Direct Lender – New to BiggerPockets

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Direct Lender – New to BiggerPockets

https://crlend.com
Brent ConradBusiness Member
Lender · Mckinney, TX · Member since 2017 · 21 posts · 2 votes

Hi everyone! I’m Brent Conrad and the owner of CR Lending, a direct private/hard money lender.

I’ve been in the lending business since 2005, primarily working with real estate investors on fix & flips, bridge loans, rental properties, commercial properties, and land.

Our lending model is a little different from most lenders. We focus heavily on the property and the deal itself and try to make the process extremely fast and simple.

For many of our loans, we do NOT require:

  • NO Application
  • NO Tax Returns
  • NO Credit Check
  • NO Appraisal
  • NO Pre-Inspection
  • NO Prepayment Penalty
  • NO Upfront Fee
  • NO Survey
  • NO Bank Statements
  • NO Employment Verification

We can lend up to 70% of ARV, depending on the property and deal.

I joined BiggerPockets to connect with other investors, learn what everyone is working on, share some of what I’ve learned from nearly 20 years of lending, and hopefully be a resource when lending or deal-structure questions come up.

Looking forward to meeting everyone!

CR LENDING LLC4.816 Reviews
WebsiteView Page
1Reply
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  • Michael Eskenasy
    Investor · Pacific Northwest · Member since 2026 · 538 posts · 309 votes
    1mo

    Brent — this is actually a pretty interesting lending model.

    What jumps out to me isn’t really the “no application / no tax returns / no credit check” part. It’s that you’re essentially saying the property and the structure of the deal are carrying more of the underwriting burden than the borrower profile.

    That changes the conversation quite a bit.

    If you’re lending up to 70% of ARV and moving that quickly, I’d be curious what your real decision stack looks like — basis, rehab scope, exit, local liquidity, borrower experience, title, etc. Basically: what has to be true about the deal for you to be comfortable stripping all that conventional friction away?

    Glad you’re here. I think you’ll be useful in a lot of these conversations.

    0Reply
  • Brent ConradBusiness Member
    OP
    Lender · Mckinney, TX · Member since 2017 · 21 posts · 2 votes
    1mo

    You nailed it. We are primarily underwriting the property and the deal rather than trying to fit every borrower into a conventional lending box.

    The biggest things I look at are:

    • Basis – what they are buying it for and what is the rehab amount.
    • As-is value and ARV – I generally want to stay at or below 70% ARV, and sometimes lower depending on the property.
    • Rehab – scope, cost, and whether the numbers realistically get the property to the projected ARV.
    • Exit strategy – sell, refinance, stabilize, etc. I want a realistic path to getting paid off.
    • Marketability – if I end up owning the property, how difficult will it be for me to sell it and recover my principal?
    • Borrower experience – it matters, especially on larger or more complicated projects, but it isn't necessarily a deal killer if someone is newer.

    The simplest way I think about it is: I underwrite every loan assuming something could go wrong. If I had to take the property back tomorrow, would I still be comfortable with the amount I lent against it?

    If the answer is yes and the numbers make sense, I don't see much benefit in adding a bunch of paperwork just because that's how lending has traditionally been done.

    Appreciate the welcome. Looking forward to contributing here.

    CR LENDING LLC4.816 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Diana KhanPro Member
    Attorney · 10451 Mill Run Cir #755 Owings Mills, MD 21117 · Member since 2024 · 542 posts · 188 votes
    1mo
    Quote from @Brent Conrad:

    Hi everyone! I’m Brent Conrad and the owner of CR Lending, a direct private/hard money lender.

    I’ve been in the lending business since 2005, primarily working with real estate investors on fix & flips, bridge loans, rental properties, commercial properties, and land.

    Our lending model is a little different from most lenders. We focus heavily on the property and the deal itself and try to make the process extremely fast and simple.

    For many of our loans, we do NOT require:

    • NO Application
    • NO Tax Returns
    • NO Credit Check
    • NO Appraisal
    • NO Pre-Inspection
    • NO Prepayment Penalty
    • NO Upfront Fee
    • NO Survey
    • NO Bank Statements
    • NO Employment Verification

    We can lend up to 70% of ARV, depending on the property and deal.

    I joined BiggerPockets to connect with other investors, learn what everyone is working on, share some of what I’ve learned from nearly 20 years of lending, and hopefully be a resource when lending or deal-structure questions come up.

    Looking forward to meeting everyone!

    @Brent Conrad, I like the way you explained that you underwrite the loan assuming something could go wrong. From the legal side, I’ve seen private lending deals get complicated even when the property and numbers looked solid because the loan documents, borrower expectations, or exit plan were not clear enough from the beginning.

    For me, speed is great, but I still want the note, security documents, title, insurance, rehab obligations, default terms, and payoff process to be very clear before money moves. When those pieces are clean, it makes the deal much easier for both sides if everything goes as planned, and much easier to handle if it does not. I work with a lot of investors in the DMV market, and I’d be glad to stay connected and keep up with what you’re seeing on the lending side.

    [email protected]240-266-0291
    0Reply
  • Brent ConradBusiness Member
    OP
    Lender · Mckinney, TX · Member since 2017 · 21 posts · 2 votes
    1mo

    1000% agree. We have a law firm draw up all our necessary loan documents.  Been doing this too long to not have the right paperwork in place. :o) 

    CR LENDING LLC4.816 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Brad SeidBusiness Member
    Lender · Licensed in 28 States · Member since 2026 · 176 posts · 51 votes
    1mo

    @Brent Conrad Welcome to the group, Brent! That’s an impressive lending background. If you ever need another lending resource for your clients or want to explore different financing options for a deal, feel free to reach out. Happy to connect and help! 👍

    [email protected]248-408-3855
    West Capital Lending5127 Reviews
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  • Brent ConradBusiness Member
    OP
    Lender · Mckinney, TX · Member since 2017 · 21 posts · 2 votes
    1mo

    Will do and thanks! 

    CR LENDING LLC4.816 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Ashley RigsbeePro Member
    Customer Success & Onboarding Specialist at BiggerPockets · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2023 · 99 posts · 38 votes
    1mo

    Welcome Brent looking forward to seeing your posts within the forums!

    BiggerPockets
    0Reply
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