5 Best Hard Money Lenders in Vermont

Vermont provides a higher quality of living than many other areas of the country. This New England state sits near New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. It’s also the second-leased populated state after Wyoming, with only about 640,000 people calling it home. Though small, it is a state with a long history, a vibrant culture, and exceptional natural areas, including the Green Mountains, which run through the middle of the state. Aside from all of this, Vermont is a state known for its agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, and energy production. It also has a growing tourism industry, recreation areas, and health sector.

With limited inventory, the housing market in Vermont is highly valuable and competitive. Throughout the last few years, it has seen home values rise, like much of the rest of the country. In addition to increasing home values, lower interest rates and the desire to purchase second homes has also helped to drive home values in Vermont higher. The average sale price of a home in Vermont is $438,127, according to the Vermont Realtors Association, much higher than the national average. Homes range from larger properties and estates to small bungalows and Colonials. Some new development is occurring here.

The U.S. Census Bureau states that 69.4 percent of people in the state live in their homes here, and 30.6 percent rent them. Some properties are short term rentals, thanks to the tourism industry in Vermont. Yet, most people who rent do so because of the higher cost of homeownership in the region. Of the rentals here, about 4.5 percent of them are vacant. That’s an indication that there could be demand for rental properties in some communities.

How hard money loans work

Hard money loans are a valuable asset that is quite unlike a traditional loan. Unlike a loan from a conventional lender like a bank, these loans are provided by private investors and groups of investors who pool their money together to lend to those in need. Hard money lenders in Vermont provide funding for investment properties, including rental properties, new construction projects meant for rental income, and fix and flip projects. They may also provide funding for multifamily homes, vacation rentals, and much more. These are not typically a loan meant for those looking to buy a home to live in themselves.

Hard money loans in Vermont are competitive, and though their interest rate is higher than what you may expect from a traditional loan, that is due to the increased risk associated with these loans for the lender. Since these investment properties tend to have a higher rate of default, this interest rate, which is generally between 8 and 15 percent, helps to compensate for that. Hard money loans may be a bit easier to obtain for borrowers who have a good credit score and a down payment, but many of these lenders are very flexible in this area, offering competitive opportunities with more flexibility than traditional lenders.

For those who need short term loans, hard money lenders in Vermont are one of the best ways to get that funding. These loans are typically for 1 to 5 years, providing borrowers with the time they need to purchase the property, renovate and update it, and then sell it or to refinance it to maintain it long term. This can often help borrowers to obtain the loans faster and with more efficiency overall, even though they may cost a bit more.

5 Top Vermont hard money lenders

If you’re ready to learn more about the best hard money lenders in Vermont, here are the top options we’ve found through our research.

1. LendingOne

LendingOne focuses exclusively on real estate investor loans. Started in 2014 by Bill Green and Matthew Neisser, LendingOne acts as a direct private lender offering products like portfolio rental loans, DSCR loans, fix and flips, multifamily and new construction loans.

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

• For rental property loans, they can finance from $75K to $5 million with up to 80% LTV for purchase and refinance and up to 75% LTV for cash out refinancing.
• For fix and flip, they can finance up to 90% of the purchase and repair budget with interest only payments for up to 24 months and no pre-payment 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

Pros/Cons of Vermont hard money loans

Vermont hard money loans are often an ideal opportunity for investors who do not want to use their own savings and cannot obtain a traditional loan to purchase this type of real estate. Take a look at the pros and cons of using these loans.

Pros

Vermont hard money lenders offer these loans when other lenders do not. For those who need to tap into financing, then, this is a critical way to do so when other loans may be inaccessible.

Also, most lenders will offer flexibility because they have fewer regulations and restrictions on borrowers. That means fewer inspections and rules that lenders have to follow. This is why these borrowers can often obtain funding even when it may be difficult to do so initially.

Perhaps one of the most important benefits is that some lenders offer loans based on the after repair value of the home rather than on the current value of the property. In some situations, home flippers purchase real estate at a low price with the goal of putting a lot of money into it to renovate and upgrade. With the after repair value, the lender is more likely to lend to the borrower who is doing this. Some offer full financing, while others may finance up to 70 percent of the value of that property after it is repaired. For real estate investors, funding the purchase price through a hard money loan can make it easier to get more rental properties or new properties. With so many real estate loans out there, you’ll need to rely on your research and years of experience to decide if a hard money loan is right for you. Private loans may be all that is available to you based on what you’re looking for in financing. Your mortgage broker can tell you move about loan to value requirements, loan rates, and loan offers if you decide to go this route. Compared to other loan options, this might fit your needs if you have been a rental property owner for some time.

Cons

The biggest drawback with these loans is that they are more expensive. Borrowers can expect to pay interest rates that are between 8 and 15 percent and sometimes more. Fees are also higher with these loans. These higher costs are in place for a much shorter term, and they do help to justify the lenders who are putting a significant amount of money on the line. Also, note that some lenders are very limited in the terms and conditions they offer. The lending process may not be streamlined depending on how long these lenders have been in the business.

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