Bridging Loans And Their Uses
Written by Alan Harding on June 17th, 2008A bridge loan is a loan that a person (or sometimes a business) takes out for only a short time–no longer than one year. The purpose of the bridge loan, or bridging finance, is to give the borrower needed cash until he secures a more long term loan or receives funding. The immediate cash flow that is provided by the bridging finance allows the borrower to meet current financial obligations while a deal or contract is still in process or being negotiated.
Bridge loans have high interest rates and need to be backed by collateral. What they do, as their name suggests, is to bridge the gap between a time when the borrower has the more permanent loan or financing that he’s seeking and the present with its immediate financial needs. Bridging finance is used in many different financial situations.
The owner of a business may secure bridging finance in order to secure needed working capital while he completes equity financing deals which can often take several months.
People often resort to bridge loans when they are planning to sell a home. The real estate market in a specific area can move slowly at times, or a home can just be difficult to sell. People who purchase a new home before selling their existing home may take out a bridge loan so that they can pay for their expenses and financial obligations until a sale is finalized on the existing home and they have access to the proceeds. A bridge loan may also be used as “chain breaking”, meaning a borrower may use it to purchase a new house even while their old house is still on the market.
Bridge loans are often used to protect or improve one’s credit record. A borrower may apply for a bridge loan to finance payment of an outstanding debt, thus making a good credit standing and allowing one to apply for other loans that are more permanent and larger in amount. While they are still moving from one job to another, or waiting to be hired, people may find bridge loans indispensable. Likewise, people can also use of these types of loans to cover cost of relocation demanded by a new job.
Often, you can receive a bridge finance in just 24 hours, since the need for extensive background checks and risk consideration are minimized by the high interest rate, short duration, and collateral backing required.
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