Go beyond ordinary banking. AM Real Estate Bridge Loan

Real Estate Bridge

What are bridge loans?

A bridge loan is a type of asset-based, short-term loan, typically taken out for a few months to a couple of years pending the arrangement of longer-term financing or an exit, such as the sale. It is used to ‘bridge’ the gap during times when financing is critical but not readily available. 

Bridge loans let homebuyers take out a mortgage against their current home to make the down payment on their new home. A bridge loan may also be a suitable choice for you if you want to purchase a new home before your current house has sold. This financing structure may also be beneficial to businesses that need to cover operating costs while waiting for long-term funding.

Introducing AM Bridge!

AM Bridge: A liquidity tool once reserved for the wealthy is now available for everyone!

Real Estate investors are often asset-rich but cash poor. On paper, their net worth may be significant, but their wealth can be tied up in real estate or other businesses. Accessing such funds might mean sacrificing a stake in their business or surrendering some influence over its future – neither of which may be appealing.

It is not always the case that a real estate investor has a few hundred thousand dollars just sitting in the bank readily available to fund a property immediately. Even if they do, they may not wish to tie all their cash upon one property. In today’s market, the property that investors want could be in high demand and needs to be acted on quickly; these could be higher-yielding investments that need immediate funding. Having access to large sums of cash quickly and easily is what HNW investors have had at their disposal for decades. America Mortgages has now made this powerful liquidity tool available to everyone.

How is it used?

Here are some popular uses of “Bridging” Loans:

– Filling the contingency sale of an old property before you can purchase the new property. You can take a Bridge Loan and use your old house as collateral for the loan. The proceeds can then be used to pay a down payment for the new house and cover the costs of the loan. In most cases, the lender will offer a bridge loan worth approximately 80% of both houses’ combined value.

– To purchase based on the asset value of the new build so the borrower can meet the final payment before delivery.

– For the initial purchase until entitlement or for refinancing after a cash purchase until entitlement. 

– To purchase greenfield land to begin commercial development. Once certain stages of development have been completed, it’s easier to obtain traditional bank financing.

– Cash-out Bridge Loan for short-term personal or business use.

The Market

The pandemic has created a boom in the bridge loan market in several ways. 

Firstly, it has created an economic environment filled with uncertainties, and as a result, more businesses need capital as soon as possible and can’t afford to wait for a traditional loan. They will thus turn to bridge loans. 

Secondly, cash is king these days. With the current value of the U.S. dollar, it may be time to look at accessing liquidity quickly and easily. Normally regardless of your current financial situation, a bridge loan gives you quick access to up to 70% of your property value with simple, easy-to-understand terms. 

Thirdly, there has been an accelerated trend of people migrating to Sunbelt cities due to greater job opportunities. This has driven up rents in these cities – the Phoenix area had the biggest rent increase in July, up 27% from a year ago. Due to the profitability of the rental trade, more developers and businesses are looking to acquire multifamily rental units. Short-term commercial bridge loans will provide them with the needed flexibility to take on such assets while they look for permanent financing options. This will help businesses get their assets to perform at maximum potential. 

The Problem

When an American Mortgage bridge loan specialist gets a request for short-term financing, they ask three things;

  1.  Where is the asset?
  2.  What is the value and the outstanding debt?
  3.  What situation are you trying to solve?

Number 3 is the most crucial and often the hardest to rationalise. Even the wealthiest people have used short-term bridge financing to access liquidity even when “conventional” options are still possible. This is mainly due to the time and effort required to obtain long-term financing. Cash flow, credit issues, or asset use may prohibit a “conventional” bank loan. When time is a factor in a transaction, it is important to see the opportunity cost of not closing quickly or obtaining a simplified equity release. 

Our Solution 

Typically, the timeline for traditional bank loan processing from origination to closing is longer than most borrowers prefer for a time-sensitive funding solution or if the project lacks sufficient stable cash flow. The short-term nature of bridge loans generally allows alternative lenders to provide an approval decision and funding with greater speed than a more traditional lender. At America Mortgages, we’ve funded loans in as little as a couple of days since the initial contact. 

To allow for such a speedy funding process, the sponsor’s expected property value and experience in executing the business plan are the determining factors in the decision-making process. For this reason, the loans are commonly non-recourse, which is another benefit to the borrower. 

Bridge loans are often the preferred funding option for uses such as:

– Highly structured transactions 

– Discounted note payoffs

– Lease-up stabilisation 

– Redevelopment of existing properties

– Repositioning of a tired or underperforming asset

– Property acquisitions with a short closing timeline (or challenges on the property or sponsor)

– Recapitalisations/Debt Restructuring or Partner Buyouts

– Other uses on a case-by-case basis depending on borrowers’ specific funding needs, where traditional funding sources like banks or insurance companies will have a hard time approving such loan requests.

– Lending to foreign nationals with a “same-as-cash” basis 

Short-Term vs. Long-Term 

Unlike short-term financing, longer-term financing is susceptible to the regulatory hurdles associated with securing long-term fixed-rate mortgages. This is why bridge loans are often provided by unregulated lenders, family offices, or in some cases, HNW investors. In addition to the regulatory scrutiny, banks or insurance companies require, the sponsor’s credit history and financial strength also take a front seat in the credit decision for long-term loans. Keep in mind America Mortgages will never work with “lend-to-own” investors and lenders. Our goal is to find you a solution that works with your situation with a long-term solution and exit from the bridge loan. 

While bridge loans are the preferred option for many specific financing needs, several downsides come with short-term financing that is meant to fund projects. When assets need work, lenders will consider these higher risks and, therefore, charge higher interest rates. 

Additionally, bridge lenders generally do not exceed 70%-85% of the property cost basis to limit their financial exposure. However, this leverage is higher than traditional lenders would advance for the same project. This is because bridge lenders rely on the sponsor to fix the issues, which made the property ineligible for long-term financing in the first place. This enables the asset to become stabilised and ready for exit through a sale or by refinancing the property through traditional channels.

As a company America Mortgages‘ only focus is to provide U.S. mortgage financing for foreign nationals and U.S. expats. 100% of our clients are working and living outside the U.S. For more information on AM Bridge, please connect with us via email at [email protected].

www.americamortgages.com

Liquidity Issues? AM Bridge Loans to the Rescue!

Liquidity Issues

The housing market has seen intense competition, massive price surges, and dwindling inventory since 2020 – But if you’re a real estate investor, all of that may be about to change, and for the better. 

Mortgage rates are rising. In mid-June of 2022, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.81%. That may seem high; however, rates now are where they were right after the financial crisis of 2008, when many people were actively trying to obtain a mortgage. 

What makes this type of market great for real estate investors? These higher rates make it more difficult for would-be home buyers to afford new homes. It’s not that people are trying to buy extravagant houses, but that a modest home with an increase of $50 a month in mortgage payments could be the difference between buying or renting. 

These higher costs are putting pressure on the housing market. It has already led to a decrease in mortgage applications to purchase and refinance for owner-occupied property, but an increase in investor mortgage applications getting in on high rental prices, demand, and lack of available rentals. What once was a seller’s market is shifting slightly, causing properties to stay on the market longer. For some, this has resulted in a liquidity issue for investors looking to sell their properties quickly to buy additional properties.

Luckily, there is a relatively simple and easy financing solution – AM bridge loans

What is a Bridge Loan?

Investors use real estate bridge loans as a short-term financing tool to bridge gaps in financing. For example, an investor might take out a bridge loan against a property they are selling in order to purchase or act on another investment property immediately. 

In this case, the homeowner may need the money before their property sells. They can now use an AM Bridge loan to extract equity today while waiting for the right price to sell.

Bridge loans can be secured quickly, often closing within a week to 10 days, and with little paperwork, because lenders are more interested in the collateral (i.e., a house) than a credit score or cash flow.

How to Use Bridge Loans to Free up Liquidity 

Bridge loans allow investors to quickly free up liquidity using their real estate assets as collateral. This is a quick asset-backed mortgage where your financials or credit are not the primary underwriting criteria; the asset is. In order to better understand how this works, let’s take a look at two examples;

1. Waiting for a property to sell at the right price:

You’re selling a property but waiting for the right price. Another investment property becomes available that is too good to pass up, but you won’t have the available funds until after you sell the existing property. No problem. Extract the equity from the property you’re selling. Take advantage of the new investment. Wait for your property to sell and pay off the bridge. It’s that easy and quick! 

2. Financial strain:

Often, unpredictable circumstances can impact our financial position. The equity in your property can be the perfect way to ride out the storm without worrying if you’ll qualify for a “conventional” mortgage loan. It is easy, quick, and straightforward to release up to 70% equity from your property based on the asset value alone. We can also structure these loans to where you do not have to make any monthly debt servicing for up to 12 months. This allows you to get the liquidity you need and then relax, reset and focus on your situation at hand. 

When do Bridge Loans Benefit Investors? 

As explained above, bridge loans are a great way to free up liquidity. A bridge loan may also be a good fit for you if you:

  • Need to free up liquidity in a fast-moving market
  • Can’t afford to take out a mortgage on a new property without selling your other property.
  • Need to secure funds to acquire or renovate real estate quickly.
  • Already purchased a property, but you can’t sell your current property quickly enough.
  • Financial strain where conventional financing won’t work or is difficult to obtain. 

The housing market is evolving rapidly. Investors would be wise to understand their options so that they are able to adapt, take advantage of opportunities, and free up liquidity when they need it. 

As a company, our only focus is providing U.S. market-rate mortgages for Foreign national and U.S. expat investors. Get in touch with us today to learn more about the structures and options of short-term bridge financing solutions [email protected].

www.americamortgages.com

What is the ‘Term’ in a mortgage?

America mortgages

A mortgage term indicates the total duration of a mortgage. You will pay the lender monthly installments during this period and finally own the home after clearing off the last installment. The term of a mortgage starts from drawing the funds from the lender institution and ends on the expiry date when you need to repay the lender.

America Mortgages offer loan terms as long as 30 years (for fixed-rate mortgages) and as short as 5 years (for adjustable-rate mortgages). There are even shorter terms available, known as Bridge loans. These special loans can be as short as six months to up to one year and are excellent for procuring immediate cash-flow.

Most financial institutions offer these loans to commercial bodies like investors and constructors, but America Mortgages serves individual clients and the guarantee of some form of collateral.

If you can afford the higher monthly installments, a short-term mortgage saves plenty of money down the road. The explanation is quite simple: the longer the mortgage term, the more is the sum of the payable interest. As the interest rate is primarily front-loaded, the interest amount of a 30-year mortgage would be higher than that of a 10-year loan during the early years.

Similarly, ARM is more financially beneficial than fixed-rate loans if you can pay off the loan during the first interest cap. However, fixed-rate loans are better for people with a limited income. So, you should choose a mortgage term carefully, considering your future plans and current income sources.