Sunday, March 25, 2018

Reasons to use a hard money loan for your next fix and flip project

A hard money loan (or an asset-based loan) offers you the benefits of flexible terms and quick approval. Learn why you should consider this type of loan for your next fix and flip project.

Fixing and flipping single-family homes is the subject of many popular television programs and no doubt most readers will be familiar with the process. An investor purchases a single family home, upgrades and repairs it and then sells it for a profit. Every fix and flip project has the same goals, to maximize market value, minimize the cost of renovations and to sell the property in the shortest time possible. But starting any fix and flip project also comes with the added cost of the financing.

Consider using a "hard" money loan to finance your fix and flip project. The value of the investment property secures this type of loan. This type of lender is likely to consider the potential value you can achieve with your project, instead of your credit score. Hard money loans can clear within a matter of days, which makes them ideal when you need to act quickly on a great investment opportunity.

A hard money loan can be the ideal financing solution for your house flipping project

A traditional mortgage will be hard to secure if your investment property is particularly distressed.The majority of regular banks fund their loans by selling them to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.More than likely your property will fall short of FHA guidelines, making the sale of the mortgage to Fannie or Freddie impossible.

Traditional lenders are also wary about the potential for default should your project not go according to plan. Generally it is not worth the effort for a regular lender to underwrite your loan or to thoughtfully consider your proposals.

Most asset-based lenders consider the potential of your project rather than your credit score or your properties current condition. If you are a seasoned house flipper, or you can talk up your specific plans, more than likely you can qualify for a asset based loan. Asset-based loans can also close quickly which allows you to take advantage of immediate investment opportunities.

If you intend to flip a home in Arizona consider using Level Four Funding as your hard money lender

Level 4 Funding offers short-term financing which is ideal for house flipping projects. Levels 4 offers interest-only loans which gives you the benefit of lower monthly payments. Level 4 Funding can also finance to 85 percent of your next house flipping project, whereas most other asset-based lenders usually only offer up to 75 percent. With Level 4 Funding you'll need to spend less of your own money up front to get your project started. Level 4 Funding offers flexible loan terms, with a minimum term of less than a month allowing you to pay off the loan at your convenience.Level 4 Funding can also close loans within a matter of days, which will help you get your project started quickly.


Dennis Dahlberg
Broker/RI/CEO/MLO
Level 4 Funding LLC  Private Hard Money Lender
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177
Dennis@level4funding.com NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
111 Congress Ave |Austin | Texas | 78701
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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

Tactics for refinancing your commercial loan

When it comes to refinancing commercial loans, you naturally want to qualify for the largest loan with the best terms. Learn some strategies to help you refinance your commercial mortgage

Once your commercial mortgage matures, why should you refinance, rather than selling the property? Refinancing can improve your monthly cash flow and if your property has appreciated in value, refinancing will enable you to pull out additional equity tax-free.

There are some significant differences when comes to refinancing commercial real estate. A Residential mortgage is usually fully amortized and can have terms of up to 30 years. Commercial mortgages have shorter lifespans of 5 to 10 years, and commercial borrowers typically need to refinance their mortgages on a regular basis. But The biggest difference between commercial and residential refinancing is the impact of net operating income on commercial property values.

Improve the income you receive from commercial property to improve the terms of your commercial loan

Net operating income has a considerable impact on commercial real estate values.

The value of commercial property increases if it can generate more income, regardless of property values in the immediate area.

Before refinancing the best strategy is to increase the amount of income your property generates. By maximizing the profit you receive from a property, you increase its value and can refinance to a larger mortgage with better terms. Some strategies to maximize cash flow could include improving the number or quality of your tenants or using renovations to raise rents.

Other things to consider when it comes refinancing you commercial loan

Always seek counsel about your strategy and your specific situation, but the following tactics should help you get the best loan at the best terms.

Use refinancing as a way to reposition your investment strategy or even expand your portfolio. The additional funds you get from refinancing can be used to repay your initial loan, any initial investors, or could be used to improve the property itself. Better yet you can use the additional funds from refinancing to purchase another piece of commercial property. Therefore refinancing can be used as a strategy to expand your investment portfolio and earn more money on a monthly basis.

Refinancing in all cases should improve your monthly cash flow. Refinancing to a loan with higher monthly payments and less favorable terms is of course not a good idea. Refinancing should entail lower monthly payments or should allow you to cash out any additional equity from your investment property.

Strategize to qualify for the best loan with the best terms. Know when your current loan matures and invest in the property accordingly. Over the duration of your loan ensure the condition of your property does not deteriorate. Better yet take consistent steps to improve your property over the term of your mortgage.

You should also aim for full occupancy before refinancing. Most lenders will offer favorable terms on properties with 90 percent occupancy over a period of 90 days. Losing tenants will drastically reduce the income from the property and therefore reduce its value.

In the end, the crux of refinancing a commercial loan is to optimize the profits a property can generate which will enable you to refinance at the best terms.

Dennis Dahlberg
Broker/RI/CEO/MLO
Level 4 Funding LLC  Private Hard Money Lender
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177
Dennis@level4funding.com NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
111 Congress Ave |Austin | Texas | 78701
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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

Saturday, March 24, 2018

How to Think Like Hard Money Lenders

When you are seeking a private loan, it can be helpful to learn to think like hard money lenders do. This will help you to prepare for the process and to know which information will be critical to the decision to fund or reject your request.

When you are making your first request for hard money, it can appear to be a very odd change from completing the myriad of paperwork required by a traditional lender. It might even feel as though you are ill prepared for the meeting because you are not carting in piles of bank statements, credit reports and income statements. And if you are, then you are going to be surprised and embarrassed when your lender is less than impressed and wants nothing to do with all of your paperwork. Hard money lenders are a different breed and they are looking for completely different information to evaluate your request and determine if they will approved your loan.

The key to securing hard money is nailing the loan to value ratio. This is the ratio between the amount you are requesting and the current value of the property. Most hard money lenders are looking for an LTV of 65-75%. There are some lenders who will also consider the property’s after repair value as well but that is not a standard practice. With that in mind, those lenders will also want to see your business plan to renovate the property and your budget to make sure that the numbers are in line with their estimate for the renovated value of the property.

Know the Critical Term

Knowing that the loan to value ratio of the property is the key to getting a loan, you need to be certain that you have enough of a down payment to make the loan request fall into the desirable range for the lenders. Understand that the lender is protecting his or her investment by only lending up to 75% of the value of the property. In the event that you are unable to make your loan payments, the lender will need to take possession of the property and sell it to get their investment back. And the only way to be sure that they get their full investment back is to know that the property will always be worth more than the balance of the loan. Hard money lenders are not being unfair or trying to take advantage of borrowers, they are simply practicing good business and protecting their investment.

Think like a Lender

Understanding the lenders point of view will only help you to better prepare yourself for requesting a loan. Knowing that the most important factor is the LTV and not your credit score or credit history will save you a lot of time and paperwork. You can then invest that time into researching the current value of the property and procuring funding to make the down payment you will need to meet the LTV ratio. In addition, you can invest your time in creating your renovation schedule and budget to demonstrate that you will be quickly and efficiently adding value to the property as soon as you take possession of it. All of this information will help to ensure that your hard money request gets funded.


Dennis Dahlberg
Broker/RI/CEO/MLO
Level 4 Funding LLC  Private Hard Money Lender
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177
Dennis@level4funding.com NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
111 Congress Ave |Austin | Texas | 78701
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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

Why You Should Repair Your Credit Score to Obtain Commercial Loans

If you can rebuild your credit score, you have a much higher chance of getting approved for commercial loans. Most lenders want to see a clean credit history and a high credit score, so Level 4 Funding offers ways to build and restore your credit to help you get the loan you need.

Before you can repair your credit, you need to know what state it’s in. First, obtain your current credit report from one of the three recognized credit bureaus. You should be patient and take plenty of time to review your credit report and history. You should also look at your previous business patterns and habits. Do you continue to make the same bad decisions? If you can recognize a pattern with the way you handle your finances, you can change your habits for the better… and begin to improve your credit score. If you have less than desirable credit, it’s going to be a lot tougher to obtain approval for commercial loans, so you should really put all your effort in here. You need to take some time to review your credit history by obtaining your report from one of the three recognized credit bureaus. Really scrutinize your business habits that have led you to earn less than desirable credit. Seeing the report can also help you recognize how you can break these patterns so you can make progress towards improving your credit.

Yes, most people in America have debt and it’s okay — and even good — to have some debt. But too much is… too much. It will make lenders wary about your ability to pay back their loan, and that’s not good when it comes to trying to get loan approval. Try to pay down debts and the amount you owe as much as possible. Take a close look at your financials, your budget and figure out how you can tighten things up so you don’t have to get too far into debt. You can also consider having all your outstanding credit combined onto one card to you can consolidate payments and perhaps even negotiate a better interest rate for your commercial loans. Having just one payment can help you keep track of on-time payments as well.

If you have good business relationships with your suppliers and vendors talk to them about your loan plans and ask them to make a report on your behalf. Make sure you make timely payments to supplier and vendors because being in good standing can help your credit score improve.

If you have any unused, paid off accounts, closing them can affect your credit score too – this can improve your chances of getting approved for your commercial loans needs.

Once again, review your finances, see which accounts you have paid off but that are still open and then for any of those that you are no longer using, send a request letter for those to be closed. You can ask for a return letter from the creditor that proves your account balance is zero and that the account is now closed.

It’s not a quick route to perfect (or near perfect credit).

The bottom line is it takes time to build or repair your credit. However, it's a lot easier to secure commercial loans via traditional lenders if you have stellar credit. Ultimately, it will benefit you and your business, as you will be in a better position to negotiate better rates. Making some big changes in the way you handle your business finances is a must when repairing poor credit. Start small and make little changes that will eventually pay off in a big way. It’s not impossible and though it may take some time, it is worth it once you’ve got your credit on track and you are able to move head with your business with a loan that you secured with your new high credit score!

Dennis Dahlberg
Broker/RI/CEO/MLO
Level 4 Funding LLC  Private Hard Money Lender
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177
Dennis@level4funding.com NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
111 Congress Ave |Austin | Texas | 78701
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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

How to Prepare to Speak to Hard Money Lenders

Being prepared is the best way to ensure that you can get offers from hard money lenders. But the secret is in knowing how to prepare.

It can be very stressful seeking a loan. Many people hate to feel that they owe someone money even when it is for a legitimate loan or mortgage. But being well prepared can help to eliminate much of that unnecessary stress and also can help to ensure that you get the loan that you need. Approaching hard money lenders for a loan is not exactly like going to a bank or a mortgage company to ask for a loan. And in some ways this is very good because the process is less complicated but that can also make it more nerve wracking.

A conventional lender is going to present you with a huge packet of forms to complete and then send you on your way until you have all of the paperwork completed and submitted. But the process of a hard money loan is less dramatic. So you will want to be sure that you are prepared prior to your first meeting so that you can give the lender all of the information that they will request. Not only does this allow you to appear very professional but it will also speed up the process even more.

Hard money lenders are really only interested in the value of the property which is going to be used as collateral on the loan. They don’t want to hear your life story and why your credit score is lower than the average consumer. So don’t volunteer too much but be ready for all of the questions pertaining to the property and your plans for it. The first question is going to be the address of the property, which is easy enough to supply. You will also need to provide a few photos of the property to show its current condition. In addition, you should provide any appraisal that you have gotten or valuation that you have completed for the property. This is the main information that the lender is going to use to determine the current value of the property and what the collateral will be worth to them.

Explain Your Plan

The next information that the lender will want to gather is about your offer price and any proposed renovations that you will be doing. It is a good idea to have a basic business plan in place to show the renovation budget, the timeline and your projected increase in the property value as a result of the renovations. The final piece of the puzzle for the lender is to understand how you plan to repay the loan. Are you planning to keep the property and rent it out? Are you going to sell the property and use the proceeds to repay the loan? And finally they will ask for the exact amount of the loan that you are requesting.

Fast and Easy

Providing all of this information in a single quick meeting not only shows your respect for the hard money lenders time but also shows that you are a well prepared professional. Having a plan and demonstrating it will let the lender know that you are serious and will be getting this loan from him or her or from a competitor.


Dennis Dahlberg
Broker/RI/CEO/MLO
Level 4 Funding LLC  Private Hard Money Lender
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177
Dennis@level4funding.com NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
111 Congress Ave |Austin | Texas | 78701
clip_image002clip_image004clip_image006clip_image008

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

Friday, March 23, 2018

What it takes to get a Commercial Real Estate Lenders Approval

Knowing what commercial real estate lenders are looking for on an application will be very helpful when you are ready to seek a loan. Some of the information could surprise you.

Getting your loan application approved by commercial real estate lenders requires more information and effort than most first time buyers expect. But the key to understanding this request and the amount of information which is requested comes from taking a look at the loan from a lenders perspective. Commercial real estate loans are often quite large and hold some inherent risk. The lender is simply trying to eliminate as much risk as possible by being restrictive and stringent about their lending policy. This allows them to make their money and well qualified businesses to make their real estate purchases. They use a system which is sometimes called the three C’s to evaluate loan applications.

Collateral is a big factor in commercial lending. All loans are secured by a lien on the commercial property being purchased. This allows the lender the right to take the property and sell it to pay off a loan in the event that the borrowers default on the loan. If you are requesting a loan which exceeds 80% of the value of the property being purchased, the lender might also request that you offer other property or items as additional collateral for the loan. In most cases the lender would like the loan to only be 80% or less of the property value but in some cases they will accept cross-collateralization.

Cash flow is also an important factor to commercial real estate lenders. They need to see that either the property itself generates enough income to cover the cost of the loan payments or they need to see that the business purchasing the property has sufficient cash flow to pay the loan. In addition, commercial real estate lenders like to know that there are cash reserves or other assets which can be easily liquidated should the economy change and cause a decrease in the cash flow needed to make the loan payments.

Your Personal Promise

There are some occasions when the business does not have enough credit to merit a commercial loan or it has questionable credit. In this case, a commercial real estate lender will require the borrower to personally guarantee the loan. To qualify for this you must have a 660 personal credit score or better, no bankruptcy in the last 7 years, no foreclosures or short sales in the past 3 year and no open tax liens or judgements. If you meet these criteria then your credit history and creditworthiness will be considered during the loan application.

Know What Lenders are Looking For

Commercial lenders are looking for a business which is in stable financial condition and has been for at least three years. The lender is also looking for the ability to repay the loan and to have a cash reserve in place if needed. Before you begin a loan application, you should carefully consider how well your business will fare when they are judged on the three C system.


Dennis Dahlberg
Broker/RI/CEO/MLO
Level 4 Funding LLC  Private Hard Money Lender
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177
Dennis@level4funding.com NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
111 Congress Ave |Austin | Texas | 78701
clip_image002clip_image004clip_image006clip_image008

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

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

The Requirements for Securing Commercial Real Estate Loans

Due to the dollar amount of most commercial real estate loans, the criteria to qualify is more stringent. It’s important to understand these requirements before you apply for a loan.

Not only are commercial real estate loans substantially larger than most other loans, they are also inherently more risky. This increased risk is due to the fact that most businesses financial health is very closely tied to the overall economy unlike the financial health of a consumer which is more insulated. To offset this risk as much as possible, lenders are much stricter about the qualifications for commercial real estate loans.

The first step in securing a commercial mortgage is to have the property appraised. Legally, the lender will need to have this process completed but it is not a bad idea for the borrower to also have an appraisal completed. It is critical that the property value be equal to or exceed the amount of the loan being requested. This is simply because the property will be the collateral for the loan. Most lenders want to see the property value at least 20% greater than the loan amount to ensure that the collateral is always greater than the outstanding balance of the loan.

When a business entity is making the purchase, the lender is going to want to verify that the business is financially stable and has the ability to make the loan payments. The lender will request documentation to verify the cash flow of the business as well as the debt that the business is carrying. Lenders prefer to see a steady net income 20% greater than the debt. It is also important that the business have some type of savings or other assets which are very liquid in the event that the business slows and cannot make the loan payments from the months’ income.

If the business entity does not have a strong credit history or is relatively new, the lender will require the owner of the business or owners to become personal guarantors. This basically means that the business credit history does not merit the loan and the owners are willing to use their personal credit history and scores to obtain the loan. This also means that the owners are willing to use their own personal funds and property as collateral for the loan.

Understand What Lenders are requiring

In many cases there are nonrefundable fees which must be paid to apply for commercial real estate loans. Knowing that your business or your personal credit is strong enough to secure a loan is very important before you begin the long process of a loan application and pay the fees to have the application processed. If you have any questions about the qualifications, you should invest your time in more research.

Due Diligence

There is a lot to understand when seeking a commercial loan and researching the process, the potential lenders and the criteria for securing a loan is a very smart choice. Speaking to a local bank or a mortgage lender is a good way to gather information and learn about the process to help you avoid wasting both time and money if you are not prepared to meet the loan application qualifications.


Dennis Dahlberg
Broker/RI/CEO/MLO
Level 4 Funding LLC  Private Hard Money Lender
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177
Dennis@level4funding.com NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
111 Congress Ave |Austin | Texas | 78701
clip_image002clip_image004clip_image006clip_image008

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