Learn To Be A Fix & Flip Investor: commercial bridge loans

Showing posts with label commercial bridge loans. Show all posts

Friday, April 20, 2018

Tactics to secure a larger hard money loan: help your lender look past the LTV

You may already know that a hard money loan is a loan which is backed by a "hard" asset. The amount of financing you receive is usually a set percentage of the value of that asset, or LTV. Learn some strategies to help your lender look past the LTV in order to qualify for the most financing possible.

Giving loans at the lowest possible LTV is the primary way asset-based lenders protect themselves. A higher LTV means a borrower has less at stake in the event of default, and asset-based loans rarely exceed 75 percent in LTV. What if you need a larger loan which exceeds the standard 75 LTV benchmark? While LTV may be the most critical factor a lender will consider, there are other factors also taken into consideration, which can give you leverage to negotiate a larger loan.

Say you need a 760,000 dollar loan to finance the purchase of a million dollar property , in this case the LTV would be 76 percent. While the LTV on this loan is high, in this instance you would have 240,000 in equity invested which may be an amount significant enough to help your lender look past the LTV. You should also consider any other property you own, which could be used to back the loan ( a practice known as cross-collateralization).

If your home is worth 250,000 and you use it as collateral to secure the loan, in effect you have 490,000 of your own money backing the loan. These are just two specific instances were any reasonable lender could look past the LTV, but you should also take steps to demonstrate your strength as a borrower.

If you can, build your hard money lenders confidence in your strength as a borrower

Any reasonable lender will also consider your strength as a borrower and not just the LTV. Even though private lenders have a less traditional approach, the three C's of credit, capacity, and collateral still apply. Credit refers to your history of paying your debts on time. A reasonable lender might look past the LTV if you have a solid credit history. Capacity simply refers to your ability to service your debt on a monthly basis, so if you have a good steady income, you may qualify for a larger loan. LTV may be the most important factor when it comes to asset-based loans, but it is just only one factor a lender might consider. Evaluate your financial situation and demonstrate your strength as a borrower.

If you can thoughtfully consider your situation, you can increase your eligibility for a larger hard money loan

First consider the dollar value in terms of equity you have invested, knowing this number you can demonstrate to a lender exactly how much you have at stake. Take into account any other collateral you might have to back the loan and build your lenders faith in your strength as a borrower. Using any one of these strategies might help your lender look past the LTV which could help you qualify for a larger loan.

About the Author: 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 42 years. They have 2 beautiful daughters 5 amazing grandchildren. Dennis has been an Arizona resident for the past 40 years.

Technorati Tags: commercial loans,commercial lending,commercial mortgage

Monday, April 2, 2018

How to evaluate Commercial Real Estate Loans

There are many commercial real estate loan companies. How do you tell the good from the bad and the ugly?

Commercial real estate loan rates were ridiculously low until recently when rates started moving up. The ten-year government note has moved from 1.44% on January 1, 2018 to over 2.85% on Friday, January 9, 2018, with projections up to over 3%, 3.5% and 4% in the next 60 days. You most likely will not see current rates this low again in your lifetime. Commercial loans are at these low rates because commercial real estate loan companies are sitting on an ocean of cash, nearly $2 trillion dollars. Commercial investors still feel hesitant, however, to overextend with loans from the shock they experienced by the recession of 2008.

So just which commercial loan is best for you? A life Insurance company, a conduit, a credit union, an SBA lender, a commercial bank, a USDA Business and industries lender or even a hard money commercial lender? A life insurance company offers the most attractive commercial interest rates that are only 0.35% to 0.50% higher than the prime residential mortgage rates. Be aware, few life insurance companies will touch commercial projects smaller than $5 million. The project must be very standard and cannot be older than 20 years.

The next avenue which is available is a CMBS where commercial real estate loan rates are 50 to 65 basis points over the prime residential mortgage rate. For projects between $3 to $5 million and up, a conduit may be an appropriate choice for you. They will also finance older properties. For projects with good credit principals, banks and credit unions may be a good option. The rates run typically 0.75% to 1.50% over prime, 30 residential mortgage rates.

SBA and USDA Loans

SBA, if you qualify, should be considered first. The standard 7a SBA loan is 2.75% over prime floating. With the SBA you can quality for a 90% loan-to-value and the loan is fully amortized over 25 years. You must have a credit score of 700-plus and financials for the last several years. The USDA loan is less attractive. The loans are made through banks and guaranteed by the USDA and they are similar to SBA loans--2.75% over floating prime and fully amortized over 25 years. These properties must be located in eligible rural areas in order to qualify.

Although an effort has been made to quote current rates, this is a fluid market and, as pointed out, rates have increased since the first of the year and are fluctuating.

Once underwritten, residential mortgage companies can sell the mortgage to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The illiquidity of the commercial market, since they do not have an agency to sell their underwritten mortgages to and these types of loans are seen as higher risk, results in commercial mortgages 0.35% to 1.50% higher. Before applying, you need to get all your ducks in a row including property type, projected cash flow, age of property and projected operating expenses. For many real estate investors who require quick capital for their next project, a hard money loan is the answer. Call us at Level 4 Funding for a no-obligation quote.

Technorati Tags: commercial loans,commercial lending,commercial mortgage

Friday, July 8, 2016

Commercial Real Estate: How To Buy With Little To No Money Down

Commercial real estate can be a very profitable business once you get started, however, it can be hard getting the money needed for your investment. In this article, you will be able to find out to get the property you want without little to no down payment.

Everything in this world costs money we all know that, but there are always going to be instances when you will not have all the money up front. If you want to purchase commercial real estate you still can! The “Great Recession,” halted a large portion of the home renovation business a while. However, the fix and flip business is making a steady comeback.

A lot of commercial real estate properties require a down payment. However, if you are just starting out you may not be able to afford that. Do not worry you have a few options at your disposal. One thing that you could do is apply for a loan. Seems very obvious believe us not many people do not think about this before they consider buying. Many commercial lenders are willing to lend you the amount you need to pay for the down payment.

In lieu of a loan from a commercial real estate lender, you could also split the cost of the property with a business partner. Sharing the expense of your new property will make it much easier to pay off the down payment. It also opens the door for new things you may want to do. For instance, instead of only being able to only spend $10,000 on repairs and enhancements, you could share all the expenses and turn a better profit in the long run.

You are not tied to going the liquid money way for the down payment on your commercial real estate property

If you do not want to go the hard cash route to pay for the down payment on your commercial real estate property you still have many options. Some more experienced investors know to have other things they could possibly trade or offer in place of money. For example, you could use collateral to pay the down payment. This can range anywhere from a car, motorcycle, watercraft or anything of value.

If you have the connections, you could potentially trade services, as well. Say you are a plumber and you are moonlighting as a real estate investor on the side you could offer your services on any changes they want to make to their new home.

You could also trade houses with the owner of the property you want to buy. This takes a little convincing and a lot of confidence on your part, but this is a great option if you already have a commercial real estate that you are willing to part with. You want to make sure the home or vacant space you want to trade has equal or greater value.

What if I do not have any commercial real estate property I want to trade?

In this event, you could ask the seller of the property to transfer their mortgage to you. This is a great way to quickly get the property that you want to buy. However, this only happens if the owner wants to get rid of the property quickly. While you are taking on a new mortgage depending on how well you refurbish the property you could pay the mortgage off fairly quickly.

Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO/MLO

Level 4 Funding LLC
Arizona Tel: (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel: (512) 516-1177
Dennis@level4funding.com
www.Level4Funding.com

111 Congress Ave |Austin | Texas | 78701

About the author: 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 42 years. They have 2 beautiful daughters 5 amazing grandchildren. Dennis has been an Arizona resident for the past 40 years.

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Commercial Bridge Loan: How To Evaluate Risks vs. Benefits

Any form of financing is going to have some advantages and drawbacks to using it. Commercial bridge loans—like any other loan--have both.

In a perfect world, there are many things that business owners would never have to worry over. They would never have cash flow issues. They wouldn’t have to wait for their long-term financing to come through. If they needed to make any repairs or changed before they could get approved for a long-term loan, they would be inexpensive and easy to fix.

The list could go on and on, but the sad reality is that business owners often find themselves in need of cash for one reason or another before they can receive approval for their primary loan. A commercial bridge loan can help them bridge the time gap till the long-term loan is approved.

However, just like anything else in finance, a commercial bridge loan comes with drawbacks as well as benefits. It is important to know what they are ahead of time.

Benefits To Applying For A Commercial Bridge Loan

Of course, the biggest benefit is that your business gets a much-needed cash infusion, but there are other benefits to getting it through a commercial bridge loan.

One of the more significant benefits is the very nature of the loan--it's short term. Short term means you have less time to pay off a loan and can only break the payments down so much, but it also means you pay less interest. With longer term loans there will be more of a chance you and your business fall on some hard times. If you struggle to recover and miss a few payments (or default) getting another loan in the future could be harder.

To keep repayment from being an issue, commercial bridge loans are often structured to be paid back when your long-term loan comes through. Making your payments will, of course, improve your credit rating which will make it easier for you to get your next loan.

Drawbacks Associated With Commercial Bridge Loans

One of the biggest drawback to commercial bridge loans is the most obvious. Since it is a short-term loan, the payments will be larger. Larger payments are more challenging to make, and since the term is shorter, lenders are often less likely to be flexible with payment arrangements. Instead, they will probably be more likely to tack on late fees and penalties making it even harder to make your payments.

Of course, you can get around payment issues by structuring the loan so you can pay it off after you receive our long term one. However, the longer you take to pay it off, the more interest accrues. Depending on the size of the loan, the interest can be significant.

The biggest potential drawback is the purpose of the loan itself. It is meant as a short term solution to help you cover expenses as you wait for your long-term loan to be approved. What if it gets turned down? What if, like many people were faced with during the housing crisis, the institution you are trying to get your long term loan through fails?

You still have to make your payments on time. Should you struggle with doing so, your credit rating may be adversely affected which will make it harder to get approved the next time you apply.