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 Orange County Private Money Lender

SO-CAL Capital was founded in 2010 and is headquartered inNewport Beach, California— right in the heart of Orange County. We have spent over a decade building a reputation as the go-to private money lenderin Orange County for professionalreal estate investors, operators, and mortgage brokers who need capital that moves at the speed of the market.

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.

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 nearly 940 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 designated for investors and developers who use real estate as a vehicle for generating returns.

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 Orange County 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 California 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

Orange County is our home county and we lend across all of it, from the coast to the north county line.

Coastal
Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, San Clemente, Seal Beach, Corona del Mar
Central
Irvine, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Tustin, Orange, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, Westminster
North County
Anaheim, Fullerton, Brea, Yorba Linda, Buena Park, Placentia, La Habra
South County
Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, Lake Forest, Rancho Santa Margarita

If your property sits in an Orange County 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 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 Orange County 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 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. If the deal makes sense and the collateral is sound, we can move.

This type of asset-based lending exists specifically to serve professional investors whose strategies do not fit inside a bank's lending box. If you have a time-sensitive acquisition, a value-add renovation project, or a property that a conventional lender will not touch, a private money lender is the right tool.

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. If you are looking for a hard money lender in Orange County or a private money lender in California, you are in the right place.
Do you lend on coastal Orange County property?
Yes. Coastal Orange County is a meaningful part of our lending, including Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and San Clemente. Values in these submarkets frequently sit above conventional loan limits, which is one of the more common reasons investors here turn to private money. We fund business-purpose loans up to $10,000,000 secured by 1st and 2nd Trust Deeds.
I own an Orange County rental with a low-rate first mortgage. Can I access equity without refinancing?
Yes, and this is one of the most common requests we see in Orange County right now. A 2nd Trust Deed sits behind your existing first, so the rate and terms you locked in previously stay exactly as they are. You access the equity for a renovation budget or your next acquisition and leave the original loan untouched.
How quickly can SO-CAL Capital fund a loan?
Timing depends on the complexity of the transaction, but our in-house underwriting and direct lending structure allow us to move significantly faster than conventional lenders. Send us your scenario and we will give you an honest timeline based on the specifics of your deal.
Which Orange County cities do you lend in?
We lend county-wide. That includes the coastal cities of Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point and San Clemente, central Orange County including Irvine, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana and Tustin, north county including Anaheim, Fullerton and Brea, and south county including Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel and San Juan Capistrano.
Do I need a minimum credit score to qualify?
No. We have no minimum FICO requirement. Our approval process is built around the value of the property, the loan-to-value ratio, and the viability of your exit strategy. Experienced investors often have credit profiles that do not reflect their real-world ability to execute a transaction.
What states do you lend in?
We currently lend in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and more.
What loan amounts do you fund?
We fund business-purpose loans from $100,000 to $10,000,000, or higher on a case-by-case basis, secured by 1st and 2nd Trust Deeds on investment and commercial properties.
Let's Fund Your Next Deal

Start Your Loan Request.

SO-CAL Capital has funded over $820 million across more than 940 properties, with common-sense underwriting, transparent fixed-rate pricing, and direct access to the team that actually approves your loan. If you have an investment property deal that needs private capital, tell us about it and we'll respond within one business day.

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