An Introduction to Bridge Loans

 Bridge loans are an excellent financing option for making property acquisitions that will help you expand your portfolio. Find out how bridge loans operate and how you can use them as a tool to invest in more properties by learning the ins and outs of the process.

What to Know About Bridge Loans

Bridge loans can be an extremely helpful tool when you're trying to build up your portfolio. It gives you the ability to purchase real estate within a matter of weeks and provides funds for the renovation of the property.

What is a bridge loan?

A bridge loan, also known as a "short-term bridge loan," "fix and flip loan," or "hard money loan," is a short-term loan with high interest only. Other names for this type of loan include "hard money loan" and "fix and flip loan." They are primarily determined by the value of the property both in its current condition and after it has been repaired (also known as the "after-repair value").

The interest rate, origination fees, and closing costs are typically higher than they would be for a standard mortgage. Private lenders are typically the ones to provide financing for bridge loans. Hard money loans are not issued by traditional lenders such as banks, credit unions, or mortgage brokers. Hard money lenders can only be found online.

What kinds of bridge loans are there?

There are two possible structures for a bridge loan, and which one is used depends on the lender as well as the program. When calculating the total amount of the loan, one method that can be utilized is known as the loan to cost ratio (LTC). The second consideration is the property's after-repair value, abbreviated ARV for short.

The following are the key distinctions between the two:

Loan to cost (LTC): 

Loan to cost ratios, also known as LTC, are the foundation of bridge loans. These ratios are derived by calculating the total costs of purchasing and renovating the property. In most cases, the ratio of LTC costs to total costs falls somewhere between 70 and 85 percent.

For instance, a home that must undergo improvements and renovations totaling $25,000 in order to fetch a price of $200,000 could have an original purchase price of $100,000. The total amount that would be spent on the project is $125,000. Your financial institution will lend you 75 percent of the amount you have requested, which comes to a total of $93,750. You are responsible for coming up with the remaining $31,250 on your own. If you sell the property for the estimated price, your profit will be $75,000 after deducting the costs associated with the loan's origination fee , closing cost, and interest.

After repair value (ARV):

After repair value (ARV) bridge loans are calculated based on the estimated selling price of a property that has been renovated, and the amount of the loan is typically somewhere between 70 and 75 percent of that price. An appraisal has been done, and that number is factored into the selling price along with your budget for the renovation. A lender might offer you seventy percent of the property's selling price in exchange for a total loan amount of one hundred and forty thousand dollars if you buy a home for one hundred thousand dollars and need funds for fifty thousand dollars worth of repairs so that you can sell it for two hundred thousand dollars. For the project to generate a profit of $50,000, the only contribution of your own money that will be required is $10,000. (minus interest and loan costs).

What types of properties can you finance with a bridge loan?

Purchases of both single-family and multifamily homes can be made with the assistance of bridge loans. However, these cannot be occupied by the owner at any time. That location is not suitable for permanent residence. Bridge loans are loans that are used by real estate investors to purchase properties that meet their criteria for investing. They are typically undervalued and require rehabilitation because of this. Because rental income can be generated from either a single-family or a multifamily dwelling, the real estate investor will want to refinance the bridge loan as quickly as possible in order to acquire a longer term loan with a lower interest rate. It is possible for the real estate investor to carry out a cash-out refinance if they want to follow the BRRRR strategy, which stands for "buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat."

Your financing strategy for real estate investment might benefit greatly from the incorporation of hard money loans. Just keep in mind that you should never commit to the terms of any loan before conducting adequate research on the available alternatives.

Are you looking to get things rolling? There are many lenders who offer a selection of loan products, some of which include fix-and-flip, rental, and multifamily mortgages. Because of our straightforward application process, rapid closing times, exceptional customer service, and unwavering commitment to assisting our borrowers in the expansion of their businesses, real estate investors will discover the same great benefits when using a private lender on any and all of their transactions.

Many lenders finance fix-and-flip projects, construction from the ground up, and a variety of single-family and multi-family rental loans. Many lenders bridge loan product, Multifamily Bridge, is designed for multifamily investment properties with small balances and provides extensive debt solutions via our vertically-integrated national lending platform.

The advantages of a bridge loan

Provides a quick method for sellers to access the equity in their investments.

Enables the buyer to quickly submit a non-conditional offer.

When contingent offers are not accepted, purchasers can still submit offers.

Effective in housing markets with rapid home sales.

Provides buyers with peace of mind while the sale of their previous home is pending.

Rapid conclusion.

Time to determine the optimal strategy for the asset.

Recoup some of the "sweat equity" contributed to the project.