Cashmoney08’s Weblog

info@privatemoneybankers.com – http://privatemoneybankers.com

A hard money loan is a specific type of asset-based loan financing in which a borrower receives funds secured by the value of a parcel of real estate. Hard money loans are typically issued at much higher interest rates than conventional commercial or residential property loans and are almost never issued by a commercial bank or other deposit institution. Hard money is similar to a bridge loan which usually has similar criteria for lending as well as cost to the borrowers. The primary difference is that a bridge loan often refers to a commercial property or investment property that may be in transition and does not yet qualify for traditional financing, whereas hard money often refers to not only an asset-based loan with a high interest rate, but possibly a distressed financial situation, such as arrears on the existing mortgage, or where bankruptcy and foreclosure proceedings are occurring.

Many hard money mortgages are made by private investors, generally in their local areas. Usually the credit score of the borrower is not important, as the loan is secured by the value of the collateral property. Typically, the maximum loan to value ratio is 65-70%. That is, if the property is worth $100,000, the lender would advance $65,000-70,000 against it. This low LTV provides added security for the lender, in case the borrower does not pay and they have to foreclose on the property.

Loan structure

A hard money loan is a species of real estate loan collateralized against the quick-sale value of the property for which the loan is made. Most lenders fund in the first lien position, meaning that in the event of a default, they are the first creditor to receive remuneration. Occasionally, a lender will subordinate to another first lien position loan; this loan is known as a mezzanine loan or second lien.

Hard money lenders structure loans based on a percentage of the quick-sale value of the subject property. This is called the loan-to-value or LTV ratio and typically hovers between 60-70% of the market value of the property. For the purpose of determining an LTV, the word “value” is defined as “today’s purchase price.” This is the amount a lender could reasonably expect to realize from the sale of the property in the event that the loan defaults and the property must be sold in a one- to four-month timeframe. This value differs from a market value appraisal, which assumes an arms-length transaction in which neither buyer nor seller is acting under duress.

Below is an example of how a commercial real estate purchase might be structured by a hard money lender:

65% Hard money (Conforming loan)
20% Borrower equity (cash or additional collateralized real estate)
15% Seller carryback loan or other subordinated (mezzanine) loan

History

Hard Money is a term that is used almost exclusively in the United States and Canada where these types of loans are most common. In commercial real estate, hard money developed as an alternative “last resort” for property owners seeking capital against the value of their holdings. The industry began in the late 1950s when the credit industry in the US underwent drastic changes.

The hard money industry suffered severe setbacks during the real estate crashes of the early 1980s and early 1990s due to lenders overestimating and funding properties at well over market value. Since that time, lower LTV rates have been the norm for hard money lenders seeking to protect themselves against the market’s volatility. Today, high interest rates are the mark of hard money loans as a way to compensate lenders for the considerable risk that they undertake.

Cross collateralizing a hard money loan

In some cases, the low loan-to-values do not facilitate a loan sufficient to pay off the existing mortgage lender, in order for the hard money lender to be in first lien position. Because a security interest in the property is the basis of making a hard money loan, the lender usually always requires first lien position of the . As an alternative to a potential shortage of equity beneath the minimum lender Loan To Value guidelines, many hard money lender programs will allow a “Cross Lien” on another of the borrowers properties. The cross collateralization of more than one property on a hard money loan transaction, is also referred to as a “blanket mortgage”. Not all homeowners have additional property to cross collateralize. Cross collateralizing or blanket loans are more frequently used with investors on Commercial Hard Money Loan programs.

Commercial hard money

Commercial hard money is similar to traditional hard money, but may sometimes be more expensive as the risk is higher on investment property or non-owner occupied properties. Commercial Hard Money Loans may not be subject to the same consumer loan safeguards as a residential mortgage may be in the state the mortgage is issued. Commercial hard money loans are often short term and therefore interchangeably referred to as bridge loans or bridge financing.

Commercial hard money lender or bridge lender programs

Commercial hard money lender and bridge lender programs are similar to traditional hard money in terms of loan to value requirements and interest rates. A commercial hard money or bridge lender will usually be a strong financial institution that has large deposit reserves and the ability to make a discretionary decision on a non-conforming loan. These borrowers are usually not conforming to the standard Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or other residential conforming credit guidelines. Since it is a commercial property, they usually do not conform to a standard commercial loan guideline either. The property and or borrowers may be in financial distress, or a commercial property may simply not be complete during construction, have its building permits in place, or simply be in good or marketable conditions for any number of reasons.

Some private investment groups or bridge capital groups will require joint venture or sale-lease back requirements to the riskiest transactions that have a high likelihood of default. Private Investment groups may temporarily offer bridge or hard money, allowing the property owner to buy back the property within only a certain time period. If the property is not bought back by purchase or sold within the time period the commercial hard money lender may keep the property at the agreed to price.

Traditional commercial hard money loan programs are very high risk and have a higher than average default rate. If the property owner defaults on the commercial hard money loan, they may lose the property to foreclosure. If they have exhausted bankruptcy previously, they may not be able to gain assistance through bankruptcy protection. The property owner may have to sell the property in order to satisfy the lien from the commercial hard money lender, and to protect the remaining equity on the property.

Legal and regulatory issues

From inception, the hard money field has always been formally unregulated by state or federal laws, although some restrictions on interest rates (usury laws) by state governments restrict the rates of hard money such that operations in several states, including Tennessee and Arkansas are virtually untenable for lending firms.

Commercial lending industry

Thanks to freedom from regulation, the commercial lending industry operates with particular speed and responsiveness, making it an attractive option for those seeking quick funding. However, this has also created a highly predatory lending environment where many companies refer loans to one another (brokering), increasing the price and loan points with each referral.

There is also great concern about the practices of some lending companies in the industry who require upfront payments to investigate loans and refuse to lend on virtually all properties while keeping this fee. Borrowers are advised not to work with hard money lenders who require exorbitant upfront fees prior to funding in order to reduce this risk. If you feel you have been the victim of unfair practices, contact your state’s attorney general office or the office of the state in which the lender operates.

Hard money rate

Hard Money Mortgage loans are generally more expensive than traditional sub-prime mortgages. However all mortgage loans are not necessarily considered to be a high cost mortgage. Generally a hard money loan carries additional risk that a borrower is aware of. Rather than selling the property a borrower will opt to keep the loan and if a lender is willing to assume some of the risk by offering a hard money loan.

Interest rate on hard money

The rate is not dependent on the Bank Rate. It is instead more dependent on the real estate market and availability of hard money credit. As of 2007 and for the past decade hard money has ranged from the mid 15%-25% range^{[citation needed]}. When a borrower defaults they may be charged a higher “Default Rate”. That rate can be as high as allowed by law which may go up to or around 25%-29%.

Hard money points

Points on a hard money loan are traditionally 1-3 more than a traditional loan, which would amount to 3-6 points on the average hard money loan. It is very common for a commercial hard money loan to be upwards of four points and as high as 10 points. The reason a borrower would pay that rate is to avoid imminent foreclosure or a “quick sale” of the property. That could amount to as much as a 30% or more discount as is common on short sales. By taking a short term bridge or hard money loan, the borrower often saves equity and extends his time to get his affairs in order to better manage the property.

All hard money borrowers are advised to use a professional real estate attorney to assure the property is not given away by way of a late payment or other default without benefit of traditional procedures which would require a court judgement.

Waldman Financial/NXT Equities, Inc.
4120 Atlantic Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90807
(800)560-9488-Toll Free
(562)283-1521-Direct
(805)754-1859-Mobile
http://privatemoneybankers.com
info@harborsidela.com

http://privatemoneybankers.com

Investing in trust deeds is one of the best ways to earn a very high return on your investment, while at the same time making sure your investment is safe, secured by the value of the property, all while  receiving a monthly check based upon the amount of your investment.

Smart investors pad their retirement accounts with Trust deed investments because they normally earn 10%-15% annually on their investment!

So, what is trust deed investing? Good question.

Trust Deed investing is the loaning of money with real estate as collateral. In California, most loans against Real Estate are called “Trust Deeds,” after the name of the legal instrument used to pledge their security. With expert guidance from NXT Equities, anyone can successfully invest in trust deeds. This contrasts with most other investments where extensive study and years of experience may be necessary before you can invest with confidence. Trust Deeds are safer than most other investments of comparable yield because the risks are identifiable, as well as the procedures necessary to counter them. Many investors, especially retired people, also enjoy the relatively minor effort needed to manage the investment once their money is in place.

The typical trust deed investor is a person looking for a competitive return on their investment. The interest rate the borrower pays is generally higher than the borrower would pay at a bank. The investor in turn, receives a higher return on his investment. Additionally, the money you loan is secured by the borrowers’ equity in their real estate. The security, the good return, plus the monthly cash flow, make trust deeds and excellent investment vehicle.

At NXT Equities, we receive many calls everyday from borrowers, realtors and mortgage professionals who are looking for private money for a real estate transaction. It is our job to fund loans with our investors investments, then after the loan is funded, we collect the payment each month, and send our investors a check every month.

What is so special about our trust deed investments is that we normally only provide loans in the Los Angeles area. That way, before we ever lend our investors money, we physically see the property, interview the borrowers, and have a professional appraisal completed by a licensed real estate appraiser.

Our job is two-fold, to make sure we give our borrowers a good loan at a rate that they can reliably re-pay, and also make sure our investors receive a high return on their investment is the safest way possible.

What makes trust deed investing with NXT Equities safe?

The basic premise of safe trust investing is to make sure that the property(collateral) is sufficient in case the borrower does not make their payment, and we have to reposess the property. Although this is rare, it does happen. However, we do have a healthy safety net, in that we only lend on low loan to value properties. Loan to value is simply the loan amount divided into the value of the property. Here is an example: a client calls and needs a loan for $100,000 on a property values at $300,000. In this scenario, the loan to value is 30%. This means that if the borrower were to default on their payment, there would be approximately $200,000 left over. Is this safe? You bet it’s safe. That is what makes trust deed investing so attractive to both experienced investors and new investors as well.

—
Donald G. Timms – Private Money Specialist
Waldman Financial/NXT Equities, Inc.

info@harborsidela.com - http://privatemoneybankers.com 
4120 Atlantic Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90807
(800)560-9488-Office
(805)754-1859-Mobile