7 Best Hard Money Lenders in Montana

Montana is a mountain state in the northwestern portion of the country and bordering Canada. It is one of the least populated states by area in the country. A part of the reason for that is its numerous mountain ranges, prairie terrain, and even some areas of badlands. Often called Big Sky Country, it is an area that’s long provided many important resources for the U.S., including oil, mines for coal, lumber, and ranching. Other parts of its economy include healthcare, government, and service sectors. Overall, over 1 million people call it home, many of whom live in cities such as Helena, Great Falls, Bozeman, Missoula, or Billings, the largest cities here.

The more remote lifestyle makes the area an attractive place to live for many people. It is also more affordable as a result. The average purchase price of a home in Montana is $241,000 according to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. Often, these properties are larger, containing a significant amount of land. Many are located on the outskirts of the larger cities, but there are traditional neighborhoods and subdivisions in many of the bigger cities. Home prices range widely based on location, too, though the area has fewer urban areas than other regions.

When it comes to homeownership, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that 67.1% of people in Montana own their home, and 32.9% rent it. That’s about average or a little less in terms of homeownership. More so, 3.6% of rentals are vacant throughout the state. That is a significantly lower number, and it could signal that home investment opportunities for those who want to buy and manage rental property is a possibility here.

How hard money loans workin Montana

A hard money loan could provide many people looking to buy real estate in Montana with the ability to do so. Hard money loans are secured loans, meaning the value of the property backs up the loan. If the borrower does not maintain the loan terms as agreed to in the loan contract, the lender can force the sale of the property through foreclosure to regain some of its investment in the property. Because of this, there is a bit of security for the lender, and that means it can offer these loans to qualified borrowers.

Hard money lenders in Montana could be private individual investors or groups of investors working in an investment firm. These lenders set the terms of the loans they offer, and that means most hard money loans in Montana can differ from one lender to the next. However, most of the time, these loans have a higher interest rate than those found in a traditional conventional loan from a big bank or national lender. That is because there is a higher level of risk with these loans because they are investment properties and default rates are higher. Interest rates may range but are often between 8 and 15%.

One of the key features of most hard money loans is that they are short-term loans. Typically, these loans are in place for 1 to 5 years. They are often designed to accommodate the needs of fix and flip buyers who would likely sell the property within that timeframe. They also work well as bridge loans for newer construction or significant repairs and investment property used for rental properties. In those cases, the borrower is likely to refinance the hard money loan into a more affordable loan after the property’s value increases due to renovations to it. These loans may also be used for commercial real estate development in some areas.

7 Top Montana hard money lenders

If you’re in the market for a real estate investment project in Montana, 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. Juniper Capital

Juniper Capital focuses on hard money lending projects in the northwestern part of the United States. Based in Seattle, they offer private money products like bridge and hard money loans.

We contacted Juniper Capital to learn more about their private lending business and here are some of the highlights:

• Commercial real estate, $500K to $20 million with terms from 1 to 36 months.
• Multifamily residential properties, from $500K to $20 million with terms from 1 to 48 months.
• Single family residential, from $100K to $7 million with terms from 1 to 36 months.
• Construction projects from $500K to $20 million with terms from 1 to 36 months.

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. 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.

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. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

Pros/Cons of Montana hard money loans

There are numerous benefits to the borrower for using Montana hard money loans. Yet, there are some drawbacks as well, which makes it very important for borrowers to consider all of the terms and conditions before agreeing to them.

One of the core benefits is that many Montana hard money lenders base the value of the loan on after repair value rather than on the current value of the property. This takes into account the expected improvements and renovations the investor needs to do in order to get the property back to its expected value. This may make it easier for investors to obtain the loan they desire.

The key disadvantage of these loans is the higher interest rates and fees associated with the loan. In some cases, these can be significantly higher than what’s expected with a traditional mortgage. Yet, these are shorter term loans, which means borrowers can expect to have those high costs for a shorter amount of time if they flip the property or they refinance it within a shorter period of time.

In addition to this, Montana hard money loans often allow borrowers to close on the loan faster thanks to the fewer restrictions on the properties and fewer regulatory requirements. These loans may be able to close faster, and that can be a benefit when it comes to purchasing investment property.

Hard money loans are also more accessible than big bank loans for these higher risk properties. That means borrowers who need funds to purchase and renovate and who do not want to use their own private funds often need hard money lenders to obtain these loans. That can be a big benefit to borrowers who are otherwise unable to invest in real estate and often is worth the higher costs in doing so.

Looking for a hard money lender in a different state?

If you want to find the best hard money lenders in other states, click on your state below.