Private Money Loans From Our Capital Network

A private money loan is funded by private investors or investor groups — not banks, not Wall Street — which means the terms can be shaped around the deal instead of a rigid program box. We maintain relationships with private capital sources across the country and match your deal to the right money: fast, flexible, and built for situations conventional lenders won’t touch.

High leverage is available on the right deal, and we regularly work with borrowers whose credit other lenders turn away.

Who Private Money Loans Are For

Investors with time-sensitive deals — a closing date that banks can’t meet
Borrowers with complex situations — self-employment, recent credit events, entity structures, or cross-collateral scenarios that break conventional underwriting; if the entity doesn’t exist yet, Sewell Business Services (our sister company) can form it
Deal structures that don’t fit programs — partial renovations, mixed-use quirks, rural properties, or creative acquisitions
Experienced investors who value speed and flexibility over the lowest possible rate
Anyone who’s been told “no” by a bank but has a deal with real merit

Private money is the “yes, if the deal makes sense” corner of lending.

How Private Money Loans Work

You bring the deal. The property, the numbers, the timeline, and the story — what you’re buying, what it’s worth, and how everyone gets paid.
We match it to capital. We present it to the private sources in our network whose appetite fits — some want first-position secured notes, others joint-venture, others specific property types.
Terms are negotiated, not pulled from a rate sheet. Rate, points, term, interest-only vs. amortizing, prepayment — these are deal-specific. That’s the advantage and the trade-off: flexibility instead of commoditized pricing.
Fast diligence, fast close. Private lenders move quickly because the decision-maker is in the room, not in a committee three states away.
Clear exit. Every private loan needs a defined exit — sale, refinance, or payoff event. We structure around it from day one.

Because terms are negotiated per deal, we won’t quote you a rate on a website. Contact us with the deal details and we’ll tell you what the capital market will actually do.

Why Investors Choose Private Money

Speed. When the deciding factor is “can you close by the 30th,” private money wins.
Flexibility. Terms bend around unusual deals instead of breaking them.
Common-sense underwriting. A private lender can look at a deal, understand it, and say yes — no algorithm required.
Relationship capital. Perform on one private loan and the next one gets easier. Our network rewards reliable borrowers.
Creative structures. Cross-collateralization, profit participation, JV equity — tools that don’t exist in conventional lending.

Private Money: What to Know

We’re based in Fort Worth, Texas, and we arrange private capital for deals in most states. Licensed in Texas, Florida, California, and Arizona; investment-property loans available in most states. A few things worth knowing:

Deep private markets reward strong deals. Major metros like DFW, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio have active private lenders competing for good paper — which helps pricing when your deal is strong.
Usury and licensing laws apply. Every state regulates certain private lending activity, and legitimate private lenders operate within clear legal frameworks. We work with established, compliant capital sources — if someone offers you terms that sound too good with zero paperwork, walk away.
Relationships beat websites. The best private money moves through relationships, not listings. That’s literally what we are — the relationship layer between your deal and the capital.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between private money and hard money? The terms overlap heavily. “Hard money” usually implies an institutionalized private lender with set programs; “private money” often means individual investors or small groups with more negotiable terms. We work across both — the right label matters less than the right structure for your deal.

How fast can private money close? Often the fastest option available — the decision-maker is accessible and diligence is streamlined. Exact timelines depend on title, appraisal or valuation, and documentation, but private money exists precisely for speed.

What rates should I expect? Higher than conventional, full stop — you’re paying for speed and flexibility. Exact pricing is deal-specific: leverage, property type, your track record, and term all matter. We’ll give you a realistic range for your deal, not a teaser.

Do I need perfect credit for private money? Credit is a factor but rarely the deciding one. The deal’s strength — equity, cash flow, exit — carries more weight than in any other loan category.

Can private money fund a deal a bank already rejected? Often, yes — that’s one of its main uses. Banks reject for program reasons (property type, borrower structure, timeline). Private lenders evaluate the actual deal. Bring us the rejection story; sometimes it’s an easy fix.

Is private money only for short-term deals? Mostly, but not exclusively. While 6- to 24-month terms are typical, longer private structures exist for the right situations, including cash-flowing commercial assets.

How do I know a private lender is legitimate? Clear written terms, proper legal documentation, funding through title/escrow — never wire “application fees” to a stranger. We work with vetted sources and we’ll walk you through what’s normal.

Bring Us the Deal

If you’ve got a deal that needs flexible capital — fast — let’s talk. Tell us the property, the numbers, and the timeline. We’ll tell you straight whether our private network is the right fit.

Call 817.862.6922 or email joel@lawtonbuildingandloan.com.

Joel Lawton, NMLS #380245 — Lawton Building and Loan.

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