Hard Money and Private Money Loans in Colorado

Some deals don't fit a bank's calendar. The auction is Friday. The distressed property will be gone by Monday. The renovation takes six months, not thirty years. For real estate investors working deals like those in Colorado Springs, Denver, and across Colorado, Broker House Mortgage arranges hard money and private money financing through a direct private lending partner that lends its own capital — underwritten on the property and the deal, not on your tax returns.

Ready to run a deal by us? Call Hans at (719) 686-3652.

What hard money is (and who it is for)

Hard money and private money loans are short-term, asset-based loans made by private lenders instead of banks. The collateral and the plan — what the property is worth now, what it will be worth finished, and how the loan gets repaid — drive the decision. Personal income documentation largely drops out: no tax returns, no W-2s, and getting terms takes a soft credit check only, not a hard inquiry.

These are business-purpose loans for investment property only — non-owner-occupied homes, rentals, and commercial property, usually taken in an LLC or other business entity. They are not mortgages for a home you live in. If you are buying a home to live in, start with our conventional, FHA, or renovation loan pages instead — different tools, much cheaper money.

Investor programs we can place

Program	Best for	How it's structured
Fix & Flip / Bridge	Buying and renovating to resell, or bridging between deals	Up to 92.5% of total project cost, including up to 90% of the purchase price and 100% of the rehab budget. 6 or 12-month terms, interest-only, no prepayment penalty on most loans. Closings in about two weeks.
Ground-Up Construction	Spec homes, in-fill builds, multi-unit development	Up to 90% of total project cost, covering land, horizontal, and vertical construction in one loan. A quote needs only the loan amount, plans, and budget.
Lot & Land	Platted lots, engineered lots, land banking ahead of a build	Up to 70% of the purchase price, 6 to 24-month terms, funding in as little as 48 hours on qualified deals.
Major Remodel & Addition	Heavy rehabs and additions beyond a cosmetic flip	Purchase plus upgrade costs in one loan, up to 80% of total project cost, with a rehab budget of at least $50,000.
Trustee Sale / Auction	Winning bidders at Colorado foreclosure auctions	Financing built for the auction timeline, where the winning bidder typically has about 24 hours to produce funds. Get prequalified before the sale, not after.
Long-Term Rental (DSCR)	Buying or refinancing rentals to hold	15 to 30-year terms (30-year fixed and ARM options), $100,000 to $3,000,000, qualified on the property's rental cash flow instead of personal income.
Multifamily & Commercial	Apartment buildings and multi-unit, up to $10M	Bridge, buy-and-hold, fix & flip, and new construction structures, 6 to 24-month terms. Up to $30M per borrower across deals.

Your track record sets your leverage

Private money prices experience. Through our partner's tiered fix & flip program, investors with 10 or more completed projects can reach up to 95% of total project cost; investors with 3 to 9 projects up to 85%. Newer investors start lower and build the track record that unlocks the better tiers. A 680+ credit score (checked with a soft pull) applies to the tiered program — but the deal itself, the equity in it, and your exit strategy carry the most weight in every approval.

The honest trade-offs

Hard money is a tool, not a bargain, and we'd rather tell you that up front:

It costs more than bank money. Points at origination (commonly 1 to 3) plus a higher interest rate than any consumer mortgage. The math works when the deal's margin absorbs it — a fast close, a property a bank won't touch, a rehab that creates the value.
It's short. Six to twenty-four months on most structures. Your exit — sale, refinance, or stabilization — has to be real before you sign, because the loan comes due whether the market cooperated or not.
It's fast because it's asset-based. No tax returns, minimal financials, decisions in-house at the lender. On qualified deals, funding can happen in days; two weeks is a typical fix & flip close.

If the deal doesn't pencil with hard money terms, we'll tell you — and if a cheaper route fits (a DSCR rental loan for a hold, a renovation loan for an owner-occupied project), we'll point you at it.

How a deal runs

Bring the deal. Address, purchase price, rehab or build budget, your experience, and your exit. That's enough to get real terms started.
Terms on the deal, fast. The lender underwrites the property and the plan first — soft credit pull only, no hard inquiry to quote.
Close and draw. Rehab and construction funds are released in draws as work completes. Interest-only payments keep carrying costs low mid-project.
Execute the exit. Sell, or refinance into long-term money — a DSCR rental loan is the usual landing spot for holds — before the term ends.

Frequently asked questions

How fast can a hard money loan actually close?

Fix & flip loans typically close in about two weeks. Lot and land deals can fund in as little as 48 hours, and the lender's own-capital structure means some deals fund in days. Auction financing is built around the roughly 24-hour funding window after a trustee sale.

Do I need good credit or tax returns?

No tax returns, no W-2s, no income documentation. Terms are quoted off a soft credit pull (no hard inquiry); the tiered best-leverage program asks for a 680+ score. Approvals rest mainly on the property, your equity in the deal, your experience, and your exit strategy.

Can I borrow in my LLC?

Yes — that's the norm. These business-purpose loans are made to entities (LLCs, corporations, trusts) as well as individuals investing, on non-owner-occupied property.

What does it cost compared to a bank loan?

More — expect origination points (commonly 1 to 3) and a higher rate than consumer financing, in exchange for speed, leverage, and a property a bank would decline. There is typically no prepayment penalty, so a fast project exit cuts your total cost. Exact pricing is quoted per deal; we don't publish rate quotes because they depend on leverage, experience, and the property.

Can hard money finance the land and the build together?

Yes. The construction program covers lot acquisition plus horizontal and vertical construction in a single loan, up to 90% of total project cost — the investor counterpart to the one-close idea, without the owner-occupancy rules of a consumer construction loan (see our One-Time Close page for the homeowner version).

Where in Colorado do you lend?

The partner's Colorado focus is Denver, Colorado Springs, and Boulder, with lending in most states for the rental/DSCR program. Bring us the deal and we'll confirm the market before you commit to a contract.

Run your deal by a local broker

Call Hans at (719) 686-3652 with the address and the numbers. You'll get a straight answer on whether hard money fits, what it would cost, and what the cheaper alternative is if there is one.

You're Better Off With Fetterhoff.

By Hans Fetterhoff, Mortgage Broker, NMLS# 273273 — Broker House Mortgage

Educational information only — not a commitment to lend. Hard money and private money loans described here are business-purpose loans for investment property, arranged through third-party private lending partners; terms, leverage, and availability are set by the funding lender, vary by deal, and were verified at the sources noted in October 2026. All loans are subject to lender review and approval.

Hans Fetterhoff | Mortgage Broker | CO License #100009597 | NMLS# 273273
Lender Works, LLP dba Broker House Mortgage | Company NMLS# 2002619
529 N Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 | 719-686-3652 | brokerhousemortgage.com
Regulated by the Division of Real Estate
Equal Housing Opportunity
Verify licensing at NMLS Consumer Access: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

Last verified: October 30, 2026

Private Money at the Speed of the Deal