Frequently Asked Questions

Loan Types In Los Angeles, Names And Definitions

Below is a list of commonly asked questions from users who visit Lendersa.com, seeking a loan.

Apply For Hard Money And Other Loan Types In Los Angeles, CA!

The basics

Borrowers, Private Lending And Hard Money

What is a Borrower?

A person or organization that borrows something, especially money from a bank or a private hard money lender.

What is Private Lending?

Private lending refers to funding from sources not defined by regulators as “public lending institutions”—which is how the federal government describes banks, mortgage companies, credit card companies, and other conventional sources of financing.

What Is Hard Money?

A hard money loan is a type of loan that is secured by real property. Hard money loans are considered loans of "last resort" or short-term bridge loans. These loans are primarily used in real estate transactions, with the lender generally being individuals or companies and not banks.

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Real estate investors

Fix And Flip And Construction Loans

What Is A Fix And Flip Loan?

Fix-and-flip loans are short-term loans used by real estate investors to purchase and improve a property to then sell for a profit.

In a fix-and-flip project, the property is often purchased at auction, through a foreclosure or a bank short sale.

What Is a Construction Loan?

A construction loan (also known as a “self-build loan”) is a short-term loan used to finance the building of a home or another real estate project.

The builder or home buyer takes out a construction loan to cover the costs of the project before obtaining long-term funding.

Because they are considered relatively risky, construction loans usually have higher interest rates than traditional mortgage loans.

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Home mortgages

Conventional, Government-Backed And Jumbo Loans

What Is a Conventional Loan?

A conventional loan is a mortgage loan that's not backed by a government agency.

Conforming conventional loans follow lending rules set by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac).

What Is a Federal Housing Administration Loan (FHA) Loan?

A Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan is a mortgage that is insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and issued by an FHA-approved lender.

FHA loans are designed for low-to-moderate-income borrowers; they require a lower minimum down payment and lower credit scores than many conventional loans.

In 2020, you can borrow up to 96.5% of the value of a home with an FHA loan.

This means you'll need to make a down payment of 3.5%.

You'll need a credit score of at least 580 to qualify. If your credit score falls between 500 and 579, you can still get an FHA loan as long as you can make a 10% down payment.

With FHA loans, your down payment can come from savings, a financial gift from a family member, or a grant for down-payment assistance.

Because of their many benefits, FHA loans are popular with first-time homebuyers.

What are USDA Loans?

There are three USDA home loan programs:

Loan guarantees

The USDA guarantees a mortgage issued by a participating local lender — similar to an FHA loan and VA-backed loans — allowing you to get low mortgage interest rates, even without a down payment.

If you put little or no money down, you will have to pay a mortgage insurance premium, though.

Direct loans

Issued by the USDA, these mortgages are for low- and very low-income applicants. Income thresholds vary by region. With subsidies, interest rates can be as low as 1%.

Home improvement loans and grants

These loans or outright financial awards permit homeowners to repair or upgrade their homes.

Packages can also combine a loan and a grant, providing up to $27,500 in assistance.

What are VA Loans?

A VA loan is a $0-down mortgage option issued by private lenders and partially backed, or guaranteed, by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Eligible borrowers can use a VA loan to purchase a property as their primary residence or refinance an existing mortgage.

What Is a Jumbo Loan?

A jumbo loan, also known as a jumbo mortgage, is a type of financing that exceeds the limits set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

Unlike conventional mortgages, a jumbo loan is not eligible to be purchased, guaranteed, or securitized by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Designed to finance luxury properties and homes in highly competitive local real estate markets, jumbo mortgages come with unique underwriting requirements and tax implications.

These kinds of mortgages have gained traction as the housing market continues to recover following the Great Recession.

What are Reverse Mortgages?

A reverse mortgage is a mortgage loan, usually secured by a residential property, that enables the borrower to access the unencumbered value of the property.

The loans are ideal to older homeowners and typically do not require monthly mortgage payments.

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Business financing

Small Business, SBA And Commercial Loans

What Is a Small Business Loan?

Small business loans are types of financing provided to companies for different purposes by various lenders. Over time, several types of small business loans have evolved to help entrepreneurs meet their goals. Therefore, the way a small business loan works depends on the type of loan in question.

What are SBA Loans?

The SBA works with lenders to provide loans to small businesses.

The agency doesn't lend money directly to small business owners.

Instead, it sets guidelines for loans made by its partnering lenders, community development organizations, and micro-lending institutions.

The SBA reduces risk for lenders and makes it easier for them to access capital.

That makes it easier for small businesses to get loans.

What Is a Commercial Loan?

A commercial loan is a debt-based funding arrangement between a business and a financial institution such as a bank. It is typically used to fund major capital expenditures and/or cover operational costs that the company may otherwise be unable to afford.

Expensive upfront costs and regulatory hurdles often prevent small businesses from having direct access to bond and equity markets for financing.

This means that, not unlike individual consumers, smaller businesses must rely on other lending products, such as lines of credit, unsecured loans or term loans.

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