Friday, October 3, 2008
How To Find and Market To Private Money Lenders
As I've said before, every business on the planet is in the business of MARKETING.
Yes, that includes you.
First and foremost you are a marketer, second you are an investor. You must know how to get leads in order to even have a chance to put your investment knowledge into action.
So, to get private money lenders for your real estate investing business you must find the people who have money.
Who Has Money?
* Your Family and Friends -
Do you have family members who have money that they are earning between 0-5% on? I'm sure you do. Do you think they would want to double the rate of return on their money? I bet they would.
So, why not bring the opportunity of becoming a private lender for your real estate business to your family members first, so you can help your family become more wealthy in the process? Many people hate to ask family members for money... this is a common thing; however, why would you feel uncomfortable helping your family members make more money? You shouldn't.
The first property I bought (and still own) was bought with 100% private money. A 95% first mortgage (seller carried), and a 5% second which was borrowed from my father. My father is earning 6% on his money rather than 3%, the property cash flows and has gone up in value... if for some reason I screw up and don't pay my dad (not going to happen), he is in 2nd position on a property with over $100k in equity. It is a no lose for him... and great upside for me.
* Other Real Estate Investors and Businessmen -
Other successful real estate investors have money... and often like to lend out their money to other investors. These are often great private money investors to have on your side because as you're starting out, they can help you analyze deals... and teach you a ton as you grow as an investor. Also, successful businessmen are great because they know the security that real estate can hold, and know that when the loan is structured correctly they are protected with very little downside.
Talk to other investors and business people that you know and let them know what you do, and that you can provide them real estate secured returns of 9-12% (or whatever you are willing to pay) when they become a private money lender for your company. If there are holes in your presentation or your business model, they'll likely point them out, which will help you to make your business stronger over time.
* People Nearing or in Retirement -
Think about it... who has a bunch of money just sitting around? Well, people either in or nearing retirement (people 10-15 years away from retirement, up to people who are already retired). Even better, the stock market today sucks and I've personally seen many people move their money from the volatile stock market and place the funds in "more secure" investments like CD's, gold, etc.
It's your job to find these people and present them another option to lend money to your company for a much better annual return (usually private money lenders are paid between 8-12%). Show them that you know what the heck you are doing, that the risk is relatively low with the strict buying guidelines your company employs, and that you are looking for long term relationships with lenders who want the same.
These people can move their under performing investments (401k, IRA, etc.) into your short term private money loans. It's a win-win. Again, you as the investor need to be honest with the private money lender, and you need to make responsible decisions on the properties that you invest in.
That's just a short list of people who you should be going after to recruit as private money lenders for your real estate investing business.
Marketing to these people can be everything from simply handing them your business card that has a blurb saying you are looking for private money lenders who want to earn 10% secured by real estate, and to call XXX-XXX-XXXX or visit www.yoursite.com for more information
... to sending out mailers to a list of retirees... to teaming up with a financial planner, to putting on free seminars about the opportunity, etc.
***FYI, I am not an attorney, and don't claim to be. I am just throwing out ways you may be able to market to potential private money lenders, to my knowledge they are legal, but advise your attorney before you use any of them.***
Here are a few ways you can get in touch with potential private money lenders:
* Ask sellers of the properties you buy if they'd be interested in becoming a lender for your company
* Talk to family about the opportunity and ensure to structure the deal so they virtually can't lose, and that the risk is on you (unless you want to lose a family member if a deal goes south)
* Ask other investors at real estate investing clubs in your area
* Put up a website and get it optimized in the search engines (we're creating a training session on this)
* Network at events (chamber of commerce, etc.) and let people know what you do, and how they can be involved
* Send out postcards to a list of people with over $500,000 net worth (you can buy lists from companies who can break it down by net worth and other factors)
Really, there are endless ways to recruit potential private money lenders; however, in my experience... the best ways are to network, let people in your area know what you do, create a website which educates potential lenders, and get referrals from happy investors.
articlesbase.com
How to Get Private Money Lenders and How to Keep Them Long-term
Finding a private money lender is an essential part of any real estate investor’s business. In the old days (pre 2006) you could easily get a mortgage or even hard money loan simply by showing up in the lenders office and filling out an application. If you could walk and talk you qualified for a loan.
But today in the post credit-bubble market those days are over. Getting money for your real estate investing business is much more difficult and likely to get even more difficult as the credit markets sort things out. So how do you get money for your real estate investment business?
The answer is a private money lender.
One of the keys to finding a good private money lender is determining if they have similar goals and objectives as yours. You need to understand what they are trying to achieve and if your private lending program fits their needs. For example, if the private money lender wants an investment for a 10 year period, but you plan on doing quick flips every 6 months, it will not be a good long-term relationship. You and your private money lender need to have similar goals for a good long-term relationship that will result in repeat business.
So how do you determine if you and the potential private money lender have similar goals. You need to discuss your plan and ask questions similar to a job interview. We would recommend a series of questions similar to those listed below. Obviously, you can modified these questions to fit your personality, but the information you get will go a long way in determining if this is a person you want to do business with.
Important Questions to Ask
- How much do you have in liquid funds?
- Do you have other monies you might want to consider for an investment program that pays 9% to 15% and secured by local real estate?
- What type of investments are you in right now?
- How much are they making on your current investments?
- How long do you want your money invested for and do you have plans coming up that will require your principal back?
- How available is your money or is it tied up in investments that are not readily accessible?
- Are you a “Qualified Investor” (person must either have a net worth of about a million dollars or have an annual income in excess of $200,000)
- Do you know anything about real estate investing?
- When would like to start investing?
Asking these questions will flush out how close your goals are and will foster a good long-term relationship.
articlesbase.com
Private Hard Money Lenders and Working With a Commercial Mortgage Broker
Private hard money lenders are in the business of providing loans and loan services to people who require hard money loans (loans collateralized by real estate.) Private hard money lenders may be direct hard money lenders or brokers of hard money loans. Most private hard money lenders are, in actuality, brokers. Some private hard money lenders are both brokers and direct lenders. In these cases, the private hard money lender generally funds one or up to a few small loans per year and serves in the broker capacity to clients for the loans they help to originate.
Deciding on whether to work with a hard money broker or a private hard money lender is similar to deciding on whether to purchase real estate with the assistance of a broker/agent or whether to make an offer direct to the seller on your own.
The advantages of working directly with a true private hard money lender are immediately evident: You may sometimes save money by going direct. Brokers are paid for their services via a percentage of the points you pay on a hard money loan. Therefore, the more brokers involved in a deal, the more you are likely to pay in both points and percentage to accommodate that cost.
If you have selected a direct hard money lender who is a good match for your project, you will be able to speak directly with the decision makers, avoiding the 'run around' that so many hard money borrowers fall prey to. You are told that your loan is going through, only to hear the next day that the lender has elected not to take on your hard money loan and now your loan is on another desk in yet another direct lender's office - or worse, on the desk of another broker who may know a broker who knows a lender who may want to fund your loan. Sometimes, the choice of direct lender is based more on the commission the broker will get than on your best interests.
By working with a direct hard money lender, you can avoid the 'run-around' and may be able to close more rapidly. After all, no one knows your situation like you do, no one can explain any extenuating circumstances better than you can, and no one is as committed to your business and your hard money loan as you are.
The advantage of working with a commercial mortgage broker is also clear: a seasoned, well-informed, honest commercial mortgage broker will have the knowledge of and access to the direct hard money lenders in Ontario, Canada, and the United States. A commercial mortgage broker will know where your loan has the best fit. A good commercial mortgage broker will help you 'package' your loan to your best advantage, helping you determine how much to expect based on the equity in your property, type of property you are collateralizing, how soon you need to close the deal, and more. A good commercial mortgage broker will be able to assist you through the lengthy application process and submit your loan request to the best direct lenders for your situation. More often than not, working with a commercial mortgage broker will save time. By representing you and presenting your loan request to the best direct lenders, it often makes the transaction run more smoothly and take less time than if you were to take on this task yourself. This often saves you time and trouble in the long run and be well worth the cost of using a mortgage broker.
articlesbase.com