How To Spot A Shark Among Hard Money Lenders In California

In a perfect world, every business would have good intentions and want to do nothing but the right thing. Sadly, that is not the case, and some Hard Money Lenders in California are ready to pounce and unsuspecting borrowers like sharks going in for the kill.

It doesn’t happen often, but from time to time there have been shark attacks in the waters off the coast of California. While dangerous, the larger problem for people is not the sharks in the water but the ones on land. No, not Land Sharks like from the old Saturday Night Live sketches or from “shark-nadoes” from the SyFy channel movies.

The sharks people have to worry more about are the unscrupulous Hard Money Lenders in California. They may appear nice. They may act like they are your friend. But if you are not careful and let them get too close, they can make you wish you were swimming with actual sharks rather than doing business with them.

How To Spot A Shark Among Hard Money Lenders In California

In the ocean, it is pretty easy to tell what’s a shark and what isn’t. So when one does get a little too close for comfort you can move away. However, when it comes to Hard Money Lenders in California, it is not as easy. The sharks can be a lot like the good guys. They can say all the right things and appear to be your new best friend while secretly plotting to kill your dream and take you for everything you own.

So—how do you avoid a shark in a sharp suit pretending to be your friend? There are ways to see a shark coming before he/she gets too close to bite:

• Upfront fees or Success fees: If the broker is legitimate, he or she will be compensated by the lender—not you, the borrower. If they want any sort of fee upfront or try to hit you with a “success” fee because they actually did their job right, take your business elsewhere. Something shady is going on.

• Experience: This does not mean an inexperienced lender is a charlatan. But with the barriers to becoming a loan broker being as low as they are, it helps to know about their experience before getting into bed with them. Do they know what they are doing? Have they been successful more often than not? Dig into their history. If any red flags pop up, take your business elsewhere.

• Exclusivity: If your broker works with just one hard money lender in California or only a few, be worried. The better brokers will have relationships developed with numerous lenders and will cultivate more as often as possible to get you a better deal. If they only work with a few, chances are they were created for the sole purpose of funneling clients to those lenders.

• Careful thinking or flooding: a good broker is going to carefully review your application and needs and send your loan package to a select group of hard money lenders that are more apt to approve your loan. A not-so-good broker is going to flood the market with your application in hopes that someone will bite and give you an offer—but not necessarily a good one.

• The Commission: a good broker will take a modest fee from the lender upon the completion of the deal. A bad one will try to take a larger one or charge ridiculous fees. Do your homework, and you can avoid these guys.

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
 

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.









          

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Common mistakes made when looking for short sale homes

Rehabilitating distressed homes is a popular way to make money in the real estate business. When you are starting out rehabbing can give you many sleepless nights and stress. Short sales are a great way to begin your real estate career, however, there are some mistakes many new investors make when attempting to complete a short sale.

You have read “short sale” four times now, but what are they? Basically, a short sale is when an owner of property agrees to sell even though the net profits will not cover all the debt associated with the home. As long as all parties that own the property agree to the terms of the sale you are able to buy it. If you know how your contacts you could end up with a great home, however, if you skip a few steps you could have a lemon on your hands.

What should you be on the lookout for when considering a short sale

One of the first things you should look out for when considering a short sale property is fraud. There are many laws and practices that are in place to protect from any fraud that may happen. Perpetrators are usually taken care of by the proper authorities. While there are, many resolved cases, there are many victims that fall for the scheme.

One of the most popular schemes that people are fooled by is “flopping.” Flopping occurs when a buyer or a hard money lender in California is offer a price that does not accurately represent the value of the home. Usually, victims end up paying much more than the actual value of the home.

To make it easier to understand, the owner or lien holder will withhold information from the lender about buying the property for a low price. After they will list the property at a higher value to another buyer. Once the buyer confirms they want to pay the “fake” price. After the deal is concluded the owner pockets the difference.

Use these precautions to help combat fraud

For starters, if you are the one that is buying the home one of the first things you should do is go through the home. Make sure you take time out to go through every nook crawlspace in the home. With short sales, you are able to take a walk through of the home before you commit to purchasing it. Many foreclosed homes will have underlying cosmetic issues that you cannot always see.

Things like foundation repair, mold and mildew or electrical malfunctions can cost you more money in the end. Make sure you have the proper professionals come to clear the home for anything you might feel is wrong.

In regard to the proper authorities, hard money lenders in California also want to make sure the property is appraised by a trusted building inspector. Having an extra pair of eyes will make sure nothing slips through the cracks. When taking on a short sale make sure you cover all your loose ends.

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
 

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: hard money lender in california,hard money lenders in california

Hard Money Lenders — California Niche

 

If you are searching for hard money lenders, California is more than likely the best place to start. The main reason you should start your search in California is that you likely have a particular niche, say for this instance it is fixing and flipping houses, you need a lender that is no strange to that market or any other market.

When looking to flip and fix a house, the reality is the best place to start looking for financing is hard money lenders. California lenders that offer hard money financing for this particular niche have a clear set of criteria before you even walk in the door. This may sound like a bad thing at first, but the truth is that a clear set of guidelines means you know exactly what you need to do get the ball rolling on your financing.

Thus, as you can probably guess, it is important to know the criteria no matter your niche. Nonetheless, for the sake of flipping and fixing houses, let us go over that standard flip and fix criteria for hard money lenders. California lenders who offer hard money financing for flip and fix projects generally look for the following things: a clear understanding of the property’s value, the ability to move quickly to give you a timely response, reasonable terms and rates that you can adhere as well as the ability to build a growing relationship.

This may seem like a tall order, but the good news is that you as borrower or even an investor should want these thing as well. For instance, being able to understand the real value of your property means you and your lender are informed. Moreover, it gives you an opportunity to have a meeting of the minds with you and your lender. Similarly, when everyone is clear on the value and the percent of financing then it allows for the entire process to move along faster.

Key to a Successful Relationship with your California Hard Money Lender

Speaking of a quick response, again you also, no matter your role in the loan process, want things to move along quickly. Think about it, with a flip and fix everyone’s profitability margin really depends on how quickly everything can be accomplished. Moreover, going over the terms and rates with your lender to ensure that you are able to meet them given your situation, again, not only benefits you, it also helps to foster a good relationship with your lender. Lastly, it is important to build this relationship because your new lender can become an asset for future endeavors and it helps provide a potential helping hand if you do have trouble meeting the terms down the road.

Benefits all around

Ultimately, knowing the basic criteria of your hard money lender helps everyone. Therefore, there is no reason you should not do your research/ preparation beforehand so that the entire process can be as streamlined and beneficial as possible. But do not take our word for it; speak to a few hard money lenders in your area and California too.

 

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
http://www.Level4Funding.com
NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
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.












          

Hard Money Lenders—California is Calling

If you are like most, you probably think that all lenders are alike; well, you might want to think again, when it comes to hard money lenders. California is no stranger to these particular kinds of lenders and is the best place to really note the distinction between private money and hard money lenders.

Clearly, when dealing with private money, you are for the most part dealing with private money lenders and not necessarily hard money lenders. California based lenders, however, make it a point to make a clear distinction between these two kinds of financing. For instance, private money is generally obtained through close personal working relationships and is used for investment properties and ventures. Thus, California lenders who offer private money tend to be more flexible with repayment options and more tailored to a specific group of borrowers.

On the other hand, hard money is almost always obtained via hard money lenders. California lenders of hard money look at the actual property being purchased and essentially determine if there is enough value for them to loan you funds. Moreover, these particular lenders tend to cut through the red tape in comparison to private money lenders and traditional lending institutions. The reasoning being that, again, these particular lenders (hard money) are more focused on the property value and in reality, the approval is just the beginning for these kinds of lenders.

This means that hard money lenders take things a step further and typically manage many of the processes necessary to get your loan closed. For example, it is not shocking to see your lender create your loan package, order the necessary forms such as your title and appraisal report. Hard money lenders will also generally verify payoffs and/or restatements advise you on the best loan program as well as provide all your disclosures. Furthermore, your lender will likely handle underwriting responsibilities, investor matching, decide on a loan servicers for your loan and create/manage pertinent documents (loan docs, loan settlement and/or closing). Of course, this is just a quick overview of everything your hard money lender can do for you. So, let us discuss a more in-depth explanation of one of the main services—the loan package.

Beyond Approval With California Hard Money Lenders

Creating your loan package is no minor tasks. In other words, your lender will spend some time making sure that you have everything you need to secure an investor. It is important to let your lender take the lead on your loan package for several reasons. The main reason being that a tailor-made package that knows the market and is well documented/organized is what will attract quality investors. In your loan package, you will have a credit report, financial statements, statement of information, tax returns, proof of relevant liabilities and assets—just to name a few.

A Win- Win Solution

Ultimately, all of the above is what sets hard money lenders apart from the pack. Moreover, an reputable and highly experience lender of hard money will make sure the entire process from start to finish is as seamless as possible, which gets you one step closer to making your real estate dreams a reality.

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
http://www.Level4Funding.com
NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
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.












          

Why Are So Many Hard Money Lenders Based In California?

 

Whenever there seems to be a lot of something or little of something in a given location, there is typically a reason. For example, there are a lot of hard money lenders in California, and there is a reason for this.

There is usually a method to the madness—whatever the madness happens to be. If there seems to be a lot of boys named “Peyton” in the area, if that area is Indianapolis ask a football fan why that is. Are lots of kids on your basketball team named Michael or Jordan? Well—the reason for that isn’t too hard to figure out either (especially for a Chicago Bulls fan).

The same concept applies to things other than baby names. For instance, you will likely find more snowmobile dealers in Maine than you would in Texas. You will probably find more people owning jet skis in San Diego than you would in Alaska.

But why does there seem to be so many hard money lenders in California?

Method To The Madness

More often than not, there is a reason for everything, and there is a reason there are a lot of hard money lenders calling California home.

Even though the area has been settled for well over a century, people still think about ‘going west’ to live the American Dream. With the state being so big and populous, that means there are lots of people looking to live the dream, and in this day and age, many of them have crappy credit.

So they need hard money lenders in California to service those people.

Over the years, the state has developed a heck of a tradition for private borrowing and investing. It’s going to happen in any place as big and populous as California is.

Non-Judicial Foreclosure State vs. Judicial Foreclosure State

One of the big reasons there are so many hard money lenders in California is the fact that California is a non-judicial foreclosure state. What this means is that if a property needs to be foreclosed on it is easier for a lender to gain control of a property and be repaid. That is, as long as the property is not owner-occupied.

In states where there is a judicial foreclosure process, it can be a lot tougher for a lender to gain control of assets since the process can be very long and complicated. Anytime action can be taken without having to go to court it is not going to take as long.

That also means that if you are a borrower in California, you better keep up on your payment or know when your lender begins the foreclosure process. Since it goes a lot faster, if you want to have a chance to stop it, it helps to know when the process has started.

In some non-judicial foreclosure states, the borrower is still able to pay what he or she owes after the property is sold at auction and retain the property.

Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO/MLO
Level 4 Funding LLC
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177
Dennis@level4funding.com
http://www.Level4Funding.com
NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
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.

Technorati Tags: hard money lenders in california,private hard money california

Phoenix Real Estate Is Booming–So is Everywhere Else!

Based on the data provided by S&P Case Shiller, the bottom is over (See Graph Below) and we are moving up again and this time it’s going to be even bigger!  

It appears from the graph of the Phoenix House Values below, that the real estate market in the Phoenix area is heading up. Is it time to buy real estate again? How long will it take to come back to normal? Should I get out of the market and wait? These are hard questions to answer but Dennis makes these recommendations:

The upturn in values are due to LACK OF INVENTORY AND RECORD LOW INTEREST RATES.

Keep your home if possible. Do whatever it takes to keep the current home.

Do a Mortgage modification? HAPR 2. Its possible but there are very few who are successful.

If you ‘bail out’ and let the bank foreclose, you will not be able to purchase a home for 5-7 years, maybe even never again!

Inflation will it come back and will the value of the dollar drop dramatically? (This could change if the USA will cut spending and raise taxes, cut medical/social security, and increase the tax rate by 45%. I don’t think this will happen.)

The amount of debt in the USA will continue to grow. The amount is very frightening.

At this rate, in 5-7 years, it will cost $10 to buy a loaf of bread. Gasoline will cost $25/gallon. And the average starter home price will be $600,000.

Get out of debt; get rid of the credit cards and pay them off. Purchase only if you have the cash. Do not get into any debt.  (I sound like your mother here, but she was correct.)

Start a side business. It’s too difficult to explain why here, but the best reason is the potential tax advantage and the possible income. Your own side business is the LAST area the government has yet to attack. Make it simple and get going. An extra $400 per month really helps.

If you are able, purchase quality single family homes in a good area and turn them into rental units. (Your side business?)

I’ve talked to a lot of people who feel that they can ‘let their home go and rent for awhile’. Rental rates are lower than their mortgage rates. Yes, they are! ‘We can save a lot of money by renting vs. paying the mortgage, and in 2 years we can purchase again and have a good down payment.’ Well, it’s actually going to be 5-7 years before your credit report looks good enough to purchase a home again. And can you really save the money? Most people will spend the money on toys. If hyper-inflation hits, like some economists predict, then you’ll be priced out of the market. Do you want to take the chance? Keep your home, do a HARP 2 Mortgage modification, and hang on — the next 5-7 years are going to be enjoyable.

Dennis Dahlberg is Broker/RI/CEO of Level 4 Funding, with many years of experience in lending, flipping and fixing.       UPDATED 9/13/16

For Phoenix the bottom was officially September 2011.

For a PDF of this Graph Click Here

Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO/MLO
Level 4 Funding LLC
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177
Dennis@level4funding.com
http://www.Level4Funding.com
NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
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.

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