How it works
Nine steps from first click to lien release.
Most lenders describe their process in four boxes and leave out the parts where deals actually stall. Here is the whole thing — what happens at each node, who does the work, how long it usually takes, and exactly what we ask you for.
- To complete the application
- ~10 min
- Typical underwriting turnaround
- 1 business day
- Target clear-to-close to funding
- 14 days
- Draw release after a clear inspection
- ~2 days
The short version
Four steps, start to funded
If you only read one thing on this page, read this. The detail below expands each of these into what actually happens.
- 01
Apply
Tell us about you, the deal, and your ask in about 10 minutes. No documents or credit pull to start.
- 02
Receive Terms
Our underwriter reviews the file and issues a clear term sheet.
- 03
Access Loan Portal
Execute the term sheet, upload remaining items, and track closing — all from your borrower portal.
- 04
Funding
Close, draw, and fund your project — then manage draws and payoff in one place, start to finish.
The long version
Every node, in order
This is the same sequence your borrower portal shows once you are inside. Nothing here happens off-screen.
Apply
You complete the online application: who is borrowing, through what entity, your track record, the parcel, the budget, and the ask. Indicative pricing appears as you go, so you are never guessing at the number.
- Who does it
- You — or your broker, on your behalf.
- Typical timing
- About 10 minutes.
What we ask for
- Borrower legal name, entity, and ownership split
- Estimated FICO and completed project count
- Parcel address, purchase price, budget, and projected exit value
- Requested loan amount, loan-to-cost, and exit plan
5 C's Pre-Screen
The moment you submit, our AI analyst organizes the file and runs the five C's — character, capacity, capital, collateral, conditions — against public records, filings, and market data. Every file is measured against the identical credit box.
- Who does it
- Automated, reviewed by an underwriter.
- Typical timing
- Minutes, not days.
What we ask for
- Nothing new — the pre-screen runs on what you already submitted.
Underwriting
A human underwriter reads the prepared file, checks the rule-engine results, and either clears it, asks for a short list of follow-ups, or declines with a reason you can act on. Files that need a second set of eyes route to a principal.
- Who does it
- An underwriter who develops too. A principal signs off on the final approval.
- Typical timing
- Typically within one business day of a complete file.
What we ask for
- Answers to any open conditions
- Bank statements and a REO schedule, if requested
- Clarification on budget lines or timeline assumptions
Terms
You receive an indicative term sheet: amount, initial advance, rate, points, term, extension, fees, lot releases, and recourse — one tailored offer matching your bucket, not a menu to negotiate against.
- Who does it
- Us. You decide.
- Typical timing
- Issued on approval; typically valid for 14 days.
What we ask for
- Execute the term sheet electronically
- Pay the processing fee and appraisal deposit
Diligence
Now — and only now — we run a hard credit pull and background check, order the appraisal, open title, and verify the entity documents. Anything you upload to your document vault is stored once and reused on every future loan.
- Who does it
- Us, with third-party appraisal, title, and background vendors.
- Typical timing
- Usually two to three weeks, driven by the appraisal and title.
What we ask for
- Authorization for a hard credit and background check
- Articles of organization and operating agreement
- Personal guaranty and completion guarantee
- Purchase contract or settlement statement, plans, and permits
Closing
For development files we clear the lot-development-permit gate first: survey, plat receipt, zoning and planning minutes, service providers confirmed, civil engineering, council engaged, and contract back. When the gate clears, escrow opens.
- Who does it
- Us, your civil engineer, and the closing attorney.
- Typical timing
- Target: 14 days from clear-to-close to funding.
What we ask for
- Survey and recorded plat receipt
- Zoning and planning commission minutes
- Utility and service-provider confirmations
- Evidence of insurance naming us as loss payee
Fund
The loan closes and the initial advance funds — typically the land basis and the first tranche of soft costs. Your borrower portal switches from application tracking to loan servicing the same day.
- Who does it
- Us, through escrow.
- Typical timing
- Same day as recording.
What we ask for
- Wire instructions verified by callback — always, no exceptions.
Draws
You request a draw against a budget line, report percent complete, and attach geotagged progress photos and a lien waiver. A third-party inspection is scheduled automatically and the release follows a clear inspection.
- Who does it
- You submit; an inspector verifies; we release.
- Typical timing
- ~2 business days after a clear inspection.
What we ask for
- Percent complete and requested amount by budget line
- Progress photos from the field
- Lien waivers from the GC and any subs tied to the draw
Payoff
Lots release as they sell or as your takeout closes, at 100% of the allocated loan per lot. When the last one clears, we issue the payoff statement and release the lien. Your vault documents stay on file for the next deal.
- Who does it
- You, your takeout lender, and our servicing team.
- Typical timing
- Payoff statements issued within one business day of request.
What we ask for
- Payoff request with a target date
- Takeout lender or closing attorney contact
Questions
The things borrowers actually ask
Credit pulls, comp, draws, extensions, and fees — answered plainly. Draw releases run ~2 business days after a clear inspection.
When do you pull credit?
Not at application. You give us an estimated FICO to start, and nothing is pulled while we pre-screen and underwrite. A hard credit pull and background check happen only after you accept terms and choose to move forward into diligence — you authorize them explicitly at that step.
How is broker compensation handled?
Three standard structures plus custom: 1.0% paid by the lender as yield-spread premium, 1.0% paid by the borrower, or 2.0% paid by the borrower. Borrower-paid comp is disclosed on the term sheet and is added to borrower-facing pricing. Lender-paid comp is reflected in the rate. You pick the arrangement on the application and it follows the file to closing.
How fast does a draw fund?
Submit against a budget line with photos and lien waivers, and a third-party inspection is scheduled automatically. Release follows a clear inspection — usually about 2 business days. Incomplete waivers are the single most common reason a draw sits.
Can I extend the loan?
The base term is 18 months, interest-only. One 6-month extension is available at a 0.50% fee, subject to the loan being current, insurance in force, and the project progressing against its budget. Ask early — extensions granted at maturity are harder for everyone.
What fees should I expect?
A 1.00% origination fee at closing, an exit fee of 1.00% per repayment or lot release, and a servicing fee of 0.25% per year, billed monthly. During diligence you pay a processing fee and an appraisal deposit — both are quoted before you commit. There are no application fees and no junk fees invented at the closing table.
Do you require a personal guaranty?
Yes. Loans are full recourse to the sponsor with a completion guarantee on the development scope. We also look for liquid reserves of roughly 10–20% of the loan amount across the borrower and the entity, maintained through the term.
What is the LDP gate?
For land development files we hold funding until seven items clear: survey completed, plat receipt, zoning and planning minutes, service providers confirmed, civil engineering, council engaged, and contract back. It exists because a development loan against an unpermitted site is not a development loan — it is a land loan with optimism attached.
Where do you lend?
Across our Southeast footprint, in states where we are licensed or where the loan is exempt from licensing as a commercial-purpose business loan. See the licenses page for the current list.
Do you lend to first-time developers?
Sometimes. Experience is a real input — first projects price higher and are held to tighter leverage — but a first-time sponsor with a strong balance sheet, a proven GC, and an entitled site is a file we will read carefully rather than decline on principle.
Ready to fund your next project?
Apply in 10 minutes — no documents or credit pull to start.