Real estate investors have more financing options than ever before. Two popular loan types—Private Money and DSCR (Debt-Service Coverage Ratio) loans—offer very different benefits depending on the borrower’s goals, property type, and financial situation. Understanding when to choose one over the other can make or break your investment strategy. What Is a Private Money Loan?…
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)—also known as backyard homes, garage conversions, or casitas—have become a key part of the housing strategy in Southern California. As housing demand continues to outpace supply, ADUs offer a practical way to add much-needed rental units in existing neighborhoods. Thanks to recent legislation, it’s easier than ever for property owners to…
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries across the board, and private money lending is no exception. For business purpose borrowers, private lenders and Trust Deed investors, AI tools offer data-driven insights, operational efficiencies, and improved risk assessment. Below are empirical examples of how AI is being used in hard money lending today: Property Valuations AI-powered…
Are you a real estate investor or rehabber looking to make a profit by purchasing distressed properties and renovating them for resale? Look no further than our Fix & Flip Residential Loan Program. Designed specifically for active rehabbers in California, this program offers a range of benefits and flexible lending criteria to help you achieve…
In the ever-evolving landscape of real estate investing, understanding the concept of After Repair Value (ARV) remains crucial. ARV serves as an estimate of a property’s future worth after undergoing necessary repairs and improvements. Unlike the property’s current purchase price, ARV projects its potential value once the renovations are completed. It’s a pivotal tool, primarily…
It’s time to seize the opportunities presented by the dynamic housing market of 2024. Home prices in California continue to rise and set new records. Data from Houzeoi reports that California homes continued to sell at eye-popping prices in early 2024. The median home sale price rose 6.5% year-over-year from $693,800 to $739,100 in January 2024. The…
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Inflation, interest rates, and commodity prices came roaring back in 2022 and caused market turmoil in many asset classes. Inflation peaked mid-year in the US at circa 9%, housing and food prices rose strongly, and many Wall St. instruments dropped precipitously. Despite volatility in these capital markets, Trust Deed Portfolios continued to generate consistent results,…
(Glenn Goldan, Brock Vandenburg, Mayumi Bowers (Moderator), Sandy MacDougall and Ken Thayer face off at the CMA Summer Conference Mortgage Fund vs. Fractional Trust Deed Debate) The California Mortgage Association (CMA) held its first ever “Debate” at the 2022 Summer Conference in beautiful San Diego. On one side, Team Fund espoused the benefits and opportunities…
More and more property buyers and Real Estate Investors want to find and buy a property where they can add an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). An ADU is a secondary dwelling unit with complete independent living facilities for one or more persons. ADU’s generally include: Detached: The unit is separated from the primary structure Attached:…
We live in the age of Search. I’m amazed at how we can now Ask Alexa, Siri, Cortana, or Google for the weather, a joke, the game score, or an answer to an obscure question. I am constantly amazed by the correct answers I get to obscure questions. As the behemoth in Search, Google also…
Welcome to the Sharing Economy. We now share office space where we used to have our own desk or office. We share cars using Uber or Lyft. We now are even forced to share bathrooms. In Real Estate, Time Shares have survived for many years. The new Pacaso.com offers shared equity ownership in 1st or…
Now may be the time to Cash Out and Capitalize on the steamy housing market. Home prices continue to reach record highs in the United States. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released data showing that average home prices in June 2021 reached $363,300 — a 23.4% increase over the average of $294,400 in June 2020, as…
Trust Deed Investments and the secured, equity protected, non-correlated monthly cash flow should create peaceful and blissful sleep filled nights. Sometimes, however, I wake up at 3 in the morning wondering about this hard money lending business and our loan originations. Usually, these sleepless encounters result from an upcoming decision or circumstance that causes angst. …
Confused on how Fractional Trust Deed Investing works? Learn the basics below: The Law: A Fractional Trust Deed Investment is a transaction that pools together investor money to jointly lend on a California property with a compliant loan purpose. “Fractionalized” Promissory Notes and Deeds of Trust, when negotiated by a Mortgage Loan Broker (MLB),…
Elections matter and votes for our current Sacramento elected officials have consequences. My last Blog discussed AB 2501 which was a proposed Foreclosure Law that would create moratoriums on Foreclosures. Our voices, calls, letters and emails to elected officials quelled AB 2501, however the Super Majority in Sacramento took many of those same destructive ideas and passed…
What does it mean to be short to close? Property sellers, brokers and borrowers cringe when they hear the phrase, “Short to Close”. This Escrow alarm sent out to all stakeholders in the transaction means that the loan amount is not sufficient to cover all the costs necessary to close the loan transaction. Unfortunately, the…
When purchasing, selling or refinancing a property, the Preliminary Title Report (Prelim) shows critical elements of a Properties Chain of Title that must be verified and or cleared to transact. A Preliminary Title Report can be obtained from a Title Company with a local County presence where the property resides. While managing the prelim is…
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as we all navigate this unprecedented time together. Our hearts go out to the people who have been affected by this health crisis and we appreciate everyone who is on the front line working to contain COVID-19. Now more than ever, we want to communicate with you and stress that Mortgage Vintage…
What are the 2020 opportunities in ADU lending? This Blog is an update to our Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU) Blog published in Sept. 2018. Many new developments have happened in the last 1½ years relating to ADU’s that influence ADU requirements, development, construction, laws and financing. Recently I organized and spoke on a California…
It’s never been clearer that there’s been a major pivot in the race to achieve the best hard money lending experience. It is clear the Digital Mortgage experience is more important than ever to lenders’ and loan officers’ production, profit and customer satisfaction. I recently joined Brian Boike, VP of Product Management at Simplifile, to…
How can you tidy up your workplace and home? On a local Corona Del Mar Buck Gulley nature walk this last weekend, I encountered this breathtaking spring flowery hillside and a sign that said, “Habitat Restoration in Progress.” A few days before this walk during a routine property visit in Riverside County, I noticed cars…
Whether a Hard Money Lender (HML) uses a monolithic Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and/or Loan Origination System (LOS) or has cobbled together a variety of Systems to facilitate their loan origination, the lender should migrate towards a Digital Mortgage (DM) one piece at a time. Like how my 10 and 12-year-old Children use a fruit…
I want to thank you for your continued support of Mortgage Vintage and CrowdTrustDeed. When we founded Mortgage Vintage in 2009 and CrowdTrustDeed in 2015, our vision was to use technology, data and relationships to help us make better loan origination decisions and to simplify, provide clarity and online access to Trust Deed investing. We are…
I recently teamed up with Joe Tyrrell, EVP at Ellie Mae, to speak at the California Mortgage Association Conference in Las Vegas. Joe and I discussed “Understanding the Digital Mortgage” from the Hard Money Lender (HML) perspective. This is an important topic and it will be broken up into two parts. This month we will…
How straight talk clears confusion Transparency remains one of the many aspects I enjoy in the Hard Money Loan and Trust Deed Investment Marketplace. In some recent reading, I read a Quote, “To Be Unclear is to be Unkind”. I wanted to spend a few moments to delve into this Quote to clarify exactly what…
What to look for when evaluating the quality of construction? Many hard money loans in Orange County involve a borrower rehabbing or repositioning a property before a sale or rental. The resulting property sale or rental will happen faster when the rehabber deploys proper project management and quality construction. A well-run project will facilitate a…
How does constant process improvement make better hard money loans? As CrowdTrustDeed enters its 4th year, I want to thank you for your continued support. When Mortgage Vintage founded and established CrowdTrustDeed on January 1, 2015, our vision was to use technology and data to help our borrowers and brokers receive a more streamlined origination process…
A good joke is always fun during the Holidays. Have you heard the one about the two people who were about to do a Real Estate Deal? One person had all the money and the other person had all the experience. Well guess what happened after the Deal happened? The person with the money ended…
How can hard money lenders help someone in need? After graduating from UCLA Allen purchased his dream lot in Malibu in 1984. He purchased a used Motor Home that first paraded to a UCLA vs. Cal football game in Northern California filled with delirious sorority and fraternity members, but then became his temporary home on…