Dan J. Harkey

Master Educator | Business & Finance Consultant | Mentor

Private & Hard Money Lending

Valuable Insight and Information About Private & Hard Money Lending

Dan has given 350 seminars, written books, sponsored legislation, and penned technical articles on real estate and lending. Dan’s website provides reliable information and guidance.

Brokers and agents play a crucial role in this subset of the lending industry, making and arranging loans funded by private investors and secured by real property. They operate as intermediaries with fiduciary responsibilities, facilitating the lending process. The lending criteria in this subset are more property/equity-driven and less credit/income-driven.

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Real Property Liens and Encumbrances

Affecting Real Property Ownership

Make Profits Purchasing Promissory Notes Secured by Real Estate

Note purchases are a large, sophisticated industry designed for sophisticated investors, typically those who are accredited.

How To Reinvent Ourselves, Part II

When Failures Are Within Our Control

Investors Find Good Yields with Private Money Trust Deed and Mortgage Investments

Investing in trust deeds and mortgage investments is popular because the yields are high compared to similar investments, considering the associated risks, management, and time consumption.

Private Money: Procedures and Strategies for Loan Originations

How do brokers and lenders locate hard money loans?

SB-549: We Could Have Guessed That This Was Coming:

The California government, using taxpayer dollars, gets into the development game in the Palisades and Eaton fire rebuilding efforts.

The California Shifting Real Estate Landscape: High-Density Housing on Steroids

The California Legislature has passed laws that significantly alter the development approval process, shifting it from local municipal jurisdiction to the state level.

SB-326 and SB-721: Condo and Multifamily Inspection Laws: California 2024

These two new inspection and repair laws have added significant expense to associations, which must be paid by raising association dues. Some owners cannot afford the increase in dues.

SB-79: A Shocking Turn in California's Housing Laws, Where the Unthinkable Becomes Reality

How about allowing multiple high-rise apartment buildings in your neighborhood up to 65 feet tall, for the simple fact that the property is within ½ mile of a bus stop.

The California Legislature Has Created Monster-Sized Barriers to the Foreclosure Procedure: The Results Constitute a Marxist/socialist Reset, are Now a Matter of Law.

Understanding the nuances of non-judicial and Judicial Foreclosure states is not just important, it's empowering. Each state has its unique procedures and regulations, and grasping these can give you a significant advantage in navigating the foreclosure process.

The Foreclosure Procedure: Judicial vs Non-judicial

Laws differ in various states; some are judicial, some are non-judicial, and others are hybrids, allowing either form of foreclosure.

A Friendly and Professional Relationship with Lenders is Essential if a Practitioner Desires to Build a Long-term, Sustainable Career.

Mortgage Brokers Should Not Show Signs of Anger, as It Is Usually a Sign of Desperation

California: Random vs Non-random Events.

There are no random events in California. Dark forces tightly control everything. We are not allowed to question or obtain an entry pass to the elite club.

Subordination of Liens and Encumbrances: Fact or Fiction.

“Yes, the lien holder will subordinate.” Is this statement true, or is it someone’s wishful illusion?

CEQA: A Major Hurdle for Real Property Development Projects in California Is Being Overhauled

Behind the backdrop of California regulations are always the usual suspects: public employees, labor unions, and lawyers who want a piece of everyone's action. These entities often use their influence to shape policies and regulations in their favor. Growth in the size of government, as well as the expansion and consolidation of power at the top, are always at the forefront.

Private Money: Real Estate Loan Documents and Related Disclosures

Real Estate Practitioners Should Gain a Comprehensive Understanding of the Loan Documentation To Carry Out Their Fiduciary Responsibilities to the Principals.

Private Money Trust Deed and Mortgage Investments

The investor’s name is affixed to the borrower’s promissory note, deed of trust, and title insurance policy; the investor serves as both the lender and the beneficiary. The documents represent clear evidence of ownership (or a security interest) in collateral property.

How Important Are The “5-C’s” in Credit Approval Decisions

The credit approval process is characterized by industry standards, best practices, related litigation references, and regulatory requirements from both state and federal levels.

AB-130: How it Damages Subordinate Financing in California, for Residential Property

AB 130 was signed into law by Gavin Newsom on June 30, 2025

SB-4: A Legal Framework for Faith-Based Institutions and Non-Profit Colleges to Build Affordable Multi-Family Homes on Lands They Own

SB-4: This California legislation is designed to expedite the development process for affordable housing on lands owned by religious and educational institutions, thereby significantly boosting the housing supply.