Short-term, asset-based financing for real estate investors. Close in as little as 7-14 days using the property — not your tax returns or W-2s — as the primary qualifier.
No obligation. No credit check to get started.
California is the largest mortgage market in the country by dollar volume. Most coastal and Bay Area counties are designated high-balance, with conforming limits of $1,209,750 — meaningfully above the national floor. Median home prices in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Marin counties remain above $1.5M.
California fix-and-flip volume is concentrated in coastal LA, Orange County, San Diego, and the Bay Area. We routinely close hard-money deals up to $5M+ on prime SFR rehabs and luxury flips with 7-14 day timelines.
A hard money loan is a short-term, real-estate-secured loan from private capital — not a bank — designed for investors who need to move fast and care more about the property than about meeting full conventional underwriting.
Hard money loans are most often used for fix-and-flip projects, bridge financing, distressed-property purchases, and trustee-sale plays where conventional financing timelines would kill the deal. The loan is secured by the property's equity (usually 60-75% LTV or 65-75% of after-repair value), and decisions are made on the strength of the deal, your exit strategy, and your investor track record — not your DTI ratio.
Terms are typically 6-24 months, interest rates 8-13%, with 1-3 origination points. Most hard-money loans are interest-only with a balloon payment at maturity, and the borrower exits via either a sale (flip) or a refinance into a longer-term DSCR or conventional loan once the property is stabilized.
Lending Arena coordinates hard money through a vetted network of private capital partners. We structure the deal to match your exit, set realistic timelines on the rehab, and keep the underwriting tight so you don't get to the finish line and discover the lender wants new boxes checked.
Built for speed, flexibility, and deals where the property carries the weight.
Skip the 30-45 day conventional timeline. Hard money closes fast enough to compete on cash-only listings, trustee sales, and time-pressured off-market deals.
The property and the deal qualify the loan. Self-employed investors, recent business owners, and borrowers between W-2 income windows all work.
Most hard money programs include a rehab draw schedule — you fund the purchase plus the renovation budget in a single loan, drawing as work completes.
Property-first underwriting, but a few investor-side checks keep the deal clean.
Most hard-money lenders require 25-35% of the purchase price as down payment, or 30-40% equity if you already own the property. Stronger profiles can sometimes go to 20%.
Typical max LTV is 70-75% of as-is value, OR 65-75% of after-repair value (ARV) for projects with rehab budgets included.
Lenders want a clear exit: sale to a buyer, refinance into a DSCR or conventional loan, or take-out from another lender. We help structure the exit before funding so the take-out is bankable.
First-time investors can still get hard money — but experienced flippers with prior projects on file get better terms. We help first-timers structure deals to demonstrate viability.
Same-day decisions, fast funding, structured exits.
Send us the property address, purchase price, rehab budget, and exit plan. Same-day go/no-go on most files.
We coordinate a fast valuation (BPO or appraisal) and verify ARV, comps, and rehab scope.
Receive a clear term sheet with rate, points, fees, and timeline. Sign and we fund — typically 7-14 days from application.
Stabilize, sell, or refinance. We can wire you into a DSCR or conventional take-out so you exit cleanly when the project is done.
Answers to the most common questions about hard money loans in California.
Lending Arena offers the full mortgage product set across California. See what else might fit your situation.
Lending Arena, NMLS #1603937. Licensed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act and/or the California Finance Lenders Law. Equal Housing Lender. This is not a commitment to lend. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. All loans are subject to credit and property approval. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information requests can be submitted to privacy@lendingarena.com.