While most individuals go through a traditional bank loan process in order to buy a home, those who purchase homes for investment purchases often turn to other alternatives to fund their ventures. This is because banks often have stricter policies regarding the amount of money you make and how much they’re willing to lend you. When you purchase homes for the purpose of renovating and reselling them, this can make buying the properties you need difficult, if not impossible. This is why many real estate investors are turning to hard money loans in Arizona to fund their purchases. These loans are obtained from private individuals or organizations, making them somewhat easier to obtain and providing more flexible terms and faster turnaround times. Because these loans use the property as collateral, there is little risk to the lender or the investor, making them an excellent choice for real estate development investors. How does this process work?
Determine Your Goals
First and foremost, you need to determine your goals as a real estate investor. Are you looking to do this on the side for a little extra spending cash? Do you want to make this your full-time job? How many homes do you intend to purchase and resell and in what timeframe? Establishing your goals and writing them up as a business proposal are critical in getting the funding you need. The property may serve as collateral, creating less risk for the lender, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to know what you intend to do with the money they are providing. The more detailed your goals and plans are, the more likely they will believe in your project as much as you do. It’s typically best to have a property in mind, providing the location of the property, your estimated budget for the project and how much you’re aiming to resell the home for. If you’ve done other projects in the past, before and after pictures can be useful as well. All this information is invaluable in giving the lender peace of mind.
Locate Lenders
Once you have your plan in place, you can start actively pursuing hard money lenders in your area. If you know others who are involved in these types of projects, ask them for referrals. Local real estate clubs and other similar organizations can also be valuable resources to find hard money lenders in your area. When you find lenders to consider, chances are they will want to do some research of their own before even considering your proposal. This means they may look into your background a bit, although they won’t be as concerned about your finances and credit as more traditional lenders. They will also want to research the property you’re considering, so they can get a good idea whether it’s likely to return on the investment as you hope. After all, the property is what secures the loan and ensures they get their money back as promised.
Fill Out an Application
Although the process is different from traditional bank lending, you will still need to fill out an application if you want to apply for a hard money loan. This application allows the prospective lender to look at your credit report, as well as any other necessary financial information to help them make a sound decision regarding whether to loan you the money. While these factors certainly aren’t the most important in these situations, they do still need to be taken into some consideration. In essence, you will work with your hard money lender as a partner in the project, which is what makes this type of lending so different from your traditional loans. The lender should be interested in your goals and what you plan to do. If they aren’t, they likely aren’t in this business for the right reasons and you may be better off looking elsewhere. Once they approve your application, the loan goes through the underwriting process, which is similar to that which is used for traditional loans.
The Underwriter
In simple terms, the underwriter is the individual who assesses the level of risk to help lenders decide if providing the funds is the right option for them. After all, the loan is no good to them if the individual taking it out won’t be able to repay it. They will approve the loan based on the value of the property, your credit and your capacity to pay the loan back. Property value is the most important factor in the calculation of hard money loans.
Closing
The final step in the process of obtaining a hard money loan is the closing. This is the time when you and the lender will sign all documents related to the terms, including payment terms, amount of the loan and more. An escrow agent should be used to ensure everything is in order and ready to go. Once all the paperwork is signed, you’re ready to begin renovating the property so you can turn it around as quickly as possible.
