California Private Money Lenders
Seeking a private money loan secured by real estate in California? On this page you'll find a list of direct private money lending companies that offer fast funding for a CA property purchase, refinance, or equity cash out in 1st or 2nd postition. Private money loans are for short-term (3-24 months) and primarily qualify based on equity in the subject property - at least 30% for most lenders. Scroll below the lender list to see some funded deal samples.Searching...
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SDC Capital
Family Office Lender. No 3rd-party appraisal (typically). Soft Money Terms in 1st or 2nd Lien Position.
PrideCo Loans Inc.
Family Office Hard Money Lender for Multifamily and Residential Investment Properties
Diversified Mortgage
Multifamily Bridge Loans only. Interest Rates are 8.5% for 4-year term, 8.25% for 2 years, 7.95% for 1 year.
Select a Metro Area
California is a large state, and many private lending companies focus on particular metropolitan areas. Filter your search by selecting a metro area:
Northern California: SF Bay Area | Sacramento | Lake Tahoe
Southern California: Los Angeles | San Diego | Orange County | Riverside County | San Bernardino County | Santa Barbara
Central California: Central Valley | Bakersfield | Fresno
California Private Money Interest Rates
According to the private money loan documents software company, Lightning Docs, the average interest rate for California private money loans in the 1st quarter of 2024 was 11.23%. The average loan amount was $659,373. These stats are the average of 877 short-term loans (including bridge, rehab, and ground-up construction) funded for investment properties in California between January 1, 2024 and March 31, 2024 by multiple private lending companies that use Lightning Docs as their preferred software provider to prepare loan documents.
According to private lending data provider, Analytics Logics, the average interest rate for California private money loans in the 1st quarter of 2024 was 10.69%. Lenders charged an average of 1.4% points (origination fee). The average LTV (loan-to-value) for private money loans in California was 64%, and the average loan amount was $808,910. These stats are the average of all the loans which were funded between January 1, 2024 and March 31, 2024 by the many private lenders who use Liquid Logics’ loan origination software to manage their lending operations.
Top 10 California Private Lenders
According to Forecasaâ„¢, here are the Top 10 Private Lenders ranked by the number of private mortgage loans originated in California in the last 12 months from March 2024.
- Kiavi
- Anchor Loans
- Val Chris Investment Inc
- Center Street Lending
- Conventus LLC
- Easy Street Capital
- Provident Trust Group
- Merchants Mortgage and Trust Corporation
- Fundloans Capital
- Genesis Capital
Forecasaâ„¢ provides analytics data for California private lending on a quarterly basis. You’ll find their top lenders data for many other states on our platform.
California Private Money Lending Guidelines
California has lots of “private money” and lots of professional private money lending companies that offer short-term loans secured by real estate. It’s mainly for investment properties, but California has some unique laws that enable private lenders to fund loans secured by a borrower’s primary residence. Here are the typical private money lending guidelines for most lenders in California:
- Loan Amounts: $50,000 to $20,000,000
- Interest Rates: 9% to 13%
- Origination Fee: 1 to 3 points
- Maximum LTV for Senior (1st) Lien: Up to 70%
- Maximum CLTV for Junior Liens: Up to 65%
- Lien Position: 1st, 2nd or 3rd
- 2nd mortgages are common in California
- Loan Term: 1 month to 5 years
- Most private money lenders max out at 24 months
- Most lenders have a 3-month minimum term (interest guarantee)
- Payment Type: Interest-only
- Few private lenders in California amortize all of their loans
Funded Private Money Loans in California
Private Money Loan for Single-Family Residence in Sierra Madre, California
$585,000
Karpe Real Estate Center, a direct private lender for Central California real estate, funded a $585,000 1st and 2nd lien position private money loan secured by a single-family rental home in Sierra Madre, a small city near Pasadena, California. The property value was estimated at $1,000,000 so our loan-to-value was 58%. We paid off a previous loan balance of $350,000. The Borrower used the cash out on her short-term rental in order to purchase a fix and flip property. We wrapped another home into the loan and went in 2nd position on the additional property. The total value of both homes was $2,000,000 and the combined loan-to-value was approximately 50%. The Borrower was successful in purchasing a 3rd property in order to start renovations. The subject property was in excellent condition and tenant-occupied at closing. It is approximately 950 square feet. The Borrower had good credit. She plans to pay off the loan over the 24-month term. The interest rate was 12%. This SFR private money loan was funded in September 2023.
Refinance Bridge Loan for 6-Unit Multifamily Property in Long Beach, California
$1,250,000
Diversified Mortgage Company, one of California’s oldest and lowest-priced private lenders, funded a $1,250,000 bridge loan in 1st lien position secured by a 6-unit multifamily property in the 4th Street Corridor neighborhood of Long Beach, CA. The property value was estimated to be $2,150,000 so our loan-to-value was 58%. The subject property was in fair condition and vacant at closing. The building was approximately 4,300 square feet set in a 5,218-square-foot lot. The Borrower plans to develop the property and eventually sell it as an exit strategy. The interest rate was 7.5% with amortized payments. We charged 2% origination points. The loan term was set at 48 months. This multifamily bridge loan was funded in January 2023.
Private Money Refinance for Luxury Home in Chatsworth, California
$3,325,000
Cityscape Finance, a direct private lending firm, funded a $3,325,000 private money refinance loan secured by a single-family luxury home property in Chatsworth, California, in the San Fernando Valley of LA County. The estimated value of the home was $5,700,000 so the loan-to-value for our 1st mortgage was 58.33%. The property is newly built with a size of 10,825 square feet. The interest rate for our loan was 9.99% with interest-only payments. The Borrower plans to improve their credit score and refinance into a 30-year rental loan before the end of the 18-month loan term. This private money loan was funded in July 2022.
Private Money Refinance for SFR Rental in Chico, California
$370,000
Cityscape Finance funded a $370,000 private money loan secured by a single-family rental property in Chico, California. The estimated value of the home was $468,000 so the loan-to-value for our 1st mortgage was 44.15%. The interest rate for our loan was 9.99%, and the loan term was set at 12 months. The Borrower had good credit and needed to cash out equity. The subject property is located close to Little Chico Creek Elementary and Hank Marsh Jr. High School. It is a 3-bedroom, 2-bath single-family home. The kitchen layout offers an exceptional amount of cabinet space. The master suite has double entry doors and 3 separate closets. The master bathroom has double sinks granite counters and access to the walk-in closet. The garage has built-in workspaces and lots of storage cabinets. There is RV parking behind the double gates, plus there is paved parking in front of the home. This private money loan was funded in June 2022.
Private Money Loan for Residential Land Purchase in Lancaster, California
$150,000
The Brookline Group, a direct private lender in Los Angeles, funded a $150,000 private money loan for the purchase of 2 adjacent residential lots in Lancaster, California. The purchase price for each lot was $145,000 with a total square footage of 46,200. We funded 52% of the purchase price, and the Borrower put down $140,000 cash. The subject property is in a residential neighborhood which is mostly developed and has lots of retail a few blocks away. The Borrower plans to build 2 spec homes on the 1-acre lot. He owns a few other parcels of land in the Antelope Valley area. The loan term is 12 months, and the interest rate for our 1st mortgage is 9.87% with interest only payments. We closed this transaction in less than 2 weeks after the initial inquiry. We did not require an appraisal. This private mortgage was funded in October 2021.
Private Money Loan for Land Purchase in Palos Verdes Estates, California
$470,000
The Brookline Group, a direct private money lender, funded a $470,000 1st mortgage for the purchase of a residential vacant lot in Palos Verdes Estates, California. The purchase price was $940,000. The Borrower brought 50% cash to the closing, and Brookline funded 50% loan-to-value. The property is a rare find in a very affluent area. The lot is surrounded by luxury homes, mostly on hillsides with beautiful views. Brookline’s principal, Mike Klemens, did a site visit and moved quickly to fund the loan before Christmas. The Borrower plans to build a spec home. They needed a private money loan just to acquire the lot and plan to pay it off once they have secured a construction loan within two years. Although they qualified for a bank loan, a prepayment penalty would’ve been charged if paid off within two years. Brookline offered better terms than the bank, with no prepayment charge which was a Borrower hot button. Also, Brookline does not charge any garbage fees. This private mortgage was funded in December 2020.
Private Money Loan for Rental SFR Purchase in Pleasanton, California
$726,000
First Bridge Lending, a direct private lender in Petaluma, funded a private money loan for the purchase of a single-family investment property in Pleasanton, CA. The Borrowers are a married couple in the food industry seeking their first investment property. They located a 2,260 square foot house, with 4 bedrooms and 3 baths, in the Val Vista neighborhood that they felt would make a good rental. They need a short-term bridge loan just to quickly acquire the property. The sale price was $1,210,000. The Borrowers put down 40% of the purchase price in cash. First Bridge funded the remaining 60%, a total loan amount of $726,000. The Borrowers plan to rent the home for around $4,800/month and refinance with a conventional lender within a few months. Our loan term is 6 months. This SFR private money loan was funded in March 2020.
Private Money Cash-Out Loan for Triplex in Palo Alto, California
$100,000
Stonecrest Financial, a direct private mortgage fund based in San Jose, provided a $100,000 1st lien position equity cash-out loan secured by an investment property in Palo Alto, CA. The Borrowers inherited a 3-unit property over 30 years ago from their father and had not paid the property taxes in years because they live outside of California, and the tax bill never found its way to them. When they were finally made aware of the delinquency, they had under a week to bring the taxes current or face losing the property to a tax sale. The County refused to extend the sale date which meant Stonecrest had to perfect the title and get loan docs signed and returned from out of state all in under a week. The estimated value was $2,400,000 and there was no mortgage on the property, so our loan was only 5% LTV. The loan term was 18 months. This private money loan was funded in October 2019.
Private Money Loan for Multifamily Property Purchase in Venice, California
$2,400,000
SDC Capital, a direct private lender based in Burbank, funded a $2,400,000 1st lien position private money loan for the purchase of a 6-unit multifamily property in Venice, CA. A mortgage broker came to us looking for a quick closing for his client who needed to close very fast. The Buyer was beyond his closing date, and the seller was getting impatient. We immediately inspected the property, completed our due diligence and provided the Borrower with a loan commitment. Given our ability to underwrite the property value ourselves, no appraisal was required. As a result, we were able to close the loan quickly at a loan-to-value of 70%. Our interest rate was 7.49% plus an origination fee of 1 points. This private money loan was funded in October 2019.
Private Money Line of Credit for 2 Commercial Properties in Mountain View, California
$900,000
Stonecrest Financial, a direct private mortgage lender based in San Jose, funded a $900,000 2nd mortgage secured by 2 commercial buildings in Mountain View, California (Silicon Valley). The Borrower, a past Client, owns a successful BMW motorcycle dealership that occupies 2 buildings in the heart of Mountain View. They were in need of some funds for inventory management purposes. We provided a $900K loan as a line of credit in 2nd position behind a $1,200,000 1st mortgage. The property was valued at $5,300,000 so the combined loan-to-value was around 40%. With our revolving credit line structure, the Borrower will only pay interest on the funds used and can pay down the balance at any time within the loan term. The building is approximately 11,200 sq ft and sits on a .71 acre lot. The commercial service zoning allows both retail and industrial uses. This private money loan was funded in December 2017.