Zack Lofton

[Updated 2021] Ready to become a big-time real estate investor? You’re on the right track. Real estate investments have outperformed the S&P 500 for decades. While the S&P has averaged an 8.6% rate of return, residential real estate has averaged (nationwide) a 10.6% return. And some areas have done substantially better than that! Winning in real estate investments is not … Read more

There’s a huge difference between choosing a local hard money lender and choosing a national or regional lender. Too many borrowers are completely wrapped up in finding a lender and getting a loan application submitted. Many of us think that’s the most important and difficult hurdle to overcome. When your entire focus is simply on getting a loan, you can … Read more

1. Check yourself out Just kidding, but seriously… A great way to make a small bathroom appear larger is to add mirrors! Look to install larger, and MORE, mirrors than you normally would. This is because the reflected light opens up the area into one that feels far more roomy. 2. Brighten up your life To make the bathroom look … Read more

What should you do if you want to get into real estate investing but don’t know where to start? While it may seem crazy, everyone got their start somewhere! In this blog post we want to help you with a few idea on how to get started investing! Start a Joint Venture with an Experienced Investor Having a partner with … Read more

We all love a great deal and dealing with honest people, but know this isn’t always the case. You’re searching for a resounding “yes” when negotiating but spotting a liar is key. After all, this can waste a lo of time and money down the road. Body Language in Negotiation The Black Swan Group, which was founded by a former … Read more

     It’s March in Austin, and that means the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) festival has descended on our city once again. SXSW’s arrival brings joy for some, and pain for others. Downtown becomes the go-to destination for people of all types around the county; covering everything from politics, to business, to tech, and just about anything else that can … Read more

Austin has had reputation as a secondary tech city, especially for start-up. The 800 pound gorilla has been Dell but recent developments make Austin a top destination for skilled talent. The year is already off to a hot start as we’ve seen some big developments from some of the world’s biggest tech companies. With that we expect some great developments … Read more

Let’s get it out of the way early on. As unrealistic as some of the HGTV shows can be, we’ve all seen them. So whether you love to hate them or just flat out love them, you’ve probably seen “Flip of Flop”. While the show can make it look easy, there is a lot of truth in the name. Real … Read more

Welcome to part two of our series! Today we’re going to dive into junk fees – hard money fees that aren’t necessary to funding your loan but that you’ll often come across. We’ll explain which junk fees are essentially duplicates and which fees go to whom. Last week we talked about a few common hard money fees you can expect … Read more

Want to know which hard money fees are common, and which aren’t so common? You’ve come to the right place. We’re going to look at the hard money fees you can expect to see when you take out a loan, as well as some that might surprise you. If you use hard money loans or are thinking about using a … Read more

Thinking about getting started in the home flipping business but need a little more info? We get that. When deciding upon a new business endeavor you should always go in with a decent understanding of what you’re getting yourself into. If you’re like us, you probably do most of your research online these days. And why wouldn’t you? There’s so … Read more

Howdy! It’s time for another recently funded hard money loan project. This one is in San Antonio and it funded in just 3 DAYS. One of the major benefits of a hard money loan is the speed. Traditional funding can take weeks to close — with hard money, especially here at Loan Ranger Capital, we’re able to fund you fast! … Read more

Wondering what builder’s insurance is and why you need it? Look no further! So, you’ve applied for a hard money loan for your fix-and-flip or new build and been approved. You’re ready to get started on your project, but you know you need insurance coverage. But what kind of insurance do you need and what does it need to cover? … Read more

If you’re close to being finished with your flipper property or new build and are gearing up to sell (and close your hard money loan!) you may be wondering: should I use a real estate agent? It’s a common question and one you’re smart to take into consideration. If you’re new to the world of flip and fix or new … Read more

Welcome to the final part of our series on “Ask a Hard Money Lender”! If you missed part 1, click here to check it out. In this article, we’ll talk about five more important questions you should ask a hard money lender before you decide whether they’re right for your flipper or new construction business. We’ll also share our own … Read more

New to the world of hard money and not really sure what questions you should ask of a prospective lender? Hard money differs in many ways from traditional funding, so it’s important to get as much information as possible before choosing which lender is right for you. It can be time-consuming to do research and hard to know which questions … Read more

If you’ve ever wondered what the phrase metro stats really means, look no further! We’re going to take a quick look at what metro stats mean, as well as the average statistics in each major Texas metro area. We’ll look at the population, average age, average household income, poverty percentage, how many employees each metro has, as well as the average … Read more

Want to know what a hard money loan can do for you? No matter if you’re interested in building a home from the ground up, or buying an older house and rehabbing it, a hard money loan can help. In fact, take a look at one of our recently funded projects! Looking for a local lender? Someone who has first-hand knowledge … Read more

Howdy from the Loan Ranger Capital team! It’s been a busy (and hot!) summer here at Loan Ranger Capital. We’ve moved offices, we’ve taken on a new team member, and we’re funding more projects every day! We’re now located on East 6th Street — a little closer to the action. Not to mention we’re closer to a few great coffee shops … Read more

Wondering if a quick loan process will beneficial for your real estate venture? You’ve probably heard the refrain “time is money” a dozen times. Never has that saying been more applicable than it is in the real estate business. Here are the top 3 benefits to a quick loan process: Benefit 1: Property Discount In real estate, the quicker you … Read more

Technology has given us many great things. But technology, like any other progressive advances, is not without its flaws. There will always be someone who tries to find weak spots and take advantage of others. One of the best technological advances when it comes to money is the ability to seamlessly and immediately send it between parties. Whether it’s paying … Read more

Wondering what a mechanic’s lien is and what it means to you as a new home builder or house flipper? Then you’ve come to the right place! We’ll explain what a mechanic’s lien is and how it has the potential to affect your new project. First off, let’s explain what a lien is. Simply put, it’s a claim to a … Read more

New to the real estate game? Whether you’re a flipper or a builder looking for a little guidance we’ve got you covered! While it’s always a great idea to talk to veteran home flippers and builders to get some solid advice on do’s and don’ts from the pros, you might find yourself facing unanswered questions with no experts around to … Read more

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve heard of the term “flipper”. There’s a lot of excitement around the idea of being a home flipper these days. In fact, you’ve likely heard people talk about buying a fixer-upper house, with the intent of selling it for profit once the rehab is complete. Maybe you’ve even shared in that dream! … Read more

So, you understand what a hard money loan is, and you’ve got your basic lending terms down. You understand the difference between points and rates and why each of them is important. You’re this far into the loan process, but something new has come up. Title insurance. But what does that even mean? What does it do for you and … Read more

When it comes to taking out a loan, it’s important to know just want you’re getting, for how long, and how much it’s going to cost you. To understand how much your loan is going to cost you over time, you need to understand points and rates; what they are and how much money they’ll each cost you. Both are … Read more

Here’s a quick rundown of the most common lending terms you’ll come across if you’re new to the world of private lending. We’re here to make the lending process go as smoothly as possible. If you’re you’re thinking about working with us, or if you already do work with us, you may run into several of these terms so we … Read more

If you’re new to the world of home building or flipping, you might have heard the term hard money loan tossed around a bit. But what does that really mean? And how does it differ from a traditional loan? If you’re interested in understanding what a hard money loan is and how it could help you when it comes to purchasing … Read more

How do you value your hard money lender? Hard money lenders range from large corporate firms down to small one-man shops, and everything in between. How then, do you know when you’ve found a truly great hard money partner? The main difference is having someone on your team that is looking for you to succeed.      Let’s be frank, anyone … Read more

     The debate in Austin these days revolves around density: should we go up or out? Naturally, there are debates on both sides, with pros and cons associated with each. Some folks would like to live close to downtown or where they work, while others don’t mind commuting for additional space. We will dive into each side in more … Read more

Here at Loan Ranger Capital, we call the East Side home. It’s the market we know best, and it’s where we spend the majority of our days. It also has a zoning capability that not many other sections of Austin have: the ability to split a lot into condo units.      The accessory dwelling unit (ADU) condo regime works like … Read more

The latest topic of conversation coming out of the talking heads on TV revolves around inflation and possible rising interest rates from the Fed. Should those of us involved in hard money lending be concerned? We argue no, as the supply of homes available remains low and demand to buy high.      Normally, with rates rising, people grow concerned about … Read more

Ten years into the largest bull market run in history, the question of, “when is the downturn starting?” is on a lot of people’s minds. It’s a fair question to ask, as the economic outlook across the county looks fairly strong. This is in regard to the economy as a whole, not individual sectors. The debate here at Loan Ranger … Read more

We live in an era of ever increasing technological advances. Almost daily there seems to be a new report about the next big device that will come in and shake up how we live our daily lives. While we do see sizable leaps that change how we live (Apple’s iPhone for instance), most of the technology we experience every day … Read more

Hard money lending requires firms to have an excellent gauge on the local market. Because real estate market trends generally take place with a certain amount of lag time, lenders have a chance to adjust their practices with proper understanding of the space they live and work in to continue providing safe and effective financing. An often overlooked section of … Read more

One of the big stories circulating around Austin these days (I feel like they’re constantly changing!) is the urban development plan currently under construction in City Hall. Named CodeNEXT, it seeks to completely rewrite the way Austin is zoned to account for the massive population growth we have already experienced, and are expecting to see in the future. While City … Read more

It’s no secret Central Texas is attracting large numbers of new residents, both people and companies. But what does the movement of people and capital here mean for us in Central Texas? In short, good news! The first step in Central Texas’ (specifically Austin) plan to grow its population was to create a business-friendly environment. This was accomplished with tax … Read more

We’ve just learned that talks are underway for the listing services in both Austin and San Antonio to merge into one large system. This would be welcome news for anyone involved in real estate in these areas, as it cuts down on the number of websites needed to conduct research. Listing services are an essential tool real estate agents and … Read more

A large portion of our days at Loan Ranger Capital are spent with our borrowers, title companies, and the interactions that all parties to a real estate deal experience. Whenever Loan Ranger sets out to fund a possible deal, we always speak with folks at the title company our borrowers choose to work with. One of the first things we … Read more

For only the second time since the financial crisis began, the Federal Reserve has agreed to raise interest rates via the Federal Funds Rate. But what does that mean for consumers, especially for borrowers that work with hard money lenders like Loan Ranger Capital? In today’s post, I’d like to cover what this rate increase will mean for the broader … Read more

For many real estate investors finding the right deals to invest in can be the biggest challenge, that’s right even more so than finding the financing. A successful tactic used by many are “bandit signs.” These are those signs you see on the side of the road stating “I buy homes!” or “Sell your house today!” Some have so much … Read more

When rehabbing a fix and flip project there are many factors to consider before you take the plunge into purchasing the property. After all you’ll have to consider things such as: turnover in the area, expected value added per upgrade, and how many days your project will sit on market (just to name a few). Fortunately for Texas residents, the … Read more

Hard money can be an amazing tool for many Texas real estate investors looking to flip properties. However, just because hard money can help doesn’t mean that every lender is right for you. Here are a few things you should consider before considering your next hard money loan. 1. Educate yourself. Know as much as possible about the loan structure … Read more

Experienced investors all know that you must choose your projects very carefully in order to make a substantial profit. If you are relatively new to real estate, it can greatly benefit you to learn from the successes and failures of those who have already done it. Making a profit in residential real estate is multifaceted. It’s part determination, part luck, … Read more

Throughout our time lending in Texas, we’ve come across a number of flippers who have a deep comprehension of what it takes to fix and flip Texas properties successfully. While our borrowers have diverse backgrounds: ranging from landlords, to flippers, to ground up construction, we’ve gathered information from them so that newcomers to the trade can benefit from the knowledge. … Read more

Since our last newsletter we’ve received some very significant news as our Federal Reserve Chair, Janet Yellen, has stated that interest rates will likely rise in the coming months. Of course we’ve heard this before… but this is consistent with her message that rates would increase “sometime in 2015”, albeit this would be at the central bank’s last policy meeting … Read more

This beautiful new build was funded by Loan Ranger Capital. This property is in the West Lake Hills area of Austin, Texas. The previous lender had cut off the borrower, so Loan Ranger Capital came in to ensure the borrower could finish the project and make money. The specific terms of the loan are as follows: Loan Amount – $650,000 … Read more

If you follow or are involved in real estate investing, you’re almost certainty familiar with the term “flipper”. Due to reality TV shows, the people who do this as a profession have gotten their share of the spotlight. Flipping usually means that a home was bought and sold within a short period of time (usually less than a year). To … Read more

So you want to start investing in real estate or even flipping homes and found a property that you’re interested in purchasing. Before you get too excited, you need to establish its value to avoid potentially making a bad investment. Taking the seller’s word or just looking at the county tax records to determine the value could lead to you … Read more

Can you still find good deals on MLS anymore? The answer is of course yes, but you have to know how to find them! A recent article (click here) does a great job at quickly explaining this. Three key components are: speed, making the right offer, and volume. Speed is a huge factor in closing deals and by being the … Read more

In real estate, leverage is an extremely common tool used among seasoned investors. While it is true that there is a population of investors who use cash, either because they don’t think it will help or they’re afraid of debt, leverage is one of the best tools you can utilize. Everyone knows there are costs associated with debt, but few … Read more

Finding a good lending partner can be a difficult task but is crucial to successful investing. Here are a few questions you may want to ask a prospective lender: #1: What are your loan terms? There are many factors important to investors when selecting a lender but three of the most important are: interest rate, points, and fees. We’ll spend … Read more

A recent Forbes article was published listing the top places to invest in real estate in 2015. Not to much surprise, 5 of the 10 cities listed were located within the state of Texas. The Texas cities listed include: #1 Austin #3 Houston #5 Dallas #6 San Antonio #10 Fort Worth With such great opportunity here in Texas now is … Read more

With tax season now a month behind us we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Depending on your financial situation and portfolio composition, this can be a stressful time of year as you are digging through documents to make sure you include every single deduction you possibly can. We have to consider interest paid on hard money loans, real … Read more