Tag Archives: make
Hard money lenders explained
I recently attended a real estate investment seminar in Las Vegas. Between speeches by different gurus I would mingle with other investors and explain that I owned a hard money brokerage firm. Even though it has been around for almost a hundred years now, I was amazed how hard money lenders still seem to be mysterious to many investors. They either did not understand how the hard money lending industry worked or had heard that it was something they should avoid like the plague.
To put it simply, hard money loans are short term loans that are used for various real estate projects. The most common projects are house flipping, but they are also used in commercial construction and land development. Essentially, a hard money loan is often the best choice for money that is needed on a short term basis.
Unlike conventional financing, a hard money loan also known as a private loan originates from a private individual or institution unlike a bank. The loans are generally short term between 6 and 12 months and have a high, interest only payment generally between 10% and 14%
Another major difference between a hard money loan and a conventional loan is that a hard money loan is not based on a persons credit but instead on the value of the project after its completion. A good example is if John has a house that he wishes to rehab and sell for $100,000.00 a hard money lender will lend up to $65,000.00. This is what is known as Loan to Value or LTV. Most hard money lenders lend anywhere from 55% to 70% LTV depending upon what type of project the borrower has.
Now you are probably asking yourself what the catch is, how do these lenders make there money? Hard money lenders make there money 3 different ways. The first way they make there money is the closing costs. These are anywhere from 1 to 4 percentage points of the overall loan. These points are paid when the loan is completely paid off in full. The second way they make there money is the interest only monthly payments on the loan which is anywhere from 10% to 14%. The third way they make there money is if the borrower happens to default on the loan. Being as the loan is not based on the persons credit, hard money loans are secured by the property itself. If a borrower defaults, the hard money lender now has a property or piece of land for 65% of what it is worth. However, it should be stated that this rarely occurs as most hard money lenders are not in the business of foreclosing on properties.
So should a borrower use a hard money lender? The simple answer is if a borrower has a real estate project that needs short term financing that a conventional bank will not lend on, yes.
Getting Student Loans: Bad Credit Or Good
If you are someone who would like to go to college but believe you can’t as a result of a bad credit report, know that you are not alone. In the current economy, millions of people are now finding it difficult to pay their monthly bills. There is a way to obtain student loans, bad credit or not. Even if you have a poor credit score, there are still lenders that handle student loans for bad credit borrowers. In fact, there are a number of companies that will help you in spite of the state of your credit report, letting you apply for a bad credit student loan.
Why You Probably Will Need A Student Loan
Nowadays, a college education is very expensive. Tuition costs at most universities run into tens of thousands of dollars each year, not including money for textbooks, individual course costs, or ordinary living expenses. Knowing all this, several institutions make substantial amounts of money available for this type of funding. The problem is that many people cannot qualify.
Although there are many sources of scholastic funding available for students, more times than not the availability of funds is limited due to the law of supply and demand. This dictates that some people apply for loans so that they can attend college or university.
Student Loans For People With Bad Credit
One of the ways that people can get funding for their education expenses is to obtain a student loan. If your credit is sub-standard, there is a way that you can get prompt approval by following this rule: Lenders love to loan to people that have first class credit ratings. If you can locate someone to cosign the loan with you, your approval is nearly always guaranteed.
This explains why private student loans for people with bad credit often seem more appropriate than applying for grants or scholarships for which you may not qualify. This virtually locks in your ability to attend a four year institution.
However, you need to know that there are advantages and disadvantages to obtaining a bad credit student loan.
The lender knows up front that your credit precludes your getting a regular bank loan. Thus it’s possible that they won’t run a credit check on you. That could spare you a bit of discomfort and embarrassment when applying for college student loans for bad credit.
On the other hand, many lenders will insist that you put up some type of property as collateral against your loan. If you and your family have nothing to put up as collateral, then you will need to seek out those lenders that do not require it.
Another thing that you must be aware of is the cost of a bad credit student loan. When it comes to student loans, bad credit almost guarantees that your costs will be greater. While there may be very competitive interest rates offered to those students with a good credit score and clean credit report, you will not be eligible for them. In fact, since you are deemed a poor credit risk, your interest rates may be quite exhorbitant. The bigger the chance that you will default on your loan, the higher the rate of interest charged.
Not only that, the amount will be compounded. This means that if you fail to repay your loan on time, the amount of interest you have due will be added to your principle, with interest and penalties added on that.
So, while it is really not difficult to qualify for college student loans, bad credit or not, there is a price to be paid. Just make certain that if you do go ahead and borrow, don’t borrow more than what you unquestionably need, and make it a priority to pay it off on time.