Texas Hard Money Lender

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Bridge Loans: Fueling the Costs of 1031 Exchanges

1031 exchanges allow you to defer the payment of capital gains taxes by reinvesting your profits into another similar investment. Most industries lost out due to last year's tax overhaul, but not the real estate industry. Real estate investors can still indefinitely defer payment of income taxes on profits earned from their ventures so long as they roll those profits into the purchase of another investment property. But, there is a deadline you have to meet to qualify. If you need financing to purchase your next investment property, you might want to think twice about going to the bank. Learn why bridge loans are perhaps the best way to finance 1031 exchanges.

1031 exchanges are IRS policies and therefore regulated by perhaps thousands and thousands of opaque guidelines. For this article we are only going to focus on one: You have to secure the purchase of your next investment property within 120 days for your next purchase to qualify as a 1031 exchange.

With Bridge Loans you risk less when it comes to 1031 exchanges

Going to the bank could cost you dearly when it comes to 1031 exchanges. Remember that you only have 120 days to close on your next investment property. Day by day you lose assurance that you'll be able to acquire your new investment property on time.

For example, if you are an active investor in single-family homes and your recent sale just closed, you might consider investing in a small apartment complex. Of course, the sale of a house isn't going to cover the cost of purchasing an apartment complex, so you need financing.

You go to the bank, and the loan officer points out your lack of experience in this area. They ask for more documentation. Days plod by, documents pile up, and sure enough, the 120-day window closes. Now, you are on the hook to the IRS.

If the 120-day window passes, you will have to pay capital gains taxes on the profits you earned from that last resale. Depending on your earnings, this could end up being a significant expense.

If you need financing to secure the purchase of your next investment property to complete a 1031 exchange, spare yourself the worry and the hassle and go to a bridge lender instead.

Bridge loans offer real estate investors the flexibility and certainty needed to complete 1031 exchanges.

• Certainty: Bridge lenders underwrite their loans based on the value of the property you want to purchase, which simplifies the application process. When it comes to bridge lenders, loans can close in as little as a week, well within the 120-day time limit imposed by the IRS.

• Flexibility: Bridge financing is just that: a "bridge" between the initial purchase of an investment property and its eventual refinancing. You secure funding from a bridge lender, purchase your next property, complete the 1031 transaction on time, and then refinance to a cheaper permanent loan.

Banks aren't going to move any faster just because you have a critical deadline, and when it comes to 1031 exchanges, going to a bank could cost you dearly, so approach a bridge lender instead.

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

NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
111 Congress Ave | Austin | Texas | 78701
About: 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.
© 2019 Level 4 Funding LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, October 21, 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

Sunday, October 20, 2019

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.

Saturday, October 19, 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.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Red Flags On Loans To Flip Houses in Arizona

Sometimes it can be challenging to find a good deal on Loans To Flip Houses in Arizona. But if you find a deal that looks too good to be true then it probably is fraudulent.

Getting into the flipping business takes a lot of hard work, research and time as well as a good amount of cash or a reliable lender. When you are seeking a solid lender for Loans To Flip Houses in Arizona, it is important that you understand the terms of the loan and the red flags to avoid so that you don’t end up overpaying for your loan or getting scammed altogether.

Any legitimate lender is going to be will if not actually eager to disclose all of the loan terms upfront. This is simply a way for the lender to know that you are serious and to avoid wasting his or her time on a borrower who can’t afford the terms of the loan or one who is not willing to pay the fees for the loan. If you run across a lender who will not provide you with a complete list of terms and all costs in writing, then you should quickly find a new lending resource. A lender who is not willing to provide this information is likely to have hidden fees and a hidden agenda when it comes to your loan.

For a very similar reason, if your lender is not willing to provide you with a complete copy of your documentation prior to signing the agreement, then there are almost certainly hidden fees or terms included that will work against you. Loans To Flip Houses in Arizona are complex documents and unless you are familiar with the terminology and the legal ramifications of the loan documents, then you need to have a legal professional review the contract before you sign it.

Less Than Helpful Lenders

Any lender who is not responsive or who is difficult to contact during the application process is very likely going to act in the same manner after you sign the loan agreement. If you feel that you are not getting the customer service that you deserve, it is better to end the process and begin to work with a different lender who better meets your needs.

Follow Your Gut

Selecting a lender who will provide you with Loans To Flip Houses in Arizona is a big decision. If at any time during the process, you begin to feel uneasy, pressured or ignored by a potential lender, then you need to sever the relationship. Ideally, you will find a lender and continue to work with him or her for many years to come and on many deals. So be sure that you find one who is reliable, professional and above all, one who is honest and clearly has the integrity that you desire in a business partner. Invest the time in selecting a good lender and you will undoubtedly save yourself money over the course of your real estate investing career.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Understanding Arizona Hard Money Loans

Not all loans are perfect for every borrower’s needs. Understanding what Arizona Hard Money Loans are and how they are best used can offer you some unexpected benefits.

Many consumers are completely unaware of what Arizona Hard Money Loans are and how they can be beneficial. The misconception is that these loans are in some way less than legal is completely false. These are simply loans which are offered and funded by private lenders and not traditional mortgage companies or banks. And these lenders are providing the money not so much based on the borrower’s credit score but more on the value of the property being purchased. This is because the property is going to be the collateral for the loan. Arizona Hard Money Loans are sometimes referred to as asset-based loans as well.

There are a few benefits to Arizona Hard Money Loans being based on the value of the property. The first benefit is that the borrower can have less than perfect credit and still easily get approved for the loan. Most lenders would prefer to see a credit score of about 550 or more but each lender is free to decide who they are willing to lend money to. Also, by eliminating all of the background documentation and inquiry into a person’s financial history, the approval process can move much more quickly than a traditional loan. In addition, hard money lenders are free to tailor the terms of the loan to meet the needs of the borrower rather than forcing all borrowers to live within the same terms as banks often do.

All of these benefits make hard money a faster and simpler process when time is critical such as for the purchase of a fix and flip property. Finding a great deal on a property is not always easy and when an investor does, it is like to become a bidding war if he or she cannot get funded quickly to close the deal. In these cases, a flipper can turn to a hard money lender and have the deal done in as little as a week.

A Price To Pay

All of these great benefits are not free. Any loan will cost you money in the form of interest and other fees, but hard money is going to cost you a little more in interest than a traditional loan. Because most hard money deals represent a higher risk, the lender will ask for a higher interest rate to protect his or her interest in the deal. In addition, there could be fees or other terms of the loan that works to protect the lender’s investment.

Due Diligence

Because hard money lenders are private lenders, they are free to create the terms of their choice for any loans that they fund. For this reason, it is critical that you read the entire loan document and understand all of the terms of the loan prior to signing it. Even though the lender is private and not a bank, the loan agreement is a legally binding document and you will be required to follow any agreement that you sign.