Is this Hard Money Lender a scam or not?
First time vetting hard money lenders for a flip I have under contract but not closed yet. One potential lender has attractive terms (8%, 2 points, 100% financed, no prepay penalty), but on the phone he has very spotty English so it's hard to talk to him, and his contract seems suspicious in areas too. However, he does appear to be registered with the State of Ohio as a business entity, and also "Licensed by the OHIO Bureau of Real Estate (BRE) (#01925898)", which I could not find this organization via Google (I am in Michigan). In his loan terms sheet, he is asking for about $1400 Loan Origination Fee, and my bank account # and routing # to deposit into. His address for his company is just a UPS Store mailbox, and the phone number is just his cell.
Does anyone know of ways to sure-fire guarantee he's not trying to rip me off, short of just not using him? His website seems mostly legit (The Private Funding LLC) and his loan application does too. I can also offer the loan application he sent over, if that helps. Thanks for any insight anyone might offer, I'll probably run it by a lawyer tomorrow.