Hard money loans are typically issued at much higher interest rates than conventional commercial or residential property loans and are almost never issued by a commercial bank or other deposit institution. hard money loan is a real estate collateralized loan based on the quick-sale value of the property against which the loan is made. Most lenders fund in the 1st-lien position, meaning that in the event of a default, they are the first creditor to receive remuneration. Occasionally, lenders will subordinate to another 1st lien position loan; these loans are known as mezzanine loans or second lien position loans.

Hard money lenders structure loans based on a percentage of the quick-sale value of the subject property. This is called the Loan-to-Value or LTV ratio and typically hovers between 60-70% of the value of the property. For the purposes of determine an LTV, the word "value" is defined as 'today's purchase price'. This the amount that a lender could reasonably expect to realize from the sale of the property in the event that the loan defaults and the property must be sold in a 1-4 months' time. This 'value' differs from an MAI appraised value.

Below is an example of how a commercial real estate purchase might be structured by a hard money lender:

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