Do Arizona hard money loans Work for Cash-Only/ As-Is Deals?

As you begin searching for your initial fix-and-flip deals, you’ll see quite a few ads that implicitly say the seller only accepts cash or that the property is being sold as-is. Generally speaking, Arizona hard money loans (HMLs) work well in these situations, though it’s important to consider the methodology behind the verbiage.

There are many reasons why sellers will list a property as-is or denote it’s a cash-only sale. Usually, it’s one of the following:

• The property is in such ill repair that a bank won’t finance it. Oftentimes, the seller will mention that the home is “damaged.”
• The seller needs to be free of the property quickly and can’t wait for someone to get approval. If this is the case, the listing may mention it is a “distressed” property.
• The price or the value is too low for the property to qualify for a traditional mortgage.

In short, none of these situations really means that the seller requires you to have cash sitting around, but rather, the seller knows you aren’t going to get traditional financing and they don’t want to be bothered with offers that are contingent upon it. They don’t care whether your cash comes from your savings, if you borrowed it from family and friends, or if you’ve obtained an Arizona hard money loans; only that the sale won’t get held up by a bank.

Cash vs. HMLs: Which is Right for You?

There are benefits to going with cash when you can and there are benefits to leveraging Arizona hard money loans as well. If you’re using your own cash, then you’ll obviously have it tied up in the project for the duration, which can be problematic if you run into issues or come across another great investment opportunity while your money is already in use. However, if you have enough to cover it and feel confident you won’t need it, going with your own cash can be the cheapest way to fund a project. Borrowing from friends and family works along the same lines, but you’ll naturally have to be mindful of the repayment terms to avoid causing any issues. With an Arizona hard money loans, you do have to pay to borrow, but the fees can easily be paid for with profit when you manage a successful project.

Getting approval for cash-only properties is easy when you work with the right lenders.

If you’ve got a property in mind that’s listed as a cash-only or as-is sale, do your homework to ensure the purchase and rehab will be profitable. Spend time getting to know the property, what it has been appraised at, what challenges you’ll face when doing upgrades and repairs, and what similar homes in the area are selling for. Then, check with a broker to find out what terms you qualify for before approaching the seller. Armed with information and an approval in your back pocket, most sellers will jump at a fair offer, and perhaps even a low offer, regardless of whether your cash is coming from an HML or your personal bank account.