Hard Money Business Loans (small business websites)

By Julio Trujillo

  Before we go any further, let’s make sure we’re working from the same definition of hard money business loans.

For the purposes of this discussion, hard money business loans and hard money loans in general, are typically secured by real estate.

Because the lender is not usually concerned with the application of the funds acquired, I’m further defining a hard money business loan as a source of funds invested into a business operation.

The lending criteria for issuing a hard money loan is primarily focused on the equity held in real estate.

Typical characteristics: 1) private lending sources, 2) short interest terms from one to three years, 3) up front fees on closing, 4) short in duration, 5) use of funds not a focus, 6) limited number of debt covenants if any, 7) interest only payments is quite common, 8) failure to pay results in sale assets to retire the debt.

While hard money lenders have their detractors, they serve a very real and valuable purpose in the commercial financing market place.

Pros and Cons

Pro - The application process for a hard money loan tends to be considerably faster than a comparably sized conventional loan application.

Con - Compared to conventional real estate financing through institutional lenders, the cost of hard money loans is almost always higher.

Pro - In many cases hard money can be lower cost than cash flow financing facilities like subordinate debt and factoring.

Con - Up front fees also add to the cost of hard money business loans which can significantly increase the effective interest rate you’re actually paying over a period of time.

Pro - As a bridge loan, these funds are normally outstanding for a short period of time so the shorter the use, the lower the potential cost.

Con - At the end of the interest term, if an extension is required, but not granted, the loan needs to be paid out in full.

Pro - From a cash flow point of view, an interest only payment, even at a high rate, can still be less strain on the cash flow.

Con - Once you sign up for an interest term, its the same as most fixed interest rate terms whereby there is usually a 3 month penalty for early payout.

Pro - Hard money can also be extended against non real estate assets where real estate is still the primary security in the overall security package for the loan.

Con - If you fall behind with your payments, the foreclosure process can be swift and will typically be as fast as the local jurisdiction will allow.

The basic scenario for considering a hard money business loan is when a business has exhausted its conventional financing sources and is still short money to operate, expand, or just take advantage of short term opportunities.

Because repayment is usually required within a one to three year period, hard money business loans can also be categorized as bridge loans.

If you’re thinking about whether or not to secure a hard money business loan, consider the following points:

>>> Can you generate an ROI? If you have good, profitable business in front of you that you can’t bank because a lack of short term capital, then a hard money business loan may be a solid option.

>>> Do you have an exit strategy? Remember that a hard money business loan is effectively a bridge loan that you’re going to have to pay back in the near future.

If you can’t create a cash flow scenario where full repayment is possible at the end of the loan term, then a hard money business loan may not be a viable option.

>>> What are your alternatives? If your alternative financing options are equity based where you are giving up a portion of the future profits of the business, a hard money business loan can allow you to retain control of the business and keep the related profits.

>>> What’s the impact on personal liability? If your alternative business financing options are high cost and still require a personal guarantee, then a hard money business loan may actually be a better option.

>>> Can you generate enough capital? If a hard money business loan cannot completely address your financing need, then it may not be a good fit.

Sometimes business owners will use hard money to buy time until they can acquire additional capital to meet their entire financing need.

The problem with this strategy is that hard money is not very patient, and if it takes longer to acquire the additional funds than your cash flow allows, the hard money lender will not likely postpone or restructure your debt serving costs.

Instead, if you fall behind in your payments, they will likely realize on their security, which may put you out of business.

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Ideal Source For Self Employed Loans

By Julio Trujillo

  Making a mark for oneself in the competitive world of business is tough. Especially for people in UK who are self employed and don’t have access to that extra sum of money that can make the task easier. But, where can they get that money from? Well, the answer to this question can be easily traced with the introduction of self employed loans in the loan market.

Self employed loans are tailored to meet the financial needs of self employed people. They may need funds to expand or to start a new business. Self employed people are identified as people who operate their own business as a sole owner or as a partner or a profession. Independent consultants and contractors are also classified as self employed.

There are different characteristics of self employed people that differentiate them from the working group. Self employed people have unstable income as profits vary from one period to another. They do not have proof of their income.

In the past, it was difficult for self employed people to borrow money from the market. The main reason behind this is that they do not have a regular source of income; this seemed to pose a big hindrance in the path of getting finance for investment.

But, now time has changed. With the entry of self employed loans it has become easier for self employed people to get an easy financial help. With the increasing number of people who prefer to work for themselves, self employed loans have now become affordable and widely available.

Self employed loans can be secured or unsecured one. Secured self employed loans are secured against the collateral of the borrower such as a car or a house. Unsecured self employed loans are not secured by any collateral, thus involve a high interest rate.

Some lenders in UK offer flexibility to the borrower by accepting overpayment, underpayment and payment holidays. Let me explain these terms which will make it easier for you to recognize the benefits of taking a self employed loans. Overpayment imply that a borrower pay more money for a month than the amount due. While underpayment is just the opposite of overpayment, it gives the borrower the freedom to pay a lesser amount in a month then the amount due. Payment holiday is completely different from the two mentioned above. It allows a borrower to skip a limited number of monthly payments after an initial period of regular payments.

Lenders of self employed loan assess borrower’s income to evaluate the amount of risk involved in lending money to the borrowers. They assess the income of a loan applicant basically by two ways:-

Self Certification - In this case, a borrower self declare his income and the lender do not insist on considering the audited accounts. But there are some lenders who will need a borrower to submit an accountant’s certificate. This is a document signed by a borrower’s accountant that entail that borrower has sufficient income to pay the monthly installments and the loan. Most of the lenders supplement this information with evaluation of the credit score of the borrower.

Certified Accounts- Certified accounts of the borrower will be issued by the borrower’s accountant briefing the details of the borrower’s income on yearly basis.

Lenders can arrange self employed loans for homeowners or tenants for any amount ranging from 3000 to 250,000. With the competition increasing day by day in the loan market, lenders are ready to provide the loan at low interest rate. Interest rate is determined keeping all these in consideration amount to be borrowed, borrower’s credit history and the loan term.

A good credit score will definitely help a borrower to get a loan for a larger amount at low interest rate. But, this loan is not confined to good credit people only. Bad credit, CCJ or bankruptcy cannot stop you from getting this loan; however you may get it at a bit higher rate of interest.

Survival of the fittest is the trademark used in the world of self employed people. But to survive one need to match pace with the changing technology which is possible only when you have a financial backup. Self employed loans give financial support to the self employed people so that they too can make a mark in the competitive world and reach new heights of success.

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