9 Best Hard Money Lenders in Georgia

Georgia sits right on the Atlantic Coast and is noted for its Southern hospitality. It’s home to over 10.7 million people, making it the 8th most populous state. Atlanta is the largest city by far, with over 6 million people living within the Atlanta Metro area. The region’s economy is very diversified but predominantly agriculture, mining, industry, logistics, and military. There is a tourism component to the area as well. With beautiful weather and a modern vibe, Georgia has much to offer those who call it home.

According to Georgia Realtors, the housing market in Georgia is quite complex and diversified. In April of 2022, the average sales price in the state was $406,102, and the median sales price was $345,000. The average sale price grew 17% from the previous timeframe in 2021. Key in Georgia is limited inventory of homes available for sale, with inventory levels in the state falling by 8% during the month.

In Georgia, about 65.9% of people own their home, and 34.1% rent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Of the available rentals in the area, about 7.6% are vacant. That means there could be opportunities for rental investments in the area since the area has a low vacancy rate. It is important to note that Atlanta has more rental properties than other cities. Other big cities, such as Augusta, Columbus, and Savannah, have a higher number as well. The real estate market is hot throughout Georgia, including in Atlanta and beyond. If you’re interested in Atlanta hard money loans, read on further to discover how these work.

How hard money loans work in Georgia

A hard money loan is a type of secured finance tool. It allows for borrowers to take out a loan against the value of the home. As a result of this arrangement, the lender has the right to force the sale of the property if the borrower defaults on the purchase. Because lenders have this type of security, it provides them with a way to reduce the overall risk involved in lending for sometimes high-risk properties.

Unlike a refinance or a traditional loan, private money lenders have their own rules and requirements for residential real estate or new construction. Make sure you know what to expect with underwriting before working with one of these lenders on residential properties or commercial real estate deals. This can work with certain investment opportunities, but you need to verify that you have a good fit hard money lender for your next Georgia purchase.

Typically, hard money lenders who provide private money loans have higher interest rates than other traditional mortgage lenders. However, they also provide loans with more risk to them. This may include loans such as fix and flip loans, rental investment property loans, and other commercial property development. These properties typically carry a higher risk of default, warranting the added cost to borrowers. However, for those who hope to invest in these properties and who may not want to put a lot of their personal funding into the project, these loans can prove beneficial.

Hard money loans like this typically have a short term, usually between 1 and 5 years. After that point, the property owner has either sold the home (in a fix and flip) and paid off the loan or has refinanced into a new loan with a lower interest rate or otherwise better terms. These are not meant to be long-term loans. That is another reason why the interest rate is a bit higher on them. Each lender sets its own terms and conditions, including credit scores, income requirements, experience requirements, and others for their borrowers. Yet, hard money lenders tend to be more lenient than traditional lenders.

9 Top Georgia hard money lenders

Some lenders only offer hard money loans to experienced investors, while other programs can lend to those that are pursuing their first real estate investment.

1. BridgeWell Capital 

BridgeWell Capital got started in 2008 and, according to their website, has funded over $500 million in real estate investment deals. They lend throughout the midwest and eastern part of the country and offer the typical suite of private money financing.

We contacted BridgeWell Capital to learn more about their private lending business and here are some of the highlights:

• Rental loans require 25% down
• Residential and commercial properties ok
• No tax returns or income verification
• 5-year rental loan term
• Fix and flip loans can cover 100% of rehab costs
• Up to 75% ARV
• No interest on undrawn rehab funds
• No pre-payment penalty

When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.

2. Lima One Capital

Lima One Capital is based in Greenville, South Carolina and founded by former Marines. They lend throughout the United States and offer typical private money lending products like Fix and Flip, bridge loans, construction loans, rental loans and multi-family loans.

We contacted Lima One Capital to learn more about their private lending business and here are some of the highlights:

• For Fix and Flip loans, up to 90% LTC and 70% LTV for loans from $75K to $3 million
• 12, 19 and 24-month terms available
• Interest only loans
• For Fix and Rent loans, can finance single properties or portfolio loans with 5, 10, 30-year term options available
• For rental property, can fund loans from $75K to $1 million up to 80% LTV on purchases and refinances.

When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.

3. Perfecto Capital

Perfecto Capital is based out of Boca Raton, Florida and mainly focuses on the Florida market, although they are willing to lend in other states on a case-by-case basis. Started by Lukas Samuels, Perfecto Capital has been in business since 2014 and focuses on residential (1-4 units) and commercial multi-family (5+ units).

We contacted Perfecto Capital to learn more about their private lending business and here are some of the highlights:

• Up to $2 million per property
• Loans up to 70% of the property’s after-repair value (ARV)
• Direct lender with control of its own funds and decision making
• Residential (1-4 units) and commercial multi-family (5+ units) ok
• Does not lend on primary residences, co-ops, raw land, mobile homes or other commercial property.
• Cross-collateralization of properties ok
• No experience required for most loan programs, however experienced investors and repeat customers may have better terms.
• No income requirements
• No credit check
• Construction financing only available to experienced contractors or builders

When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.

4. Stratton Equities

Stratton Equities is a nationwide direct hard money lender for real estate investors. Founded by Michael Mikhail in 2017, Stratton Equities has over five years of experience in the private lending market.

We reached out to Stratton Equities to get more information about their hard money lending program and here are some highlights:

• Loan amounts from $100,000 up to $5 million
• Investment properties only
• Single-Family, Condos, Townhomes, Multi-Family, Commercial, Mixed-Use, Office, Retail, Industrial and Warehouse are all ok
• Up to a 75% LTV
• Rates start at 7.25%
• Interest only payments
• Loan terms are 9-24 months
• Foreign nationals are eligible
• No prepayment penalty option is available

When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.

5. HouseMax Funding

HouseMax Funding is based out of Austin, Texas but has a national footprint when it comes to real estate industry lending. Started by Jeff Fetcher and Alex Morris, HouseMax provides asset-based loan financing to investors for real estate transactions.

We reached out to HouseMax to learn more about their hard money lending program and here is what we found:

• Minimum loan amount is $75,000
• Lends up to 75% of the after-repair value (APV)
• 1-3 points origination charge
• 3 months reserves required
• Direct lender that approves loans internally and funds using their own private capital.
• Lends in urban and suburban communities in all 50 states.
• Goal is to close loans in 10 days or less.
• Specializes in fix & flip loans, construction and rental loans
• Multi-family and commercial properties are ok

When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.

6. Easy Street Capital

East Street Capital is based in Austin, Texas but lends nationwide except in North and South Dakota. Founded by Stephen Hagerman in 2016, Easy Street Capital has over six years of experience in the real estate investing world.

We reached out to Easy Street Capital to learn more about their hard money loans and this is what we found:

• Interest rates range from 6.9% – 10.9%
• Points range from 2-3
• There is a $1495 document fee
• No minimum credit score required
• Down payments of at least 10% required
• Renovation financing ok
• Fix and Flip loans do not typically have prepayment penalties

When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.

7. EquityMax

EquityMax is based out of Florida and most of its business in the state but is able to lend throughout the United States. Founded by Brad Emmer in 1990, EquityMax has decades of experience as a hard money lender.

We reached out to EquityMax to learn more about their hard money loans and these are the key highlights that you need to know:

• Single Family Homes
• 1-4 Multi-Unit Properties
• Condos and Townhomes ok
• Commercial property and Industrial Warehouses OK
• Direct lender that has decision making over financing deals.
• Can originate loans to individuals, LLCs, corporations, land trusts and self-directed IRAs.
• No prepayment penalties
• No minimum credit score required

When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.

8. Fund That Flip

Fund That Flip is a hard money lender based in New York that focuses on short term bridge loans for real estate investors looking to flip properties. Founded by Matt Rodak in 2014, Fund That Flip lends in most states.

We contacted Fund That Flip to learn more about their bridge loan program and here is what we found:

• Up to 80% LTC and 70% ARV ratios for your project
• Rates start at 9.99%
• Direct lender with discretionary capital
• Construction projects ok
• 10% down payment required

When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.

9. LendSimpli

LendSimpli is a hard money lender based in Tampa, Florida. They can lend nationally in most states but may not be able to lend if the property is in a rural area. Founded by Brenden Crampton and Matthew Davies in 2018, they have nearly four years of experience in the private lending real estate investing market.

We reached out to LendSimpli to get more details about their bridge loan product and this is what we found:

• Loan amounts up to $5 million for 1-4 unit properties
• Loan amounts up to $20 million for 5+ unit properties
• Single family (1-4 units)
• Multifamily (5-20 units)
• No owner-occupied properties
• Loan terms 12-24 months
• Interest-only payments with rates starting at 8.50%
• Max LTC is 90% of project costs
• Minimum credit score is 660
• Prefer that you have at least two transactions in the past three years

When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.

How are Georgia hard money loans different from other loans?

There are a lot of differences between hard money loans and traditional conventional or federally backed mortgage loans. First, these loans have less overall oversight from the government, which means that lenders may be able to lend to those who have outside the normal borrowing needs. It also means that lenders can offer loans to borrowers who may have a slightly lower credit score. While all hard money lenders consider credit scores when lending, they are less likely to make this the only component of making a lending decision.

Another key benefit to using hard money loans in Georgia is that it is possible to borrow based on the after repair value of the property. That means that the borrower may be able to secure enough funding to cover the purchase of the property as well as the cost of all of the repair work that goes into the fix and flip. That type of borrowing opportunity is critical to those who do not want to put a lot of their own money into a flip like this.

Hard money loans also often offer a lower down payment requirement compared to conventional loans from traditional banks. Those banks often charge as much as 20% of the purchase price of the home as a down payment, which can be hard to put aside. By comparison, some hard money lenders charge just 2% down, which can make these loans more accessible to borrowers.

In addition to this, hard money loans may be faster to obtain. Compared to a traditional mortgage that could require 60 to 90 days to close, hard money lenders often can complete the process sooner, sometimes in as little as a few weeks. There is also less focus on things like home inspections and approvals for safety which are typical concerns when purchasing a home through an FHA loan or other types of federally backed mortgage loan programs. This makes hard money loans more accessible to borrowers who want to act fast to buy an available property.

Looking for a hard money lender in a different state?

If you want to find the best hard money lenders in other states, click on your state below.