Hard Money Facts

Is your stomach turning every time the Fed raises their rates? You’re not alone. America is facing an affordable housing crisis; demand for affordable housing is high, but the high interest rate environment created by the Fed is producing gridlock when it comes to supply. You may be thinking it’s a good time to circle the wagons and wait out the storm. A defensive stance like so is not uncommon in times of economic uncertainty. But if history has a way of repeating itself (and it does), then now is the time to hunt for opportunity.

Does this scenario sound familiar?

You find an amazing investment property. Your heart is set on it. You scramble to find a private lender to close the deal—and things fall apart. Perhaps the lender denies you because it’s not one of their target markets. Or you can’t get them on the phone and another investor beats you to the punch. Or maybe—most infuriatingly—a Wall Street market turn makes your lender lose confidence and you’re left at the closing table without a closed deal wondering…. where did I go wrong?

There’s only one way to prevent every one of these scenarios: begin with the end in mind. (This is also one of Stephen Covey’s seven habits of highly effective people.) Select your lender before you look for properties, and do so with scrutiny. Choosing your lender first allows you to position your dominos so you can knock them all down, flawlessly, on closing day.

There are numerous private lenders out there. So how do you begin to compare? Ask the following questions, and the right relationship will become apparent:

Here are some things to consider when budgeting to flip vs. hold.

What is your private lender’s source of capital?

Few investors pay much mind to where their lender’s cash comes from. But you should, because many private lenders are backed by Wall Street sources of capital. So when the capital markets are all up and to the right, these private lenders close a high number of deals. But when the winds of Wall Street change—which they do from time to time—they cancel deals, alter terms or close up shop until the wind blows over leaving you, the investor, stranded.

Look for a private lender that uses their own money: a balance sheet lender. Residential Capital Partners is a balance sheet lender that controls its own destiny as well as yours through use of its own capital on each closed deal. That’s how we thrived during the 2008 housing crisis and throughout the 2020 pandemic. We approved countless deals for investors whose initial lender changed the terms of the deal at the closing table or flat out walked away from the closing table during a bear market.

Rising interest rates and inflation shouldn’t deter you from acquiring long-term rental properties.

In the current market, it can be difficult to determine whether now is the right time to acquire long-term rental properties. Interest rates are still on the rise. According to Bank Rate, the current average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage is 7.04%, up 12 basis points since September 30, 2022. While inflation appears to be leveling out on some fronts, the buying power of average American families cannot withstand the high cost of money today. This is forcing many Americans to step back and assess the feasibility of buying a home right now.

So, why is it still the right time for the SFR investor to acquire long-term single-family rental properties?

After years of low interest rates, it seems 2022 is the year we’ll see them on the rise. With the Federal Reserve planning to embark on a series of interest-rate hikes this year beginning in March, real estate investors are preparing for these predictions to potentially become reality.

Fortunately, smart investors work from a strategic point of view, and many apply the BRRRR model, which helps in situations like these. To refresh, the BRRRR (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat) Method is a real estate investment strategy that involves buying and rehabbing a property, renting it out, and refinancing the leased up rental property over a 30-year term at a fixed rate of interest. This Method provides an opportunity for passive income and a diverse rental portfolio. If BRRRR Method is one of your investment strategies, now is the time to lock in for the long-term.

Welcome back to the second installment of our goal-setting series. If you missed the first installment on SMART goals, be sure to check out Part 1 and begin crafting your goals. Remember, these aren’t resolutions but actionable, achievable goals to help you grow your business. Journaling has a place within that story, and we’re here to help you get started.

JOURNALING to Success

Journaling allows you to take inventory of the past and present and forge a new path for the future. It’s a simple way to get all your thoughts onto the page, and it can help you sort through your priorities. This is a great exercise to help you refine your SMART goals or help you identify what you want to prioritize before you document them. There are no right or wrong answers in journaling; it’s all about getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper.

Whether you're beginning this new year with goals to start investing in single-family real estate or you’re a seasoned investor who wants to continue expanding your single-family rental portfolio, it's essential to set actionable goals, measure progress, and seek the right guidance along the way.

Why Goals Matter

Goals are very different from New Year's resolutions. While resolutions may be well-intentioned, they are often thrown together without a plan or willingness to sacrifice what’s required for success. Statistic Brain analyzed New Year's resolutions and found that just 8% of people achieve their New Year's resolutions while a whopping 92% fail completely.

Goals, on the other hand, are usually more well-thought-out, and come with action items attached to them. Those action items help frame the decisions and direct the resources applied to accomplishing the goal. They are the milestones to the roadmap which leads to the accomplished goal!