Jackson is a town in New Jersey located in Ocean County. It has a population just under 60,000 people, and Jackson is the home of Six Flags Great Adventure. In particular, the Six Flags is home to Kingda Ka, the tallest roller coaster in the world. Jackson was named after Andrew Jackson, and besides Six Flags, Jackson offers Jackson Premium Outlets, a retail center with 70 different stores.
According to Niche, Jackson gives residents a sparse suburban feel, and is a place where most residents own their homes. In Jackson, there are lots of bars and parks, and Jackson itself is known for its terrific public schools. Right now, Jackson has a median home value of $361,600 and a median rent of $1,441.
Jackson right now is a seller’s market. This means demand is greater than supply in Jackson. Real estate investors are getting into bidding wars over the best real estate in Jackson. In Jackson, homes are selling fast and for higher than listing price.
Hard money loans might be the best way to invest in real estate in Jackson. Hard money loans are also known as last resort loans or short-term bridge loans, but their biggest advantage in a seller’s market like Jackson is their very fast speed of approval. Hard money loans can be approved within a couple of days, whereas traditional mortgage loans can take a month or more to be approved. Hard money loans’ flexibility and speed is a terrific asset in a seller’s market because it makes a real estate investor instantly competitive.
Hard money loans can be approved so quickly because they’re based on the property, not the credit score of the borrower. While traditional mortgage loans require a strong credit score, hard money loans have credit score minimums of 600 to 620. New investors might need to use financial standing to make themselves more appealing borrowers, but hard money loans use the after repair value of the property to determine the rates and terms of a loan. They use the property as collateral. If a real estate investor defaults on a mortgage, the bank initiates a foreclosure that can be very expensive and take a long time. However, in a hard money loan, the lender takes on the property in a very swift process.
These loans have a lot of disadvantages as a result, as well. They have interest rates from 8–15%, which are significantly higher than the interest rates of traditional mortgage loans. Traditional mortgage loans have interest rates just over 4%. Hard money loans have repayment periods of more or less a year, which is significantly lower than the repayment period of traditional mortgage loans. Lastly, hard money loans have lower LTV ratios than traditional financing — they have LTV ratios of around 65–75%, which are significantly lower than the LTV ratios of traditional mortgage loans.
It is essential real estate investors only trust the very best hard money lenders. Some lenders add extra fees, like origination fees, closing costs, and underwriting fees. Other hard money lenders don’t communicate well about these fees. Many hard money lenders don’t give to new investors — instead, they require a successful history of real estate investments. New investors often have to rely on other factors than experience than financial standing to boost their potential as prospective borrowers.
We have made a list of the best hard money lenders in New Jersey. Here are the best hard money lenders in Jackson.