How do I find the right hard money lender for a fix and flip?

To find the right hard money lender for a fix and flip, match your deal criteria to lender guidelines: LTC limits, state licensing, min/max loan amounts, property type, and borrower experience requirements. Broker Cheetah automates this by filtering 200+ lenders to only those who match your specific criteria — eliminating wasted calls to lenders who will never fund your deal.

What is the difference between LTC and LTV in hard money lending?

LTC (Loan-to-Cost) is the loan amount divided by total project cost (purchase price plus rehab budget). LTV (Loan-to-Value) is the loan amount divided by the current appraised value. Hard money lenders underwrite to both and use the lower of the two — the constrained loan. Most borrowers only think about LTC and get surprised when LTV caps the loan lower.

How long does a hard money loan take to close?

Hard money loans typically close in 7–14 business days for experienced borrowers with clean deals. Timeline drivers include appraisal turnaround (3–7 days), title search completion, borrower document response speed, and lender pipeline volume.

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Search 200+ verified hard money lenders by your exact deal criteria. Send one-click quotes. Track every deal from quote to close. Built by a 20-year hard money veteran.

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Loans Originated

7–14

Day Average Close

5

Loan Types Covered

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Who Are You?

Broker Cheetah is purpose-built for every player in the hard money ecosystem.

For Brokers

Hard Money Broker

Stop running deals through the wrong lenders. Search 200+ lenders by your exact deal criteria and send one-click quotes to multiple lenders simultaneously.

Lender Search One-Click Quotes Deal Pipeline

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For General Contractors

GC Fix & Flip Investor

Hard money built for GCs who flip their own deals. Higher LTC, faster draws, lenders who understand your process.

Higher LTC Rehab Draws Fast Close

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For Investors

Fix & Flip Investor

Find lenders who actually want your deal. Search by LTC, state, loan size, and experience level. Compare competing term sheets and close faster.

LTC Calculator ARV Tool Compare Terms

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For Real Estate Investors

Real Estate Investor

Every deal is different. Stop burning days on lenders who won't fund your deal type. DSCR, bridge, and portfolio loans — matched to lenders that actually fit.

DSCR & Bridge Deal-Fit Match Portfolio Scale

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For MLOs

Conventional MLO

Add hard money to your origination menu. When your conventional borrower doesn't fit, hand them off to a hard money solution and earn a referral fee — without losing the client.

Referral Income Client Retention Hard Money Access

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For Builders

Spec Home Builder

Ground-up construction financing matched to lenders who fund spec builds. Find lenders by state, LTC, loan size, and builder experience — not just whoever answers the phone.

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How Broker Cheetah Works

From deal criteria to funded loan in three steps.

1

Search Lenders

Filter 200+ lenders by loan type, LTC, state, property type, and borrower experience. Find who actually wants your deal.

2

Request Quotes

Send quote requests to multiple lenders in one click. Get competing term sheets within hours — not days of phone calls.

3

Close Faster

Track every deal through a 7-stage pipeline from quote to close. Never drop a ball or miss a deadline again.

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FAQ

Hard Money Questions, Answered

Straight answers from a 20-year hard money veteran.

A hard money broker is an often unlicensed mortgage professional who specializes in originating short-term, asset-based loans — typically for real estate investors doing fix-and-flip, ground-up construction, or bridge financing. Unlike conventional brokers, hard money brokers focus on property value and deal structure rather than borrower credit scores. They earn commissions (typically 1–3 points) for matching borrowers with private lenders.

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Broker Cheetah has three core functions: (1) Lender Search — filter 200+ verified hard money lenders by loan type, LTC, state, property type, and borrower experience. (2) One-Click Quotes — send quote requests to multiple lenders simultaneously. (3) Deal Pipeline — track every deal through 7 stages from quote to close.

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Match your deal criteria to lender guidelines: LTC limits, state licensing, min/max loan amounts, property type, and borrower experience requirements. Most investors waste days calling lenders who will never fund their deal type. Broker Cheetah filters to only the lenders that match your specific criteria — instantly.

Full lender search guide →

LTC (Loan-to-Cost) = loan amount ÷ total project cost (purchase + rehab). LTV (Loan-to-Value) = loan amount ÷ current appraised value. Hard money lenders underwrite to both and use the lower number — the "constrained loan." Most borrowers only think about LTC and get surprised when LTV caps the loan lower.

LTC vs. LTV explained with examples →

Hard money loans typically close in 7–14 business days for experienced borrowers with clean deals. Timeline drivers: appraisal (3–7 days), title search, borrower document speed, and lender pipeline volume. Broker Cheetah's 7-stage deal pipeline tracks each milestone so nothing falls through the cracks.

The 7-stage loan process explained →

Fix & Flip, Ground-Up Construction, Stabilized Bridge, DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio), and Portfolio loans. Lenders are indexed by loan type so your search only returns lenders who fund your specific deal structure.

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Hard Money Glossary (50+ Terms) →

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