Tag Archive for: OPM

How to Win in a Bad Real Estate Market: 3 Key Tips!

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When the real estate market tightens up, you need to be prepared with leverage so you can take advantage of investing opportunities.

Once you’ve been in the business for as long as we have, you start noticing patterns. The investing world goes through cycles every few years where things tighten up before flowing normally again. 

However, a ‘bad market’ doesn’t necessarily mean bad news. 

If you’ve prepared beforehand, you can actually take advantage of the challenging landscape to build some wealth.

What is a ‘Bad Real Estate Market’?

Essentially, what’s happening right now is banks are tightening up. This means most are lending out less money, making it harder for investors to get the money they need.

This also means that, over the next 6-9 months, people are going to be getting rid of some properties and fewer people will be buying.

If this sounds like bad news, don’t worry. If you’re ready for these market changes, it can actually be the perfect time for you to buy. 

Filling Your Money Buckets

Since there’s going to be fewer loans coming out of banks, what can you do to make sure your finances are prepared for the shift in funding?

For every project, there is an amount of money that goes into it. We call it a bucket of money, or, your money bucket. 

Your money buckets needs to cover purchase, rehab, closing costs, etc. Part of that money bucket comes from lenders, and part of it comes from you. 

If you’re a newer investor, don’t panic! Read on to learn how to fill those buckets.

3 Key Strategies For Better Loans in a Bad Real Estate Market

Our goal is to help you figure out how you can get more money from lenders so less is coming out of your pocket.

1. Get Your Credit Score in Line

In the past, 660-680 used to qualify you for an okay loan. Not anymore! As lenders tighten up, most will be looking for scores closer to 750-799+. 

Lenders are depending more and more on credit scores. Make sure your credit score isn’t holding you back!

If you’re using personal credit cards for your investing projects (using them to buy supplies, pay vendors, etc.) stop now! 

Personal credit cards aren’t made for that level of usage, and most cards will drop your credit score if you’re using too much of your balance on a regular basis.

This can lead to a significant usage issue. There are two things you can do to help fix this problem:

Once you raise your credit score, make sure you maintain it. Since lenders look so closely at your score, you should too!

2. Fill Your Bucket With More Money

If you’re new to real estate investing, this is often the hardest part. However, there are many ways you can work to fill your money bucket without needing to drain your personal bank account.

Obviously your lines of credit can be an asset to your money bucket, but Other People’s Money (OPM) is also important.

Ask around your friends, neighbors, family members, or investment clubs. Many of them could be interested in investing a few thousand dollars into a project with a secured return of 8-10%.

There are so many creative ways to help fill your money bucket from hard money, to lines of credit, to OPM. With more money in your bucket, you can do more transactions.

If you need help filling your personal money bucket, reach out to us. We’ve coached many new investors through this process.

3. Be Picky With Your Deals

Don’t feel rushed. Be selective.

As you shop around for investment properties, look for ones that are under a 70% After Repair Value (ARV). 

This is a good time to be picky, especially if you’re new to the game. Choose safe deals that will guarantee you a solid return when the market heats up again.

If you do it right, finding the deals that are 70% ARV or below can open up many more deals and transactions in the future.

In five years, when everything is back to normal, those properties are going to have great value and you could create significant wealth.

We’re Here to Help You Navigate This Real Estate Market!

If you take the time to get your credit score and money buckets in order now, you set yourself up well to move quickly when you do find the right deals for you. 

If you need help figuring out where to start or you want to discuss loans or investment strategies, reach out to us at Info@TheCashFlowCompany.com or fill out a contact card.

We also have many free tools and resources that you can check out. Our goal is to help you feel equipped as you enter your investment journey, and we are always happy to help.

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Lenders Want To See Personal Investments

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Lenders want to see your own money going towards your projects through personal investments. 

In real estate investing, leverage comes from using other people’s money to generate wealth and income. 

The better your leverage, the easier and more profitable real estate investing becomes. 

But how do you find the right loans that can give you that leverage?

One of the things lenders look for is whether or not you’re personally invested in what you’re asking them to put money into.

Use Personal Investments to Demonstrate Commitment

If you’re also investing your own money in your project, lenders know you’re serious about the job. 

Using other people’s money (OPM) also demonstrates that your friends and family are willing to invest in your project. Lenders like to see you have skin in the game, even if it’s as simple as borrowing from a line of credit.

Especially if you’re a newer investor, the less you ask of lenders and the more at risk you take on, the more lenders will be attracted to you.

Personal investments demonstrate your commitment to follow through and finish a project — just what lenders are looking for!

Learn More

Read the full article here.

Watch the YouTube video here:

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Cons of Private Money: What to Watch Out For

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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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Why You Should Use Private Money in Real Estate

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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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Get 100% Financing with REAL Private Money (Other People’s Money)

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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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What to Know About OPM Lenders

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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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What’s the BEST Real Estate Funding Source?

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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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OPM: The Real Estate Funding Holy Grail

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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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How to Get 100% Financing on Real Estate in ANY Market

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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

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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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