How we work
The loan process, step by step
Asset-based lending moves faster than conventional financing because the underwriting is narrower — not because steps are skipped. Here is what actually happens, and what tends to slow files down.
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Enquiry
You tell us the property, what you intend to do with it, how much you need and how the loan gets repaid. Use the pre-loan application — it is built to capture exactly these points — or ask a question first if you would rather talk it through.
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Preliminary review
We assess the asset, the business plan and the capital you are contributing, then come back with the structures realistically available for a deal like yours. If the project is not fundable as presented, this is where we say so — not three weeks later.
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Documentation
Purchase contract or title evidence, a scope and budget where work is planned, entity documents, and evidence of the assets and reserves behind the deal. Commercial files add leases, a rent roll and operating statements. This stage is almost entirely within your control, and it is where most of the time is won or lost.
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Valuation and diligence
An independent valuation is ordered, title is reviewed and insurance requirements are confirmed. Commercial and construction projects may also require environmental assessment, a property condition report and a survey. These are third-party processes with their own timelines, and they are typically a borrower cost.
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Written terms
If the file supports financing, you receive written terms setting out the interest rate, points, every fee, the term, the draw structure where relevant, extension options and any prepayment provisions. Read them properly. Ask about anything you do not recognise — that is what this stage is for.
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Closing
On acceptance, closing is coordinated with title and the loan funds. On construction and renovation projects the initial advance funds at closing and the remaining budget is held back for draws.
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Through the term
Where the loan funds work in stages, draws are requested against completed work, verified and released. Throughout, we stay in contact about the repayment plan so the refinance or sale is lined up well before maturity.
Be ready
What to have prepared
- The property address, and the purchase contract if you are under contract.
- A realistic scope and line-item budget if any work is planned.
- Entity formation documents and a current certificate of good standing.
- Evidence of the capital you are contributing and the reserves behind it.
- Leases, rent roll and operating statements for tenanted property.
- Plans, permits and the construction contract for ground-up projects.
- A clear, specific answer to how the loan gets repaid, and roughly when.
Avoid these
What slows files down
A vague exit
"I will refinance or maybe sell" is the most common reason a file stalls. Know which, know who the take-out lender would be, and know what they will require.
An optimistic budget
A renovation budget that is obviously light gets corrected at underwriting and costs you time. Price the work properly and include a contingency from the start.
Documents arriving one at a time
Partial submissions restart the review. Send a complete package, even if it takes an extra day to assemble.
Surprises disclosed late
A title defect, an open permit, a lien or a credit event is far easier to work around when raised at the beginning. Discovered at diligence, it can end the deal.
Contract deadlines set before financing
Agreeing a 14-day close before anyone has looked at the deal puts you under pressure that no lender can remove. Ask about realistic timelines before you sign.
How long does it take?
We do not publish a guaranteed number of days, because the honest answer depends on three things that vary by deal: how quickly an independent valuation can be completed, whether title is clear, and how fast complete documentation comes back from you. Asset-based lending is meaningfully faster than conventional financing, and commercial and construction files take longer than residential ones.
What we will do is give you a realistic date at the point terms are issued, and tell you promptly if anything changes it. If you have a hard contract deadline, say so in your first message so we can tell you straight away whether it is achievable.
Costs you should expect
Beyond interest and points, real estate financing carries third-party costs — valuation, title work, insurance, recording and legal fees, and on commercial or construction deals environmental, survey and condition reports. These are generally the borrower's responsibility and they are genuine costs, not markups. Every fee we charge appears in your written terms before you commit to anything. If a cost is unclear, ask before you sign rather than after.
Talk to us about your deal
Tell us the property, the plan and the timeline. We will tell you honestly whether we can help and what the realistic next step is.