Savvy real-estate investors know that a fix-and-flip loan is one of the best investments in the Santa Clarita real estate market. Southern California’s real estate boom shows no sign of stopping. As homebuyers look to get further away from L.A.’s smog and congestion, beautiful, clean cities like Santa Clarita go at a premium. Everyone wants natural beauty, convenience, and style, and Santa Clarita offers all three.
Many homebuyers also want a home that’s move-in ready. Millennials show an increasing preference for homes that need no work. With their busy lifestyles of juggling careers, kids, side hustles, and night school, they have no time for weekend projects. They barely have enough time to move in.
As new families pour into Santa Clarita, the demand for renovated, move-in ready homes has never been stronger. Though Californians know Santa Clarita as a high-priced, in-demand city with high real estate values, many below-market properties remain available. These properties need a little—or a lot—of TLC. In a hot market like Santa Clarita, that means fix-and-flip investors profit big time.
How a fix-and-flip loan helps you profit
Fix-and-flip loans help investors make big profits because they are structured as business loans rather than consumer mortgages. As business loans, their criteria for approval is much different. Fix-and-flip loan lenders look for investors with great deals, as opposed to investors with great credit.
The keys to a fix-and-flip loan are speed and short terms. Investors do not take fix-and-flip loans with the intention of carrying them for 30 years. They take fix-and-flip loans in order to secure the property, fix it, and sell it. By offering short-term loans that serve this need, lenders provide the investors with the cash they need to turn their profit with a minimum of interest and fees.
Even more important, fix-and-flip loans provide the investors with fast approvals. Fix-and-flip lenders design their loans with streamlined approval processes because investment property purchases are highly competitive. When a home with huge investment potential hits the market, many investors vie for the opportunity. In hot markets like Santa Clarita, making money on a fix-and-flip property requires finding a below-market property.
When you find that perfect gem with huge profit potential, chances are many other investors will want it as well. If your lender takes weeks or months to grant approval, as happens with traditional lenders, the property will be long gone before you have a chance to make an offer. With a fix-and-flip lender like Delancey Street, you get your approval in days, allowing you to close that deal before the competition.
How fix-and-flip loans differ from traditional mortgages
A traditional mortgage lender focuses on the borrower’s credit history and income. They use FICO scores to predict the likelihood that the borrower will pay his or her mortgage on time. They analyze the borrower’s debt-to-income ratio to see if the borrower is likely to run into debt trouble. They even penalize borrowers for having unused credit lines, simply because the borrower could use them to get into too much debt.
Underwriters at traditional mortgage companies also look closely at income. They need to see not only that it is sufficient, but that it is long lasting. After all, they plan to give the borrower a 30-year mortgage. Traditional mortgage lenders also require a down payment, usually of 20 percent, in order to ensure that the borrower remains committed to maintaining the property.
With a fix-and-flip lender, FICO scores, income histories, and down payments are not required. Approvals are based on the profitability of the deal, not on the likelihood that a borrower will continue making payments for decades into the future. This distinction is one of the reasons that fix-and-flip loans are approved quickly.
Profit means everything
When you apply for a fix-and-flip loan, the profit seals the deal. A fix-and-flip lender analyzes the purchase price, the cost of the renovations, and the price at which the property can be flipped. When these numbers demonstrate big profit making potential, the fix-and-flip loan gains approval. The lender knows that the investor is able to make payment on the loan because the deal provides sufficient profit.
Succeeding in the fix-and-flip business takes effort, patience, and the ability to size up profit making opportunities. For those willing to hunt for the best fix-and-flip opportunities and put in the effort of fixing and flipping them quick, the profits can be astounding. Besides the entrepreneurial spirit and some hard work, success in the fix-and-flip business takes a lender that understands the Santa Clarita real estate market and closes on strong opportunities without hesitation. When you team with an aggressive, experienced fix-and-flip lender like Delancey Street, you win.