What are fix and flip loans?
House flipping has traditionally been done by professional “flippers,” but in recent years, occasional real estate investors have entered the market. These first-time flippers are hoping to get lucky with their investments and make money quickly without putting too much time into research or due diligence on each property they purchase as an investment opportunity. Individuals will often purchase houses at auction, where sellers will offer more than what's owed on it simply because there aren't any other options available for getting funds needed to renovate homes.
This type of fix and flip loan or hard money loan strategy can work if you're able to find great deals on properties that need very little work. But, it's important to remember that even if a property appears to be a good deal, there are still risks involved in any real estate investment – including the potential for cost overruns, time delays, and other unforeseen circumstances.
If you're thinking about house flipping as a way to make money, it's important to do your homework and understand the risks involved before you get started. There's no guarantee that you'll make a profit on every fix and flip, but if you're smart about it and prepared for the potential challenges, you could find successful flips in this exciting real estate venture.
When you're flipping a house or multi-family properties, you're essentially buying a property, renovating it, and then selling it for a profit. The key to making money with this strategy is to find properties that are undervalued and in need of repair. Then, you must complete the renovations within a specific timeframe and budget so that you can sell the property for more than you paid for it.
If you're new to house flipping, it's important to partner with an experienced real estate professional who can help you find the right properties and guide you through the renovation process. It's also a good idea to have a realistic expectation of the time and money required to complete a flip successfully.
When to Start Flipping Houses
There's no better time than the present to invest in your future! With real estate investment, rehab typically needs to start right after close so lenders that offer fix and flip loans on closed properties are most attractive for flippers. These tend to be private individuals or companies with hard money mortgages that provide short repayment periods which match up nicely against a project timeline. Some even offer 100% coverage of initial costs through their lending programs, no matter what type you choose! There are also microloans available from the SBA for small business owners who want to get into this type of investment but don't have a lot of collateral to put down.
You can also find hard money loans from a private lender that might work best for your investment properties. Hard money loans often require a minimum credit score as they would from mortgage lenders. Private lenders take a lot into consideration with their own money. They can look interest-only payments or higher interest rates could be on the table. Be sure to always review your loan documents and look for competitive interest rates.
The most important thing to remember when you're flipping a house is that it's a business venture, and like any business, there are risks involved. But, if you're willing to work hard and take the necessary precautions, you could find success in this exciting and rewarding industry.
Types of Loans
Conventional Loans
Conventional loans and traditional loans are different from fix and flip loans. These loans come in all shapes and sizes and often start with an online application. They're originated by private lenders like banks, credit unions, or other financial institutions that service these mortgages with their own staff located across the country from where they loan money out - this ensures quick approval rates. A conventional mortgage is usually more expensive than an FHA-insured one because it doesn't have government backing, but it still provides some benefits such as lower interest rates for qualified buyers who want fewer monthly payments. However, there can be drawbacks depending on what you qualify under, so make sure you understand all the terms when shopping around between different loan types. You need to consider application fees, closing costs, prepayment penalty, origination fees, interest rate, loan terms, good credit vs. bad credit, and more.
Bridge Loans
Bridge loans also differ from fix and flip loans as these loans are short-term, often used to bridge the gap between purchasing one home and selling another before the next flip. You might want to buy before you sell if your profit from an upcoming sale isn't enough for both down payments on new homes. Bridge Loan maximums typically range from 80%-100%, depending on how much each party values their own properties as well as what they need to be covered by said loan amounts of around $80-$100k+.
Construction Loans
Construction loans cover the costs of custom home building, but there are other types of financing available. You can get ground-up construction or even remodel your entire house! It's likely that one type will be right for you - whether starting from scratch with land loan studies in order to build an entirely new property, or getting help financing some updates/modifications done within existing structures like bathrooms and kitchens (but not whole-house renovations). It's worth looking into construction loans that specialize in small businesses who want financial assistance launching their business ventures.
Cash-out Refinance
Cash-out refinancing can be a great way to take advantage of your equity and get out from under high-interest debts. The process allows you to pull out cash for any reason, such as consolidating credit card bills, paying for renovation costs, or paying off educational loans in full each month rather than spreading them over two decades with higher monthly payments.
Hard Money Loans
Hard money loans are short-term, non-conforming mortgages for commercial properties that don't come from traditional lenders, but rather from people or private companies who accept the property as collateral. Commercial borrowers may turn to hard money lenders after having their loan application denied and/or to avoid lengthy processes of getting approved through more conventional means. Hard money lenders accept an asset in place of a cash down payment on the purchase price under certain conditions where there's been no credit history established.
Some common pros of going this route would be the fast turnaround time for approvals (which could happen within days instead of weeks), the higher loan-to-value ratio (LTV) that's available up to 100% in some cases, and how there's more leniency when it comes to factors such as credit score minimums, debt-to-income (DTI) ratios, etc. The biggest con would be the higher interest rates, which could range from 16-18% annually, as well as points or origination fees that could be 2-5% of the loan amount being charged upfront.
Hard money loans like fix and flip loans are usually given out by hard money lenders, private investors, or companies, rather than banks. Hard money loans usually come with higher interest rates than traditional mortgages because they are considered riskier. Hard money loans are typically for a shorter period of time than regular mortgages (1-5 years), and the loan amount is based on the value of the property, not the borrower's creditworthiness.