Tag Archive for: The Cash Flow Company

Empower Your Business: Business Credit Vs Personal Credit

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Empower Your Business: Business Credit Vs Personal Credit

Alex Erlich, a credit advisor and educator, is joining us today to discuss the ins and outs of what real estate professionals and other companies are struggling with in this current economy.The main focus for today’s conversation is the importance of leveraging business credit vs personal credit. Credit and debt are not equal in any shape or form, but we have to play the game to win it. Knowing the rules of how to play will get you in the best position to win! Whether it’s the credit card game, credit game, or the leverage game, you need to create a leverage profile. Let’s take a closer look to discover what you need to not only establish your company, but ways that can set you up for success.

How to leverage business credit instead of personal credit?

So many people are putting business expenses on their personal credit. Unfortunately that is not as efficient as one might assume. 70-80% of clients are overextended on projects, and have maxed out their credit cards. Thus making it extremely difficult to be approved for additional loans moving forward without further impacting personal credit scores. In order to prevent this landslide, we need to approach business expenses more professionally and keep everything business focused. In doing so, it will prevent further strain on your personal credit, increase eligibility, and create more leverage. What exactly do we mean by leverage? Leverage is how much you are eligible for and what it looks like on paper. Leverage is the King in real estate. Having more leverage allows for more opportunities, not only your business, but for your personal life as well.  

How do we turn the focus from personal to business? 

First and foremost individuals need to acknowledge that they have a business. Surprisingly, many business owners don’t consider themselves to be entrepreneurs. From relators, to contractors, and everyone in between, they typically consider themselves to be employees of the overwriting company. However, this mindset needs to change! They should not only view themselves as entrepreneurs, but also a representation of the brand. Another component that should be evaluated are items on your personal credit that need to be removed. This will in turn prevent you from personal liability as you continue to grow your business.

What is another problem that business owners have to navigate?

The quick and simple answer to this question is social media. The majority of info is on TicTock, Twitter, and even on reals. Even though not all of it is bad information, it’s not always complete information. It is imperative that any information found on social media should be researched further. In regards to credit score expectations, there is a lot of misinformation on the internet as well. Do your research and always seek out support from professionals if you have questions.

Where do you go for correct credit score information?

 MyFico.com is the best place to get not only basic credit score information, but specific scores that can impact you differently depending on what you are needing them for. It can be information overload with 40 scores available, however, by going straight to the source it provides you a cost free and spam free way to gather all of the information you would need to make a financial decision. Ideally you should have a personal credit score of 680 to 720 in order to qualify for various lending options. Ultimately it is better to be at a 720, but how do you get there? Here are the top 4 things you can do to make your personal credit score improve quickly.

First:

Do not open new credit unless you have talked with a professional and they have created a step by step outline. At The Cash Flow Company we can help you apply for a 911 loan instead to take care of the one or two items that are holding you back financially.

Second:

Remove any derogatory information that is on your credit report. Now is the time to see what can be done about it and how to leverage it. Especially if it’s a local bank. Something from three to five years ago that already has a zero balance, should be removed. Be methodical and purposeful.

Third:

Take into account your inquiries. If you have been shopping for money and applying for things, look into a fast inquiry removal. This can make a substantial positive impact on your credit score. If you are using your personal credit to inquire about your business, those should all be disputed as well. 

Fourth and final:

Relationships are your key to a successful business. Determine which companies are having the hardest time or tightening their budget. These are the ones that will leave you behind so they can swim upstream in search of bigger and better clients. By building local, human, real relationships, the more successful you will be.

Personal Relationships

In working with real estate investors, realtors, and contractors, a lot of what we enjoy doing is working human to human. In forming that connection with our clients, we are able to focus on how we can make them better both as a person and as a company. They are all unique and don’t all need the same things. For one client they may need a little rearranging to raise their credit score, while others could require a longer process to get back on the right path.  By forming personal relationships with local banks, you are more likely to be approved for lines of credit, credit cards, or loans that can in turn grow your company. Another benefit to going local is that regional banks or smaller banks, don’t have the same guidelines as the big banks. They can do “make sense deals” when they make sense. 

Getting started is daunting! Here is what you need to get in it to win it.

  1. Make sure personal credit is setting you up for success. Identify and separate business credit vs personal credit to get your credit score back on track. 
  2. You need to decide what the business is and it’s subcategorization. Banks will look at the NAICS to determine what industry you are in, as well as the subcategorization when you are applying for business funding.
  3. How do you select a name for your  business? Will there be a parent company? 
  4. Establishing the company properly through the secretary of state, applying for an EIN, applying for a business license, and opening business accounts for expenses. Setting this up correctly will ensure that you are seen as a business not only to lenders, but to clients as well. 
  5. Be very clear with your goals! Where do you want to go with your business, how many properties do you need, do you need to buy machinery? All of these goals need to be established first and foremost when starting your business. 

In conclusion, it is important that you are establishing your business correctly from day one and forming positive relationships that will set your business up to win. The faster you can separate your business vs personal credit, the better your personal credit score will be, and will in turn create more leverage for future growth. All the little tricks will get you there! We can help guide you through this process! 

Contact us today to find out more about setting yourself up for success.

Need more tips and tricks? Watch the full interview with Alex Erlich

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Take the Fast Track: #1 Lesson I’ve Learned in Real Estate Investing

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Take the Fast Track: #1 Lesson I’ve Learned in Real Estate Investing

Over the past 23 years, I’ve helped thousands of people navigate and conquer real estate investing. Looking back, there are a number of things that I would do differently to not only simplify the process but put me on the fast track as well. While there are five valuable lessons, I would like to share with you, one in particular will make a significant impact on your real estate investing venture.

How to Take the fast track

Don’t try to reinvent the wheel! Find systems and people who have worked hard and copy them. Look at what they are doing, what their systems are, and what they are looking for, as well as what they are avoiding. Discover exactly how to win by exploring what makes sense for your investments and what doesn’t. There is so much noise out there! You want to make sure that you are watching the people who are doing great and ignore those who are just talking about doing good. Here are the top three things that you need to get on the fast track!

Properties:

A valuable lesson that every fast-track investor needs to learn is how to find good properties. Find and look at as many good properties as you can.

Funding:

The most important thing as a real estate investor is leverage and using other people’s money. Funding is available through banks, lenders, or individuals.

Put together a good team:

It is vital that you partner with good contractors, knowledgeable realtors, stagers, and property managers. By putting the whole team together, they can support you by knowing what you are looking for as well as what they can or can’t do.

How can we help you?

Our goal is to make you successful! There is no need to start from scratch and struggle along the way. By researching and following what others have done, you can quickly and easily set your business up to win. 

Watch our most recent video to find out more about these 5 valuable lessons. 

Have more questions on how to get started with your business and how you can win in real estate investing? Call us today! 

 

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Credit Score 911 How to Qualify for a Utilization Loan

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Credit Score 911 How to Qualify for a Utilization Loan

A utilization loan, or 911 utilization loan is useful for both flippers, as well as real estate investors. Unfortunately, not everyone can qualify for a 911 loan, but it is available to those who pay their bills on time and need to quickly raise their credit score. Many of the clients we see get stuck in the trap of using their personal credit cards for business expenses. This in turn can have a significant impact on credit scores in the long run. There are three things that we look for to determine if you qualify for a utilization loan. Let’s take a closer look!

First, make sure payments are on time.

This loan is ideal for clients who spiral into personal credit card debt from using their cards for business expenses. The most important requirement to qualify is that they have been paying on time every month. If you haven’t been paying on time, then you will need to get back on track in order to be considered.

Second, have something to secure the loan with.

We are an asset-based lender and require a piece of real estate to secure the loan. We want to not only ensure that we have the security for lending, but that you also have leverage for your next step.

Third, how do you pay a usage loan back.

In using the 911 loan, you are able to increase your credit score. Which, in turn, allows you to get your next loan, qualify for a refinance, purchase your next flip property, and so much more! However, it is important that you think ahead about how to pay off this usage loan once you get back on track. This can be done by either getting cash out or using a HELOC to pay us off. 

Is a usage loan right for you?

We have a client for example with 200K in credit card debt who is paying 6-7K per month now. By doing the 911 loan, we were able to cut their debt in half to 3K per month in credit card payments. Another client was able to raise their credit score 12 points and receive a HELOC. While someone else was finally able to qualify for a SBA loan. Again, this is not a long-term loan! This is a 911 loan that will help get your credit score back on track and provide the leverage you need to be successful.

How can we help you?

Not sure if you would qualify for a credit utilization loan or where to go next? We have resources that can help guide you through the process. It only takes about 10 to 15 minutes to run through the information and see if we can help. After that, we will also help to set things up correctly to ensure you aren’t faced with these issues again. 

Before reaching out, there are a few things you can do to see if this is the right move for you and your business. 

  1. Go to MyCredit, MyFico or another credit website to run a simulator. This will show how your credit score is impacted once you pay off certain debt.
  2. Look at your payments and leverage. Are you paying everything on time, and do you have a real estate property that can be used to secure the loan?
  3. How can you get out of it in less than 12 months? You need to have a way to pay off the 911 loan in a short period of time. 

These are good loans for real estate investors who are trying to get credit card payments paid down. So many people go into credit card debt, and it can take a year or two to recover by paying them off as they build. It’s easier however, to pay 8-10% interest on a HELOC then 29% interest on a credit card. 

Watch our most recent video or contact us today to see if you qualify for this quick fix, so you can enjoy investing in the future! 

Go to our website to fill out an app and set up an appointment to discuss more. The more information you can give us, the more we can do to get you back on track! 

 

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Are You Making These Common Real Estate Investing Mistakes?

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Are You Making These Common Real Estate Investing Mistakes?

There are a number of common real estate mistakes that investors are facing. These mistakes occur when buying and holding rentals, flipping properties, and dividing land. Nowadays, these common real estate investing mistakes undoubtedly create frustration and can lead to defeat. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at the five major roadblocks to make sure that they don’t affect you!

First, Cash Flow 

The first mistake that real estate investors make is immediately purchasing a property before evaluating the cash flow. To put it briefly, you want to make sure your profits are in fact greater than your expenses. Avoid this mistake by making a plan and know your numbers upfront! 

Second, Understanding Escrow

The second mistake is not understanding escrow, let alone what is needed to receive the escrow funds. Escrow is a portion of the loan that a lending company puts aside for repairs to the property. By understanding your lenders policies, you can optimize your profits by completing repairs quickly and correctly. 

Third, Too Many Projects

The third mistake is having too many projects. From multiple property costs to paying contractors, investors can get too big too fast. It is important to “err on the side of caution” to prevent the “finance crunch” that often occurs. 

Fourth, Rentals

The fourth mistake is not properly navigating rental cash flow. The deal needs to be a positive investment not a negative one after considering all costs. In real estate investing, you cannot afford losses or simply break even.

Fifth, Personal Credit Usage

The fifth and final mistake is the misuse of personal credit cards for business expenses. If you want to avoid spiraling into debt, then quickly set up your business and begin using a business credit card. 

By understanding these common real estate investing mistakes, you can ease your frustration, prevent a finance wall, and learn how to create a constant cash flow.

Watch our latest interview to discover more about the 5 Major Roadblocks

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5 valuable lessons learned in real estate investing

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5 Valuable Lessons Learned in Real Estate Investing 

In the past 23 years, I’ve helped thousands of people become successful in real estate investing. Looking back over those years, there are several things that I would do differently to not only make me successful but also, ways to do it quicker. There are 5 valuable lessons that I’ve learned and want to share with you about real estate investing.

1. Take the fast track

Don’t try to reinvent the wheel! Find systems and people who have worked hard and copy them. Look at what they are doing, what their systems are, and what they are looking for, as well as what they are avoiding. Discover exactly how to win by exploring what makes sense for your investments and what doesn’t. There is so much noise out there! You want to make sure that you are watching the people who are doing great and ignore those who are just talking about doing good. Here are the top three things that you need to get on the fast track!

Properties:

A valuable lesson that every fast-track investor needs to learn is how to find good properties. Find and look at as many good properties as you can.

Funding:

The most important thing as a real estate investor is leverage and using other people’s money. Funding is available through banks, lenders, or individuals.

Put together a good team:

It is vital that you partner with good contractors, knowledgeable realtors, stagers, and property managers. By putting the whole team together, they can support you by knowing what you are looking for as well as what they can or can’t do.

2. Times VS Time

The question that all investors ask is, how long does it take to be successful? Success is heavily reliant on the number of times you practice evaluating properties, as well as exploring your lending options. The more you practice and look at properties, practice and comp out a property, and reach out to lenders, the more knowledgeable and confident you will become. It takes 100 times to walk through these steps before an investor becomes confident in the process. Some investors can achieve this in a week, while others may take 6 months to 6 years. Again, it’s not the amount of time it takes to be successful, it’s the number of times you practice.

3. Set your business up to win 

You must set up your business correctly from the beginning. To do this, make sure that your business is properly set up with the state, has a bank account, and has an office location. Every correct step will ensure that the business is set up to win the leverage game. One of the most important steps in this process is selecting your business name. Avoid putting “real estate” directly in your name because it will impact your funding moving forward. Instead, you can use “management”, a name, or a group in order to make your business name unique.  Once everything is established, find local banks that love to work with real estate investors. While national banks are great for unsecured lines of credit and credit cards, it is the local banks who will partner with you long term.

4. Create simple processes

Investors can easily become overwhelmed by all of the components that need to be considered before purchasing a property. By walking through the steps over and over again, it makes it easier to not only set up a simple process for yourself but then allows you to hand things over to others. Begin to find people who can support you and follow your established processes. You must ask yourself:

  • How do I comp out a property?
  • How do I walk through a property to see what needs to be fixed or repaired?
  • How do I pick a contractor?

5. Scale with flexibility

To add volume to your investments, you must bring in more people. However, these individuals are not on the payroll. More importantly, their partnership and expertise can guide you on the fast track to success. From having real estate agents help comp out properties, to bringing in more wholesalers, this can help you win with flexibility with your scalability. As long as you have your systems established, there is no ceiling to your success.

Bonus

6. Do whatever it takes

You must do whatever it takes to get you to where you want to be. Only you can determine what that means to you. Identify what you need to do upfront, and just do it! If you get into that mentality, you will be able to navigate the road to success within your market. The people who have the “do whatever it takes” attitude will not only win in this market but in every market thereafter!

Our goal is to make you successful! By following these 5 valuable lessons in real estate investing, you will be on the fast track to success! Watch our most recent video to find out more about these 5 valuable lessons. 

Have more questions on how to get started with your business and how you can win in real estate investing? Call us today! 

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Why You Need to Find Other Money Sources Now

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Why You Need to Find Other Money Sources Now

Banks are experiencing a significant decrease of money flowing into the lending pool. This has created a bank collapse that is greatly impacting real estate investors today. As a result, banks are forced to swim upstream in search of the “best of the best clients”, thus leaving investors to find other money sources. What can real estate investors do? We are here to help navigate you through these rough waters.

Private Lenders

A waterfall effect occurs when banks are focused on the “best of the best” clients. Thus, forcing investors to cascade down to private lenders in order to keep their business afloat. The influx of new clients has led private lenders to begin swimming upstream alongside banks in search of new borrowers. These borrowers are more experienced, have more money, and more liquidity. Unfortunately, this is making it harder for many investors to qualify for loans.

Other People’s Money 

In addition to private lending, another funding source is “other people’s money” aka OPM. These are individuals that are within our community and can lend $10,000 to $100,000. By knowing who to ask and where to look, you can easily ride the wave to success. So dive in and discover additional lending options and how to succeed during this bank collapse.

What you need to succeed

Investors can prepare for this lending squeeze by making sure they have cash, high credit scores, and are keeping up on projects. By getting into a deal now and holding it for 2-3 years, it can set you up for success in the near future. We can help guide you through the process of starting your business, increasing your credit scores, finding ways to improve your income, and helping with OPM options.

Need more help navigating these rough waters watch our most recent video!

 

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Why business credit cards make real estate investing easier

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Why business credit cards make real estate investing easier

70%-80% of investors are overwhelmed with business expenses and are resorting to using their personal credit. By using personal credit cards for business expenses, investors are jeopardizing their credit score and endangering the success of their business. How can you get your personal credit in good standing and back on track? What can you do to stabilize your business expenses? The answer to both of these questions is business credit cards. Let’s look closer at how they can make your life easier.

First, personal credit scores are no longer taking the hit.

While personal credit cards are easily accessible, they make life more complicated for investors. Whether it’s a fix and flip, or a rental property, expenses can easily add up and jeopardize your credit score. Putting expenses on personal credit cards drives down your score due to the utilization rate. This in turn makes everything harder, from trying to apply for a loan, to putting more money into the investment. The ultimate solution is business credit cards because they do not impact your credit score, nor do they have the same utilization rate restrictions. This is a simple step that every investor should be taking to alleviate future strain on personal credit scores.

Second, making things easier, faster, and cheaper

How can you make things easier, faster and cheaper for your business? The answer once again is applying for and using business credit cards! Once a card is established, you can start moving expenses over to consolidate balances, thus making your life easier. They have the same benefits as personal credit cards if not more! By using them more often and making payments in chunks, investors are able to increase their credit limits quickly. In doing so, personal credit scores will increase and create more leverage for additional loans, as well as create better funding options. 

Third, we are here to get you on track.

In having better credit scores, it then opens the door to endless possibilities that will create wealth. We can help you by providing a usage loan that can be used to pay down personal credit cards. With the utilization rate then decreased, your credit score will increase, allowing you to make the switch. We can help guide you through the entire process from setting up your business correctly, to researching credit cards, and provide usage loans to get you back on track. Don’t wait for corporate credit to take effect! Call or message us today to find out more.

Watch our most recent video to discover more about the importance of business credit cards and how we can help guide you to success.

 

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The ABC’s of DSCR loans: What every investor should know

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The ABC’s of DSCR loans: What every investor should know 

Do you need additional income for rental properties without the hassle of tons of paperwork or long processing times? Let’s take a closer look at the ABC’s of DSCR loans and how they can help. There is no need for employment history, and better yet there are only a few factors that are needed to qualify. DSCR, also known as the debt service coverage ratio, calculates whether or not a property breaks even or better yet, has a positive cash flow. These investors only loans are not only simple to apply for, but they can also be used for properties that have 1 to 4 units. Larger unit sizes can also apply, however, there are normally only a few available. DSCR loans are an excellent way for investors to get a 30-year product without worrying about how long they have been in business, their income, or even their business income. 

What three factors impact DSCR loan approval? 

1. Income from the property

The main factor that impacts an approval for a DSCR loan is income. When an investor is buying a property, the lenders will look at personal income, business income, or both. In almost all cases, lenders require two years of taxes showing a businesses income prior to approval. If you are a new investor, or like to write everything off, you will not meet the necessary requirements to apply. This is where a DSCR loan comes into play. The only thing that is taken into account, is whether or not you are going to break even with the rental property. The lenders will then look at the mortgage payments, property taxes, property insurance, HOA, and flood insurance to determine if you are eligible.

2. Your personal credit  

Especially in the real estate industry, your credit score plays a huge role in your success as an investor. Here at The Cash Flow Company, we see investors who struggle to pay bills on time, overuse credit cards, and don’t use enough credit. This greatly affects your personal credit scores. What can you do to get things turned around? The most important thing is to separate your personal credit from your business expenses to raise credit scores. In turn, it will allow for better rates with better terms for future investments. 

3. Loan to value

The loan to value, or LTV, is the amount of the mortgage compared to the value of the property. Most DSCR loans have a max LTV set to 80% for purchase, as well as rate and term refinances. This percentage then changes to 75% LTV for cash out refinances.  LTV’s can go 5% higher with the right factors, but investors should expect to pay a higher rate. In summary, the lower the loan to value, the less risk for the lender.

DSCR loans are incredibly helpful for investors who need additional income for rental properties. Not only are they fast and easy to apply for, but they also allow you to apply before your investment property is up and running. This is done by appraising properties in the current market and estimating the rent. In doing your research and estimating your cash flow, the sky’s the limit for success! Would you like to find out more and see if DSCR loans are right for you? Use our DSCR calculator to see the impact a DSCR loan can have on your investments.

Find out more about DSCR loans by watching our most recent video. 

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Why real estate investors need to understand escrow?

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Why real estate investors need to understand escrow?

Real estate investors need to understand escrow for their business to be successful. Escrow is a portion of the loan that a lending company puts aside for repairs on the property. As a real estate investor, you need to understand the rules and regulations of the lender in regards of Escrow, in order to save both time and money.  When investors understand escrow, and what they are responsible for, it can ease their frustration, prevent a finance wall, and establish a foundation for cash flow.

1.Understand the rules of escrow

As a real estate investor, you need to understand escrow by researching the rules and regulations for your lender. Any misunderstandings can very easily stall or even jeopardize a project. Investors also need to construct their budget beforehand, to ensure that they stay within it during the process. There is no flexibility after the amount is approved by the lender. Without the ability to expand the Escrow, any additional expenses will come out of your pocket instead.  

2.Begin repairs to receive escrow

Lenders allocate a set amount to not only purchase a property, but also to fix it up in order to get it market ready. The only way to access Escrow funds when buying a fix and flip, or an undervalued rental property, is to submit proof. These can be in the form of receipts, photos, and other documentation sent to your lender to show that repairs are underway. 

3. Optimize profits by using escrow correctly

When real estate investors understand escrow, they can optimize profits and avoid missing the market when it’s “hot.” This is achieved by taking into account all repair costs, having the money set aside to complete repairs, and completing the work quickly. Remember the longer you’re on hold, the more it will cost you, plus it will delay paying contractors. By understanding the importance of cost and timeline, it will result in a larger profit. 

So, what are the other Major Roadblocks that cause burn out, financial hemorrhaging, and unfortunately defeat? 

Watch our latest interview to discover more about the 5 Major Roadblocks

Want more information on real estate investment roadblocks or have any other questions? Contact us today!

 

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80% of Real Estate Investors fail at taking this step

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80% of Real Estate Investors fail at taking this step:

A looming problem that 70%-80% of investors are facing today, is the effect that business expenses are having on their personal credit. How can you make things easier, faster and cheaper? The answer is applying for and using business credit cards! This is a simple step that every investor should be taking to alleviate future strain on personal credit scores. In having better credit scores, it then opens the door to endless possibilities that will create wealth. Let’s look closer at how business credit cards can make your life easier both on the personal side, as well as on the business side.

1. What impacts investors’ personal credit score?

High credit scores are important for investors because it creates the leverage and funding they need to grow their business. Almost every investor runs up their personal credit card balance, by putting too many business charges on them. Thus, jeopardizing their personal credit score due to their credit utilization rate. For personal credit cards, MyFico only allows for a 20% utilization rate before it impacts your credit score. However, business credit cards do not have the same restrictions. Instead, you are able to use the entire credit limit without having to worry. In having better credit scores, it opens the door to endless possibilities that will create wealth.

2. What are the benefits of getting a business credit card?

Business credit cards are the most important thing that investors can do to ensure success. They not only provide funding, but also the leverage required to create further growth. Many investors have heard of corporate credit and have taken the steps to get started down that path. Unfortunately, this option results in years of hard work and multiple steps before any progress can be made. Business credit cards on the other hand, are quick to set up, extremely flexible, and most importantly they will not impact your credit score. Eliminate the cash crunch by separating your personal credit from your business.

3. How do low credit scores impact acceptance?

One challenge that many investors have, is that their personal credit is too low to apply for a business credit card. In this case, they need to pay down their credit card balances by using their savings, or they can take out a personal loan. How can real estate investors repair their credit score and help grow their business? By applying for a usage loan, investors can pay off credit card debt quickly and easily. This in turn allows them to qualify for fix and flip loans, DSCR loans, or other bank loans that can get the business back on track. 

4. What steps do you need to take to set up your business correctly?

The fourth and most important step is setting up your business properly. If it’s not, fix it now! In having your business set up correctly it will make it easier to access more lending options and increase your profits. How can you get on track and set up your business correctly? We are here to help by providing a 1-10 checklist for you to follow. This includes links to the Secretary of State, EIN information, and much more to help get the ball rolling. Our goal is to make it as easy and profitable as possible.

By using personal credit cards for business expenses, you are jeopardizing your credit score and endangering the success of your business. Do not join the 80% of real estate investors who fail. We can help guide you through the entire process from setting up your business correctly, to researching credit cards, and can even provide usage loans to get you back on track.

Watch our most recent video to discover more about the importance of business credit cards and how we can help guide you to success.

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