Friendly reminder that what determines whether a loan is business purpose or not depends on the use of funds and not the property.
Sub 550 credit score borrower owns a SFR (rental property) free and clear. Requesting a sub 50% LTV cash out refinance secured against the rental property.
My first few questions:
- What are the funds being used for?
- Does the borrower rent or own their primary residence?
- When did the borrower acquire the property and for how much?
- Any TI's?
- What are the current rents and can we verify them?
On day 1, I am less concerned about the current rents and more concerned about the potential owner occupancy (despite what they say), the use of funds and their basis in the property.
A few other questions come to mind but that's for a different post.
Cash out refinances tend to be the riskiest deals we see. Need to apply some logic and can't simply go off of leverage.
As the sun will come up tomorrow, if someone promises they have a fast track for approvals with the city, ask some more questions.
The experienced investors that have an "in" with planning department, probably aren't sharing that secret sauce or selling a course. @LA_Multi_Fam
Where are my "You, Me and Dupree" movie fans???
This morning I had the pleasure to lace up the running shoes for the first time in over a year to run 4 miles with Hunter Latta. Let's just say I might wait another year before I run again. Only partly kidding.
Any time I get talk shop with others in the industry, I jump at the opportunity. Hunter and I originally connected on this platform a few years ago and it has always been great to get together and strategize. There are few people out there that are willing to truly brainstorm with no filter on how to close more deals and he is one of them.
Time was tight after the run and I needed to get into the office.
Living in near the beach, it is a must to keep a set of fins in the car at all times. Quick dip in the ocean, shower on the beach like Dupree (don't worry, board shorts stayed on), then into the office.
Fun Facts:
2019 and 2020, CRE deals represented 11.40% of our total volume for the company
2024 and 2025, CRE deals represented 50.84% of our total volume for the company
For the year end 12/31/2020, our average loan amount size was $339,358.
For the year end 12/31/2025, our average loan amount size was $1,030,998.
For the first 6 months of 2026, our average loan amount size is $1,126,583.
In 2019 / 2020, most of the loans we were writing were fix and flip loans. This is when they were still called fix and flip loans and not RTL's, haha.
The writing was on the wall then where the big money was going and we went the opposite direction.
My favorite thing to do after being on the road for 5 hours before 1:30 pm has to be going back and forth with Title about our lender's instructions.
What I can appreciate about Title pushing back on certain items is that they are actually reviewing our lender's instructions.
Doctor says to drink less coffee.
Ok...
The posts I stop reading after the first sentence go like this:
"I gave up my comfy job making $500k/ year to do..."
or...
"I went from making ZERO money to making..."
Yup, don't care. The rest of the post is about to sell you on financial freedom by investing with them or buying their course. Or it is a repurposed AI post saying that anything is possible with hard work, grit, and a support system behind you.
It is not always about the Benjamins. The most successful people I know never talk about how much money they have or had they made it.
The imposter syndrome is alive and well in 2026.
Sometimes I see posts and comments that make me think; "where did this marketing strategy come from?"
Their marketing directors clearly said, "oh, AI can handle that. Just set it and forget it"
Here are the Marketing Directors putting their heads together creating the next brilliant approach.
2 years ago, everyone was raving about ADU's in CA. That strategy has fallen flat.
Today, boutique hotels are gaining steam. I think those will play out the same way as those going all in on ADU's.
Some will be successful, most will take a bath.
2 years ago, everyone was raving about ADU's in CA. That strategy has fallen flat.
Today, boutique hotels are gaining steam. I think those will play out the same way as those going all in on ADU's.
Some will be successful, most will take a bath.
What were you doing 14 years ago vs. today?
- 14 years ago, I found out I passed the last exam to obtain my CPA license. Boiling shot at the river sponsored by Gary Harris.
- Today, the big fella graduated from Kindergarden
14 years ago, if you asked me what I would be doing over a decade later, I most likely would have told you I would still been in accounting.
I definitely would have said yes to kids.
Running a private lending business... What's private lending?
It is easy to look back and say "what if?"
To all the recent graduates out there, career paths are an interesting journey.
Build your network and enjoy the ride.