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Saturday, February 23, 2019

Hard Money Lenders: Finding the Help That's Right for You

Hard money lenders offer real estate investors the flexibility needed to finance deals that other lenders avoid like the plague. Of course, not every lender is cut from the same cloth. Learn some of the traits of the ideal hard money lender so you can find the help that's right for you.

When it comes to hard money, you want to look out for hidden costs. In the case of rehab projects, sometimes the loan is given to the borrower bit by bit in the form of draws. Don't get ripped off by making interest payments on money that you haven't received yet. These hidden interest payments can cost you thousands of dollars. Seek out lenders who only charge interest on money as it is drawn if you plan to use hard money for a rehab or construction project.

If you can seek out direct hard money lenders, do so.

A direct lender is someone who already has the funds on hand to close your deal and typically has more room to negotiate. Direct lenders raise the capital to fund their loans themselves. In contrast, indirect hard money providers fund their loans from a pool of accredited investors. In most instances, these investors have a guaranteed rate of return on their investments. Due to this fact, indirect lenders have no wiggle room when it comes to the interest rate they can offer you.

Hard money is all about flexibility, and you want as much room to negotiate the terms of your deal as possible. Even a one percent reduction in interest rate could save you tens of thousands of dollars depending on the size of your loan, so seek out a direct hard money provider who has more room to negotiate the terms of your deal.

You can seek out hard money lenders that offer you the ability to write off interest payments on your taxes.

Say you're a regular real estate investor. Perhaps throughout a given year, you've rehabbed three properties, taking out loans of around $300,000 at a 14 percent interest rate. In this case, throughout the year you've paid about $10,500 in interest.

Would you like to write that off that very healthy sum on your taxes? Then you need to seek out a hard money provider who can provider a 1098 mortgage interest form. Not every hard money provider can do this due to inexplicable and opaque regulations far beyond the scope of this article. If you are a regular real estate investor being able to deduct your mortgage interest payments could save you thousands of dollars each year.

In short, the ideal hard money provider saves you money in the following ways:

• They don't rip you off with hidden expenses (i.e., charging interest on money they haven't given to you)

• They're able to save you money because they can offer you a lower interest rate

• The interest on the loans they provide can be deducted from your taxes every year

Dennis Dahlber Broker Ri CEO Level 4 Funding LLC Dennis Dahlberg
Broker/RI/CEO/MLO
Level 4 Funding LLC
Hard Money Lender
Hard Money Loans
Hard Money Loan
Arizona Tel: (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel: (512) 516-1177
Dennis@level4funding.com
Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO

About the Author: Dennis has been working in the real estate industry in some capacity for the last 40 years. He purchased his first property when he was just 18 years old. He quickly learned about the amazing investment opportunities provided by trust deed investing and hard money loans. His desire to help others make money in real estate investing led him to specialize in alternative funding for real estate investors who may have trouble getting a traditional bank loan. Dennis is passionate about alternative funding sources and sharing his knowledge with others to help make their dreams come true. Dennis has been married to his wonderful wife for 43 years. They have 2 beautiful daughters 5 amazing grandchildren. Dennis has been an Arizona resident for the past 40 years.

Bridge Loans: Tactics to Increase Eligibility

If you've had a difficult time securing financing for your next commercial investment property because the property is half-occupied or it is in decrepit condition, you should consider the benefits offered by bridge loans. Learn why this type of financing might be the help that's right for you and some approaches to improve your eligibility.

Conventional lenders don't like deserted or distressed properties. This isn’t the case with bridge lenders. Bridge lenders secure their loans based on a borrower’s experience and the potential of a property.

Bridge financing allows real estate investors to capture the long term and short term income potential of poorly-managed or distressed properties. Using bridge financing, an investor could purchase a half-occupied apartment complex, improve its condition, and increase occupancy. Once most of the units are occupied, the investor can then refinance to a conventional mortgage.

These loans also benefit developers who intend to resell distressed properties. The capital given by a bridge lender allows the investor to improve a property’s condition and then resell it for a tidy profit.

However, when it comes to bridge lenders, you need to do all in your power to prove the potential of your project and your experience as a developer.

Can you meet these basic eligibility standards when it comes to commercial bridge loans?

• Net Operating Income: The annual income of your intended property must be able to cover the cost of the loan on a yearly basis, so you need to have on-hand income and expense statements from the property’s current owner, as well as rent rolls and current lease agreements.

• Experience: Most of these loans exceed a million dollars, so not just anyone can qualify. You need to either have a resume on hand or be able to discuss your track record of previous real estate development projects.

• Savings: Having decent savings on hand is a must. Your lender will want assurance that you can carry your loan should things not go according to plan.

• Net Worth: Along those lines, your net worth should be at least equal to the amount of money you intend to borrow. Even if you aren't pledging your personal property as collateral, these lenders want assurance that you have assets on hand to carry your loan if things go south.

• Credit: Credit is only a factor if you intend to refinance. If this is the case, generally a minimum credit score of 650 is needed to qualify.

But above all else, bridge lenders are concerned with one thing: your exit strategy.

When it comes to commercial bridge loans, talk up your exit strategy.

Bridge financing is just that: a bridge. It is designed to be paid back either through refinancing or resale, so being able to discuss your exit strategy is crucial. Consider the following talking points to assure your bridge lender about your exit strategy:

• If you plan to refinance: Talk up unrealized income potential. Half-occupied commercial properties suffer due to low cash flow, and this means conventional lenders refuse to finance such deals. Talk up your plan to improve cash flow from the property you want to invest in, and have a clear strategy to increase occupancy either by making specific improvements or through better property management. Having a specific plan along these lines will give your prospective lender confidence that you will be able to refinance before the loan comes due.

• If you plan to resell: In this case, a bridge lender will be interested in your plan to bring the property back to marketable condition. Have a clear budget and timeline specifying the improvements you want to make, and cite comparable sales to give your lender concrete assurance that the final resale value will pay back the outstanding loan.

Talking up your exit strategy with these tips and keeping the basic eligibility standards in mind will ensure that you can take advantage of the unrealized potential of neglected or distressed properties with the help of bridge financing.

Dennis Dahlberg
Broker/RI/CEO/MLO
Level 4 Funding LLC
Hard Money Lender
Hard Money Loans
Hard Money Loan
Arizona Tel: (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel: (512) 516-1177
Dennis@level4funding.com
Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO

Friday, February 22, 2019

Loans for Flipping Houses: The Dangers of Hidden Costs

Hard money lenders are the go-to source for financing when it comes to flipping houses. These lenders overlook the distressed condition of a property while giving loans as a percentage of a property’s potential value, but it is essential to carefully consider the cost structure of any hard money deal.

Some hard money deals are structured in two parts. The first portion of the loan secures the purchase of distressed property and the second portion of the loan covers the cost of renovations. The rehab portion of the loan is often distributed bit by bit as work proceeds, and this has important implications when it comes to the cost of hard money financing. The following examples will show why it is crucial to analyze the terms of any hard money deal.

In the first instance, our prospective house flipper goes to a hard money provider and proposes a two-month rehab project. The cost of closing on the ramshackle home will be $80,000, and the cost of renovations will amount to $30,000. Our first borrower takes out a loan for a total $110,000 with the rehab budget given out in two successive draws totaling $15,000 apiece. The lender offers a standard hard money interest rate of 14 percent. Work proceeds on the house things go smoothly, and our flipper resells his home earning a handsome profit of $55,320.

It seems like things worked out pretty well in this case, or did they?

You can save money by carefully considering the cost structure of hard money loans

Another flipper sees a similar property sale a block away from our first. She must have been spying on the first borrower because her proposed project is the exactly the same. The purchase price of the house is $80,000 and the rehab budget is $30,000. This borrower approaches a different hard money provider. They agree to a loan of $110,000 with a $30,000 rehab budget distributed over two draws at a 14 percent interest rate.

Suspicious glances are exchanged between the two investors as they pass each on the way to their respective work sites. Let us assume they finish work at the same time, and they resell their properties at the same sales price.

But, for some reason, our second flipper earned a profit of $56,020 while the first earned $55,320. Why? Because the second flipper carefully considered the terms of her deal. What was the critical detail in the term sheet the first flipper missed?

The first lender charged full interest on the total loan amount up front through the whole two month period, while the second lender only charged interest on the money as it was given out in draws. This tiny detail saved the second flipper $700.

Don’t make unnecessary interest payments on hard money loans

This hidden cost of hard money is something that is often overlooked, and it could cost you thousands in unnecessary interest payments. In the context of a house flip, $700 might be a small amount of money.

Let's change the situation. What if our first house flipper's project went on for 6 months and they had to pay that 14 percent interest rate on the full loan amount? They'd pay roughly five thousand additional dollars in unnecessary interest payments. In the context of a flip, $5,000 is a lot of money.

Don't make interest payments on money you don't have. Carefully analyze the cost structure of your hard money deal. If you don't receive the full loan amount up front, ask your lender if they will charge you interest on the entire loan amount or just on the funds you've received from them. Analyze the terms of your hard money deal to avoid making unnecessary interest payments.

How to Use an Arizona Bridge Loan to Get the Home of Your Dreams

An Arizona bridge loan can help homeowners as they transition between homes. This type of loan is a win-win if you want to move, have a buyer lined up, and your deal runs into unexpected difficulties.

Say you've put in an earnest offer on your dream home. The house is just everything. It has a pool, room enough for the kids, and separate space for an art studio. You made an offer on contingency because you've got a buyer lined up on your current home, but the deal just hasn't closed yet.

As the deadline to close approaches, you find yourself packing boxes, all ready for the money to come through, and then you get a call. It’s your buyer.

"Listen, I'm going to need another 60 days before I can get you the money. We've got a mold issue we need to resolve."

You then call up the current owner of your dream home, asking for a little more time, but they too are fully packed and ready.

They tell you, "Someone put in a full offer right after you. Maybe I'll just call them. It’s too much of a hassle to unpack my whole house again."

You ask for a week, and the seller reluctantly agrees.

You hang up, dejected and furious, certain that all hope is lost.

An Arizona bridge loan can help fuel the cost of your next move

Since your home hasn't sold, you don't have the money for a down payment on your next house. But, you realize you have about $100K in equity in your current home. You think, “Can’t I just borrow against that?”

You look up "bridge financing," and you learn that these loans allow you to cash out up to 90% of the outstanding equity on your current home. At first glance, the 12% interest rate makes you shudder, but you sense it might be your only hope, so you bite the bullet. The $90,000 in bridge financing is more than enough to make a down payment on your next home.

The process is fast enough that you don’t even need that extra week, and move into your new home the next day.

You put your bridge financing to work, making a down payment on the second mortgage on your dream home. You are a bit nervous, because basically, you have two mortgages at this point in addition to bridge financing.

The 60-day window passes. You nervously sit by the phone waiting for the buyer of your old home to call, and sure enough, they do. It seems they've got their act together. The papers are signed, the money comes through. The proceeds from the sale of your old house pay off your first mortgage and that $90K in bridge financing. Now you only have one mortgage.

And you live happily ever after in your newly secured dream home.

Don't let your move become a nightmare because of an unexpected difficulty. An Arizona bridge loan can help make your dreams come true.

The situation just described is a perfect example of when to use bridge financing.

The main risk with this type of loan is that you move from one home to another, but your former home doesn't sell, leaving you on the hook to pay off the bridge loan. However, if you have a firm assurance that your home is going to sell in a handful of months, bridge financing isn't such a risky proposition.

In short, don't let an unsold home keep you from purchasing the home of your dreams.

Are Fannie Mae's Subsidized Arizona Commercial Real Estate Loans a Win-Win?

Fannie Mae recently began offering subsidized Arizona commercial real estate loans to property investors. Like any government program, there's a catch. If you take out a loan under this plan, half of all the units in your apartment complex must be priced for the "lower middle class.” You'll have to cap rents on 80% of your units. You might be wondering why you'd want to do something like that.

Rent caps could be coming to a neighborhood near you whether you like it or not. If you follow Fannie's guidelines, you'll get funding for up to 90% of your next property at a minuscule interest rate. This means you can secure your next apartment for next to nothing if you agree to earn next to nothing going forward.

Already across the country, local politicians are making vague speeches, full of mythical "teachers and firefighters who need affordable housing." Local politicians, with eyes toward the distant future, are intent on stopping the supposedly rampant rent increases.

The implication? You might be legally obligated to offer subsidized housing in the not too distant future. You might want to consider taking advantage of the Fannie program sooner rather than later.

Because more localities are mandating subsidized housing, maybe Fannie’s subsidized Arizona commercial real estate loans are a good idea.

It might be in your best interest to cap rents preemptively on your next investment property and board the subsidy train.

In the worst case scenario, you might purchase a shiny, class-A high rise with an expensive loan, under the presumption of rising rents. If city council erases your profit projections and restricts the amount of rent you can charge per unit, you’re out of luck. Who knows, you might default as a result of their new mandate.

In politics, you know that the ends justify the means. Local politicians need to play their part as middle-class champions, and if rent controls lend credence to their act, don't expect them to hold back. Sp, you never know if rent controls are coming.

But, what if rent controls don't come?

Taking advantage of subsidized Arizona commercial real estate loans could cost you.

If you check the political headwinds and determine that rent caps are a foregone conclusion, taking out a subsidized loan on your next investment property might be a good idea.

But what if there’s a change in the agenda? Say the city councilors decide they should let the market determine rent, causing rent to skyrocket. Taking advantage of the Fannie program means you won't be able to charge based on the market rate. As your fellow landlords enjoy rising profits, all you get is a lower mortgage payment. In the end, you want to make money, and preemptively limiting the amount of money you can make on your next investment property might not be in your best interest.

Then again, it could be a good idea. Taking advantage of Fannie Mae's program is a matter of your own discretion. Maybe you could decide by flipping a coin?

Thursday, February 21, 2019

How to Read Search Results for Arizona Hard Money Lenders

When it comes to finding Arizona hard money lenders, maybe you’re overwhelmed by your search results. Learn how to read between the lines of a lender’s web page so you can find the help that's right for you.

The first step in reading a lender is finding one first. Because it is the 21st century, Google "hard money…" and before you know it, you should have plenty of results. Make a list of potential lenders in your area, but before you read the lenders’ websites, read some customer feedback and cross lenders with negative or with little to no customer reviews off your list.

After narrowing down your list of potential Arizona hard money lenders, find lenders whose recent deals match your specific vision.

You've found several lenders who have decent customer feedback. Should you go ahead and apply? No, you've got a bit more reading to do to narrow your list further.

Check to see if your potential lenders have a list of recently funded deals. Do the properties match your vision? If you intend to flip a house, you should not approach a hard money provider who specializes in commercial properties. You want a lender who can offer insight when it comes to your specific project. Find lenders who specialize in funding your specific investment and then look out for some red flags.

When it comes to reading Arizona hard money lenders, don't ignore these red flags

• Read initial terms offered. Beware of pie in the sky deals. If a lender's initial terms are too good to be true, more than likely, they are. Avoid lenders whose conditions aren't anything close to what you've found on other hard money websites.

• Read the lender’s basic qualifications. If all that's needed to close your deal is your name and a handshake, be wary. Reputable hard money providers will at least glance at your basic financial situation. If a lender sets the bar so low that just about anyone can qualify, more than likely their only interest is in collecting your interest payments. Erase lenders off your list whose standards don't match the standards of other lenders.

• Read the lender’s website, but don't just look at the words. Is a potential lenders website well-designed, professional and appealing, or does it like it hasn't been updated since 1997? Cross a line through lenders whose websites are poorly designed and don't offer a lot of specific information.

• Read the lender’s physical location. If a quick Google search for "A2Z Hard money's," address reveals that their offices are located in a car wash in New Mexico, beware: you might end up laundering money for Walter White. Cross out lenders who don't have a physical office.

After following these steps, you should have a list of lenders who:

1. Have decent customer reviews.

2. Specialize in the type of project you want to pursue.

3. Have reasonable loan terms and borrower standards.

4. Have a professional website and a physical office.

You can perform all this due diligence from the safety of your laptop. Learning to read your search results for "hard money," will save you time and effort while protecting you from sheisters.