Sunday, December 28, 2008

What Does It Mean to Be a Private Money Lender?

By Tomasheus Privetsky

Although there are lots of people out there who have the potential to become successful real estate investors, very few attempt to. Most shrug off this avenue to riches because they don't have the money to invest in a property and they feel that it would be too difficult to secure financing in the form of a bank loan or loan from some other hard money lender. Little do they know that there is an easier and better way for a real estate investor to finance his properties - through private money lenders.

Private Money Loans: An Explanation

A private money lender is an individual who has extra money to lend and who wants to make a pretty decent profit off of that money. This is the most flexible way to finance properties for real estate investors. As a real estate investor, you get to borrow money from a single individual, who isn't affiliated with any institution. Instead, they're just like you and me; therefore, the process can be much less impersonal and formal. While banks and lending institutions have rules and regulations that have to be followed when lending out money, private money lenders do not have the same restrictions.

Why Private Money Loans Are a Better Way to Finance Your Properties

As previously mentioned, unlike banks and other traditional lending institutions, private money lenders are not bound by strict rules and regulations imposed by a board of directors or harsh credit standards imposed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Instead, private money lenders have the option to choose who they want to invest in, regardless of an investors financial statements or credit ratings.

Benefits of Using a Private Money Lender

As an investor, you can appeal and make your case to a private money lender, explain to them why they should invest in your property, and allow them to come to their own conclusion. But the benefits of a private money loan do not end there. If the lender is interested in your offer, the two of you can then work out a financing and repayment arrangement that benefits both parties. You and the lender can both state your expectations and agree on an interest rate and payment schedule that makes both of you happy.

What's more, since a private money loan is a short-term loan, the lender may even be willing to wait until after you flip the property to receive any repayment at all. This allows you to focus on fixing and selling the property, without the anxiety that can be associated with payments on a property that hasn't brought in any money.

Drawbacks to Traditional Hard Money Loans

As opposed to private money loans that benefit both lender and borrower, bank loans are often one-sided. They get to hold you to extremely high standards and, if you are lucky enough to receive the privilege of their financing, they also get to benefit from a high interest rate and other fees. There is also no room for payment flexibility or special arrangements. Therefore, even if you have a spotless credit history and have a high probability of receiving financing from a hard money lender, there are still many advantages to seeking out a private money loan instead.

Private Money Loan Benefits Recap

Private Lender can lend freely and does not have to abide by tough rules and restrictions. Allows real estate investors with problematic personal credit histories to secure financing for their properties.

Provides for more open-minded communication between the borrower and private money lender. The borrower can negotiate a flat fee or interest-rate that is certainly a better deal for the borrower than that of a traditional loan.

Borrower can make custom payment arrangements that will be beneficial to them and the lender. Payments may even be suspended until the property is sold.

In general, you don't need any financial application to borrow money from a private money lender. Instead, you can talk directly with the lender to try and convince him to take a chance on you and on the property in question.

The private money lender has the opportunity to see the borrower as an individual with goals instead of simply seeing the paper application that does or does not pass rigid, predetermined guidelines.

All of the above benefits mean that private money loans are often the most flexible and beneficial funding options for those who wish to invest in real estate. As a real estate investor, working with a private money lender gives you a number of options to work with and also opens the door to the opportunity of investing in real estate when it might otherwise not be available to you in the event you would have to go through a traditional lender to obtain your financing. - 16928

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