Most people are familiar with the process of applying for and obtaining a traditional mortgage. What if you are turned down for a mortgage because you don’t meet all of the requirements? For example you might need to work on your credit rating for a few months, or maybe you haven’t been at your job long enough to meet the requirements. An alternative to a traditional home loan is a hard money loan.

Hard money loans are used primarily by real estate investors and developers but they can also be used if you are purchasing a new home but do not have the funds from your old home.

This type of loan can be obtained pretty quickly because they are usually made by an individual or a corporation that is not as heavily regulated as traditional mortgages. There is no long application process. Lenders will check that you do have income and a good credit score, but they are primarily interested in the value of the collateral that you are putting up.

The terms of a hard money loan can be much more flexible than most loans. The term can be for a few months or up to a year or more in duration. It can be set up for a monthly payment of interest with the principal being due at the end of the term. It can also be structured with a balloon note at the end of the term for the entire amount.

It is easy to see that this type of loan would give the investor or developer a definite advantage, allowing them to move very quickly and take advantage of an opportunity as soon as it becomes available.

It is important to remember that everything has a down side, and this type of loan is no different. The interest rate will be higher than those of banks and mortgage companies.
There is much less regulation by the government. That is why it is so important that you know the ins and outs of this type of loan. It would be much easier for an unscrupulous lender to take advantage of you.

When should you consider using a hard money loan? One instance would be when you cannot obtain the loan elsewhere. Again, since the lender is concerned primarily with the value of the collateral rather than your long-term repayment, you would be more likely to get this type of loan if you have a poor credit score. The need to have access to the money quickly in order to take advantage of opportunities as they arise would also lead you to consider this type of loan. Do keep in mind that, more than likely, you will need to put up some of your own money.

There are times when you would want to avoid this type of loan. One example would be if you are in a buyers’ market. If the note comes due before you are able to sell the property you could find yourself unable to repay the lender and he might foreclose on the property. If you do not have a good plan in place to refinance the property you might want to avoid this type of loan. This type of loan is expensive and can border on being predatory. It is a good idea to avoid them if you have other options available.

Lenders for hard money loans tend to be individuals or private institutions so there is a good bit of flexibility in what is available to the borrower. You can shop around and find the one that best fits your needs.

The more informed you are with hard money loans, the more likely you will be to make them work for you. Consider them carefully.