Alternative lending is a relatively new type of lending for real estate investors. Why would you come to us for your project funding, rather than working through a bank or other lender?
Here are 50+ real-life reasons (examples taken from actual iFC borrowers).
You have …
- A lender that changed your loan terms without communicating with you.
- A lender that is unresponsive.
- A lender that left you unfunded at the closing table.
- A lender that unexpectedly stopped funding new construction deals.
- A lender that is delaying processing of your loan, causing you to get multiple extensions from a seller to close.
- A lender that has significantly reduced your leverage.
- A lender that is not sure they can close.
- A lender that cannot get an appraisal done (or that uses national appraisal companies that mess deals up).
- A dishonest lender that keeps “moving the goal post back,” and you feel like you are no closer to closing.
- A lender that mishandled your previous construction loan, and you need to refinance out of that loan to give you more time to finish your project.
You have …
- A need to move more quickly and get more leverage than you can in your banking relationships.
- Reached capacity with your current funding sources and you need a new lending option to keep things moving.
- The need to reposition your debt due to market conditions.
- The need for a portfolio loan for residential rental properties.
- The need to access capital to continue to grow your business with multiple deals moving at once.
- A need for more flexibility, understanding, and resourcefulness from your lender to scale your business as quickly and efficiently as possible.
- Experience in one state, but you need a lender to fund deals outside of your home state.
- Cash flow needs to grow, and by bringing less money down on each loan, you can invest in more projects.
- You want to use the BRRRR (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat) method, and after completing renovations, you want to get your initial capital back out of your projects so you can scale.
- Cash equity in your projects, and you want to refinance to use your cash for another project.
- Projects with short timelines (e.g., one year), and the slightly higher alternative loan interest rate you would pay over that period, in relation to a bank loan, does not amount to much relative to the whole project.
You have …
- Started a new construction project paying out of pocket and you need to pay your contractor upfront to start the next phase.
- A fix and flip deal that needs to close quickly (within a few weeks) or you will lose the deal.
- A multifamily project and you need a lender who can move quickly with more leverage than the bank and lend on the project’s imputed equity.
- A condo you want to purchase, but it is non-warrantable by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the bank will not fund it. (Properties, such as condos, may be deemed “non-warrantable” due to having timeshares and commercial space within the HOA, having a front desk in the complex, etc.).
- A house hack, but you cannot get another one with your debt-to-income situation.
- A set closing date on a purchase and you need to close within 15 days with favorable terms.
- Three shovel-ready lots that are ready for construction, but the process with banks is taking much too long to get started.
- A lot under contract that was highly sought after, and you need to close in a timely manner.
- A fix-to-rent project that has issues that need resolving before closing, and the bank has walked away.
- A turnkey short-term rental, single-family, furnished residence that the bank will not loan on.
- A construction project that is encountering supply chain issues and delays, and you need to refinance your equity out of the project to keep the project moving.
- A challenging situation with units that you initially wanted to sell, but that were damaged by a fire. You now need to rehab them and turn them into rental units.
- Raw land that is shovel ready and you are looking for your initial investment back at closing to buy or pursue more invest projects.
- “Imputed equity” and you need cash out for money you invested upfront to complete the project. (Imputed equity is when a project has some type of zoning enhancement, or you have done something to increase its value—e.g., you have a single-family lot you can now subdivide and build two homes or a duplex on.)
- A small multifamily project, up to 10 units, that is not big enough for the bank’s Commercial Real Estate programs (CRE) or the Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) market.
- A fix-to-rent property that you need a bridge loan on (fix) and that you then need transferred to a long-term loan (rent).
- A successful construction/development company with a stellar record in one state, but your bank will not fund you in a new region, due to your lack of experience there.
- A property with an older home on it. You need a short-term rental loan to start, and when the property is demolished for a new luxury build, you are going to need a new construction loan.
- A unique property comprised of a half-dozen cottages and a duplex, and the bank cannot figure out how to fund it.
- A need for a portfolio refinance, without a balloon payment.
- A need to do a “cash offer – delayed purchase,” to make your offer more attractive to a seller: you want to purchase the property in cash, then finance the transaction within a short amount of time on the back end.
- A property that you unexpectedly need to refinance for cash flow reasons, but you have only owned your property for six months, and it does not meet the bank’s seasoning requirements.
- A project with contractor issues that are delaying completion and your loans are quickly approaching maturity with other lenders. You need to find a lender that will completely refinance you out of your renovation loan.
- Established a strong reputation in your market as a developer and are looking to obtain optimal leverage to support new construction projects but are finding it difficult to get “spec home” projects done with the bank.
You have …
- No W-2 or 1099 income (we look at liquid cash to invest and not income).
- A low credit score.
- A high debt-to-income ratio.
- Had financial issues in the past, but you have a project with high-profit potential and some money to put down on it.
- An arrest record and you need a second chance.
These are just a few of the reasons that investors choose to work with i Fund Cities.
And there are plenty more.
For example, in addition to our ability to offer creative funding options, we are also investors, and we understand the real-life hurdles that you face as an investor. Because of that, our loan officers are more likely to be able to figure out a way to help you close your deal than are traditional bank loan officers.
Smart investors have relationships with alternative lenders. They know that, in some deals, speed, flexibility, and having a partner experienced in investing, trumps any slight variations in rates and terms between us and other lenders.
Alternative loans are an invaluable tool in an investor’s toolbelt, and experienced investors use our service when it makes the most sense for their deal.
Cheers Investor Nation!
The i Fund Cities Team
P.S. If you would like to learn more about what we offer, you can Contact Us with general inquiries, or Get a Quote on your project.