How to become a hard money lender?

Question

I am not looking to start my own business in hard money lending, im wondering if there are any companies that work with investors such as myself? I have heard there are companies that allow you to diversify across multiple hard money loans and pay good interest.

Darrin Carey · Answer

@George Leeman, That's one option.

George Leeman · Answer

so you would recommend i contact hard money lenders in my area and assess the deals myself?

George Leeman · Answer

can you recommend any companies to look at?

David Weintraub · Answer

Are you interested in investing in a HML?  I know of when that paid out nearly 20% last year!

Darrin Carey · Answer

@George Leeman There are multiple companies that allow you to do just that via the crowd funding websites. They are one step removed from the deal though, and the details can be harder to evaluate.

Alternatively, you can work directly with a Hard Money Lender to pick and choose individual note(s) to fund. Then you have all the details on a specific borrower and property. Typically you'll need to find a local/regional lender that also works with individuals. The big lenders already have large sources of funds established.

Timothy Maloney · Answer

@George Leeman  The best advice you'll ever receive is to stay with a larger, more established, company.    HML by it's very nature is private.    Few regulations and fewer laws exist in this space - You'll be at the mercy of the HML to provide whatever reporting they wish and you may never know what their return was (vs. yours).    At least with a larger firm (some of which are on BP) you'll have audited financials.