DoHardMoney/HML

DoHardMoney/HML

Oak Lawn, IL · Member since 2015 · 22 posts · 8 votes

So I just got off the phone w/ a Rep from dohardmoney. (A HML on biggerpockets site for IL). Has anyone used their service? How was the experience for you? As a new flipper with limited funds, you all know the frustration w/ trying to start out, so I'm looking at different options. Any opinions on dohardmoney is appreciated!

Here is what I understand about their program.

You have to put $2500 ($650 of that for 2 appraisals of property). The $1850 remainder goes back to you after you sell the property. After you put in an offer, they send out 2 different evaluators to see if the deal is good. If they approve it they provide you with $250k per property (you have access to a total of $750k). It's 100% financing. No loan payments required. Rehab and sale needs to be done w/in 5 months, or more fees will apply. You take the profit, and they charge 15% (annual rate). They loan up to 70% ARV for repairs. After that it's out of your pocket.

Each time you have a property evaluated you have to pay $650 to get the OK from them.  An obvious problem would be if they just keep saying NO, and you fork over 5k in 'evaluations' to get one funded. 

 They only let you do one repair at a time.  For example: You need to do the roof.  You let them know you are doing the roof, and they give you the funds.  Next, Siding.....and so on....Not sure why you have to do only one repair at a time (seems inefficient).  

They provide a Professional support during the journey, proof of fund letters, and other resources....

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Hard Money Lender · West Jordan, UT · Member since 2015 · 105 posts · 75 votes
10y

Hello Brian – Happy to see you on Bigger Pockets!

If you would like to see what people have to say about us you can check us out on YouTube, or read some comments here on Bigger Pockets.

To address your concerns and the additional comments within this thread:

I am afraid there may have been a bit of misunderstanding as to being able to only do one repair at a time, because that is not the case. If needed we can provide a 10% advance as the first draw to help you get started and then we reimburse you for rehab expenses as the work is completed. Using the draw system you can do as much work as you can and then we can send an inspector to confirm that work has been completed. Typically investors will break up their project across 4 draws. We want to help you be successful, which means you need to get the rehab done and the property on the market as soon as possible.

As to someone repeatedly submitting deals that are being turned down, we don’t want that to happen either. For this very reason we provide our customers with access to our Advanced Deal Analysis Software that allows you to know the details and the potential opportunity for every deal before we send evaluators out to the property. In addition to this we teach you how to personally value properties so that we’re not moving forward until you have confidence that the deal you’re looking at is a good deal. If you are taking advantage of the tools and education available to you when you join, as well as our great support team than continually paying $650 for evaluations on bad deals isn’t going to happen. We’re here to help you find and value properties that we’ll lend on.

@ Jeff Lezark I agree that with upfront fees can be problematic. Having been in business for over 10 years we know it’s more problematic for customers to deal with following challenges:

  • 10-20% down.
  • Having Bad Credit
  • Lacking Past Experience
  • Lack of tools and resources to accurately value properties.
  • No options for Gap Funding

At our core we are a lender, however, we've learned from funding countless deals that making our tools and resources available to our clients allows them get into better deals and avoid bad deals. We know that our financing is not the best option for everyone, but for those needing this kind of help our program is a great fit. We offer 100% financing, which includes purchase, rehab and closing costs. We'll lend up to 70% of the ARV on fix and flip loans which allows a new investor with limited funds the chance to get into investing where they wouldn't be able to otherwise.

@ Cortney Newmans I quickly reviewed your terms and I would definitely agree that for the right investors you guys are a great option. What’s unique about our system is that we don’t require 20% down for fix and flips so while our points and interest are a little higher the barrier to entry is lower allowing someone who doesn’t have 20% down to get into the game.

Our evaluations are not merely appraisals. We use 2 independent, experienced local real estate agents that are familiar with your local area who will review all aspects of the deal to determine it’s potential. They run a market analysis, they pull three actives and three sold comps in addition to doing an interior evaluation of the property which allows us to establish a pretty solid After Repair Value.

Remember, we are going to be potentially funding 100% of the deal, so the risk is increased. Using 2 Evaluators to establish the ARV offers protection not only for us as the lender, but for the investor as well. I'm sure we can all agree that an appraiser can miss the mark and so having 2 objective experts establish the value protects your interests and keeps you from getting into a bad deal. Obtaining the insight of two successful agents makes sense for both parties. This is also particularly helpful to first time investors in helping them to understand what is and isn't a good deal.

See this reply in the discussion

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  • Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2015 · 53 posts · 34 votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Jacque Fairbourn:

    @Account Closed - should a borrower need additional time they can extend the loan by making interest payments, We allow up to 3 additional months in extension paid on a monthly basis. The max term is 8 months.

    What happens after 8 months?  The full amount of the loan is due?  What if the house is still on the market?  Not uncommon in some areas of IL/Chicagoland.

  • Hard Money Lender · West Jordan, UT · Member since 2015 · 105 posts · 75 votes
    10y

    @Account Closedshould the eight months pass without the property being sold we work with the borrower to try to find a solution. As a last resort we will take control of the property, just as any lender will do with the collateral provided as part of the lending terms.

  • Investor · Saint Amant, LA · Member since 2016 · 20 posts · 5 votes
    10y

    @Jacque Fairbourn do y'all (do hard money) offer better terms for ppl with good credit and money down?

  • Hard Money Lender · West Jordan, UT · Member since 2015 · 105 posts · 75 votes
    10y

    @Billy Gullett

    We're often not the best fit for someone with good credit and money down, however there is more to finding a good deal than just the interest rate and points. 

    We do offer better terms for people with good credit in that a credit score of 680 or higher will get our preferred rate of 15%. There's no additional discounts for money down.

    The real value that we provide to a customer with good credit and money down is the tools, resources and comprehensive approach to valuing properties that helps to protect them and keep them getting into a bad deal. Basically we provide more by way of tools, resources and more of a "partnership" feel than other Hard Money Lenders.

    The Casey Carroll quote regarding how we value properties would be appropriate to address some of the value we provide that comes through the evaluation process. I also like the testimonial video Aisha Scott. They do a good job of describing the value we provide beyond points and interest.

    I would also highlight that we provide up to 70% ARV and the opportunity to get 100% Financing, including purchase, rehab and closing costs. For some investors the opportunity to not have to bring their money as a down payment is preferable. Given the choice a lot of investors might prefer that.

    Again, we know we're not the best option for everybody, but we may be able to help investors who don't want to bring a lot of cash to close.

  • Real Estate Agent · Sewell, NJ · Member since 2015 · 9 posts · 3 votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Brian Barnes:

    I'm not either for or against dohardmoney yet, but what you guys keep forgetting, is that they are doing 100% financing, and no loan payments during the rehab.  This being the case, I don't mind putting in 2-3k upfront.  Normally you are putting up 20% plus..either way you are paying.  My only hesitation is getting turned down for different properties that I know will work.  Again, I am not for or against here.  Just looking for input/facts/opinions.  Playing devils advocate.  So all your input is very appreciated.  This will be my first deal, so I am trying to avoid making as many huge mistakes as possible.  Also, being my first deal, the 100% financing is attractive for me, and I'm sure a lot of other rookies who have little to start with.....

     Yea I couldn't agree more with this post. My business partner and I are actually sitting down saying these same things, and then saw your post. We want to talk to people who've used DoHardMoney. We understand the business model, we just want third party, unbiased reviews of success.

  • Real Estate Agent · Sewell, NJ · Member since 2015 · 9 posts · 3 votes
    10y

    Why is it so hard to find? That's our biggest red flag at the moment...BiggerPockets, help us out here.

  • Oak Lawn, IL · Member since 2015 · 22 posts · 8 votes
    10y

    @Nicolas Gaspari That was also my biggest red flag.  Not enough reviews or Bigger Pocket members that have even used them.  What bothers me a bit is BP having them as a lending option, with not a lot of data/reviews out there with success stories.

  • Contractor · Renton, WA · Member since 2016 · 11 posts · 4 votes
    10y

    DO NOT USE DoHardMoney.com Once you send them your hard earned cash, you can never get it back. They will tell you they can get your deal funded, but their criteria is almost impossible to find a deal with. I actually found DoHardMoney.com on biggerpockets so I Assumed they would be a great company to deal with, I definitely should have do my homework. I'm wondering what my legal recourse is for recovering the $3000.00 I sent them.

  • Seattle Tacoma, WA · Member since 2015 · 12 posts · 6 votes
    10y

    I have also been thinking about going with dohardmoney. You make a great point of being hesitate with signing on the dotted line when this is your first deal. However, from following some investors on youtube. Hard money was the right way to go for their first deals until they were able to refinance out of the deal. If you're feeling unsure of them, just keep looking. I agree, the Rep you talked with would have made me steer clear of them also. Thank goodness we can turn to our community for advice. I'm glad the one good investment I made was to join biggerpockets at the pro level. Keep us posted on who you went with so I too may look into them as well. Best wishes 

  • Investor · La Marque, TX · Member since 2014 · 73 posts · 30 votes
    10y

    Why are there so many "This post has been removed" on this thread???

  • Charlotte, NC · Member since 2015 · 57 posts · 6 votes
    10y

    I was sold a Hard Money Lending package a little over a year ago. There initial contact with me explained how the company makes loan to real estate investors. I explained to the sales agent that I was new to this business. He made it all sound do easy. My job was to find a property that needed rehab, put it under contract, they would lend up to 100% financing and sell the property afterwards. At the time they implied that they had hundreds of other clients that they lend on each day. And that there was an abundance of properties available. But what they failed to mention is that they have a strict criteria for lending and most properties will not qualify for lending, and that their lending fees (which were not disclosed before the purchase of the program) are among the highest in the industry. This prevents almost all properties from qualifying from there programs. You would have to pretty much get a property for free in order to qualify.

    I have submitted two properties to their underwriters, and both were rejected because of last minute requirements that changed the lending criteria.

    I paid $2,000 (one year's worth) in order to be able to receive funding. This included my first appraisal fee of $650 (also highest in the industry). My first submission I used up this appraisal credit only to be shot down. After I complained, they offered me a redo to use on another property. The next property I used the credit on was also shut down because of other requirements that "pop up" unexpectedly in order for them not to lend.

    I have asked several times for a refund of my money and all they have offered was an additional year's subscription. This has not helped out in the least because of the hundred or so properties I have analyzed, none would ever qualify for their lending.

    In essence, they have absconded with my money, and do not intend to ever fund a project, because of their high fees, and the unavailability of rehab properties in the market they have rigged the game against me.

    I hope someday I will be able to get my refund of the money I lost to these people. 

  • Towson, MD · Member since 2015 · 161 posts · 44 votes
    10y

    Thank you @Carlos Diaz for sharing your experience. It seems there is such a wide spectrum of what a HML may require and charge. We are in the process of talking to several banks and lenders for funding for 2 condos as well as a flip. We have a contract on the condos, and are searching for a first time flip on the MLS. We are new as well, and we have talked to several different lenders over the past several months. The challenge seems to be having a loan that is high enough to make it worth while for a bank to lend on, then also having the the POF letter in place for our realtor to make solid offers on MLS properties. We were looking at HML's but after learning how expensive it was, we are now looking for bank financing. Thank you for sharing. It would definitely be a plus if Bigger Pockets had some kind of "Angie's List" online review section for the different providers that investors may be looking for.

  • Anthony SuscoPro Member
    Lender · Turnersville, NJ · Member since 2016 · 173 posts · 68 votes
    10y

    @Carlos Diaz, I am sorry to hear about your misfortunes with previous HML. Large upfront fees are always a red flag when looking for HML. For us personally, as you can see from our website, we disclose all of our fees and the only upfront fee you will pay is the $350 appraisal fee which is after you are pre-approved as a borrower. At that point, we would not "reject" your deal, but may have to reduce the desired loan amount due to the result of the appraisal. At this time though, we only lend in NJ, NY, PA, and DE.

  • Specialist · Dallas, TX · Member since 2015 · 15 posts · 3 votes
    10y

    If you want to learn about Real Estate Investing go Follow my INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT @REALESTATE_ACADEMY 

    @Brian Barnes @Jeff Lezark @Cortney Newmans @Anthony Dadlani @Anthony Susco @Gary Nakauchi @Jacque Fairbourn @Nnabuenyi Anigbogu @Tyron McDaniel @Ben Wendt 

  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    10y

    @Anthony Susco  while your business practices are normal for the industry  Dohardmoney thrives on newbies with NO money and they suck them into thinking they can get 100% financing for someone doing their first deal. .which we know simply does not exist in the market place other than with these folks. they mitigate that with snagging 2 to 3k up front and not doing the majority of deals that come to them. and of course they can just say they don't qualify which I am sure they don't because they are dealing with newbies that don't have any experience.. its really quite sad what these folks base their business model on.. just another form of guruism is my take on it.. and most of it originated out of Utah unfortunately.

  • Realtor · Greensboro, NC · Member since 2015 · 85 posts · 23 votes
    9y
    Brian Barnes you have an update on this?
  • Realtor · Greensboro, NC · Member since 2015 · 85 posts · 23 votes
    9y

    Nevermind, I just got off the phone with them. After I showed up some skepticism, he told me we're wasting his time. Doesn't feel like a business partner to me. 

  • Oak Lawn, IL · Member since 2015 · 22 posts · 8 votes
    9y

    No not very professional when I spoke with a Rep.  He sounded clueless.  I ended up not going with them.  Glad you didn't either.

  • Realtor · Greensboro, NC · Member since 2015 · 85 posts · 23 votes
    9y
    Yes I told him I've been researching and building my knowledge for a year and a half. He said that gives him red flags because I'm waiting so long to pull the trigger haha. Studying so I'm sure I'm ready to invest shouldn't be a red flag. That's when I knew I wasn't going with them.
  • Oak Lawn, IL · Member since 2015 · 22 posts · 8 votes
    9y

    Good job red flagging his red flag lol.  Idiots.

  • Normal, IL · Member since 2017 · 20 posts · 4 votes
    9y

    Would Love any updates on your experience, @Brian Barnes. . .

  • Normal, IL · Member since 2017 · 20 posts · 4 votes
    9y

    Sorry, got to the end of the first page didn't realize it wasn't the end of the thread.

    So since not DHM, what funding sources HAVE you utilized in the last year?

  • Oak Lawn, IL · Member since 2015 · 22 posts · 8 votes
    9y

    I actually went in another direction entirely.  So nothing as of yet.  Sorry!

  • Real Estate Broker · North Aurora, IL · Member since 2014 · 130 posts · 82 votes
    8y

    There are plenty of quality hard money lenders operating in the marketplace today. Right off the top of my head, Lendinghome, Lendingone, Lima One, FOAC, are starting points for fix and flip money. There are regional players everywhere these days find your local REIA or even their web site and go from there.

    Best of Luck!

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