Construction Loan Requirements (Traditional and Hard Money Loans)
Construction loan requirements include a qualified builder, a complete blue book, and a 20%+ down payment. Get a quick list to help you qualify.
Hard money loans in Texas
Construction loan requirements include a qualified builder, a complete blue book, and a 20%+ down payment. Get a quick list to help you qualify.
Right now many are wondering how to invest their money, especially given the effect that the pandemic has had on the stock market. While you may think that this would be similar to the stock market, real estate prices have been affected very differently. This is exactly why people invest in real estate, the fundamentals are very different. The Wall … Read more
Big Changes What a difference 30 days can make! In the last month we’ve seen many positive developments in both real estate and the local Texas economy. While Loan Ranger Capital continuously monitors the economy, the recent economic data is far more optimistic than most expected. This is especially true of real estate. The global effects of COVID-19 are far … Read more
Well, the holiday season has kicked off in full swing with the arrival of Thanksgiving last week! I don’t know about you, but it always seems to arrive sooner than I am ready for. Just some of the things we’re thankful for this year Hopefully your holiday was a delicious and enjoyable one? With the arrival of Thanksgiving, it makes … Read more
Curious about how to become a real estate investor and invest in real estate? You aren’t the only one! Real estate investments have outperformed the Standard & Poor, or S&P, 500 stock market over the past 20 years. The S&P has averaged a rate of return of 8.6% during this time period. But residential real estate has averaged, nationwide, a … Read more
Are you thinking about investing and maybe trying to “flip” a property? First, let’s define a “flip”. When you look for and find a property that you are going to buy and renovate and then immediately sell, that’s called a flip. It’s a fast investment strategy that happens in under 12 months, barring any issues. While it can be easy … 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
The days of simply going into town and chatting with your local lender are definitely long gone. If you had a good rapport with your local bank and sufficient funds in their bank, you were likely to be approved for a loan fairly easily. Nowadays there are so many options that it can be difficult to determine what’s your best … Read more
Figuring out a budget for anything is difficult, yet alone a fix and flip! There are a lot of variables that can go into any budget you create. And that can make the accuracy of your numbers somewhat doubtful. But when it comes to real estate, your budget is absolutely critical. A solid budget can be the difference between a … Read more
Looking for some quick financing for a real estate transaction? If you’re in Texas, hard money lending might be something that you want to consider. This type of financing, like hard money bridge lenders offer, can be faster to process. It can make it easier to get the financing you need in the time frame that you need it. Conventional … Read more
Buying a Texas property, whether for personal use or as an investment, is a complicated process. There are many steps to go through as well as countless topics most of us haven’t dealt with before. From loan terms, title insurance, to all the required inspections and insurance – it can get pretty complicated. One of the least understood lending requirements … 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
At Loan Ranger Capital we’re proud of our borrowers! To show that we’d like to take a look at a successful deal from one of our great borrowers. This one is located in South Congress neighborhood of Austin which is a very desirable area. Our borrower here, Dean, was previously a contractor for one of our other great borrowers and … 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
Learn the difference between hazard insurance and title insurance!
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
Oh, Austin — it seems like there’s always something new happening in the Capital city, and that’s probably because there is! Not only is Austin home to some kind of festival or event just about every week (ACL and Formula 1 just ended, the Austin Film Festival and Texas Book Festival are right around the corner, and before we know … 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
Fall is finally here, but that doesn’t mean our hard money loans are slowing down. The weather may be cooling down (kind of) but our funded deals have been as hot as can be! If you’re a flipper or builder and you’re wondering if a hard money loan is right for you, we can help! We fund all over the … 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
At Loan Ranger Capital we’ve had a successful 2017. While we’ve been very fortunate, we realize that not everyone shares the same circumstances. Two days before Thanksgiving, we decided to hand out premade Thanksgiving dinners to our immediate community using profits from the management company. When all was said and done, our team handed out 50 Thanksgiving dinners. Which conservatively … Read more
A recent Moody’s article has ranked Austin #1 for the second Amazon headquarters the company announced a few months ago. The article discusses Austin’s well-known hub of tech companies. Companies such as Dell are headquartered here already. Also, other companies such as Samsung, Apple, and IBM have the largest presence of their own companies outside of their headquarters. High numbers … Read more
Across the state of Texas, demand for homes is remaining strong. Supply continues to be strained as homes are snapped up shortly after going on market. While this naturally points to a sustained increase in new home prices (which is a trend we’ve seen in the past decade), we are also seeing this start to affect “fix and flip” properties. … 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
The cycle between boom and bust in the real estate market is something most people have heard about at least once when discussing this topic. It’s no secret that real estate can be a volatile place to work, with the Great Recession’s shadow still looming even after this relatively steady recovery. In the same way that the overall real estate … 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
Fixing and flipping can be a wildly successful endeavor or a very frustrating one depending on how the project is handled. While there are many benefits for most investors, others may miss out on these perks because of certain errors that cost them their time, money, and energy. Here are some examples of the key things that real estate investors … Read more