Fix-and-flip (hard money) loans

A fix-and-flip (hard money) loan is a business-purpose loan to buy and renovate a residential property you will not live in, with the intent to resell it. People often search for hard money loans when they mean this kind of short-term purchase-and-renovate loan. It is for investment property only. It is not available for a primary residence or for personal, family, or household purposes.

First Lending Solutions arranges fix-and-flip (hard money) loans as a mortgage broker through third-party lenders. We do not make or fund these loans. That is true in every state where we are licensed, including California.

This is not the same product as the rehab loan we describe for buyers who will live in the home, including FHA 203(k). If you will occupy the house, use that page, or call us, instead of this one. If you are keeping the property as a rental and want a longer-term loan, see investment property loans or DSCR loans.

This page does not quote a down payment, a loan-to-cost or loan-to-value ratio, a rate, a term, or a payment. We do not promise a closing speed. Approval is separate and is subject to underwriting, property, and program guidelines.

Who this is for

This page is written first for investors in Riverside and the Inland Empire, and elsewhere in California, who are buying a residential property to renovate and sell. We can also talk about arranging a fix-and-flip (hard money) loan on property in Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, and Florida when the file and a third-party lender program fit. In every licensed state we act as a mortgage broker on these loans. We do not make or fund them.

Tell us the real plan at the start. A house you will move into, a rental you will hold, and a flip you will sell after repairs are three different files. If the plan changes mid-stream, the loan type may no longer fit.

How this review is different

A fix-and-flip file is a short-term business loan, not a 30-year owner-occupied mortgage. The third-party lender looks at the property, the purchase, the planned repairs, and the intended resale, along with your experience and financial ability to complete the work, under that program's rules. We will not invent a minimum number of prior flips, a reserve requirement, or a maximum after-repair value. Those tests vary, and a conversation is not an approval.

You should expect to provide a scope of work and a cost list, not a vague plan to "fix it up." We cannot say a program is available until that picture is clear. Contractors and permits are often part of the work, not something this page can pre-approve.

We do not treat this as a consumer-purpose mortgage. The business-purpose nature of the loan matters for eligibility and for how the file is disclosed.

What this loan is not

• It is not an FHA 203(k) or a VA repair loan for a home you will occupy. Those are on the rehab loan page.
• It is not a DSCR rental loan. A DSCR loan looks at expected rent on a property you intend to hold as an investment. See DSCR loans.
• It is a fix-and-flip (hard money) loan only when the plan is to purchase, renovate, and resell. We arrange that loan as a mortgage broker through third-party lenders, when a lender program actually fits. We do not make or fund it.

Riverside, the Inland Empire, and California

Older housing stock in Riverside, San Bernardino County, and nearby Inland Empire cities is a common setting for renovation projects. That does not make every house a fit. California work often involves permits, local building rules, and, in some communities, additional requirements that affect timing and cost. We do not give permit advice, and we do not estimate repair costs on this page. Bring the address, the contract if you have one, and a written repair list.

The same business-purpose rules apply in our other licensed states. We still arrange the loan as a mortgage broker through a third-party lender. We do not make or fund it.

What we will not put on this page

Competitors in this market often advertise loan-to-cost percentages, interest-only structures, and closing in a set number of days. We will not copy those claims. Terms vary, and we will not invent a figure that then sits on the site after the program changes. If you want to know whether a specific property and a specific repair budget can even be discussed, call us in Riverside or apply. Bring the address, the purchase terms, and the scope of work. We still will not treat that call as an approval.

The mortgage calculator is not a fix-and-flip qualification. You type the rate. The math is not an offer of credit.

How to get started

Call (951) 684-3307, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, get a quote, or apply online. California visitors are sent to our company application. Visitors in our other licensed states are sent to the out-of-state application. The visible label stays "Apply now." A conversation is not an approval. Have the property address and the repair list ready.