While hard money financing may seem like a daunting task to the uninitiated, it actually has quite a bit in common with more standard real estate deals that involve a mortgage and traditional lending institutions. Here are the three main steps to financing with hard money:

While private or “hard” money lending companies may seem like one of the last places where an inexperienced investor should look, they actually provide a neutral and non-threatening platform where borrowers and lenders can meet each other and appraise their mutual needs. Still, many of the same questions that arise in a traditional investment setting are applicable. Here are just a few that every investor should ask:

For years, the continually rising real estate market in the state of California was the envy of the rest of the United States, if not the entire world. While a dose of reality was introduced in the mid-2000s and brought the market back down to earth, it still left plenty of opportunity for the practical investor using hard money.

If you're a property investor, you know that hard money loans are a very powerful tool. In exchange for paying a slightly higher interest rate and origination fee, they give you fast access to money on very favorable terms. While traditional lending is an excellent option for some transactions, hard money is the way to go for deals that need a little something extra.