If you’re a borrower looking for funding for an investment property, your sole options are to approach mortgage companies, traditional banks, or direct private money lenders.
Nevertheless, if you are a property investor with terrible credit, many of the usual finance choices will be unavailable to you. Usually, banks and mortgage firms do not provide mortgage loan programs for those with bad credit. Nevertheless, in the field of private money lending, a hard money loan is an excellent way to obtain capital while also improving your credit score.
There are numerous loans available, and many of them base their decision on whether or not to lend to someone based on their credit score. Fortunately, this is not the case with Hard Money Loans.
How To Get Hard Money Loan With A Bad Credit Score
Borrower requirements such as debt-to-income ratios and credit scores are largely unimportant to hard money lenders. The property acts as loan collateral. If you fail to make payments on your loan, the lender will seize and sell the collateral to repay its losses.
Even if you have low credit, you can qualify for and obtain a hard money loan. Your creditworthiness has no bearing on your ability to obtain a hard money loan.
Hard money lending allows for a quicker turnaround. There is a minimal danger for the creditor, and these loans can be closed in a matter of days.
Before approving a loan, a hard money lender would also analyze your home equity, debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, and loan-to-value (LTV) ratio.
They usually want at least 10% of their own money as a down payment. Your experience in real estate investing will be helpful. Consider obtaining a hard money loan if you intend to renovate and sell a house rapidly.
Hard money underwriting criteria place a premium on equity rather than borrower credit.
The value of the collateral that secures the loan is the most essential factor for hard money lenders. They accept consumers with bad credit, previous bankruptcies, and foreclosures. The asset serves as a guarantee. Hard money loans can be supplied rapidly if approved.
How Can a Private Lender Help You Improve Your Credit Score
Unlike a term loan, which has a minimum credit score of 650, a real Hard Money Bridge Loan does not demand a minimum credit score and can even help you improve your credit.
If you are a real estate investor with a considerable amount of equity (more than 50%), you can use a Hard Money Bridge Loan to pull the cash out and use it to pay off debts or repair your credit.
You can return to the private hard money money lender and request a term loan once your credit score has risen above 650. (ex. no documentation loan).
How to be eligible for a hard money loan
Even if your credit score does not qualify you for the loan, it ensures a hard money lender in which you are a low credit risk.
Many hard money lenders will want to see proof of your performance as a real estate investor.
This increases your chances of loan acceptance and gets you a lower interest rate. Property insurance (a builder’s risk coverage) is also required by hard money lenders.
Hard money loans can be an excellent choice if you can find a reliable lender with favorable terms.
Qualifications for a Hard Money Bridge Loan
A Hard Money Loan is determined on your assets rather than your FICO score. You must still give a credit score, but there is no minimum FICO score required for the borrower.
Hard money lenders, on the other hand, are concerned with the asset’s Loan-to-Value (LTV). Because these loans do not have a lot of underwriting, there is no need to be concerned about bankruptcies, foreclosures, collections, and so on.
They are typically capped at 65 percent LTV or less, with rates ranging from 9.00 percent to -11.99 percent, and are always for a period of 12-24 months. True hard money loans are never for a set period of time.
As previously stated, the emphasis is on assets and equity rather than credit. If there is enough equity in the property and the borrower can repay the loan, it is possible to look past the terrible credit, foreclosures, and bankruptcies.
There is a greater emphasis on the property’s value. The financial checks for these loans are less stringent and faster than for standard loans. Hard money lenders are not subject to the same restrictions and regulations that typical bank loan lenders are.
As a result, a Hard Money Bridge Loan can be authorized considerably more quickly. A standard bank loan may take 45-90 days to complete, but a Hard Money Loan from Stratton Equities, the leading Nationwide Direct Hard Money and NON-QM Lender can be completed in as little as two weeks.
The lender is taking more risk because of the rapid turnaround time and lower surface-level financial standards. As a result, repayment durations are much shorter than those of typical loans.
A regular loan may have a repayment period of 20-30 years, however, a Hard Money Bridge Loan must be returned in a matter of years. So, if a borrower has low credit, the lender is taking a bigger risk and hence wants the money back sooner.
Determining the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio for hard money loans
The loan-to-value ratio is calculated using an appraisal or a broker’s judgement of value. The creditor can hire a broker to examine and estimate the prospective appraisal value of a property.
Brokers help with the hard money approval process and can provide faster responses than a standard appraisal.
The greater the loan-to-value ratio, the more risky the loan for the lender. Borrowers with a good credit history and a viable investment are rewarded with high LTV ratios.
Hard money lenders thoroughly assess a property’s investment prospects and the chances of a good conclusion.
A hard money loan applicant can typically obtain 65-75 percent of the property’s worth. Most hard money lenders keep the loan-to-value ratio to the home’s value as low as possible.
Divide the loan amount by the property value to get the loan-to-value ratio (LTV). The greater the ratio, the greater the danger to the lender. The greater the risk, the higher the fees and interest rate.
Some hard money lenders compute the loan-to-value ratio based on the present valuation of the property, while others use the after-repair value (ARV).
The after-repair value raises the loan-to-value ratio, indicating a riskier loan with much greater fees.
Inquire with your hard money lender whether they use the existing property value or the ARV. A complete assessment is expensive and can stymie the loan approval process.