Buffalo Private Lenders Directory

Understanding Hard Money Loans

A hard money loan is a short-term, asset-based loan typically used by real estate investors. Unlike traditional bank loans, hard money lenders focus on the property value itself rather than your credit score or income.

Key characteristics:

• Funded by private investors or lending companies
• Based on property value, not creditworthiness
• Typically 6-24 month terms
• Higher interest rates than banks (8-15% typical)
• Faster approval (days, not weeks)
• Common for fix-and-flip projects

Who Uses Hard Money?

Hard money is popular among Buffalo real estate investors for specific situations:

• Fix-and-flip investors: Need quick funding to purchase, rehab, and sell properties
• Property wholesalers: Bridge financing between purchase and resale
• Commercial real estate: Development projects and renovations
• Distressed properties: Properties banks won't finance
• Investors with credit challenges: Don't meet traditional lending requirements

How Hard Money Loans Work

The process is straightforward and designed for speed:

1. Application: You provide property details, purchase price, after-repair value (ARV), and investment timeline
2. Property evaluation: Lender assesses the property value and your project
3. Offer: Lender provides terms: loan amount (typically 60-75% of property value), interest rate, timeline
4. Closing: Funded in 7-14 days if approved
5. Repayment: You repay when you sell the property or refinance into permanent financing

Hard Money Loan Requirements in Buffalo

Requirements vary by lender, but here's what most Buffalo hard money lenders look for:

Rates & Terms in Buffalo

Interest rates and terms depend on your deal, lender, and market conditions:

• Interest rates: 8-15% (varies by risk, property, experience)
• Origination fees: 1-4% of loan amount
• Points: 0-3 points (1 point = 1% of loan)
• Loan terms: 6-24 months (typically 12-18 months)
• Loan-to-value (LTV): 60-75% of property value

Example: $200K purchase price, $200K renovation budget. After-repair value (ARV) = $550K. Lender offers 70% LTV = $385K loan at 10% interest + 2 points ($7,700 fee).

Step-by-Step Process

1. Find your deal — Identify property to purchase
2. Get property assessment — Estimate ARV and renovation costs
3. Calculate your numbers — Purchase + rehab + holding costs + profit
4. Research lenders — Identify hard money lenders serving Buffalo
5. Prepare application — Gather documents (ID, property details, ARV, past deals)
6. Submit application — Provide lender with property info and business plan
7. Property inspection — Lender inspects property, verifies ARV
8. Receive offer — Lender provides loan terms
9. Close loan — Sign documents, receive funds (7-14 days)
10. Execute project — Rehab property, sell or refinance
11. Repay loan — Return capital plus interest to lender

Questions to Ask Buffalo Lenders

• What's your minimum credit score requirement?
• What's the typical loan-to-value (LTV) for my property type?
• What are your rates and fees?
• How long does funding take after approval?
• Do you lend on single-family, multi-family, commercial?
• What's your typical loan term?
• Do you have references from past borrowers?
• Are there prepayment penalties?

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overestimating ARV: Be realistic about after-repair value. Lenders will do their own assessment.
• Underestimating renovation costs: Budget conservatively. Cost overruns are your problem.
• Not having an exit strategy: Lenders want to know how you'll repay (sale or refinance).
• Working with unlicensed lenders: Ensure lenders are legitimate and registered.
• Ignoring holding costs: Account for taxes, insurance, utilities, and HOA during loan period.

Frequently Asked Questions