A hard money loan — also called a private money loan — is short-term financing secured primarily by the value of the real estate itself, rather than the borrower's income, credit history, or tax returns. Hard money lenders look at the property, the deal structure, and the exit strategy first.

This makes hard money a fit for situations where speed matters more than the lowest possible rate: a tight escrow on a flip, a construction timeline, or a deal a bank would take too long to approve. Pacific Capital Funding Corp. offers several hard money programs, including our Quick 'n Easy Hard Money and Fix & Flip loans.

A business-purpose loan is made for an investment, business, or commercial reason — buying a rental property, funding a flip, or financing construction on a property you don't live in. A consumer loan is made to a person for personal, family, or household use, most commonly a mortgage on the home they live in.

This distinction matters because business-purpose loans are regulated differently than consumer mortgages, which is part of how hard money lenders are able to move faster and underwrite more flexibly. All loans offered by Pacific Capital Funding Corp. are business-purpose loans secured by non-owner-occupied investment real estate. We do not make consumer-purpose or owner-occupied residential loans.

Conventional bank loans are underwritten primarily on the borrower — income documentation, tax returns, debt-to-income ratio, and credit. Approval can take 30 to 60 days or longer, and banks are often unwilling to lend on distressed properties, short timelines, or unconventional deal structures.

Hard money loans are underwritten primarily on the asset and the deal. That means faster decisions, more flexibility on property condition and borrower profile, and funding timelines measured in days rather than months. The tradeoff is a higher interest rate and a shorter loan term, since hard money is designed as a bridge to a sale or permanent financing — not a 30-year hold (with the exception of our DSCR Rental program, which does offer 30-year terms).

A hard money loan — also called a private money loan — is short-term financing secured primarily by the value of the real estate itself, rather than the borrower's income, credit history, or tax returns. Hard money lenders look at the property, the deal structure, and the exit strategy first.

This makes hard money a fit for situations where speed matters more than the lowest possible rate: a tight escrow on a flip, a construction timeline, or a deal a bank would take too long to approve. Pacific Capital Funding Corp. offers several hard money programs, including our Quick 'n Easy Hard Money and Fix & Flip loans.

A business-purpose loan is made for an investment, business, or commercial reason — buying a rental property, funding a flip, or financing construction on a property you don't live in. A consumer loan is made to a person for personal, family, or household use, most commonly a mortgage on the home they live in.

This distinction matters because business-purpose loans are regulated differently than consumer mortgages, which is part of how hard money lenders are able to move faster and underwrite more flexibly. All loans offered by Pacific Capital Funding Corp. are business-purpose loans secured by non-owner-occupied investment real estate. We do not make consumer-purpose or owner-occupied residential loans.

Not always. Our Fix & Flip program doesn't require prior flipping experience if your FICO is 680 or higher. Our DSCR Rental program explicitly allows first-time investors. Ground-Up Construction is the exception — that program requires at least two completed projects sold within the last 36 months, since construction lending carries more execution risk.

Most of our programs offer no-prepayment-penalty options, meaning you can pay off the loan early — for example, after selling a flipped property — without an extra fee. Our Investment Bridge program carries no prepayment penalty at all. Exact prepayment terms are confirmed at the time of loan structuring, since they can vary by deal.

It depends on the program and the complexity of the deal. Our fastest program, Quick 'n Easy Hard Money, can fund in as few as 5 to 10 days. Fix & Flip and Investment Bridge loans typically take 14 to 25+ days depending on documentation and title work. Ground-Up Construction and Commercial Bridge loans take longer — generally 15 to 30+ days — due to the additional underwriting involved in construction draws and commercial collateral.

Some loans will require more time for underwriting and funding. Exact timelines per program are listed on the Loan Programs page; that page is the source of truth for funding speed.

In general: you submit your deal scenario (property, purchase price, loan amount, and timeline) through our contact form or by calling 818-296-6101 directly. We review the deal and confirm which program fits, then move into underwriting — which typically includes a property valuation, title work, and entity documentation. Once underwriting is complete and conditions are satisfied, we fund through escrow.

Because we underwrite around the asset rather than personal income, this process moves considerably faster than a conventional mortgage.

Documentation requirements vary by program, but generally include entity formation documents (if borrowing through an LLC or corporation), proof of property ownership or purchase contract, a scope of work or budget for rehab/construction projects, and basic identification. Unlike a conventional loan, we generally do not require tax returns or personal income verification — our DSCR Rental program explicitly requires no personal income docs at all.

Most of our programs offer no-prepayment-penalty options, meaning you can pay off the loan early — for example, after selling a flipped property — without an extra fee. Our Investment Bridge program carries no prepayment penalty at all. Exact prepayment terms are confirmed at the time of loan structuring, since they can vary by deal.

A hard money loan — also called a private money loan — is short-term financing secured primarily by the value of the real estate itself, rather than the borrower's income, credit history, or tax returns. Hard money lenders look at the property, the deal structure, and the exit strategy first.

This makes hard money a fit for situations where speed matters more than the lowest possible rate: a tight escrow on a flip, a construction timeline, or a deal a bank would take too long to approve. Pacific Capital Funding Corp. offers several hard money programs, including our Quick 'n Easy Hard Money and Fix & Flip loans.

Possibly. Our Bailout Loans program is specifically designed for borrowers facing foreclosure or with a Notice of Default (NOD) already filed, and it has no minimum FICO requirement. Bad credit alone does not disqualify you from this program — what matters most is the equity in the property, since Bailout Loans are capped at 60% LTV.

It depends on the program. Most of our residential programs cover single-family rentals, condos, and 2–4 unit properties. Our DSCR Rental program extends to small multifamily (5–8 units). Our Commercial Bridge program covers multifamily, mixed-use, industrial, office, and retail assets. In every case, the property must be non-owner-occupied investment real estate — we do not finance primary residences.

Loan amounts vary by program, ranging from $100,000 on our Quick 'n Easy Hard Money program up to $5,000,000 or more on Fix & Flip, Ground-Up Construction, DSCR Rental, and Commercial Bridge. See the Loan Programs page for the specific minimum and maximum on each program, or call us with your scenario and we'll tell you exactly what's possible.

DSCR stands for debt-service coverage ratio — a loan qualified based on the rental income the property generates relative to its debt obligations, rather than the borrower's personal income. Our 30-Year Rental Property Loan requires no tax returns or personal income verification, offers terms up to 30 years, and is available to first-time investors.

This makes DSCR fundamentally different from our other programs, which are short-term bridge and rehab loans (1 to 3 years). DSCR is built for long-term buy-and-hold rental investors, not flippers or builders.

Yes. We're headquartered in the Los Angeles area and lend statewide throughout California, and our Fix & Flip, Ground-Up Construction, Investment Bridge, and DSCR Rental programs are also available in 20+ additional states. Visit our Areas We Serve page for the full state list and program-by-program coverage.

It depends on what you're trying to do. As a general guide: choose Fix & Flip if you're buying and renovating to resell, Ground-Up Construction if you're building from a vacant lot, Bridge Loans if you need to close fast on an acquisition before securing permanent financing, DSCR Rental if you're buying and holding for long-term cash flow, and Bailout Loans if you're facing foreclosure and need fast equity-based relief.

If you're still not sure, the fastest path is a direct call to 818-296-6101 — Leon can usually identify the right program for your deal in a few minutes.

No. Rates, terms, LTVs, loan amounts, funding times, and program availability listed on this site are estimates and program highlights, subject to change without notice and subject to underwriting and property approval. Nothing on this website is a commitment to lend. Final terms are confirmed during underwriting based on your specific deal.