan is a short-term cash advance automatically paid from your bank on the next payday. These loans are notorious and considered predatory as the terms are abusive and unfair to the borrower.

Most individuals who get into payday loans get trapped in the cycle as they can no longer repay their loans and the additional fees on the required dates. Remember, you are left with deficit funds for the next month after paying off your loan, as the rates charged are very high.

How do I choose a mortgage or a hard money lender?

Below are five factors to consider when choosing a hard money lender:
Understand interest rates versus value: Most private money lending industries have less regulation from the federal reserve bank. It implies terms such as approval time, down payment, interest rates, and requirements widely vary from one lender to another.

Pay attention to the geographic location: In most cases, dealing with lenders within your state is advisable. This is because the lenders are likely to have a better insight into the local financial situations; hence closing the deal would be much easier.

Check reviews about your lender: In the current state, clients will not keep to themselves the experience they get from lenders. They will always leave either a good or a bad experience comment review. When sourcing online hard money lenders, you check out their reviews from their websites.

Consider approval time: Conventional loans take up to 45 days, but with hard money lenders, the average time required is one week. In other circumstances, you might have your loan approved in 24 hours.

Ensure they are licensed: The private lending industry involves large sums of money. This being the case, the worst thing one will want to avoid is doing dark transactions.

The best way to prevent this is by having the lender’s business licensed, which will help lenders and borrowers do a clean deal.

What exit strategies are hard money loans best used for?

Below are some of the expected exit strategies for hard money loans:
Selling the property: It’s one of the common exit strategies in hard money loans, as many borrowers will do so to buy a property, improve it then sell it at a profit.
Getting a new loan: You can get an additional hard money loan; however, this is recommended when all other options are not viable. It is considered the last option as the purpose of the loan is diverted from the original aim.
Refinance: With the investor’s plan not to flip a property but to utilize it for a rental property, refinancing might be the best option for exit.

Are You Looking for A Loan That You Won’t Regret: We Got You
At Private Money Billboard, we offer classified deals and give out loans starting from 1 million and above.

This is where you can come and find investment opportunities or funding depending on your current goals.

Whether you’re a borrower seeking lenders, a real estate investor, or are searching for quality opportunities to invest in other businesses and projects, you’ll find everything you need at Private Money Billboard.

For more information, visit our website and contact us today.

How Do Private Money Lenders Work?

Posted on January 9, 2023January 9, 2023 by Ammar Elaqad

Banks have a lengthy lending process which may be frustrating if you urgently need a large sum of money.

The waiting process can sometimes close you out of securing a great deal. To top it all up, banks might loan you money on some of your investments differently than you would have hoped.

Private money lenders can save your investments when you are at a financial dead end. A private money lender can be an individual or a company.

Here is a breakdown of how private money lenders work:
Private lenders can loan money to an individual or a company irrespective of their bank or credit union.
Private lenders offer different loans but commonly deal with personal and property loans.
Private lenders are not concerned with your credit report. They prefer working with people with bad credit.
Like banks, private lenders give loans then you pay the borrowed money back in installments with interest.

There are fewer regulations and monitoring on how you use the loan; hence the borrower enjoys the freedom to use the money for other purposes apart from its ideal purpose.

Unlike banks and other lending institutions, private money loans can be risky to both the lender and the borrower. This is because private money lenders follow the current set interest rates.

However, they are significantly more expensive than banks or other lending institutions. In addition, if the lender knows the funding is intended for a high-risk proposal, the interest rate is higher.

What Do Private Lenders Focus on Before Offering a Loan?
Private lenders will offer you a way out when you are stuck due to a lack of funding.

However, it is important to note that the goal of the private lender is to make money.

There are several factors that private lenders focus on before giving out loans.

They include:
Pricing Strategy
The private lender ensures that the cost of the loan to their borrower is competitive with their competitors. You’ll most likely have to give collateral for your loan, and your lender will secure themselves in case you default.

Exit Strategy
An exit strategy is important to the private lender as they need to know how the borrower plans on settling the loan.

Borrower Credit
As much as private lenders don’t pay attention to bad credit, they check the borrower’s credit report. The credit score helps the lender determine how to treat your loan.

Are Private Lenders Safe?
The safety of getting funding from a private lender is iffy as they lack licenses like banks. However, private money lenders must adhere to federal and state usury laws while other lenders follow the set banking regulations.
Some states limit the number of loans an individual or company can offer, and if they cross the limit, they should get a banking license.

The risk of private money loans affects both the lender and the borrower. Borrowers’ risks are:
It is important that the borrower knows her source of funding. Make sure the money is legit, and the loan will stay intact.
If the borrower is looking for funding for a property like a rental space and the loan falls apart, it may land him in serious trouble.
It is best if the borrower reads and understands the loan agreement so he will be in a position to take a loan he can service.
The loans are usually short-term, and the borrower may not be able to raise the full amount in due time.
Private loans come with a higher interest rate, which may cost the borrower even his profits when making payments.

The risk the lender faces is giving funding to a borrower who uses the loan for a risky investment and defaults on payments. The lender will likely only get some of their money back if they take legal action.

When lending a generous amount of money, lenders require collateral. Collateral can be the deep of the property or insurance on the company.
The purpose of the collateral is for the lender to ensure they get paid in case the borrower defaults.

What Is the Interest Rate for Private Lenders?
The interest rates for private lenders tend to be higher than for banks and licensed lenders. The interest rate ranges from 15-20%. The rates may be lower than market value if you get a loan from a friend or a relative. Private money lenders give loans with the expectation of a balloon payment by the end of the set period.

The interest rate is referred to as the lease rate when dealing with larger assets. The lender calculates the interest rates directly proportional to the possible risk associated with the borrower. Depending on the lender, the borrower pays interest rates monthly, quarterly, or twice a year.

Interest rates can be fixed or floating. Fixed interest rates remain constant throughout the loan period while floating rates can fluctuate depending on the reference rate.

Is Personal Lending Legal?
Yes, personal lending is legal, and the borrower must repay the loan. You can take legal action against the borrower if you don’t get your money back.
If the funding is from a friend, family member, or private lender, both parties should draft and sign an agreement to avoid future conflicts and misunderstandings.
Personal loan agreements or contracts are legally binding.

The basics of the contract are:
How much money are you borrowing from your lender
The duration of time needed to pay the loan back
Interest rates
Any charges or penalties if the borrower defaults payments.

Contact Us Today
Do you need a private loan before that life-changing chance closes on you? Can you offer to fund individuals or companies in need of funding?

If you fall under either category, then Private Money Billboard is your marketplace, as we offer an online platform for borrowers and lenders to seek each other out.

We hook you up with quality leads via inbox or phone. Reach us for ideal matches between lenders and borrowers. For more information, reach out to us through our online form.