How to Buy a Bank Owned Home

How to buy bank owned properties (REO)

There is a lot of interest in buying bank owned properties these days. A lot of information, some good and some bad, is floating around about the subject. Often the information offered is for sale, with the promise that you can make a lot of money with little effort once you know "the secret formula". The fact is that there are no secrets, and to make money does require effort.

What's an REO?

REO stands for "Real Estate Owned". These are properties that have gone through foreclosure and are now owned by the bank or mortgage company. This is not the same as a property up for foreclosure auction. When buying a property during a foreclosure sale, you must pay at least the loan balance plus any interest and other fees accumulated during the foreclosure process. You must also be prepared to pay with cash in hand. And on top of all that, you'll receive the property 100% "as is". That could include existing liens and even current occupants that need to be evicted. A REO, by contrast, is a much "cleaner" and attractive transaction. The REO property did not find a buyer during foreclosure auction. The bank now owns it. The bank will see to the removal of tax liens, evict occupants if needed and generally prepare for the issuance of a title insurance policy to the buyer at closing. Do be aware that REO's may be exempt from normal disclosure requirements. In California, for example, banks are exempt from giving a Transfer Disclosure Statement, a document that normally requires sellers to tell you about any defects they are aware of.

Is it a bargain?

It's commonly assumed that any REO must be a bargain and an opportunity for easy money. This simply isn't true. You have to be very careful about buying a REO if your intent is to make money off of it. While it's true that the bank is typically anxious to sell it quickly, they are also strongly motivated to get as much as they can for it. When considering the value of a REO, you need to look closely at comparable sales in the neighborhood and be sure to take into account the time and cost of any repairs or remodeling needed to prepare the house for resale. The bargains with money making potential exist, and many people do very well buying foreclosures. But there are also many REO's that are not good buys and not likely to turn a profit.

Ready to make an offer?

Most banks have a REO department that you'll work with in buying a REO property from them. Typically the REO department will use a listing agent to get their REO properties listed on the local MLS. Before making your offer, you'll want to contact either the listing agent or REO department at the bank and find out as much as you can about what they know about the condition of the property and what their process is for receiving offers. Since banks almost always sell REO properties "as is", you'll want to be sure and include an inspection contingency in your offer that gives you time to check for hidden damage and terminate the offer if you find it. As with making any offer on real estate, you'll make your offer more attractive if you can include documentation of your ability to pay, such as a pre-approval letter from a lender. After you've made your offer, you can expect the bank to make a counter offer. Then it will be up to you to decide whether to accept their counter, or offer a counter to the counter offer. Realize, you'll be dealing with a process that probably involves multiple people at the bank, and they don't work evenings or weekends. It's not unusual for the process of offers and counter offers to take days or even weeks.

Hard Money Lending: A Valuable Financing Option

Hard Money Lending: A Valuable Financing Option

What is "Hard Money"? Most people have heard the term before and are not sure exactly what it means. Don't be confused by the term "Hard Money." The name doesn't mean that this money is difficult to obtain, because in reality hard money loans are some of the easiest funds to procure. Generally speaking, the industry defines "Hard Money" as unconventional asset based lending where the collateral of the loan is real estate. It is considered unconventional because these loans do not meet the traditional underwriting criteria of Institutional Lenders (ILs).

A Hard Money Lender (HML) is typically the ‘lender of last resort’ due to the loan’s unconventional characteristics; fast funding timeline, a borrower’s credit score, loan type, etc. Private--or "Hard Money"--lenders include real estate funds, pension funds, insurance companies and/or private individuals with money available for lending. Some have deep pockets while others have limited resources. Based upon their own criteria, HMLs lend money primarily on a short-term basis, to borrowers who use it for a variety of profitable purposes. These may include the following real estate loan types: bridge, refinance, development, acquisition, rehab, etc. Since Hard Money is more expensive than traditional sources (10%+ interest rate and 2 points+ in origination fees), borrowers should have a significant financial upside for using these sources. These benefits out way the loan cost.

Typical Terms for Hard Money Loans

Terms and requirements for these types of loans will vary from lender to lender. Lenders may charge an upfront application fee, due diligence fee and commitment fee. Make sure to understand these fees when selecting a Hard Money Lender because these fees maybe non-refundable. Generally, a HML will fund a loan for 50% LTV on raw land and up to 70% LTV on the finished product, at an interest rate of 10%+ and for a period of six months to three years. Lenders will also charge between 2 and 10 points as an origination fee, to be paid out of proceeds. Loans can be either interest only or amortized. Some lenders will fund interest, origination fees, rehab money, etc.; others will not. Ultimately, when selecting a HML, borrowers will need to understand how these options fit best into their plans.

Why Is Hard Money a Good Financing Option?

Institutional Lenders (ILs) (i.e. banks, credit unions, etc.) fill a need for cheap money. Everyone is glad they exist and fulfill their need. Borrowers would love to use them on all real estate deals. However, there is a market out there that ILs cannot fund. That is where Hard Money Lenders come in and why they exist. They fulfill a need that ILs cannot fill due to government regulations, stricter underwriting guidelines, lower risk profiles, longer funding timeline, etc.

When deciding whether to apply for a Hard Money loan, here are the top ten reasons to consider:

1. SPEED
Most Hard Money Lenders (HMLs) can fund in less than two weeks after receiving all the necessary documentation, while most Institutional Lenders (ILs) can take 60 days or greater, if at all.
2. LOW DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS
HMLs documentation is often less than the paperwork required by ILs. HMLs still require some documentation but they fund based on the value of the property; it is the asset that is under consideration, not the borrower.
3. NO CREDIT ISSUE
HMLs typically do not require borrowers to have good credit. For example, one client was able to obtain funding even though the borrower had a recent bankruptcy, foreclosure and a FICO score under 500. ILs almost always require a decent credit history.
4. FLEXIBILITY
HMLs give maximum flexibility in structuring the loan (i.e. term, interest reserve, draw schedules, cash out, financing carry, etc.). ILs typically have much stricter terms.
5. GAP/BRIDGE FINANCING
HMLs are usually very experienced real estate lenders who understand that projects do not always follow the given plan. If a gap in funding exists and the loan and supporting documentation make sense, HMLs will typically fund. Whereas, IL’s guidelines are typically not flexible and they turn down gap loan requests if borrowers get off schedule.
6. LOANS TO FOREIGN NATIONALS
HMLs will loan to foreign nationals, as long as, they are secured in the property. Most ILs have difficulty lending to non-US citizens under the terms required.
7. HIGHER RISK PROFILE
HMLs will fund pre-development, church, non-profit and other riskier loans due totheir understanding of the process and value of the collateral. ILs typically will not fund predevelopment loans or make loans to institutions which impact their profile in the community. For example, no IL wants to foreclose on a church; the publicity is terrible.
8. NO PERSONAL GUARANTEE
HMLs do not always require personal guarantees since loans are made based on the value of the property. ILs almost always require personal guarantees.
9. FLEXIBLE LTVS
HMLs decide what Loan-to-Values (LTVs) they will accept based on their affinity for the project, cross collateralization, possible equity participation, etc. ILs have very strict underwriting criteria, which turn down loans from the beginning if the LTV is too high.
10. SUBORDINATE LIENS
HMLs will make loans in a first, second, third or lower position, as long as, the value of the property is there. ILs might do a second, and almost never a third. Typically, ILs want to be in a first position.

Hard Money Loan Expectations

So, you have a good deal with a great LTV and the loan can't go to an Institutional Lender because of bad credit, or need for funding in two weeks or faster. Armed with the knowledge of the value and concept of Hard Money lending, the loan is sent to a HML. The bottom line is that the finance cost will be more expensive than an IL, but the deal will close. Here is what to expect. Each deal is unique; deal terms vary and nothing is set in stone. Lender criteria adjust based on the specifics of each deal, so borrowers will need to be flexible. Here are a few of the expectations to keep in mind when applying for a Hard Money loan:
Title insurance is a must.
All delinquent taxes, judgments, etc. and other liens on the property will typically be taken out of the proceeds unless specifically excluded.
Insurance, typically, will add the lender as co-insured.
Fund control is always set up on construction, development and any loans which have budgets.
Borrower will pay all closing costs, fees, etc. out of proceeds.
Many lenders require the property be put into a single asset LLC, which the loan is made to.
Borrower should be prepared to assign rents.
Interest, in most cases, at least partly will be reserved or prepaid.
Some HMLs require an upfront application fee, due diligence fee and commitment fee. Make sure you understand these fees and how they will be used and if they are refundable.
Almost all lenders require borrowers to have money in the deal. Additional collateral may be required by cross collateralizing other properties to keep the LTV acceptable.
One final suggestion is to try every institutional and conventional lender--first. After understanding that the loan doesn’t fit into their underwriting criteria and the loan request keeps getting denied for various reasons, keep Hard Money Lenders in mind. HMLs are a valuable option for many types of real estate transactions.

Hard Money Lender Directory @ http://www.thenoteservice.com