A hard money loan is a way for you to borrow money for real estate without using traditional mortgage lenders. Instead, the funds come from individuals or investors who lend money based primarily on the property you’re using as collateral.

Traditional mortgage loans require proof that you can comfortably repay the debt. Lenders often review your credit scores and any income available to evaluate your creditworthiness. If you have plenty of income, savings, or can get another collateralized loan you might not need to worry.

However, the process becomes more challenging if you have a low credit score, an income source that is difficult to verify to your lender’s satisfaction, or a high debt-to-income ratio.

Hard money loans are generally short-term loans, lasting from 1,2 or three years. You use them as a quick way to get money for a purchase. However, you wouldn’t want to keep one of these loans for an extended period because interest rates for hard money are typically relatively high.