The state of Missouri is on the Missouri River and is located in the heart of the country. There’s much to love about this diverse state, including that it is home to the Ozarks and numerous other national parks and natural landscapes. It has several large metro areas, including St. Louis. Others include Jefferson City, the state’s capital, Springfield, Kansas City, and Columbia. Missouri is home to about 6.1 million people. It’s also where a number of large corporations have their headquarters, including Wells Fargo Advisors, Edward Jones, and Cerner. In terms of the overall economy, there are several large sectors here, including energy, beer production (it’s the largest producer in the world), and agriculture. It’s also a large tourism destination.
There are many reasons to consider purchasing real estate in Missouri. The highest valued properties are in the larger cities, but there are also a number of highly affordable communities throughout the state. Over the course of the last few years, home values in Missouri have risen steadily thanks to lower interest rates and some new construction. Home equity is high in many areas of the state as well. For those considering purchasing here, know that the average purchase price of a home in Missouri is $289,511 according to the Missouri Realtors Association. That’s about mid-range for the country.
For those thinking about investing in the rental real estate market, Missouri could be a good option. The U. S. Census Bureau states that 72.3 percent of people living in the state own their homes, and 27.7 percent rent them. It is notable that 8.1 percent of all long-term rentals are vacant, which could indicate that there is less demand in some areas for new rental properties. Yet, investment opportunities may still exist in numerous areas of the state.
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How hard money loans work in Missouri
A hard money loan is a type of loan provided by private money lenders like investors and investment firms with the sole goal of helping people obtain loans on real estate that may be harder to finance than a traditional conventional loan allows. The value of the property backs up the loan. This provides the lender with a bit more confidence and lower risk. If the borrower stops making payments on the loan, the lender can force the sale of it, leading to foreclosure and allowing the lender to recoup some of its investment. That is not what lenders hope to happen, which is why they have numerous qualifications and rules on who they lend to.
One of the keys for many hard money lenders in Missouri is that borrowers can use the funds for a wide range of projects. This often includes fix and flip homes, which tend to require significant repairs. They can also be used as bridge loans for those who need to borrow money to build a property or to secure the purchase before another loan is available. Some rental property investors also use these loans as a way to quickly buy property before they refinance into a more affordable loan option.
Hard money loans in Missouri tend to have interest rates that are higher than most conventional real estate loans. This can range from 8 to 15 percent. This makes the loan more costly to borrowers. Also notable is that most loans are only in place from 1 to 5 years. This makes them ideal for short term financing needs, like those associated with fix and flip properties. Borrowers still need to meet eligibility requirements, but for Missouri investors looking for a solid deal, this could be one of the better options available to them.
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8 Top Missouri hard money lenders
If you’re in the market for a real estate investment project in Missouri, consider these hard money lenders that are available for projects in the state.
1. New Silver
New Silver started in 2019 by Kirill Bensenoff and Alex Shvayetsky. They offer a variety of private money lending products like fix and flip, rental, ground up and personal loans.
We contacted New Silver Lending to learn more about their private lending business and here are some of the highlights:
- Origination fee from 1.875%
- Loan to cost up to 90%
- 100% construction financing available
- Loan to ARV up to 80%
- Terms are typically 24 months
- Loan amounts are from $100,000 to $5 million
- Minimum FICO score is 650
- No hard credit pull required
When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.
2. Investor Funding
Investor Funding focuses on loans in the Kansas City Missouri area, although they can lend in wide areas outside of Kansas City. They typically focus on commercial real estate, multi-family and single family homes up to four units.
We contacted Investor Funding to learn more about their private lending business and here are some of the highlights:
- Minimum credit score of 500 required for fix and flip properties
- Minimum credit score of 600 required for rental properties
- Up to 100% financing on fix and flips; up to 90% on rental properties
- Rehab loans typically have terms of 6-12 months
- Commercial bridge loans range from 12-36 months and require a minimum of $100K loan amount
When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.
3. Easy Street Capital
East Street Capital is based in Austin, Texas but lends nationwide except in North and South Dakota. Founded by Stephen Hagerman in 2016, Easy Street Capital has over six years of experience in the real estate investing world.
We reached out to Easy Street Capital to learn more about their hard money loans and this is what we found:
- Interest rates range from 6.9% – 10.9%
- Points range from 2-3
- There is a $1495 document fee
- No minimum credit score required
- Down payments of at least 10% required
- Renovation financing ok
- Fix and Flip loans do not typically have prepayment penalties
When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.
4. Stratton Equities
Stratton Equities is a nationwide direct hard money lender for real estate investors. Founded by Michael Mikhail in 2017, Stratton Equities has over five years of experience in the private lending market.
We reached out to Stratton Equities to get more information about their hard money lending program and here are some highlights:
- Loan amounts from $100,000 up to $5 million
- Investment properties only
- Single-Family, Condos, Townhomes, Multi-Family, Commercial, Mixed-Use, Office, Retail, Industrial and Warehouse are all ok
- Up to a 75% LTV
- Rates start at 7.25%
- Interest only payments
- Loan terms are 9-24 months
- Foreign nationals are eligible
- No prepayment penalty option is available
When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.
5. EquityMax
EquityMax is based out of Florida and most of its business in the state but is able to lend throughout the United States. Founded by Brad Emmer in 1990, EquityMax has decades of experience as a hard money lender.
We reached out to EquityMax to learn more about their hard money loans and these are the key highlights that you need to know:
- Single Family Homes
- 1-4 Multi-Unit Properties
- Condos and Townhomes ok
- Commercial property and Industrial Warehouses OK
- Direct lender that has decision making over financing deals.
- Can originate loans to individuals, LLCs, corporations, land trusts and self-directed IRAs.
- No prepayment penalties
- No minimum credit score required
When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.
6. HouseMax Funding
HouseMax Funding is based out of Austin, Texas but has a national footprint when it comes to real estate industry lending. Started by Jeff Fetcher and Alex Morris, HouseMax provides asset-based loan financing to investors for real estate transactions.
We reached out to HouseMax to learn more about their hard money lending program and here is what we found:
- Minimum loan amount is $75,000
- Lends up to 75% of the after-repair value (APV)
- 1-3 points origination charge
- 3 months reserves required
- Direct lender that approves loans internally and funds using their own private capital.
- Lends in urban and suburban communities in all 50 states.
- Goal is to close loans in 10 days or less.
- Specializes in fix & flip loans, construction and rental loans
- Multi-family and commercial properties are ok
When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.
7. Fund That Flip
Fund That Flip is a hard money lender based in New York that focuses on short term bridge loans for real estate investors looking to flip properties. Founded by Matt Rodak in 2014, Fund That Flip lends in most states.
We contacted Fund That Flip to learn more about their bridge loan program and here is what we found:
- Up to 80% LTC and 70% ARV ratios for your project
- Rates start at 9.99%
- Direct lender with discretionary capital
- Construction projects ok
- 10% down payment required
When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.
8. LendSimpli
LendSimpli is a hard money lender based in Tampa, Florida. They can lend nationally in most states but may not be able to lend if the property is in a rural area. Founded by Brenden Crampton and Matthew Davies in 2018, they have nearly four years of experience in the private lending real estate investing market.
We reached out to LendSimpli to get more details about their bridge loan product and this is what we found:
- Loan amounts up to $5 million for 1-4 unit properties
- Loan amounts up to $20 million for 5+ unit properties
- Single family (1-4 units)
- Multifamily (5-20 units)
- No owner-occupied properties
- Loan terms 12-24 months
- Interest-only payments with rates starting at 8.50%
- Max LTC is 90% of project costs
- Minimum credit score is 660
- Prefer that you have at least two transactions in the past three years
When you’re ready to connect with a loan officer, use our form to quickly match with eligible loan programs based on your specific circumstances.
Pros/Cons of Missouri hard money loans
There are a lot of potential benefits to using Missouri hard money loans. The primary benefit is the access to these loans for hard-to-finance properties. When other lenders, including big banks, turn a borrower down, it may still be able to secure a loan through private lenders like this.
Another key benefit to these loans is the value they use when agreeing to the loan amount. In a traditional mortgage, the value of the property at the time of the sale is used to determine how much the borrower can obtain. In Missouri hard money loans, lenders use the after repair value in some cases. This is the value of the property after repairs are made to improve it. This is a very big benefit for those looking for funds to help cover the cost to repair the property.
Missouri hard money lenders set their own terms and conditions for loans. Some may offer loans to those who are unproven investors, those with lower credit scores, and those with limited down payments. Other times that is not the case, though. Some lenders require a higher level of qualification from the borrower due to the risks of these loans.
There are some drawbacks to using hard money loans. The biggest one is the cost. These loans tend to have an interest rate that is much higher than a traditional bank loan, often in the range of 8 to 15 percent. There are also added fees associated with the loan. More so, the borrower is on the hook for these loans, and they could lose the asset and any money they put into the loan (and any other personal assets tied to it) if they default on the mortgage. Lenders are very careful to ensure the borrower is qualified for these loans.
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