Hard Money Lender San Francisco
Hard Money Mortgages
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Hard Money Mortgages in San Francisco, CA

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About Hard Money Mortgages

San Francisco's property market creates borrowers that conventional mortgage underwriting simply was not designed to serve. A Databricks engineer who exercised options six months ago has $4 million in liquid assets, a freshly purchased Nob Hill condo, and zero W-2 income for the current tax year — no bank will write a conventional mortgage. A Chinese family-office buyer acquiring a Presidio Heights Victorian through a family LLC has no U.S. credit file and no desire to restructure the ownership into individual names for underwriting purposes. A Cow Hollow landlord who is two years out of a bankruptcy driven by a failed startup has fully recovered financially but will not see a conventional-mortgage-eligible credit profile for another two years. Each of these borrowers needs a mortgage; none of them will get one from a conventional lender. Hard Money Lender San Francisco provides asset-based mortgages from $250,000 to $5 million for primary residences, second homes, and investment properties. Our underwriting centers on property value, borrower equity position, and exit strategy rather than credit scores, debt-to-income ratios, or employment documentation. We close in ten to fourteen days. We lend to LLC and family trust structures with personal guarantees from controlling parties. We work with foreign national buyers who have U.S. banking relationships but no U.S. credit history. San Francisco's median home price — consistently above $1.2 million — means that the stakes of being excluded from conventional mortgage programs are higher here than almost anywhere in the United States. A hard money mortgage at 10–13% annual interest for twelve to thirty-six months while a borrower rehabilitates their credit profile, documents self-employment income, or seasons a recent financial event is not a permanent solution; it is a bridge to conventional refinancing. We structure every hard money mortgage with that exit in mind.

Hard Money Lender San Francisco provides hard money mortgages for Bay Area sponsors who need quick, decisive execution without conventional bank delay.

We structure each loan around collateral profile, timeline, and exit strategy to support your business plan from acquisition through disposition or refinance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a self-employed tech founder qualify for a hard money mortgage without tax returns?

Yes. Self-employed borrowers are one of our primary hard money mortgage markets in San Francisco. We verify income through twelve to twenty-four months of personal and business bank statements, focusing on consistent cash deposits and average monthly cash flow rather than taxable income. A founder with $500,000/year in actual cash flow but a Schedule C showing significant deductions and a low net income qualifies on the bank statement analysis, not the tax return. We have closed mortgages for Stripe, OpenAI, and Databricks early employees and founders whose conventional mortgage applications were declined despite seven-figure liquid assets.

Do you lend to foreign national buyers purchasing San Francisco property through an LLC?

Yes, foreign national buyers are a significant part of our mortgage portfolio, particularly Chinese, Korean, and Indian investor families acquiring Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, and premium Sunset properties. We require the LLC entity documents, a managing member's passport and visa documentation (or other acceptable identification), evidence of U.S.-domiciled funds for the equity requirement, and a personal guarantee from the managing member. We do not require a U.S. Social Security number or U.S. credit history. For buyers without U.S. credit files, we require a 30–35% equity contribution to compensate for the higher underwriting uncertainty.

How long must I wait after a bankruptcy or foreclosure to qualify for a hard money mortgage?

There is no mandatory waiting period for hard money mortgage approval following bankruptcy or foreclosure. We evaluate current financial position — liquid assets, current income or cash flow, and the property's equity cushion — rather than applying time-based seasoning requirements. A borrower who discharged bankruptcy eighteen months ago and has since rebuilt liquid assets to $500,000, with a property requiring only 30% down, qualifies based on current strength. We will discuss the circumstances of the prior credit event and the plan for conventional refinancing, but we do not have a waiting period rule.

What are the differences between an owner-occupied hard money mortgage and an investment property hard money mortgage?

Owner-occupied hard money mortgages are subject to consumer lending regulations — Truth in Lending disclosures, RESPA GFE requirements, and California's Holden Act — that do not apply to investment property loans. Owner-occupied mortgages also carry basic ability-to-repay verification requirements even under asset-based underwriting, typically addressed through bank statement income analysis. Investment property hard money mortgages are business-purpose loans with fewer regulatory requirements, slightly more flexible underwriting, and typically higher leverage tolerance because investment properties can service debt from rental income. We clearly distinguish between the two at application and structure documentation accordingly.

Can I use a hard money mortgage to purchase a San Francisco property held in a family trust?

Yes. Family trust ownership is standard among our borrowers, particularly those building multi-generational real estate holdings in San Francisco. We lend to revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts, and qualified personal residence trusts with a personal guarantee from the trustee or a creditworthy co-guarantor. For irrevocable trusts with specific investment guidelines, we review the trust instrument to confirm that real estate borrowing is within the trustee's authority before closing. We coordinate with your estate attorney on trust-appropriate loan documentation at no additional charge.

Available Throughout the Bay Area

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