1. Use hard money lenders. Ask around or find these online. These lenders specialize in short-term loans at high interest. Typically, you use this type of financing for a “fix and flip.” You can get the money fast, and if you make $30,000 on a project, who cares if you paid $10,000 interest in six months?
2. No-doc or low-doc loans. With these loans, no (or low) documentation of your income or credit is required. You can find banks that do these online now. You’ll only be able to borrow 70% to 80% of the purchase price or property value. However, if you have 10% in cash, you might be able to borrow the other 10% or 20% from a friend or the seller.
3. Seller financing help. Sometimes a bank will loan you 90%, and allow the seller to take back a second mortgage from you for 5%, leaving you needing only 5% for a downpayment.
4. Land contract or “contract for sale.” Called other names as well, this just means the seller lets you make payments, and delivers the title upon payment in full. I sold a rental this way for $1,000 down, because I wanted the 9% interest, and the higher price I got.
5. Credit card advances. Suppose a seller will take $10,000 down on a fixer-upper that you expect to make $20,000 on. Why not use credit cards? If your card limits allow for repair money too, this is a true 0-down deal for you, and if you turn the project in six months, you will have paid maybe $1,000 or $2,000 in interest on an 18% credit card. Don’t let $1,000 get in the way of making $20,000.
6. Use your retirement accounts. The laws are pretty complex in this area, but you can check with a tax attorney to see how you might borrow from your own retirement account to finance real estate investments.
7. Borrow from friends and family. If you go this route, keep it all business. In any cae, loaning you money at 7% isn’t a gift if their money is getting 2% in the bank.
8. Use real estate note buyers. Suppose the seller needs cash. He raises the price, and sells to you for $100,000 with no money down, taking back two mortgages from you for $90,000 and $10,000. He arranged (or you did) for a note buyer to pay him $80,000 cash for the first mortgage at closing, getting him the cash he wanted. You pay two payments now, one to each note holder, but you got in with no money down.
9. Borrow on another property. If you take out a home equity loan for a vacation, and then forget to use it for that, you can later use the money for the downpayment on an investment property, without violating the rules of the bank that gives you the primary mortgage. In other words, you got in with no cash of your own.
10. Start partnerships. For bigger projects, you could arrange for five investors to each put money into a partnership, with your share being the management responsibility instead of cash.
Remember, these ten creative real estate financing techniques are just to get you started.
Do all the creative financing techniques you hear about really work? Yes, actually. They probably have all worked somewhere for someone at least once. The point isn’t if they will all work for you. The point is to know what is possible, so you can find your own creative ways to invest in real estate. Here are ten methods to get you thinking.
2. No-doc and low-doc loans. No (or low) documentation of your income or credit required. Again, you can find banks that do these online now. The catch is that you will only be able to borrow up to 80% of the purchase price or property value. If you have 10% in cash, you might be able to borrow the other 10% from a friend or the seller.
3. Seller-carried second mortgages. Sometimes a bank will loan you 90%, and allow the seller to take back a second mortgage from you for 5%, leaving you needing only 5% for a downpayment.
4. Land contract. Called “contract for sale” or other names as well, this just means the seller lets you make payments, and delivers the title upon payment in full. I sold a rental this way for $1,000 down, because I wanted the 9% interest, and the higher price I got this way.
5. Credit cards. If a seller will take $10,000 down on a fixer-upper that you expect to make $20,000 on, why not use credit cards? This is a true 0-down deal for you, and if you turn the project in six months, you will have paid $900 in interest on an 18% credit card. Don’t let $900 get in the way of making $20,000.
6. Retirement accounts. The laws get pretty complex in this area, but you can check with a tax attorney to see how you might borrow from your own retirement account to finance real estate investments.
7. Friends and family. Keep it all business, if you use this source, but loaning you money at 7% isn’t a gift if their money is getting 2% in the bank.
8. Note buyers. The seller needs cash. He raises the price, and sells to you for $100,000 with no money down, taking back two mortgages from you for $90,000 and $10,000. He arranged (or you did) for a note buyer to pay him $80,000 cash for the first mortgage at closing, getting him the cash he wanted. You pay two payments now, one to each note holder.
9. Get a loan on other property. Interestingly, if you take out a home equity loan for a vacation, and then forget to use it for that, you can use it for the downpayment on an investment property, without violating the rules of the bank that gives you the primary mortgage. In other words, you got in with no cash of your own.
10. Partnerships. For bigger projects, you could arrange for five investors to each put money into a partnership, with your share being the management responsibility instead of cash.
If you have chosen to renovate your home then you know the price can easily exceed your predictions. Home renos tend to have what is known as “scope creep.” This is when the renovations start and as they progress new things or problems cause there to be more work than originally predicted. This can be difficult to deal with is funding is limited so its a good idea to build contingencies into your financing plans right at the start. That way when the surprises pop up, you will be ready for them.
When thinking about renovation financing there are two likely candidates for you to consider. The home equity loan and the home owner’s line of credit. The amount available for a home equity loan is based on the amount of equity that you have built up in your home. This loan is sometimes referred to as a second mortgage. It is calculated by taking the value of your home and subtracting the amount left outstanding on the original mortgage. If you own your home outright, then the amount would be the home’s value. As an example, if you have a home that is worth $250,000 and you have already paid off $110,000 then your accumulated equity would be $140,000. The value of the property is what guarantees the loan so the interest rate is low as well as they payments. It is also normal to be able to secure fixed interest rates for such loans.
The other popular financing option is the home owner’s line of credit. This loan does not have a finite amount save for the limit which is once again decided by your equity. This is a popular option as it allows for a lot of room when considering costs. The loan operates much like a credit card, with a variable interest rate. This is certainly the most flexible of the options and does not have a definite end date. The line of credit remains open for as long as you need it and do not close it out.
The best way to discern which type of loan is proper for your needs is to confer with a financial expert or banker. Prioritize your needs and try to find a loan that is tailor made for you. Remember that your home is going to be on the line as collateral so be sure to plan your payment schedule carefully and within what you can afford to pay. Make sure that you research all your options here and find what work s for you and for your budget.
Jun
18Educated Consumers Can Save Money on Mortgages
Posted By: Ramon Rivas on June 18, 2010 at 10:09 pmNot only is owning a home an integral part of the American dream, but our home is likely the biggest purchase we will ever make and the biggest asset – or liability – we will ever have. Until about a year ago, of course, no one would have imagined that a home could be a liability. That’s when housing prices started to drop and relatively new homeowners realized that it was only a matter of time before their adjustable rate mortgages would skyrocket.
Experts agree that house values haven’t yet reached their nadir and that many homeowners are poised on the precipice. While some people might find it easier to stick their heads in the proverbial sand, smart homeowners and home buyers see the current market as an opportunity to either take a second look at their existing mortgages or to shop around for new mortgages. Either way, it’s important to learn all that you can about different ways to finance a home before you take the plunge. Here are a few scenarios that illustrate some of the choices available today.
Nine years ago, Sam and Jenny Thompson bought a home that was ten years old. They were savvy enough to buy their house just before prices went through the roof. They have well over $100,000 of equity in their home, but their home is showing signs of wear. It’s time for a new roof, a new heating and air conditioning system, and they know that they need to have some dry rot repaired and have the house painted. They don’t have much in savings, though, and want to borrow money so that they can get the repairs done.
Sam and Jenny have a few options to pay for home improvement. They can refinance their home and get cash out for the repairs, they can get a home equity line of credit, or they can get a second mortgage. Which option is best depends largely on that status of their current mortgage. If they have a low interest, fixed rate loan, it probably doesn’t make sense to refinance. If they’re planning on staggering their home improvement over the next two years, it probably doesn’t make sense to get a lump-sum second mortgage. Instead, a home equity line of credit might work best. On the other hand, if they have an adjustable rate mortgage, it might be financially prudent to refinance to a fixed rate loan and cash out part of their equity to make their home repairs.
Cynthia and Bill Williams have owned their home for five years, but are concerned that Bill might be laid off in the next six months. They have quite a bit of money in savings, but have racked up considerable credit card debt. Because they’re paying a high interest rate on their credit card debt, they may want to use a home equity line of credit for debt consolidation purposes, and to have a cushion in case Bill does lose his job.
When Rebecca Richards bought her home two years ago, she thought housing prices would continue to soar and interest rates would go down. She bought her house with an adjustable loan and is terrified that, when the loan adjusts later this year, she won’t be able to make her payments. In this scenario, Rebecca needs to meet with her lender now, rather than wait for the other shoe to drop. If possible, she should convert her adjustable rate home loan to a fixed rate loan.
The bottom line is that, whatever your circumstances, you need to learn all that you can about the options available to you. Thankfully, there are resources on the Internet that not only have a library of informative articles on mortgages, but that also provide the calculators and tools you need to find the answers to your questions. The best sites even offer a variety of loan programs and will prepare a personalized quote for the types of mortgages that you might be interested in.
May
15Which Short Sales Are the Best to Profit From?
Posted By: Ramon Rivas on May 15, 2010 at 8:04 amDo you want to profit from the buying and reselling of foreclosure short sales? If so, you may find a long and bumpy road ahead. For most lenders, short sales are an ideal alterative to foreclosure. For others, they can’t seem to make up their mind. This may result in a acquire offer denials, months of going back and forth, and a deal falling through at the last minute. How do you prevent this from happening? Know which type of short sale properties are the best and easiest to profit from.
So, how do you know? There aren’t any guarantees. Each property, borrower, and lender is different. Borrowers who want to avoid any damaging impacts on their credit are likely to suggest and push for short sales. Lenders who know they will only lose money with foreclosure proceedings are likely to opt for them. A big deciding factor is also the property in question. Still, there are signs you can and should look for.
Homes with only one mortgage. When in financial distress, property owners often put their homes up as collateral. This results in a second mortgage. Usually, this means that two different lenders have rights to the home. In this aspect, two different lenders must approve a short sale. Unfortunately, one will be shorted what they are owed. This is the second lender.
As a short sale buyer, you must wait until both lenders agree to a short sale. Unfortunately, this is a very lengthy process. The second lender will drag their feet. No one wants to lose money, why would they? They are hoping for a higher buy offer, a traditional sale, or that a foreclosure auction yields more money.
Homes with small lenders. In the United States, banks and lenders come in all different sizes. A lender has the final say with short sales. If a large lender is involved, you will get the go around. Yes, you are speaking to the loan supervisor in your local office, but they have someone higher up to answer to and so forth. You do not experience this problem with local lenders. Financial institutions with the deciding supervisor right onsite can have an answer for you in half the time!
When discussing the sale of a short sale property with a real estate agent, inquire about the lender. Don’t give up if it is a large lender, but make your move right away if that lender is locally owned and operated. Unfortunately, there is a double sword. Small financial institutions are not experiencing as many financial troubles as larger banks. They were wise in how they handed out money. Most opted to avoid the troublesome adjustable rate mortgages. Less of these borrowers are in financial distress.
Homes with borrowers who want a short sale. As previously stated, typically the borrower suggests a short sale. These individuals know the damage a foreclosure does financially. Mortgage lenders have the ability to forgive the debt or recuperate the difference though an unsecured loan. If the borrower must pay back the $10,000 difference, it is still better than unpaid $150,000 foreclosure. What does this mean for you? Help from an unlikely source.
Although short sales are an alternative to foreclosure, some lenders avoid them or take months to give a response. This is when a cooperative homeowner provides assistance. If they continue to apply pressure, along with yourself, and a real estate agent, a quicker response is likely.
In conclusion, most short sales are an amazing value. For example, if a borrower owes $50,000 on their mortgage, you may get a $100,000 home for only $45,000. Yes, the property would cost less at a foreclosure auction, but your chances of outbidding the competition are lower.
