Before you like the rate, question the repayment plan.
Exploring private money lending real estate opportunities? Learn to examine the borrower, check the collateral, and put the repayment plan under a microscope before money moves.
Explore the matching classPrivate money lending real estate: think like the lender
A borrower needs funding. A lender needs evidence. I want you to see both sides before you get attached to the terms.
Borrowing? Explain where the money goes and how it gets repaid.
Lending? Examine the borrower's ability to carry out that plan and the property backing it.
Start with the guide to preparing a deal-ready funding request. Use the lender's questions to organize your thinking.
Read the guides on the blogPut the repayment plan through the numbers
The plan says sell or refinance. What has to happen for that to work?
Check the property's value, the debt that gets paid first, and the effect of delays or higher costs.
Start with the free FIRE AI: Starter Analyzer kit for a quick first look at property value and repair estimates. Keep supporting evidence beside each calculation so you can see what is verified and what still needs checking.
Get the free analyzer kitMatch the pitch to the paperwork
Lending due diligence starts with what the documents actually say.
Work through the essentials:
Compare those answers with the proposed deal. Then take specific questions to qualified title, escrow, or legal professionals. Give them the documents and the gaps you found.
- Who is borrowing?
- What are the repayment terms and maturity date?
- What security is proposed?
- What liens already exist?
Work through notes, documents, and loan evaluation
Learn How to Lend, taught by Goodwin Yee, puts the material in one course: promissory notes, buying and holding notes, and private lending.
His Be The Bank manual gives you sample documents and exercises to work through, plus the 60-Second Analysis loan-evaluation screen.
Start with the quick screen. Follow with full due diligence. Study the terms and paperwork together instead of piecing together scattered tips.
Explore the matching classTake clear questions into professional review
Turn your research into a focused review list.
Separate verified facts from statements that still need evidence. Flag missing documents, uncertain lien priority, unsupported values, and repayment assumptions.
Ask qualified professionals to address the legal, title, and tax questions tied to your transaction. Keep their answers with the documents so you can track what has been resolved.
Browse the learning library for related topics.
Instructor: Goodwin Yee. Learn the note, collateral, document, and due-diligence questions before money goes out.
Every membership includes the Analyzer. Builders also get Lending Desk: a private loan's collateral, repayment plan and missing paperwork, examined with AI-assisted analysis and personally reviewed by Rich Rice.
Articles on finding, funding, analyzing and fixing deals, written for investors who want to check the numbers before they commit.
Eight topics, each paired with a class and a tool. Pick the next question you need answered.
Start with the borrower, collateral, repayment plan, loan terms, and supporting documents. Separate verified facts from open questions, then organize those questions for professional review.
Examine its value, existing liens, and lien priority. Include the cost and time involved in enforcement in your review.
Yes. Use the lender's questions to explain your use of funds, support your numbers, and present a clear repayment plan.
Yes. Complete a basic financial calculator class beforehand so you can follow the calculator work.
Gather the loan documents, supporting evidence, and your unanswered questions. Ask qualified professionals to address the legal, title, and tax issues that apply to your transaction.
Put the loan under a microscope.
Explore Learn How to Lend and work through the notes, sample documents, and loan-evaluation exercises behind a thorough review.
Explore the matching classYour first Wednesday is free
Visit the FIRE Center in Riverside or join Deal Room and FOCUS on Zoom.