Mortgage & Commercial Lending News.

Texas is amongst the top of the nation in rankings for weather-related property damage each year. Therefore, knowing the different types of insurances available and their coverages is crucial. If you live or plan to live in one of the  14 coastal counties or parts of Harris County or Galveston Bay you should know of separate policies that are available that may help you protect yourselves from losses caused by flooding.

There are many misconceptions when it comes to purchasing flood insurance.

Many homeowners think they’re not at risk for flooding, when they usually are. And many believe that if they are flooded, they’re insured for it. For example, the coverage is often inadequate lacking enough coverage to fully rebuild the home. Although flood insurance is available to many homeowners under the NFIP, most don’t have it. This is true for many of Hurricane Harvey’s victims. This hurricane was the most significant tropical hurricane in the United States history. Harvey’s damage was between $90 Billion and $160 Billion with a midpoint at $125 Billion.

There has been troubling news released by S&P/Experian, as reports indicate that defaults on first credit payments by consumers are on the rise. While most indicators surrounding the economy and the stock market have been positive, this boom in defaults isn’t, as it’s the first time in two years defaults have increased.

You may or may not have heard of this term before but a wraparound mortgage or “wrap” is a form of secondary financing for the purchase of real estate property.  The seller/lender extends to the buyer a junior mortgage which wraps around an existing mortgage,  typically the bank or the seller of the real property assumes the payment of the existing mortgage and provides the borrower with a new larger loan, usually at a higher interest rate.

Houston Hard Money loans are backed by the value of real property not by the credit worthiness of the borrower.  Since the property itself is used as the only protection against default by the borrower, the loans have a lower Loan to Value ratio (LTV) and carry higher interest rates compared to conventional commercial or residential loans.  These loans are often referred to as a short term loan or bridge loan. 

If you are a typical borrower looking for financing for your primary residence the first thought is to apply with your local bank or credit union. The interest rates are typically competitive and generally lower than private lenders. However, credit rating is a primary factor in the loan decision and you have to meet certain underwriting guidelines. If you don’t have good credit with easily documented income sources your loan application can be denied.

Hard Money loans are customized to borrowers' needs based on the fact that you have sufficient capital, generally around 20-30% down of the purchase price of the property and your ability to repay the loan.

Private money lenders or Hard Money lenders in Houston are quite different from bank loans. Below you will learn 10 reasons why Hard Money loans in Houston are here to stay:

Hard money loans, also known as a fast short term loans, are a mortgage alternative to a borrower who is possibly in a distressed financial situation or who has less than perfect credit which fails to meet bank criteria for funding.  This asset-based loan financing is secured by real property and loans are typically made by a company or individual from a private organization, also known as “Private Mortgage Investors”. 

In today’s market, it is fairly difficult to find a Hard Money lender in Houston to finance to a Foreign National or to a borrower with an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN).   A Foreign National is a citizen from another country who periodically visits the United States and is purchasing a property in which to reside during their stay.  Mortgage Investors Corporation or AMI Lenders’ Foreign National and ITIN loan programs, offer financing to any non-US citizen wanting to obtain a residential or commercial Hard Money loan in the Houston metropolitan area. 

How to Buy a Residential Property:

When in the market for a new home or in the market for an investment property, one should do their own research. (An example of an investment property is buying homes to either “fix and flip” or “fix and rent”).

We’re a mortgage investment corporation and we’ve been financing homes and investment properties for over 25 years.

Because we’ve been a residential hard money lender for so many years, we pretty much know the proper due-diligence in selecting the right property at the right price.

As a commercial hard money lender, we understand the importance of one’s FICO score.  Therefore, we want to share our experience and how one can increase their FICO scores to improve their chances of getting a hard money loan.