1. A private lender, may lend more on the basis and merits of the property so if a borrower has less than perfect credit or lack of credit or has a difficult time proving income but the property itself holds good value, the latter can make the deal work for a private lender whereas a conventional lender will decline it.

2. Private borrowing can also work for properties which are held in a trust, even a foreign one. Most banks won't lend to a trust because they require a personal guarantee.

3. Private lending is also a good solution for temporary needs, such as when a borrower feels that in a short time their credit may be good enough to get conventional financing or if they are waiting for another deal to close in order to release funds to use for the new deal. This works well with private money because most private mortgages are for relatively short terms, 12 months or 24 months.

4. Private mortgages can even be negotiated to be 'prepaid' mortgages, such as when the borrower doesn't want to make monthly payments; this way the borrower simply pays the whole amount (including the capitalized interest amount) back at the end of the term. This especially makes sense for someone who is selling their property and knows they will have the funds to payout the mortgage within a year.

5. Private lending is also a potential solution if the location of your property is outside of where a conventional lender is willing to lend.

A private lender has the same rights as a bank when it comes to being paid. If the mortgagor is behind on payments the private lender has the right to pursue foreclosure just like a bank would in accordance with provincial or state laws. As well, if payments are late, it is typical for a charge to be added which would be defined in the mortgage agreement. Some private mortgages may require the borrower to have life insurance but it is not necessarily a standard clause. What is important to remember is that for the extra cost of financing the borrower has the opportunity to negotiate what terms are important to them to make the deal work and a private mortgage broker can help with this as a mediator between the borrower and the private lender.

Private lending might be the right solution for you, but it's worth nothing that it is not a solution to buy property with no money down. Realistically, in the current market, most private lenders will not lend above 80% of the property value, so you need to have at least 20% equity (and commercial properties need even more). Private mortgages can be in first or second position, and possibly a third depending on the amount of equity. They can be used for residential, commercial and even in construction financing.

If you have further questions regarding private financing I can be contacted at shannon@custommortgages.ca.

Written by Shannon Quickfall, BBA
 
Shannon has a background in finance with a BBA from Simon Fraser University and currently a CFA candidate. She works with borrowers and private lenders to create mortgages that meet the needs of both parties.
 
Shannon can be contacted at:
shannon@custommortgages.ca
http://www.custommortgages.ca
Toll Free 1.877.294.9330
Toll Free Fax: 1.888.241.5767

  Posted on July 14th, 2009

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