Owner-Occupied Hard Money. Yes, on the home you live in — in five states.
Most hard money is investment-only: business-purpose loans on properties nobody lives in. Ours goes further — hard money on primary residences in Oregon, Idaho, Washington, California, and Florida, plus asset-based lending on investment properties in all 50 states. When the asset is strong and the clock is short, this is the tool that says yes fast.
- Primary residences: OR, ID, WA, CA & FL — a door most hard money lenders don’t have
- Investment properties: all 50 states, asset-based — the property qualifies, not your paperwork
- Purchases from 10% down with 700+ credit (carries 3.5 points); 15% down below 700
- Foreign nationals & ITIN borrowers welcome on investment properties — no U.S. credit history required
- No hard credit pull to see your options
Written by the Cap Rate Funding team, Irvine, CA · Last reviewed: August 27, 2026 · Questions? Call/text 949-738-9770
Cap Rate Funding (powered by Federal First Lending LLC, NMLS #2381991) is an Irvine, California brokerage offering owner-occupied hard money loans on primary residences in Oregon, Idaho, Washington, California, and Florida, and investment-property hard money in all 50 states — $75,000 to $5,000,000, asset-based, priced across 100+ wholesale lenders. Rated 5.0 on Google by real clients.
Why owner-occupied hard money is rare — and why we offer it
Consumer-purpose lending on a primary residence carries regulatory requirements most hard money shops won’t touch, so the industry defaults to “investment only.” That leaves a real borrower stranded: strong equity, an urgent timeline or an unusual file, and a home they actually live in. In five states — Oregon, Idaho, Washington, California, and Florida — we can bridge exactly that gap through licensed, compliant channels. If your home is anywhere else, the honest answer is that owner-occupied hard money isn’t available — and we’ll route you to what is: a 5-Day HELOC, a Home Equity Agreement, or a cash-out refinance.
The Idaho exception worth knowing
One scenario deserves its own paragraph: an Idaho primary-residence refinance where the existing balance is at or under 30% of the home’s value and the property is worth $300,000 or more can proceed on hard money even below 620 credit. Deep equity does the qualifying. If that’s your file, most lenders have already told you no — this is the yes.
The program in plain numbers
| Term | Hard Money |
|---|---|
| Primary residences | OR, ID, WA, CA & FL |
| Investment properties | All 50 states |
| Loan range | $75,000 – $5,000,000 |
| Purchases | 10% down with 700+ credit (carries 3.5 discount points); 15% down below 700 |
| Qualifying | Asset-based — the property and equity carry the file |
| Foreign national / ITIN | Yes, on investment properties — passport/visa ID, no U.S. credit history required, LLC closing OK |
| Fix and flip | Generally no — the exception requires a $300K+ purchase price AND 700+ credit, at 3.5 points and 10–15% down plus closing costs, disclosed up front |
| Hard credit pull to see options | Not required |
Straight talk on fix and flip
Search “hard money” and half the results promise flip funding to anyone with a pulse. We don’t: fix-and-flip is generally a no here, with one exception — purchase price of $300,000 or more and 700+ credit, priced honestly up front at 3.5 discount points with 10–15% down plus closing costs out of pocket. If that math doesn’t work for your deal, we’d rather tell you on this page than after your appraisal — and buy-and-hold investors usually do better in our DSCR program anyway.
Common questions
Can I get a hard money loan on my primary residence?
With us, yes — in Oregon, Idaho, Washington, California, and Florida. Most hard money lenders are investment-only because consumer-purpose lending carries rules they avoid; we lend on owner-occupied homes in those five states through licensed, compliant channels. Elsewhere, we’ll route you honestly to a HELOC, HEA, or cash-out refinance instead.
What credit score does hard money require?
Hard money is asset-based, so credit sets the terms rather than the answer: purchases take 10% down at 700+ credit (with 3.5 points) or 15% down below 700. And the Idaho exception goes further — primary refinances there can proceed below 620 when the balance is under 30% of a $300K+ home’s value.
Do you lend to foreign nationals without U.S. credit?
Yes — on investment properties. A passport or visa documents identity, an ITIN works, no U.S. credit history is required, and closing in an LLC is fine. Purchases and refinances both. Specific figures are confirmed on a call rather than quoted here.
Do you fund fix and flip?
Generally no — and we’d rather say it plainly. The one exception: purchase price of $300,000+ AND 700+ credit, priced at 3.5 discount points with 10–15% down plus closing costs, all disclosed before anything is booked. Buy-and-hold deals usually fit our DSCR program better.
How fast can hard money close?
Speed is the point of the product — asset-based files skip most of what slows a bank down. Your actual timeline depends on the property and title, and we give you a real date on the first call rather than a slogan here.
Will checking my options hurt my credit?
No — a soft credit review only. A hard inquiry happens later, with your permission, only if you move forward.
Not a commitment to lend. Programs, guidelines, and availability change without notice and are state-specific. All loans subject to credit approval. Equal Housing Opportunity.