Saturday, April 21, 2018

Why Hard Money Finance Suits Your Commercial Real Estate Investment Portfolio

By Janet Olson


Capital is the cornerstone of property investment. This is holds true for all businesses, but commercial real estate Westlake Village is unique in the sense that most transactions have to be funded by external sources. Thanks to tightening restrictions and unstable interest rates, obtaining funding often proves to be an uphill battle. It's for this reasons that more investors are now turning to hard money finance as an alternative option.

When seeking hard money loans for the first time, investors are often amazed by how quick they are. As long as the lender is convinced with the borrower's business plan, funding can take place within 3-5 days. It goes without saying that you're more likely to close deals faster when using this option instead of a traditional bank loan.

Having the ability to make payments in cash carries huge benefits in the property sector. Sellers will readily accept cash offers, even if it means lowering the price or offering better terms to convince the buyer. While it's not often possible to exploit this without limiting one's leverage, hard money loans allow investors to have their cake and eat it at the same time.

One of the roadblocks you might face as an investor is the inability to borrow when some elements exceed the lender's guidelines. For instance, most banks limit the number of loans one can have active at the same time, credit scores notwithstanding. However, private lenders don't use such arbitrary restrictions. In fact, most of them view such cases as worthwhile investments with less risk.

Unlike traditional financiers, hard money lenders don't use a standardized underwriting procedure. This makes it possible to structure the deal's terms in a way that caters for both the lender's and the borrower's interests. Whether it's postponing interest payments or paying off the loan before term, you get the flexibility you need to match the current economic climate.

Obviously, the last thing a hard money lender would want is for you to have problems repaying the loan. This means they'll painstakingly review your project, point out the problems you might have missed, and suggest suitable solutions as well. In fact, you'll likely be surprised by the vast experience they'll have in the property sector, thanks to the numerous deals they've previously financed.

Simply put, hard money loans have more to do with the merit of your plan than anything else. This means it's possible to qualify even if your financials are plagued with negative issues, such as bankruptcies, foreclosures and the lack of experience. If this sounds familiar, you're hardly ever going to be burdened with a handful of requirements when working with a private lender.

Because hard money loans tend to involve more risks than their standard counterparts, their interest rates are considerably higher. The average borrowing period ranges between six months and a year, but some lenders deviate from this to offer 5-year terms. It's also worth stressing the need to be cautious when taking this route. As a rule of thumb, have an experienced lawyer review any documents before you sign them.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment