Land Loans VS Mortgage Loans

If you are a property developer, or in the construction business, you may be searching for a land loan in order to purchase the land you intend to develop.

You may not be ready to build at the moment, but the property might be in a location that is hot and rapidly selling out.  The most common type of land loans are for builders and developers who want to lock up that piece of property for future development, yet aren’t ready to begin construction at the moment.  They are not hard to find and land loan rates are often negotiable based on your company’s history and credit worthiness.

Often private individuals spot a piece of property where they would like to have a home built either now, or at some point in the future.  If there are currently no developments on the property, then a land loan would be the way to borrow money in order to purchase that property to be developed at a later date.  Land loans are available if the property is undeveloped.  If there is construction on the property you wouldn’t be looking at land loans, rather you would need to apply for a conventional mortgage loan.

There are times when communities grow at such a fast rate that developers plan shopping plazas or malls in order to grab a rapidly growing market area.  If the developer is not quite ready to build yet, but wants to snag that location, he would probably apply for one of many available commercial land loans.  At some future point when he is ready to build, he can then borrow money through construction loans to be used for the actual development of the property.

Land loans are an integral part of the development of any housing developments.  Builders begin with a land loan.  Once the land has been graded and readied to be built on he then acquires construction loans.  The land loan and the construction loan are then paid back in full upon sale of the property.  Land loans and construction loans are often short term loans.  They may come due at six or twelve month periods.  If the property hasn’t sold, land loans and construction loans are often renewable.

Sometimes several developers and construction companies develop a neighborhood.  If a builder only wants to develop a portion of the land in the development he usually applies for a type of land loan known as lot loans.  Because he is only going to build on a lot or perhaps a few lots in the development they are referred to as lot loans.

The basic difference between a mortgage loan and a land loan then is whether or not there is any construction on the land.  Mortgage loans are for properties that have been developed while land loans provide funds to purchase the land for future development.

Popularity of Different Types of Land Loans

If you are trying to invest your money on a piece of land that may increase in price in the next few years or if you want to develop a land that you already own, then you should look into land loans. A land loan will allow you to purchase a piece of land even when it’s out of your budget. Just like any other loan, it comes with a hefty interest rate, but since most land loans are long term, you will find that land loan rates are not that high.

There are different types of land loans including vacant land loans, commercial land loans, raw land loans and also hard money land loans. Vacant land loans are also often referred to as loans for unimproved land. A commercial land loan is when you borrow money to buy a plot of land that has been already developed up to a certain stage. A raw land loan is exactly what its name says – a loan for pure land. In other words, it is the type of loan that you would apply for when there are no utilities on the land that you are interested in, or in other words, the land is pure land and with nothing built on it.

Hard money land loans are usually for land developers. They are usually easier to get because lenders basically give them out based on the evaluation of your investment. Then again, they often come with unfavorable terms compared to raw land loans. Furthermore, the repayment term of a hand money land loan is normally shorter than that of others. I would normally advise against such loans to buy land, however, they might sometimes work especially if your financial situation doesn’t allow for an alternative.

These types of loans will definitely help you start off your business. Whether you are planning to use that money to build a commercial or a residential building, or even if you just want to buy a piece of land in order to resell it when its value increases, there is a specific type of land loan that works according to your plans.

If land loans didn’t exist, then we wouldn’t see as many Donald Trumps out there. That’s how all of the, now wealthy, developers start off. Other than the fact that a traditional loan wouldn’t come with favorable terms, most lenders wouldn’t consider a traditional loan application for the intent of buying or developing land.

Land loans keep gaining popularity amongst both borrowers and lenders, and that is why a group of specialized types of land loans was introduced in the market. Always make sure that you carefully research the different types of land loans before applying for one, and even then, try to shop around in order to get the best deal. Fortunately, there are many banks and private lenders out there competing for your business, so chances are that you will be able to get a great deal if you spend some time on it. Furthermore, try to consider all the terms of the loan. Many people get blinded by low land loan rates and end up signing up for a loan that just doesn’t work.

Raw and Unimproved Land Loans

First things first – land loans have higher interest rates than most of the other traditional loans and there is a good reason for it. If you get a loan in order to buy a house, then you will in turn use that same house as collateral. But can you do the same with a piece of land? No. The most difficult land to get a loan for is raw land, which has no plans on being used to build anything. These types of loans are even more expensive to the borrower, such as farm loans. Again, think of it in terms of collateral. If the lender is left with an unpaid farm loan, and in return, only gets some acres of unimproved farm land, you can safely assume that he won’t have much to make up for his loss. As a general rule, all lenders want to have something to lean back on just in case the borrower bails out on them.

Thus, it goes without saying, that when choosing a land loan, there are many factors one should look at to ensure they are picking the best possible loan. The type of loan you need really comes down to the type of property and what you will be doing with the property. Many lenders may require up to a 50 percent down payment, but if you do your research, you might be able to find kinder ones that will settle for a 20-25 percent down payment. Obviously, you will be able to get better land loan rates when borrowing from someone based in your area that will already have a general idea of the potential development growth of your land.

Getting land purchase loans, especially for unimproved land, is not easy – you can go as far as to compare it to having a bad driving record and trying to get auto insurance. Then again, if you have plans to develop the land, land loan lenders will probably give you a loan with less hesitation because they know that they will most likely be paid back sooner.

It should be obvious by now, that there are a number of different land loans that one can apply for. Even though the economy is not at its greatest, many people are still using these times to thrive above others. It is never recommended to take a loan though, and that is a known fact – because you are borrowing. In other words, you are using money that is not readily available to you and might never be. But obviously, most people do not have the money to go out and buy acres of land. Most people need a loan, and that’s ok, as long as you have a stable plan to pay back the lender. In that case, browse through the various land loan lenders and make your pick!

Investing in land

First things first – any investment bears its risks. That is a golden rule that you should never forget. If anybody tells you that an investment is going to make you money 100%, you should just move on. Remember the old expression “If it sounds too good to be true, most of the times it isn’t”. I swear by that expression, especially nowadays with this economy. Nevertheless, based on the figures we have from past years, we can notice an overall increase on the value of land. Furthermore, we have seen instances where certain areas have risen up to 15% in a single year. Again, that’s not to say that investing in land and getting yourself in land loans is a great way to secure your financial future, not by a long shot. Like every investment, it bears its advantages and its disadvantages. However, there are many who seem to believe that it’s one of the most secure investments one can make.

When you find yourself at a point where you feel it is time to make your move, make sure that you put a lot of research on your investment and the institution that will handle your loans for land. You need to be able to evaluate if the value of the land you are investing in will rise or fall up to a certain extent. Obviously, no one can know for sure, and you will notice many who claim that do, but you should always keep your eyes open. If you were trying to sell a product, wouldn’t you always claim that the product is good? Same goes for land owners… a land owner trying to sell is the equivalent of a car salesman claiming that his car will keep its value. For some it’s true, for others it’s not. That’s why you should always perform your own market research and make up your mind before you get into negotiations.

Some things that you need to look out for are new developments in the area of the land in question. Let’s assume that you are considering buying a piece of land near a beach. If a hotel was to be built, you can bet that they will put their effort and money in order to raise awareness of the area. That can make the value of the land surrounding the area raise substantially and in a not so long amount of time. Same goes for a new golf course, a hospital, a theater or basically any sort of institution with the money or influence to attract visitors or new residents to the area. Those who do their research in advance in the land they are considering and the avalaible loans for land purchase  are those who make the most out of it. Always keep that in mind when planning your investments.