Tag Archive for: OPM

Here are 3 cons of private money to keep you informed.

Private money (money from real people) is one of the most valuable tools a real estate investor can keep on-hand.

It’s flexible, it’s cheap, it’s easy… But finding and keeping lenders is the hard part.

Here are 3 cons to private money you should watch out for.

Cons of Other People’s Private Money

There are plenty of positives, but it’s wise to be aware of some potential trouble spots too:

  • It’s harder to find lenders. You can’t walk into a bank to get this kind of money; you just have to find the right individuals. Your OPM lenders don’t necessarily have to be millionaires, but they do have to have a good chunk of free money available for you. It can take time to find these people.
  • Keeping OPM lenders can be difficult. It’s takes a lot of time and attention to nurture your real private money lenders. You need to keep their money secure, pay them on time, and provide them with good opportunities. It’s best to have multiple OPM lenders available to you.
  • Finding other people’s money means selling the people on it. People who would most benefit from being a private lender might not even know what it means. If a doctor, dentist, teacher, etc is keeping their life savings in a bank account or IRA, then they might get a better return doing private lending. However, people outside of real estate might not understand how it works. It’s your job to explain how their money gets secured and how the process works.

The funding itself may be easier, faster, and cheaper, but with private money, finding and managing a relationship with a lender can be the hard part.

Just remember that anyone with money is looking for a stable return. If you can prove you’ll provide that, funding opportunities will start rolling in.

How to Get Other People’s Money

To avoid cons, how does the process work once you find other people’s money?

If you need help finding, attracting, convincing, or setting up an OPM lender, let us know. For the last 15+ years, we’ve raised millions and millions of dollars through OPM. Send us an email at Info@TheCashFlowCompany.com with any questions.

Download our free real private money checklist here.

Read the full article here.

Watch the video here:

https://youtu.be/CyS9V9Z7zBQ

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Private money in real estate has its pros and cons. Here’s what you gain from using it.

Private money, other people’s money, real OPM.

Aka… funding from real people, not institutions.

With real other people’s money, there is no box. You create all the terms.

Depending on the individual OPM lender, you can get small gap loans, or large loans for an entire project. Other people’s money can be short-term, long-term; down payments, carry costs; the options are limitless.

Private Money in Real Estate: The Pros

In addition to the total flexibility of other people’s money, here are some other benefits to this style of funding:

  • Firstly, it’s great for beginners. You don’t need experience, and you don’t need the qualifications required by most traditional lenders.
  • No (or limited) red tape. They won’t check your credit score, income, tax returns, or require an application.
  • It’s cheaper. There are almost never fees, and the interest rates are comparable to a bank’s (on the lower end for financing).
  • You can close quickly. You don’t have to wait for an appraisal to happen or for an application to be processed. Funding is a phone call away.
  • Do any deal. OPM lenders won’t have a box for you to fit in. As long as they get their return, most people could care less what type of property you invest in.

Why Would Someone Give You Private Money in Real Estate?

Is it too good to be true? Why would a random person want to give you their money?

The thing about using real other people’s money is it’s an easy win-win scenario.

People with a lot of cash are always looking for a good place to put it, but:

  • Most people don’t want to be in charge of their own real estate investments.
  • But, banks have a very low rate of return.
  • Also, the stock market is unpredictable. (A good source of real OPM is older individuals who are nearing retirement. Stocks give a good rate of return in the long term, but when someone plans on retiring soon, they’ll be looking for shorter-term stability).

These people are looking for you as much as you’re looking for them. It’s just a matter of attracting (and keeping!) the right people.

More Info:

Download our free real private money checklist here.

Read the full article here.

Watch the video here:

https://youtu.be/CyS9V9Z7zBQ

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The pros and cons of using other people’s money in real estate investing.

When we say real private money, we’re not talking about companies who’ve just changed their name from “hard money lender” to “private money lender.”

We’re talking about real people. Actual individuals who want to lend you money on a real estate transaction. Real money that’s cheaper, easier, and faster than any funding you could get from an institution.

Let’s go over how other people’s money can be used to fund your transactions, plus the pros and cons.

How Does Other People’s Money Work?

Real private money is the ultimate flexible funding for your real estate investments. Once you have a relationship with a lender, funding a deal is as simple as calling them with a closing timeline and the amount you need.

Remember, we’re not talking about big Wall Street companies that call themselves private money lenders. These types of lenders have strict guidelines and an underwriting process. They have a box you have to fit in.

With real other people’s money, there is no box. You create all the terms.

Depending on the individual OPM lender, you can get small gap loans, or large loans for an entire project. Other people’s money can be short-term, long-term; down payments, carry costs; the options are limitless.

Benefits of Real Private Money

In addition to the total flexibility of other people’s money, here are some other benefits to this style of funding:

  • It’s great for beginners. You don’t need experience, and you don’t need the qualifications required by most traditional lenders.
  • No (or limited) red tape. They won’t check your credit score, income, tax returns, or require an application.
  • It’s cheaper. There are almost never fees, and the interest rates are comparable to a bank’s (on the lower end for financing).
  • You can close quickly. You don’t have to wait for an appraisal to happen or for an application to be processed. Funding is a phone call away.
  • Do any deal. OPM lenders won’t have a box for you to fit in. As long as they get their return, most people could care less what type of property you invest in.

Why Would Someone Lend You Money?

Is it too good to be true? Why would a random person want to give you their money?

The thing about using real other people’s money is it’s an easy win-win scenario.

People with a lot of cash are always looking for a good place to put it, but:

  • Most people don’t want to be in charge of their own real estate investments.
  • Banks have a very low rate of return.
  • The stock market is unpredictable. (A good source of real OPM is older individuals who are nearing retirement. Stocks give a good rate of return in the long term, but when someone plans on retiring soon, they’ll be looking for shorter-term stability).

These people are looking for you as much as you’re looking for them. It’s just a matter of attracting (and keeping!) the right people.

Downsides of Other People’s Money

So, what are the cons to using real private money? There are plenty of positives, but it’s wise to be aware of some potential trouble spots:

  • It’s harder to find lenders. You can’t walk into a bank to get this kind of money; you just have to find the right individuals. Your OPM lenders don’t necessarily have to be millionaires, but they do have to have a good chunk of free money available for you. It can take time to find these people.
  • Keeping OPM lenders can be difficult. It’s takes a lot of time and attention to nurture your real private money lenders. You need to keep their money secure, pay them on time, and provide them with good opportunities. It’s best to have multiple OPM lenders available to you.
  • Finding other people’s money means selling the people on it. People who would most benefit from being a private lender might not even know what it means. If a doctor, dentist, teacher, etc is keeping their life savings in a bank account or IRA, then they might get a better return doing private lending. However, people outside of real estate might not understand how it works. It’s your job to explain how their money gets secured and how the process works.

The funding itself may be easier, faster, and cheaper, but with private money, finding and managing a relationship with a lender can be the hard part.

Just remember that anyone with money is looking for a stable return. If you can prove you’ll provide that, funding opportunities will start rolling in.

How to Get Other People’s Money

So how does the process work once you find other people’s money?

If you need help finding, attracting, convincing, or setting up an OPM lender, let us know. For the last 15+ years, we’ve raised millions and millions of dollars through OPM. Send us an email at Info@TheCashFlowCompany.com with any questions.

Want some more information right away? Download this real private money checklist for free. You can also check out the videos on our YouTube channel.

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Ordinary people’s money is fast, cheap, easy funding, but why would OPM lenders WANT to give you money?

OPM is usually known as “Other People’s Money,” but with our real estate clients, we think of it as “Ordinary People’s Money.”

Relatives, friends, and people in real estate groups would all be open to lending you money for your investments.

This type of private money is fast and less expensive, with minimal paperwork. But why would these people WANT to give you their money?

Why People Want to be OPM Lenders

Part of why OPM in real estate works so well is because it’s a win-win.

Your lender gets a better return on their money than many other investment methods, for zero work.

You’re paying them a (lower than institutional funding) rate of interest. Especially with the economy as unpredictable as it is right now, people who have cash want a stable place to put it with a consistent return. Becoming an OPM real estate lender offers just that.

In addition to a stable rate, OPM lenders also get to invest in their community. Rather than putting money in stocks, national banks, or huge funds, they get to support a small business like you.

Finding OPM for Real Estate

Reach out at Info@TheCashFlowCompany.com, and we can show you exactly how to find OPM real estate lenders.

What we can’t help you do is keep them – that part is up to you. When you find OPM lenders, make sure to take care of them, get them their returns on time, and be honest throughout the process.

A good lender will either stick with you for the long haul or disappear after the first deal, and it all depends on how easy you are to work with.

Read the full article here.

Watch the video here:

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Here’s why OPM is the fastest, cheapest, best real estate funding source.

OPM refers to money you find from ordinary people, such as friends, family, or anyone in your investment network.

Ordinary People’s Money can fund any real estate deal – whether it’s just the down payment, the carry cost, the whole purchase price and rehab, or a long-term hold. 

The beauty of OPM is you can fund projects a phone call. Let’s look at why OPM is the best real estate funding source.

The Sheer Power of OPM

Fourteen years ago, we didn’t know anyone who could fund deals for us. We had no hedge fund backing us. We had no black book that gave us all the knowledge and tips.

So we figured out how to find OPM for our company. Fourteen years later, we’ve funded thousands of transactions and hundreds of millions of dollars with OPM.

We’ve done it on a larger scale, but we know that you can do it for your investment business too. With our experience using OPM in real estate, we’re happy to walk you through the process. 

Why OPM Is The Best Real Estate Lending Source

OPM is arguably the best lending source out there.

Unlike traditional lenders, OPM does not require:

  • a credit check
  • income verification
  • appraisal
  • extensive paperwork

The terms of the loan are also flexible to fit your specific needs. This could include carrying the interest, a longer or shorter term, or a first or second position. Additionally, OPM loans often come with fewer fees, such as points, processing, and underwriting.

OPM could be all or part of a project’s funding. It could cover:

  • down payment
  • carry cost
  • long-term hold
  • short-term flip

Any project you have, any money you need, you can find it with OPM. And best of all, it’s a partnership where you both win.

Read the full article here.

Watch the video here:

https://youtu.be/Jym-GhdhtoU

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What does ordinary people’s money mean? And how do you get OPM for real estate investments?

Real estate investing has two main parts: the money side and the property side. While finding a good property to invest in is essential, securing funding can often be the most challenging part of the process. 

That’s where OPM (what we call Ordinary People’s Money) comes in. OPM is the “holy grail” of funding real estate projects, making real estate investing faster, easier, and cheaper.

Let’s go over what you need to know about this type of OPM in real estate.

What Is OPM?

OPM refers to money that you find from ordinary people, such as friends, family, or anyone in your investment network. 

Ordinary People’s Money can fund any real estate deal – whether it’s just the down payment, the carry cost, the whole purchase price and rehab, or a long-term hold. 

The beauty of OPM is projects can get funded with a phone call. These people are your family members, friends, someone from an investment group.

The Sheer Power of OPM

Fourteen years ago, we didn’t know anyone who could fund deals for us. We had no hedge fund backing us. We had no black book that gave us all the knowledge and tips.

So we figured out how to find OPM for our company. Fourteen years later, we’ve funded thousands of transactions and hundreds of millions of dollars with OPM.

We’ve done it on a larger scale, but we know that you can do it for your investment business too. With our experience using OPM in real estate, we’re happy to walk you through the process. 

Why OPM Is The Best Real Estate Lending Source

OPM is arguably the best lending source out there.

Unlike traditional lenders, OPM does not require:

  • a credit check
  • income verification
  • appraisal
  • extensive paperwork

The terms of the loan are also flexible to fit your specific needs. This could include carrying the interest, a longer or shorter term, or a first or second position. Additionally, OPM loans often come with fewer fees, such as points, processing, and underwriting.

OPM could be all or part of a project’s funding. It could cover:

  • down payment
  • carry cost
  • long-term hold
  • short-term flip

Any project you have, any money you need, you can find it with OPM. And best of all, it’s a partnership where you both win.

Why Would Someone Want to Be an OPM Real Estate Lender?

Part of why OPM in real estate works so well is because it’s a win-win.

Your lender gets a better return on their money than many other investment methods, for zero work.

You’re paying them a (lower than institutional funding) rate of interest. Especially with the economy as unpredictable as it is right now, people who have cash want a stable place to put it with a consistent return. Becoming an OPM real estate lender offers just that.

In addition to a stable rate, OPM investors also get to invest in their community. Rather than putting money in stocks, national banks, or huge funds, they get to support a small business like you.

Finding OPM for Real Estate

Reach out at Info@TheCashFlowCompany.com, and we can show you exactly how to find OPM real estate lenders.

What we can’t help you do is keep them – that part is up to you. When you find an OPM lender, make sure to take care of them, get them their returns on time, and be honest throughout the process.

A good lender will either stick with you for the long haul or disappear after the first deal, and it all depends on how easy you are to work with.

Other Resources for OPM & Real Estate Investing

It doesn’t matter if you’re experienced or a novice. OPM should be in everyone’s money bucket.

For more info on getting OPM, download this free checklist. For more on real estate funding and strategy, check out the videos on our YouTube channel.

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Sounds like a gimmick, but it’s true – here’s how to get full financing on any real estate deal.

There’s a trick large developers use to finance their real estate projects all the way to 100%. Does the same strategy work on your real estate investing scale?

Sounds like a pipe dream, especially in a market where the Fed keeps tightening lenders’ funds.

Let’s go over how it’s actually possible. We’ll call the funding you need for your project your “money bucket.” We’ll show you how to fill that bucket with different funding sources just like they do on the biggest development projects.

The Money Buckets: How Financing Real Estate Works

Your money bucket is empty at the start of a project. Its size is determined by the costs. For successful investments, you need to fill up the bucket with money.

The financial term for filling the bucket is a “capital stack.” It’s when an investor stacks one loan on top of another until an entire project is funded to 100%. Let’s go over how to put your capital stack, or “money bucket” together.

How Big Is Your Bucket?

If we’re just starting a deal, then our money bucket is empty. How big is it? AKA, what costs do we need to cover?

There are four main costs in real estate investing:

  • Purchase price
  • Rehab
  • Carry costs
  • Interest payments and other miscellaneous

Financing Real Estate to Fill Your Money Bucket 

We need to see if we can fill our money bucket, so we start looking for other buckets of money to throw in. We begin with the loan from our primary lender.

In a typical market, a real estate investment lender (like hard money) would pay 75% of the ARV of the property. That 75% would cover 90% of the purchase price and 100% of the rehab costs.

With tightened money, however, the underwriting guidelines for this bucket have changed. Almost universally, you’ll see these same lenders only offering 70% of the ARV. This adds up to 80% on the purchase and 100% on the rehab. You’re getting less financing for real estate projects, so you’ll have to bring in more money out-of-pocket for this deal.

That’s not an insignificant amount of money, either. Down payments now, in early 2023, are sometimes double what they were six months ago.

Our money bucket might be around 80-90% full with our lender’s loan. But we have to get it filled to 100% somehow. Where do the funds come from so you can keep buying good properties when deals are getting great?

4 Money Buckets to Use When Financing Real Estate

There are 4 other buckets of money you might be able to dip into to complete your capital stack:

  1. Secured lines of credit
  2. Secured gap funding
  3. Unsecured lines of credit
  4. OPM

Word of Warning Financing Real Estate with Credit

Before we get into these 4 extra money buckets, we want to make one thing clear about financing: You have to pay credit sources back.

Treat your lines of credit like lenders that need to be paid in full at the end of your project. Treat your business like a business. What’s left over after you pay off your credit is the profit you get to keep for your project.

If you turn the financing for real estate into a personal piggy bank, these sources will only drain your bucket instead of filling it. Poor credit management will tank your investment business.

1. Secured Lines of Credit

In volatile markets, the most common starting place to complete your capital stack is secured lines of credit.

The most common secured line of credit is a HELOC. You can take out a HELOC on your personal home, or any of your investment properties.

A HELOC just takes good credit, good income, and owning a piece of real estate. If you meet these criteria, then you can take money from this credit line and drop it into the money bucket for your current project.

2. Secured Gap Funding

Another important bucket for financing real estate is secured gap funding from a private money lender (like The Cash Flow Company).

This is a good option if you:

  • Don’t have the income to qualify for a loan.
  • Don’t have the equity to qualify for a HELOC.
  • But do have a real estate property.

This funding can help cover the down payment, carry costs, or part of the rehab using another property to secure the loan.

3. Unsecured Lines of Credit

The appeal of a 0% line of credit is:

  • You can use it for a down payment or rehab costs.
  • Other types of credit can have rates up to 19-29%. Zero percent is a major advantage.
  • The right credit cards can be a great stepping stone to get your first few deals done so you can move on to better forms of financing.

The danger of unsecured credit is:

  • The temptation to use it outside of business expenses.
  • If you don’t pay them off at the end of the project, then you get into trouble fast.

4. Real OPM

Other People’s Money is one of the most powerful ways to boost your real estate career.

OPM is money from ordinary people. The biggest real estate investors always have multiple regular people who loan them money for projects. Borrowing in this way is the fastest, easiest, and cheapest way to fill your money bucket.

It may seem impossible to find someone who wants to give you money. But the reality is: people who have cash aren’t getting good returns from banks; they’ll get higher secured returns lending to you.

Fill Your Money Bucket with 100% Financing on Real Estate Deals

The market has changed. Your primary loan will leave your money bucket emptier. It takes a little more creativity to fill it up.

The bigger the pool of money you have in any market, the more options you’ll have. Financing makes your real estate investing easier and more profitable.

Want to build your capital stack? We have a free download about money buckets.

If you have any questions about a deal, getting funding, or setting up OPM, email us at Info@TheCashFlowCompany.com.

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Why You Need Hedge Funds and OPM

Categories:

Here’s how to use both hedge funds and OPM to maximize your cash flow.

Hedge funds and OPM are forms of real estate leverage that can be overlooked by newer investors. These funding sources can fill in the blanks left by hard money and banks.

Here’s an overview of why hedge funds and OPM should be a part of your lender circle.

Hedge Funds

You might find yourself in need of a lender who is more flexible than banks, but still has an “unlimited” cash supply. In that case, hedge funds will have the right leverage for you.

We also call hedge funds “capital funds” or “private equity.” These are firms that can fund real estate investments across multiple states, have a lot of money available for both flip loans and DSCRs.

A problem with banks is they’re limited to one state or region. A problem with hard money and OPM is that funds can run dry. Hedge funds solve those problems.

Keep hedge funds in your portfolio to have a lender who can handle every deal. They can grow with you as you move across state lines and take your investment career to the next level.

Real OPM

OPM stands for other people’s money. It comes from a real person you know (who’s sitting on a lot of cash!). They want to put their money somewhere secure that’ll give them a better rate than a bank… So they loan it to you.

You can give your OPM lender a rate of 5-6% back. For you, this beats the 9-12% rates of hedge funds or hard money. For your lender, this beats the 1-2% rate they’d get from a CD or savings account.

OPM can fill in the gaps of any project. It could cover down payment or construction costs, or potentially fund entire properties.

With reliable OPM, you have access to the speed of hard money, the low cost of a bank loan, and the flexibility of a hedge fund.

The main drawback of OPM is simple: it can run out.

Hedge Funds and OPM

Hedge funds give a steady stream of money that can help advance your real estate career. OPM is the quiet hero that has you covered for cheap, fast, and easy money… But it won’t last forever. Having both of these forms of leverage at your disposal will make you a better investor than just hard money and banks alone.

Read the full article here.

Watch the video here:

https://youtu.be/3_T81gqiZdk

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How to Retire: Retirement Scares Me

How to Retire: Retirement Scares Me

Retirement is just around the corner. It’s tiptoeing closer and closer…But, you’re not ready.

And that TERRIFIES you.

Because the stock market is constantly up and down, banks aren’t paying much if anything, and retirement accounts like PERA are questionable.

So, what can you do to prepare for retirement? Because whether you like it or not, it’s creeping towards you.

Well, one of the best and most secure strategies is private lending.

How to Retire: Retirement Scares Me

There are thousands of fix and flippers, landlords, and other real estate investors who can’t get a traditional loan through a bank. So, they turn to private lenders.

Someone like you. Someone who has a chunk of money they’d like to safely invest so they can boost their income…and their retirement savings.

So, how exactly do you make money in private lending? Well, it’s pretty easy, actually.

Step 1

Find a trustworthy real estate investor who needs cash to buy a fixer upper.

Step 2

Create a private note that includes the interest rate for your loan. Rates vary in private lending, so it’s your decision on how much you charge.  And how much you charge depends on how much you trust your borrower.

Step 3

Collect interest payments and boost your retirement savings.

That’s the basic gist. And if you’d rather have someone else find trustworthy real estate investors, create your note, and oversee the life of the loan, then you can use a licensed and experienced company like ours to help you handle it.

Here’s the thing. Since the beginning of time, people have needed money. And they’ve always needed to borrow it from someone. Why not you?

Don’t let retirement scare you. Take control now and start investing your money in a way that will help you face retirement…and face it with confidence.

Ready to talk about investing your money in real estate? Great! Our team is always here to chat.

Happy investing!

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Private Lender: How to Invest in Real Estate without Flipping or Renting

Private Lender: How to Invest in Real Estate without Flipping or Renting

Did you know you can be a private lender?

That’s right. And today we’re going to show you how to invest in real estate without resorting to fixing and flipping or fixing and renting.

It’s true. Everyone can put their money to work, even if they don’t want to put their muscles to work. If you want, you can skip the hammers, ladders, and paint. No need to groan over dust-covered floors, clothes, and, well, everything. And forget about stressing over contractors and delayed projects.

You can invest in real estate without ever stepping foot inside a property.

How to Invest in Real Estate Without Flipping or Renting

How is this possible?

Well, it’s fairly easy.

Rather than rolling up your sleeves and searching, buying, fixing, and selling/renting properties, you can become a private lender.

What does being a private lender mean?

Simply put, you become a bank for fix and flippers or rental owners. Rather than these real estate investors going to a “real” bank or traditional lender, they come to you for money.

And you get to charge them interest for using your money.

Interest rates vary in private lending, but one thing is for sure. You’ll earn WAY more interest in real estate than in your bank account. Because banks pay far less interest than real estate investors.

Private Lender

Now, there are a couple of ways to become a private lender.

The Easy Way

The easiest way to get started is through companies like our sister company, The Note Shop. We connect private lenders with real estate investors (aka, fix and flippers and rental owners).

When you use a company like ours, you don’t need to:

  • Search for fix and flippers/rental owners that need funding.
  • Interview flippers/rental owners to determine how much you can trust them with your money.
  • Review real estate portfolios. Again, to establish trust. How much experience does this real estate investor have? What’s the quality of their work?
  • Analyze properties to make sure they’re worth the investment.
  • Prepare loan documents, like deeds of trust and mortgages.
  • Handle escrow draws.
  • Oversee the life of the loan, including all payments, extensions, and modifications.

You can skip ALL of that, and let our team do the work for you. That means we handle the entire list above.

Not you.

All you have to do is wait for a call or email from our team to inform you there’s a loan available. If you’re happy with it, then you just have to head to your bank and send a wire to a licensed and trusted title company (First American, Old Republic, Fidelity, etc.).

And then watch the plump interest payments hit your bank account every month.

It’s simple, it’s lucrative, and it’s way easier than fixing or renting a property yourself. Let someone else do the work, right?

Do It Yourself

Now, if you’re experienced and confident in private lending, then you can work directly with real estate investors. This is best known in the business as OPM (Other People’s Money).

We actually encourage our flipper and rental clients to seek out OPM as a funding option because it’s really the cheapest path to buying properties. Because they don’t have to pay a traditional lender multiple fees and points. Instead, they can focus on interest-only loans.

How much interest should you charge? Well, that’s really up to you and your client. When you’re in the driver’s seat, you get decide how big of a risk you’d like to take with your money. And that risk is based trust.

Do you trust them to:

  1. Pay you back?
  2. Buy, fix, and flip a property within your agreed upon timeline? (Or refinance into a traditional loan so you can invest your money elsewhere?)
  3. Sell or rent a property for what they claim it’s worth after they repair it?

In addition to trust, you also need to be willing to tackle the entire to-do list we mentioned above (evaluating investors and deals, preparing documents, overseeing the loan, etc.). This is completely doable! But, again, it comes down to how much risk and work you want to take on.

If you want to make the most money possible while doing the least amount of work, then relying on The Note Shop or a similar company to help you is perfect.

So, there you have it! You can invest in real estate without picking up a hammer or worrying about a bad contractor.

Believe us when we say, private lending is easy, lucrative, and EASY!

Do you want to talk about investing your money in real estate without breaking a sweat? Good! Our team is always here to chat.

Happy investing!

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