A side-by-side comparison of six active California hard money lenders — rate ranges (8.5%–13%), LTV / LTC caps (65%–90%), close times (7–21 days), and minimum-loan floors. Built for LA, SF Bay Area, Sacramento, San Diego, and Inland Empire investors pricing a fix-and-flip or bridge deal.
Get Your California Term Sheet Same-day term sheets • Rates from 8.5% • $500K to $30M • Close in 3–4 weeksBelow is a side-by-side comparison of 6 vetted California hard money lenders — rate range, max LTV (Loan-to-Value) / LTC (Loan-to-Cost), typical closing timeline, and where each operates. All data is drawn from each lender's current public pricing. Use this as a starting point for pricing your California deal.
| Lender | Rate Range | LTV / LTC | Loan Size | Close Time | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiavi San Francisco, CA | 9.5%–13% | Up to 90% LTC | $50K–$3M | 7–14 days | SFR fix-and-flip, 1–4 unit residential |
| AHL (American Home Lender) Los Angeles, CA | 8.5%–12% | Up to 80% LTC | $100K–$5M | 10–21 days | SFR, multi-unit, mixed-use, light commercial |
| LendingOne Irvine, CA | 9%–12.5% | Up to 90% LTC | $75K–$2M | 10–18 days | SFR, condo, 1–4 unit residential |
| PEJ Private Lending San Diego, CA | 8.5%–11% | Up to 75% LTV | $150K–$3M | 14–21 days | SFR, condo, small multi-unit, coastal investment |
| Inland Empire Hard Money Riverside, CA | 9%–12% | Up to 70% LTV | $100K–$2M | 14–21 days | SFR fix-and-flip, Inland Empire investment |
| Axios Mortgage Funding Englewood, CA | From 8.5% (escrowed) | Up to 90% LTC | $500K–$30M | 3–4 weeks | SFR, multi-family, mixed-use, commercial, construction |
Rates shown are published ranges and can vary by borrower experience, leverage, property type, and loan size. For most California operators a multi-lender quote (running your deal across two to three of the above) is the fastest path to the right combination of rate, leverage, and close speed. For larger deals ($2M+) Axios typically offers the lowest headline rate in the market at 8.5% with escrowed interest, and can absorb heavy-rehab scope with full construction draw administration.
If your deal involves structural work, vertical build, or a renovation budget over $150K, lean toward lenders with formal construction draw administration (Axios, Kiavi, and select private shops listed above). Lenders that fund fix-and-flip quickly but lack draw inspection infrastructure are good for light-to-medium rehabs only. Always confirm draw inspection, budget administration, and timeline before committing — the cheapest quote often has the most expensive underwriting gap.
The Axios directory currently covers California hard money lenders. State directories for Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Arizona are in active research and ship as the next cohort of vetted shops; each directory uses the same lender-by-lender comparison format with rate, LTV, close time, and loan size aligned to current market pricing.
For an institutional-range alternative ($500K–$30M, escrowed interest, 3–4 week close), see the Axios Hard Money Loans pillar page — it covers Axios's full program including fix-and-flip, bridge, construction loans, and the all-in cost comparisons. For a fix-and-flip-specific deep dive, see the Fix and Flip Loans pillar guide.
Get a same-day term sheet from Axios. Rate, leverage, and structure — before you commit to anything.
Get Your Same-Day Term SheetCalifornia hard money lender rates in 2026 typically range from 8.5% (Axios, escrowed) to 13% (top-end marketplace pricing on thin files). Most active CA hard money lenders price between 9.5% and 12.5% with 2–5 origination points and close in 10–21 days. The spread reflects leverage, borrower experience, and property condition — a clean-file repeat investor at 75% LTC prices near the bottom of the range; a thin-file first-time flipper at 90% LTC prices near the top.
California hard money lenders measure leverage as Loan-to-Cost (LTC) for fix-and-flip and bridge deals, not LTV. Marketplace platforms and Axios offer up to 90% LTC on standard files; most local private shops cap at 70–80% LTV. The as-is value or as-completed value (whichever is lower) drives the maximum loan amount; expect to fund the difference as cash to close plus a 10–15% reserve cushion for cost overruns.
California hard money loans close in 7–21 days, depending on the lender. Online marketplace platforms (Kiavi) close in 7–14 days on standardized files with no appraisal. Local private hard money shops typically close in 14–21 days with full underwriting. Axios closes in 3–4 weeks but offers institutional-range pricing ($500K–$30M) and an escrowed-interest structure that other California hard money lenders at this size range don’t match.
Yes — most California hard money lenders operate statewide. National marketplace platforms (Kiavi, LendingOne) cover LA, SF Bay, Sacramento, San Diego, and Inland Empire with standardized digital underwriting. Local private shops tend to focus on a specific metro (San Diego, Inland Empire, LA) and rely on local appraiser and title relationships to keep close times tight. Distressed or rural properties in Northern California, the Central Valley, and the High Desert typically route through Axios for institutionally-priced capital.
Most California hard money lenders focus on property underwriting, not borrower credit. A 620 FICO is generally the minimum for marketplace platforms and Axios; local private shops may go lower on relationship deals but charge a points premium. California is a non-judicial foreclosure state, which compresses liquidation timelines for lenders and keeps pricing tighter than judicial-foreclosure states — a structural reason CA rates are typically at or below the national hard money average.
Submit your California deal and get a term sheet within 24 hours — rate, leverage, and structure. No commitment, no hard credit pull, no waiting.