Thursday, March 1, 2018

Drawbacks Of Hard Money Construction Loans Seattle

By Amy Taylor


Real estate investors have a wide range of options for construction loans. From bank loans to venture capital, the investors are spoilt for choice on the means of financing their projects. Amongst the options, hard money has grown in stature as a financing option, especially for short-term construction endeavors. This option is attractive for various reasons such as the quick turnaround time, and the easier approval process as compared to ordinary bank loans. Disadvantages also abound. Here are the drawbacks of Hard Money Construction loans Seattle.

Compared to other lenders, the procurement of hard money comes in handy with payment of high-interest rates. The fact that construction works involve a huge investment of cash, no lender will be comfortable to offer huge loans and obtain low profits. They will want to ensure that they obtain the best out of the business even if the borrower fails to repay the whole amount of money.

This type of financing has a shorter tenure which makes it unsuitable for long-term construction projects. Most lenders put a two-year cap on the loan term. This implies that projects with a longer view of say three years are at a disadvantage. The borrower will have to either pay higher installments or reconsider the length of the project to fit into the terms and conditions of the loan.

As a sign of commitment and good faith, these types of lenders will require the borrower to place a down payment before disbursement. This requirement may lock out promising start-up businesses that may not afford to raise the amount. This is detrimental to the startup as banks may also be not willing to fund such a risky venture with no credit history.

Besides having to place deposits, there come other requirements like providing of collateral. Even though it applies both in finding hard money loans and bank credits, it may hinder an individual from getting credit forever. Since most hard cash loaners will accept collateral that total to a huge value, poor debtors who lack collateral may find it hectic to apply for this loan.

One primary reason that an investor would not prefer hard money loan is because it requires one to offer security. In many cases, these will be valuable assets, which equals the loan such that if the borrower decides not to pay the loan the asset will replace the value. Therefore, if you do not have any security you do not qualify this kind of loan,

For any investor, the return on investment is a crucial parameter when deciding the means of financing. Real estate investors need to keep an eye on this as well. A major drawback of hard money comes in due to the high cost and interest rates on the borrowers' shoulders hence affecting the bottom-line and the payback period. Whereas the loan comes in quick into the business, it takes longer to repay and stays longer in the business balance sheet.

Hard money industry is at best poorly regulated and at worst unregulated. These puts investors in a precarious situation in case of breach of contract and loan disputes. Unlike mainstream lenders such as banks, hard money lenders operate beyond the eye of the financial regulators, and this poses a challenge of enforcement. It is therefore prudent to conduct due diligence on the lender before committing to a fraudster.




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