Is hard money a trap

Is Hard Money a Trap? How to Set Yourself Up for Success

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Have you heard that hard money loans are a trap? Here’s what you should do so it doesn’t happen to you.

It’s a big misconception: hard money is a trap.

A lot of investors think if they enter a hard money loan, they’ll never escape. Hard money gets a reputation as a death sentence for your profits.

And like all loans, credit, and other money-borrowing options, if you use it wrong… it does feel like a trap!

We want you to understand what behaviors make hard money loans unprofitable. And more importantly – how to use hard money to your advantage in your real estate investments.

Hard Money Is a Temporary Solution

Here’s where hard money naysayers go wrong: hard money loans should only be a temporary solution. They are not meant to be long-term options for investors.

If you enter a hard money loan with a long-term mindset, then you’ve already fallen into the “trap.” When you treat it like a long-term loan, you’re likely to lose a lot of your profits paying it back.

Hard money is short-term. To make the most of your loan, you have to get in and out of it fast. Here are 3 vital tips to make sure that happens.

  1. Go Into the Loan with a Plan to Exit

    Never walk into a hard money loan with no plan to get out. This plan will look different depending on your end-goal for your property.

    If you’re doing a fix-and-flip, make sure to have the bulk of your construction work scheduled before setting up the hard money loan. You’ll need to get the work done and sell as soon as possible before the loan begins to eat into your profits.

    If you’re fixing and holding (renting), make sure to line up a long-term loan alongside your hard money loan. Start the refinance process before you’ve completed the rehab of your property. The longer you have to wait for refinancing, the longer it takes to pay back your hard money loan (and the less profit you’ll get from your work).

    The wrong lender might take advantage of your lack of knowledge and preparation. But if you work with the right lender, like Hard Money Mike, you’ll get personalized help to make a plan, set up the right long-term loan, and get out with your profit.

  2. Focus on Your Credit Score

    It’s important to get a good refinance loan to help you pay off your hard-money loan when the project is over. To make sure you’ll get that good loan set up on time, you’ll need to have a good credit score.

    With a score above 670, you’ll have an easier time getting a good loan from a financial institution. If your credit score is below 640, don’t even take out a hard money loan until you raise your score. No lenders can help you refinance with a score that low.

    If you need tips on raising your score quickly, check out this post.

  3. Don’t Delay Construction

    This is where many investors go wrong.

    They close the deal with a hard money loan. Then they… don’t start work. Or, they start, but hit road bumps they didn’t predict that cause major delays.

    Plan the rehab of your project beforehand. Get your equipment, permits, and contractors in place as soon as possible. Have everything scheduled. Look for problem areas in advance.

    The faster the work is done, the faster you can sell or rent. Which means the faster you can get out of your hard money loan, and the more money you make from your investment.

Want More Guidance for Your Hard Money Loans?

Hard money is a valuable tool for prepared real estate investors who use it appropriately as a short-term solution.

Let Hard Money Mike give you guidance to get in and get out of your investments quickly and profitably. We’re excited to set you on a path that makes you the kind of money you need to live the life you want.

Need to see if you’re paying too much for hard money? Download our HMM Loan Optimizer to quickly find the best hard money option for your project.

You can also check out these videos about hard money on our Youtube channel.

Happy investing.

Make money with your credit

Making money with your credit score.

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So, what’s the big deal about credit scores?

Well, think of it like a baseball game.

You can hit it out of the park and claim victory…or strike out and lose.

When you win the credit score game, you win countless opportunities.

These include affordable rates, more loan options, and, in the end, hundreds of thousands of dollars. In this video, we discuss 3 EASY ways to boost your credit score…and your cash flow!

How to Make Money with Your Credit Score Need a tool to generate positive cash flow? Download our FREE Loan Optimizer!

Learn more about how credit can fuel your investments on our YouTube Playlist.

WHO WE ARE ======================== Hard money loans are a necessity for most real estate investors. Mike Bonn and his team make them easy! For 21+ years, Hard Money Mike has provided topnotch lending services to real estate investors across the United States. We offer the best options in private lending for fix and flips, rentals, and other value-add properties. Plus, we can fund bridge loans in 10 days or less! If you’re looking for quality, FAST loans with the highest loan-to-values and best rates, then our team is ready to help. No experience required!

Making money with your credit score.

What is real OPM

How can OPM benefit your real estate investments?

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Here are the basics to get you started.

OPM. Other People’s Money.

Not money from a broker or mortgage company or hard money lender. Money from real people to fund your flips and make your investments faster, easier, and more profitable.

OPM vs Private Money

What’s the difference between private money and Other People’s Money? Aren’t they the same thing? Yes and no. They’re related, but there are a few key differences.

Private money is often called “hard money.” It involves going through a broker or a company like Hard Money Mike that lends you private money.

OPM does the same thing, but it’s strictly peer-to-peer, person-to-person. It is private money because it’s a loan outside of a bank. It’s not hard money because you’re not going through a formal company or filling out applications.

What is OPM?

OPM is simple: one person has money and needs a smart place to put it, and one person has a promising property investment but no money to put into it. They form a peer-to-peer transaction.

Both people have the chance to benefit more than they would if they went through a bank. The person with the money gets a simple investment with typically a much higher return than the banks would pay. And the person who needs the money can get it cheaper, faster, and keep it more fluid. Both can end up more profitable and successful.

Taking the OPM route may feel non-traditional from a modern perspective, but historically, it’s the way things have always gotten done. One person has something, another person needs it, so they create a deal where they both benefit.

Want More Details on Setting Up OPM?

Hard Money Mike doesn’t need to be involved with your OPM deals to offer help. We have resources to help you learn how to best set up OPM deals:

  • What should closing look like?
  • What are proper terms?
  • What documents will you need?

Read the full article here »

We want to keep things flowing in the real estate community.

You can check out more great info on OPM on our Youtube channel, or download our OPM Checklist.

Happy investing.

The impact of your credit score

How Your Credit Score Impacts Your Real Estate Investments

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If you want to maximize leverage in your investments, you need to know this key information about your credit score.

There’s nothing more disappointing than this…

You’ve searched everywhere, but can’t seem to find a decent loan.

Money keeps getting sucked away with high interest rates and down payments.

Even when you find good properties, you never seem to come out on top.

…But your real estate investment was supposed to help you start living your dreams.

What’s going wrong on the money side of your investments?

Your Credit Score Matters

Your credit score could be the number one thing holding you back.

A credit score impacts cash flow from real estate investments. It determines interest rates, out-of-pocket costs, and what kinds of loans you can get.

With a low credit score, you’ll have:

  • Higher interest rates
  • Higher down payments
  • Fewer loan options available

What Is a Credit Score?

A credit score is a number between 0 and 850 that tells financial institutions whether or not it’s wise to lend to you.

Your score is determined by several pieces of information about your finances.

But the two most important are payment history and accounts owed.

It comes down to:

  1. Do you pay your credit cards and loans back on time?
  2. And do you use less credit than is available to you?

What Should My Credit Score Be?

With a score of 800, you’re almost guaranteed to hear “yes” from any lender.

At 740 and higher, you’ll still have access to the best loans with the best rates.

Between 670-739 is still a good position, and you can get decent rates.

And a score below 670 will be detrimental to your real estate investing experience.

Lending credit scores

Lending credit scores

But if you’ve just realized you have a low credit score, don’t lose hope.

How Can My Credit Score Maximize My Leverage?

The higher your credit score, the higher your leverage. Lenders look for people with high credit scores. Having a better score will open up doors for you to find:

  • Better loans
  • More quickly than you would with a lower score
  • From a wider variety of financial institutions

Interest Rates

A good credit score will get you loans with better interest rates.

A significant amount of money can leak out of your deal from bad interest rates brought on by your credit score.

To put it in perspective: If you end up paying $500 per month on interest, that becomes $18,000 after three years. That’s $18,000 that could have been your profit that goes directly to the lender instead. With a better credit score, you can find a loan that keeps more of your money in your pocket.

Down Payment

Let’s say you found a great property for sale for $300,000. With good credit, you may only be asked to put 10% down – or potentially even 0%! With a lower credit score, though, you’ll likely be asked for a 20-25% down payment.

For the same $300,000 deal, good credit can mean the difference between paying $30,000 out-of-pocket or $70,000!

What To Do Next

Your credit score determines whether you take the easy road or the hard road with your real estate investing experience.

If you don’t already have a credit score of 800, focus on raising your credit score before anything else. Doing this will earn you:

  • Lower interest rates
  • Lower down payments
  • More loan options
  • A more successful investment!

It’s hard enough to find properties, find contractors, find tenants, find sellers… make it easier on yourself to find lenders.

We want to help you succeed in your investments.

For more help with understanding and improving your credit score as a real estate investor, check out these helpful videos on our YouTube Channel.

You can also download our Credit Score Checklist at this link.

Happy investing.

How real estate investors can quickly raise their credit score

How real estate investors can quickly raise their credit score.

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3 Simple Ways to Boost Your Credit Score Fast

Leveraging your real estate investments just got easier with these 3 quick ways to raise your credit score.

Maybe you’ve already noticed it.

Larger lenders are getting into the fix-and-flip hard money space. And many of these companies require credit scores as their underwriting criteria.

In this landscape, your credit score decides the speed and effectiveness of your journey to fix-and-flip financial freedom. Your credit score will determine your rates, leverage, and overall income from your real investments. Good or bad, your score impacts every step of your financial process.

So how can you raise your score in a short amount of time?

Three quick ways bump up your score are to:

  1. Add more credit to your line.
  2. Get authorized on someone else’s good credit account.
  3. Go private – get money from somewhere else to pay off your debts long enough to apply for more credit.

If you would like to read the full article please click here.

For more tips on building good credit and maximizing real estate investment leverage, check out these helpful videos on our YouTube Channel. Or you can download our Credit Score Checklist by following this link.

Happy investing.

Investing in Real Estate with Zero Down

3 Ways to Start Investing in Real Estate with Zero Down

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Is investing in Real Estate with Zero Down for real?

No money to put down on your first investment? That shouldn’t stop you.

Use these 3 tips to get started.

You don’t have enough savings. After all, flipping is how you want to start making money, right? And you want to begin that real estate investment journey now.

But if you don’t have the money to begin with… how are you even supposed to start?

We see people do it every day. Here are the 3 main ways people have made successful real estate careers with zero money down.

  1. Get a HELOC

    If you already own a house, the first tactic you should use to get money for real estate is to get a HELOC.

    HELOC stands for “home equity line of credit.” It’s basically a second mortgage that works like a line of credit that you can use and pay off over and over again. You’re able to use it for multiple properties.

    You could get a HELOC from credit unions or banks. We usually send our clients to credit unions because they tend to have better options for HELOCs. A credit union will likely give you:

    • A longer term
    • Fixed rates
    • A little more money

    If you already own a home, go to a local credit union and ask them about a HELOC first.

  2. Start a Partnership

    But what if you don’t have a house, so you can’t get a HELOC? A partnership might be your next best option. There are two routes you can go.

    Family or Friends

    You can ask a family member or friend to be a money partner. They can provide you with the cash to use for a property’s down payment, or for the repairs of your flip.

    The close and personal aspect of partnering with someone you know can be the best option for some people. In other cases, it’s nice to partner with a person or entity who’s not so personal.

    Outside Partner

    You could also look for an outside partner.

    For example, Hard Money Mike partners with people who find good deals but don’t have the money to make that first purchase. We help them finance the whole amount so they can get into their first two or three deals. After letting us help fund their first three deals, most people come out with enough money to do their own down payment and repair costs on their next property, with no partner.

    Beginning investors can make their business independent quickly when they seek out the right partner to get them started.

  3. Use a credit card

    Many people hesitate to use a credit card to fund their investments – for good reason. But when done right, a 0% credit card can be the simplest way to start investing with no money down.

    What are the wrong ways to use a credit card for a fix-and-flip?

    • Getting a credit card with a high APR.
    • Using the card to go out and have fun.
    • Not paying back the charges you put on the card.

    If you’re smart, it can be easy to use a credit card the right way. Start with a 0% APR card. Understand that it’s a tool for your business, so treat it that way. Only use the card for repairs, contractors, and other costs associated with your flip.

    Take out the money, sell the property, then clear the card back to zero before moving onto your next project. Don’t let the debt accumulate. Don’t keep a balance from deal to deal. This is where credit card use falls through for most investors. They don’t use the money from the sale to fully pay off the card, and it gets out of hand fast.

    But if you do it right, a credit card works as a great way to help beginners get the funds needed to start in real estate.

What Are Other Ways to Investing in Real Estate with Zero Down?

Clients come to us wanting to get into real estate but think they need money in the bank. That’s not always the case.

Here are the 3 key ways we see people start their investments with no money:

  1. If you already have a mortgage, get a HELOC.
  2. Start with money from family, a friend, or an outside partner.
  3. Use a 0% credit card to fund the costs of your investment.

These aren’t the only ways we’ve seen people succeed with a new real estate career.

Want even more ways to get into flipping and property investment with zero down? Download our free checklist, or check out these videos on our YouTube channel.

Happy investing

Investing in Real Estate with Zero Down

Why Realtors Make Good Team Members

Why Realtors Make Good Team Members

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Why Realtors Make Good Team Members

If you want to make the most money on your real estate deals, then you need to create a solid team.

And some excellent members to add to your team are investor-friendly realtors.

But, why do realtors make such great team members for real estate investors?

Well, first of all, they have a constant pulse on the market.

They know what’s happening, where it’s happening, and how it’s happening.

Second, discounted properties also tend to fall into their laps, and they can pass those properties on to you.

So, what type of realtor should you work with?

Well, they should do more than put you on their MLS drip. Any realtor can do this, and nowadays, many of the properties on the MLS get listed on sites like Redfin and Zillow.

So, getting on an MLS drip won’t help investors much…especially when we’re looking for under-market properties. And under-market properties aren’t found on the MLS often. The right kind of realtor will have a lot more hustle. They’ll actually search for under market properties and then go through the numbers to decide it’s worth investing in before they present it to you.

Better yet, investor-friendly realtors connect with professionals in various industries, like bankruptcy attorneys. That way, when investment properties pop up, they’ll be one of the first to know about it. And then tell you about it, rather than making you wait to—hopefully—see it on the MLS weeks or months later.

Most importantly, the right realtor will LOVE working with investors.

Unfortunately, about 95% of the realtors do NOT like working with investors. Or, if they do, it’s part-time and not a high priority for them. These are usually more experienced realtors who have an established client list. They don’t really need your business to make money. They already have a system in place.

But, when you find realtors who are investor-friendly, you’ll know. You won’t be a side gig or a part-time project for them. They’ll be hungry to help you find investment properties and make a lot of money.

Many times, these are newer agents who are willing to be trained. They’ll be the ones looking for business and finding ways to make money with you, not off of you. So, rather than selling 3-5 properties a year, they want to sell an investment property every month.

Now, is it a bad idea to team up with both experienced and new realtors?

Not at all.

In fact, it’s a great idea to work with multiple realtors, because they all have different resources, experiences, and ideas. Plus, if one moves away or quits their job, you don’t need to worry about losing your main resource for finding properties. You’ll have others to fill in the gap.

If you want to create a smooth, easy system with your investment properties, then adding a realtor or two…or three…to your team is an excellent idea. Just make sure they like working with investors and are hungry to make money. The hungrier, the better for both of you!

Happy investing!

How to Combat Red Flags in Real Estate

3 Ways to Combat Real Estate Red Flags

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3 Ways to Combat Real Estate Red Flags

It’s time for a real chat.

Because we care about our clients and anyone else who decides to invest in real estate.

So, here’s the brutal truth: there are people who will lie to you in this industry. Lenders, realtors, other investors, and so on. Or only tell you half-truths.

I know. This is a HUGE surprise.

Okay, maybe not.

But, even if common sense and experience tells you that people lie, you can’t always believe it when it happens to you.

Why?

Because, more often than naught, you WANT something to be true, especially when it comes to making money. You want to believe you found an incredible deal, or an incredible lender, or an incredible something that nobody else has had the luck to find.

We all want those incredible moments to be true, right?

But most of the time, they’re just not.

So, what can you do to protect yourself and your wallet from real estate red flags?

Well, here are 3 tips we give to our clients:

First, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

For example, “If you buy this property, then you can generate $5,000 – $6,000 every month.”

Okay, that’s definitely a red flag.

Sure, we all want to make excellent cash flow on our properties. But, even in our competitive market, it’s near impossible to make $5,000-$6,000 every month on a standard rental in most towns or cities. The norm is more like $200-$500 a month…at least until a property pays off.

But, even then, making $5,000 – $6,000 every month with a single property is…too good to be true.

Unfortunately, we’ve seen this situation happen more than once to our investors. They get convinced of a sweet, sweet deal and jump into it. And…it doesn’t take long for them to figure out the person who convinced them to buy the property streeetched the numbers and the truth…a lot.

So, what can you do when a red flag waves in your face?

Ask questions.

Okay, someone told you something that’s too good to be true. Now what?

That’s right: ask questions. A lot of them!

For example, let’s say a lender quotes you a 4% rate when everyone else is quoting you about 10%.

Your first reaction is to cheer and think, “That’s amazing! I’m so happy I called this lender.”

But your second reaction should be, “Wait, why? Why is this lender quoting me so much lower than everyone else? What do they see that the other lenders missed? Why are they so much more forgiving and accepting of my financial history?”

There’s gotta be a catch.

Trust us, there is.

When lenders give quotes that are significantly lower than their competitors, it’s because they pad the rest of the loan with junk fees. They charge for everything, not just the loan itself. So, before you know it, you’ll be paying more than the 10% interest you would’ve paid with one of the other legitimate, honest lenders.

So always ask questions when a red flag pops up.

And, part of that process includes…

Getting a second opinion.

So, a red flag went up. Then you asked the lender, realtor, seller, investor, or whoever a bunch of follow-up questions to figure out if they’re telling you the truth…or yanking your chain and taking advantage of you.

Sadly, even if you grill this person, you might not get a direct or honest answer from them.

So, go and get a second opinion. Heck, get a third opinion! There are plenty of experts in the field to ask. Go out and see what they think of this “too-good-to-be-true” offer. Is it real…or fake?

Spoiler alert: it’s probably fake.

By taking these simple steps, you can protect yourself and your wallet from falling into a bad situation.

Just remember:

If it’s too good to be true, ask questions and then get a second, third, or even fourth opinion. Do your due diligence to save yourself a lot of hassle…and money.

Happy investing!

How to Make Money Bird Dogging

How to Make Money Bird Dogging

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How to Make Money Bird Dogging

Do you know how to make money bird dogging?

So, let’s say you’re eager to start investing in real estate, but you’re not quite ready to fix and flip or BRRRR. It’s just too big of a commitment or too much of a risk. Or both.

No problem.

You can still make money in real estate with a simple, but effective method called bird dogging.

What is bird dogging?

Basically, it’s driving for dollars. You hop in your car and drive around the neighborhood, city, or entire state and look for potential investment properties. You can even put on your best walking shoes and take a jaunt around your own neighborhood.

So, what does an investment property look like? Well, you should be able to tell it hasn’t been maintained. The paint is chipped, the windows are broken, the lawn overgrown, and so on. Or it’s vacant. Or there’s just something else is wrong with it that makes you think it can be sold at a discounted price.

Then, you collect information about the property. That means you can knock on the door and chat with the owner, take photos, and/or jot down the address. Once you do one or all these things, you can share it with potential buyers.

Buyers are usually wholesalers, investor-friendly realtors, flippers, or other real estate investors. They take the information you provide and follow-up with the owner to see if they’re actually interested in selling their property.

Essentially, you become the eyes and ears of the market.

So, what are some of the biggest benefits of bird dogging?

  • First off, it’s great for beginners who want to learn more about real estate investing. Maybe you’re not ready to flip or rent homes now, but you want to in the future. Bird dogging is a great introduction to both.
  • Unlike flipping and renting, bird dogging also doesn’t require any money to start. You don’t need to worry about classes, training, loans, or anything else that requires cash out of your own pocket.
  • Bird dogging is also something you can do when you have the time. So, it’s easy to fit into your schedule, be it during your lunch break, after you drop off the kids at school, or during your Sunday stroll. Really, whenever works for you!
  • Better yet, bird dogging can create multiple streams of income. You can make money when you find an investment property, when a wholesaler or realtor sells it to a flipper, and—if it’s a flipper—when they sell it after renovating it.

So, there you have it! Bird dogging is something you can do whenever and wherever. Just hop in your car or put on your shoes and go exploring. Find those properties that are in disrepair and share them with buyers.

How to Buy: Breaking Down BRRRR

How to Buy: Breaking Down BRRRR

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How to Buy: Breaking Down BRRRR

So, you’ve heard about the BRRRR method. You know it stands for Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, and Repeat.

But do you know what each of these steps in the BRRRR method really mean? More importantly, do you know how to set each one up?

Because if you don’t, your success will be limited. Because you won’t be able to make as much money as you could by doing things right. Your monthly cash flow will be lower, your down payments will be higher…a lot higher…And your ability to repeat the process will much…much… slower.

So, let’s break things down, starting with the B in BRRRR.

As mentioned, the B in BRRRR stands for Buy.

But wait! Before you run out and buy the first property you find for sale, you need to know a few important—er, VERY important things. Because the B in BRRRR is one of the most crucial steps in the entire process. If you don’t buy strategically, then you might set yourself up for failure.

First you need to find under market properties that you can add value to.

Under market properties are not found on the MLS. They’re usually found through wholesalers and investor-friendly realtors. And they come at a nice, discounted price.

Just taking this step will do wonders for your wallet.

But it’s not the only thing.

You also need to work with the right lenders.

With BRRRR, there are two lenders involved. The first is for purchasing and renovating the property. The second is for refinancing into a cheaper, long-term loan.

For now, let’s focus on the first lender, for when you BUY the property.

Typically, this is a hard money or private lender. It’s not a bank or another traditional lender. Because those lenders usually require 10, 15, or even 20% down when you go to close. And, if you want the most bang for your buck, you should aim to put 0% down at closing. Because once you put money into a deal, it’s difficult to get it back out.

Hard money and private lenders can help you achieve this.

How? Because they let you maximize your LTV (loan-to-value) by lending up to 75% of the ARV (after repair value).

Ok, deep breath! We get it. This is starting to sound too complicated and confusing.

But trust us, it’s not. Just stick with it. You got this!

The right lender will give you a loan that is 75% of your ARV.

That means they will try to cover the full purchase price, plus part or all the rehab, closing, and holding costs. Basically, they will cover as much as the 75% allows so you don’t have to spend your own money.

And the less money you personally have to put into each deal, the faster you can repeat the BRRRR method. Because you’re not forced to wait until your bank account recovers to make another big down payment on another property.

Aiming for 75% of the ARV will also make a big impact on your refinance (the third R in the BRRRR method). But we’ll get to that later. Let’s stay focused on the B in BRRRR.

If you’re interested in trying the BRRRR Method, then it’s crucial you understand this first part of the process. If you buy an under-market property AND find a lender who can cover 75% of the ARV, then your success rate will be much, much higher. And your bank account will be a whole lot happier.

Happy investing!