SO-CAL Capital private lending options
$820M+
Funded
Transactions
940
Properties
Funded
1,764
Clients
Served
#1 california icon
In Southern
California
About SO-CAL Capital

Your Trusted Los Angeles Private Money Lender

Los Angeles is not one real estate market. It’s dozens. Pricing, buyer depth, renovation economics, and rental fundamentals look completely different on the Westside than they do in the San Fernando Valley, the San Gabriel Valley, the South Bay, or the neighborhoods ringing Downtown. A lender that treats LA County as a single line on a rate sheet will misprice a large share of the deals that reach their desk, usually by underestimating how much the exit depends on the specific few blocks around the property.

We are a direct lender. Every credit decision is made in-house by our own underwriting team, with no third-party approvals and no broker middlemen adding cost or delay. As both a lender and a Trust Deed investment manager, we control the entire lifecycle of a transaction from initial review through funding and servicing, so when you bring us a Los Angeles deal, the person weighing your comps is the same person approving the loan. SO-CAL Capital was founded in 2010 and works out of Newport Beach, close enough to the LA market to know it firsthand.

Our underwriting philosophy is straightforward: we evaluate the deal on its merits. We look at the property, the loan-to-value ratio, and your plan. We do not run your scenario through an automated scoring system and call it a decision. That is what sets a boutique hard money lender apart from a national platform lender, and it is what has allowed us to fund over $820 million across more than 900 properties.

Loan Parameters at a Glance

Simple, Transparent Loan Structure

We keep our loan terms straightforward. Here is what you can expect when you work with SO-CAL Capital.

Loan Feature
SO-CAL Capital
Loan Amount
$100,000 - $10,000,000
Maximum LTV
Up to 70%
Interest Rates
Fixed
Minimum FICO Score
None
Prepayment Penalty
None
Loan Type
1st and 2nd Trust Deeds
Loan Purpose
Business Purpose / Investment
States
CA, OR, WA, AZ, NV, CO, ID, UT, MT, WY, and more
Fees apply, and pricing is determined on a case-by-case basis. There are no junk fees and no surprises buried in the fine print.
Loan Use Cases

What Can You Use a Private Money Loan For?

Private money loans are business-purpose financing tools designed for investors and developers who use real estate as a vehicle for generating returns. Here is how Los Angeles investors put our capital to work.

Bridge Loans

A real estate bridge loan gives you the capital to close on a new acquisition quickly while you arrange longer-term financing. This is one of the most common tools for investors competing in tight markets where contingencies and bank timelines cost deals.

Cash-Out Refinance via 2nd Trust Deed

If you hold an Los Angeles property with significant equity and a low-rate first mortgage you do not want to disturb, a 2nd Trust Deed allows you to unlock that capital for other investments without refinancing your existing loan.

Commercial & Multifamily Acquisition

We fund acquisitions across a broad range of commercial asset classes, including apartment buildings, mixed-use properties, industrial facilities, and special-purpose properties. If the collateral is strong and the business plan is clear, it is worth a conversation.

Time-Sensitive Opportunities

Some of the best deals in real estate have short windows. Fix and flip financing, off-market acquisitions, and auction purchases often require a lender who can close in days, not months. That is what we do.
Eligible Property Types

Investment Property Types We Finance

We lend against a wide range of investment property types across Los Angeles County and our other lending states.

Single-Family Residential
Multi-family & Apartments
Commercial & Mixed-Use
Industrial & Warehouse
Special Purpose

If the property has strong collateral value and a clear exit strategy, we want to hear about it. Our underwriting is not driven by a rigid approved-property checklist. It is driven by a common-sense evaluation of the asset and the plan behind it.

Where We Lend

Submarkets We Cover

We lend across Los Angeles County. Because pricing and buyer depth shift so sharply between submarkets, it helps to know where we are active.

Westside
Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City, Mar Vista, Brentwood, Palms, West Los Angeles
San Fernando Valley
Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Northridge
San Gabriel Valley
Pasadena, Alhambra, Arcadia, Monrovia, San Gabriel, Temple City, West Covina
South Bay
Torrance, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, San Pedro, Gardena
Central & Eastside
Downtown, Koreatown, Mid-Wilshire, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Highland Park, Eagle Rock

If your property sits in an Los Angeles city not listed here, it is still worth a call. The list reflects where we lend most often, not the limit of where we lend.

Why Real Estate Investors Keep Coming Back

Why Choose SO-CAL Capital

There is no shortage of private lenders in the Los Angeles market. Here is why experienced investors and brokers choose us.

No Minimum FICO Score

Sophisticated real estate investors often carry complex credit profiles. We evaluate the property and the plan, not a credit score that has nothing to do with your ability to execute.

Local Market Experience

Practical familiarity with Los Angeles real estate values, neighborhoods, and deal dynamics.

Flexible Underwriting

We focus on the property, leverage, business plan, borrower experience, and realistic exit strategy.

Fast Decisions

A streamlined process helps qualified borrowers get answers quickly when the transaction cannot wait.

Relationship Focused

We aim to become a repeat capital partner for investors, operators, and real estate professionals.

Transparent Terms

Clear loan structures and direct communication help borrowers understand the financing before moving forward.
Fast, Direct Process

How It Works

Getting started with SO-CAL Capital is straightforward. Here is what to expect from first contact to funded loan.

01

Submit Your Scenario

Share the basics with our team: the property, the loan amount you need, and your exit strategy. You do not need a completed application to start a conversation.
02

We Review the Deal

Our underwriting team evaluates the property, the LTV, and your plan. This is a human review, not an automated score. If the deal makes sense, we will tell you quickly.
03

Receive Your Term Sheet

If we can move forward, we will issue a term sheet with clear, straightforward pricing. No surprises and no hidden conditions buried in the back pages.
04

Close and Fund

We move fast. Our direct lending model eliminates the bottlenecks that slow down institutional lenders. Time-sensitive deals are our specialty.
05

Execute Your Strategy

With capital deployed, you focus on what you do best. Whether that is a renovation, an acquisition, or a portfolio expansion, SO-CAL Capital is in your corner.

What Is a Private Money Lender?

A private money lender is a non-bank lender that funds real estate transactions using private capital rather than institutional deposits. Loans are secured by 1st or 2nd Trust Deeds on the subject property, and approval is based primarily on the property’s value, the borrower’s ability to pay, and the borrower’s exit strategy.

Unlike a conventional bank loan, private money loans for real estate are built for speed and flexibility. There is no requirement to document years of tax returns, satisfy rigid debt-to-income ratios, or wait weeks for an underwriting committee. In Los Angeles that flexibility matters most on properties a bank will not underwrite at all: a building in the middle of a renovation, a property carrying unpermitted work, or an asset whose value depends on a plan that has not been executed yet.

This type of asset-based lending exists to serve professional investors whose strategies do not fit inside a bank’s lending box. In LA County that usually means an investor holding a property through a long permit cycle, an operator repositioning an older multifamily building, or a buyer who has to perform on a trust sale faster than a conventional lender can even open a file.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Private money lending is straightforward once you understand the mechanics. Here are the questions we hear most often from new investors.

What is the difference between a private money lender and a hard money lender?
The terms are used interchangeably in most markets. Both describe non-bank, asset-based lenders that fund real estate transactions outside the conventional mortgage system. “Private money” tends to refer to the source of capital, meaning private investors rather than institutional deposits, while “hard money” refers to the hard asset securing the loan. SO-CAL Capital operates in both categories, so whether you are searching for a hard money lender in Los Angeles or a private money lender in California, you are in the right place.
Do you fund value-add and small multifamily in Los Angeles?
Yes, and it is a core part of what we do in this market. From duplexes and small apartment buildings to larger multifamily, we fund acquisitions and repositioning plays across LA County, secured by 1st and 2nd Trust Deeds up to 70% LTV. Newer buildings that fall outside the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, where there is more room to renovate and bring rents to market, tend to offer the cleanest exits, and those are exactly the multifamily deals we like to see.
Can you fund a Los Angeles property while permits or entitlements are still pending?
Often, yes. This is one of the most common reasons LA investors use private money. Conventional lenders generally want a finished, stabilized asset, while our underwriting looks at the property, the loan-to-value ratio, and whether your plan and exit make sense. Tell us where the project sits in the process and what the timeline looks like.
Do you fund trust, probate, and estate-related transactions in LA County?
Yes. These transactions are common in Los Angeles and they frequently run on court or family timelines that conventional financing cannot meet. We fund business-purpose loans secured by 1st and 2nd Trust Deeds. Because circumstances vary, the specifics matter, so walk us through the situation and we will tell you quickly whether we can help.
My Los Angeles property needs significant work. Will you still lend on it?
Very likely. Condition is the single most common reason a bank declines a Los Angeles investment property, and it is one of the main reasons private money exists. We lend against collateral value and a credible plan rather than requiring move-in condition. Deferred maintenance, a gutted interior, or a partially completed renovation are all scenarios we look at.
Which Los Angeles submarkets do you lend in?
We lend across LA County, including the Westside, the San Fernando Valley, the San Gabriel Valley, the South Bay, and the Central and Eastside neighborhoods around Downtown. If your property is somewhere else in the county, it is still worth sending over.
Let's Fund Your Next Deal

Start Your Loan Request.

Whether you are closing your first fix-and-flip in the Valley, repositioning a multifamily building on the Eastside, acquiring a mixed-use property near Downtown, or unlocking equity from something you have held for years, SO-CAL Capital has the capital, the expertise, and the speed to get your Los Angeles deal done.

Start Your Loan Request
Recent Fundings
Meet Our Team:
Borrower Portal
Speak with our investment team
Tell us a bit about yourself and we’ll be in touch within one business day.
Your information stays private. We do not share investor data with third parties.