Clay Sparkman
Most likely you have clients who buy distressed properties from time to time–with the intention of making a profit–and need a source of funding to fuel their activities. There are three common ways to buy distressed properties: pre-auction, auction, and post auction (generally referred to as REO). Most investors are forced to buy either [...]
Posts Tagged ‘hard money brokering’
On the art of handcrafting loans
Thursday, October 20th, 2011Clay Sparkman
As I pointed out in a previous mailing, our private money lending programs tend to be fairly rigid with regard to LTV requirements, but quite forgiving with regard to other issues. One of the nice things about private money is that it allows for creative problems solving. I have put many transactions together that [...]
Our sweet spot … our wheelhouse
Thursday, October 6th, 2011Clay Sparkman
There was November, 2007 and then there were the nearly 4 years now that followed. If you are an acting broker in this market it is because you are a survivor. Darwin’s theory—survival of the fittest—would have been more aptly named, survival of the most adaptable. If you are still here, then it is [...]
Announcing: iPad 2 Bonus to Brokers Closing Loans with Fairfield
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011Clay Sparkman
We at Fairfield Financial Services (FFS) are pleased to announce our free iPad bonus promotional program AND that we now have sources available to lend with no maximum on commercial loans in all 14 of the states that we service.
Starting Wednesday, September 27th, we are offering a free promotional iPad 2 to any broker or [...]
Don’t Believe Everything You Hear About Private Money
Monday, September 12th, 2011Clay Sparkman
This week I’d like to address some myths about private money, and hopefully correct some common misconceptions that seem to exist with regard to private money lending as an alternative mechanism for funding the refinance and acquisition of real estate.
Myth: As a broker, I should first try to use conventional bank financing, and if [...]
Getting Unstuck with Private Money
Friday, August 26th, 2011It is often quite difficult for professionals to get a sense of what hard money is all about and to know when it is the best option for putting a transaction together. I have found that the best way to teach is by example. So to that end I will profile several loans here that [...]
Kick some A in your CMA
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011Clay Sparkman
One thing that Fairfield does a little differently is allow our borrowers to supply their own valuation analysis in lieu of a formal appraisal. Our acceptance of a value estimate really comes down to the comps, and we really don’t care who provides them so long as they are appropriate, we can follow the [...]
Keeping your loans in motion
Tuesday, May 10th, 2011S. Clay Sparkman
The most important thing about working a pipeline–as you well know–is to keep your loans in motion. They must not stagnate. Always move forward or bail out (gracefully of course). This is a critical secret to success, particularly in the challenging market we face now.
If you have a file that you have been [...]
Example private money loan – turn of century coastal view home remodeling project
Tuesday, April 26th, 2011Clay Sparkman
Because I have found that one of the best ways to learn is by way of example, I like to give frequent examples of actual loans that we have funded. The following loan was funded quite some time ago, but is quite typical of the sort of thing that we are looking to do [...]
Won’t somebody please call a plumber … the banks are clogged
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011Clay Sparkman
This article was originally posted on my lender blog in January of 2010. Now, some 15 months later, it still seems pretty much timely, That worries me. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this matter. You brokers are the real experts. Please give voice.
One of my dear good readers sent the following e-mail [...]
Off the beaten path
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011Clay Sparkman
Private money might well be thought of as a multi-purpose tool–a tool for getting those tough jobs done. You might imagine it to be a Swiss Army Knife, or better yet, a Leatherman Tool. It is not for those straightforward tasks that you encounter from day to day along the beaten path. It is [...]
Resources – show me the good stuff!
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011Clay Sparkman
I have long searched for resources that might be useful to those who wish to learn more about private money and hard money loans, and in the process I have become increasingly convinced that our particular niche field is somewhat of an intellectual/informational wasteland. Every time I stumble upon an article or site that [...]
Don’t get mad, get going
Thursday, March 10th, 2011Clay Sparkman
It is often quite difficult for professionals to get a sense of what hard money is all about and to know when it is the best option for putting a transaction together. I have found that the best way to teach is by example. So to that end I will profile some sample loans [...]
How to broker private money loans when real estate markets are uncertain
Sunday, March 6th, 2011Clay Sparkman
We’ve been through nearly 3 ½ rough years in the real estate market—and projections seem to indicate that we will finally see clear up-turn in the second half of this year, but no one really knows for sure. We have managed to survive this down-time (all who are still present please take a moment [...]
How to communicate your deals
Monday, February 28th, 2011S. Clay Sparkman and Richard Sundvall
There are certain key pieces of information that we need to know when we’re sizing up a deal. Having this information when you contact us can speed up the process considerably. Also, if you have these pieces in hand you can talk about your deal more clearly and present yourself [...]
Fairfield broker promotion – free iPad
Thursday, February 10th, 2011Clay Sparkman
We at Fairfield Financial Services (FFS) are pleased to announce that we will once again be running our free iPad bonus promotional program.
Starting Friday, February 11, we are offering a free promotional iPad to any broker or borrower who submits a loan through FFS that we actually close.
The conditions are as follows:
(1) You must [...]
The private money lending business: likes and gripes (part III)
Friday, February 4th, 2011Clay Sparkman
I finished Part II with a brief mention of something I quite like about the trust deed system: that is, the option (generally available) to foreclose judicially.
Before moving on, I’d like to offer you a crude little decision tree which shows how investors might go about making the decision whether to foreclose a given [...]
The private money lending business: likes and gripes (part II)
Thursday, January 13th, 2011Clay Sparkman
In Part I, I began a discussion of my gripes and likes regarding the private money lending business and various industry related matters, items, and issues. I allowed myself to amble a bit far afield and concluded by mentioning a book about the legal profession which I personally found to be informing and entertaining. [...]
The private money lending business: likes and gripes (part I)
Wednesday, January 5th, 2011Clay Sparkman
Awhile back I published a 3-part post on my Private Money Investor blog regarding my personal likes and gripes as a purveyor in of private money. This has been my sole job for the past 20 years. Who wouldn’t want to go rant and rave publicly about their job? I guess I could have [...]
The Art of the Summary
Wednesday, November 17th, 2010Clay Sparkman and Kris Gilmore
Between phone calls, emails, and on-line submissions, most private money lenders/brokers/sources receive a tremendous number of loan requests. It’s pretty common for these loans to have tight deadlines, and so we’d like to suggest three ways to speed up the process when you are submitting a private money loan request for [...]
