Clay 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 [...]
Posts Tagged ‘hard money lending’
Resources – show me the good stuff!
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011The 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. [...]
Calling all rehabbers, short sale buyers and quick flip artists
Saturday, October 2nd, 2010Kris Gillmore and Clay Sparkman
Over the past three years we’ve all watched real estate prices come crashing down, in many cases forcing lenders to foreclose and take back the property. Although this is a sad misfortune for some, it is a tremendous opportunity for others. With regard to quick-flip investment property, I have always been [...]
A view from the other side
Friday, September 17th, 2010Clay Sparkman
Over a year ago, well before I started pecking away at this blog, I began blogging about private money and private money issues from the investor perspective. Naturally this blog is called The Private Money Investor.
It deals with all aspects of investing in private money loans and hard money loans secured by trust deeds [...]
When life gives you lemons …
Thursday, September 9th, 2010Clay Sparkman
I recently posted this article on my investor blog, The Private Money Investor. Even though the article is targeted toward investors who put their money into private money loans, I think it is appropriate to post it here. After all … just look around you … this is where the game is.
I have [...]
The ever elusive lender
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010Clay Sparkman
If you don’t believe that lenders are getting hard to find, read this article from the New York Times: In Hard Times, One New Bank (Double-Wide). Kind of scary, huh?
If you are having trouble finding the ever elusive lenders that you need for your particular client transactions and projects, a web based tool known [...]
The big stretch
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010Clay Sparkman
In a prior posting, I pointed out that one of the primary advantages of private money is that it allows for creative problem solving due to the flexible nature of the beast. I went on to discuss some of the ways in which one can often make a private money transaction work, on any [...]
What you will only learn on the streets about how to read an appraisal (and hopefully without the scars to prove it)
Monday, August 9th, 2010Clay Sparkman
The crucial thing that you must understand about any appraisal (or other real estate valuation instrument) is that it is only as good as its logic. So that—in other words—you must never accept an appraisal’s conclusion regarding value without looking beyond the surface to understand the logic that leads to the conclusion and without [...]
Ignoring the experts
Monday, August 2nd, 2010Clay Sparkman
One thing I can tell you about private money is that the regular rules don’t work there. And in fact, there aren’t really any rules that you can count on. At best, there are guidelines and these vary greatly depending on the broad spectrum of particulars that define a particularly loan request.
With private money, [...]
The language of private money
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010Clay Sparkman
Most of you are probably familiar with the nomenclature of private money lending, but from time to time, I find myself clarifying the meaning of one or more of the essential words, acronyms or phrases. And so I shall publish here a brief glossary of such terms for your reading enjoyment. Consider this to [...]
The infinite universe of private money
Friday, July 16th, 2010Clay Sparkman and Richard Sundvall
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 problem solving. I have put many transactions together, that initially didn’t appear to be [...]
Sunshine and hard money
Sunday, July 11th, 2010Clay Sparkman
It is summer at last!
In the Pacific Northwest, that means it is time to play–or for those who are investing in real estate projects, perhaps the reprieve from the rain means that it’s time to get to work on purchase and rehab projects. As much as 80% of the loans that we do are [...]
Web based resources for the private money professional
Thursday, July 1st, 2010Clay Sparkman
Today I will focus on a few web based tools that I have found to be useful in the business.
Let’s start locally (Portland, Oregon) and then expand out from there. A really nice little site if you are doing business in the Portland area is:
www.Portlandmaps.com
The City of Portland provides PortlandMaps.com as a new way [...]
Top ten clues that you should probably re-consider using a particular private money lender
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010Clay Sparkman
I remember when I first came into this business 15 years ago, the general attitude toward private money–and private money lenders and brokers–was quite negative. And to a certain extent, the reputation was not completely unearned. It was an industry that seemed to harbor a small handful of crooks and a great many more [...]
Twenty-five questions you must ask
Sunday, June 27th, 2010Clay Sparkman
I originally published this article in September of 2009 on my other blog—The Private Money Investor. One of the greatest challenges for private money brokers and borrowers is to understand the thinking process of the private money investor. Once you are able to get into the mind of the investor, it becomes much easier [...]
Rehab and construction loan FAQ
Friday, June 18th, 2010Clay Sparkman
One of the most promising areas at the moment for real estate investors and brokers, by all indications, is REO, rehab, and quick flip of properties. The opportunity to buy distressed properties at a low price point is evident in many markets. And yet it is difficult for most end-buyers (with a non-profit initiative) [...]
The private money broker blog
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010Clay Sparkman
You are receiving this e-mail because you previously subscribed to our Private Money Newsletter for brokers and borrowers. We recently made the decision to convert this newsletter to a blog format. In doing so, it is our hope to: (a) reach more interested parties, (b) provide a community forum for discussion of issues related [...]
