Austin real estate investors often find success with locally experienced lenders like Capital Fund 1 and Little City Investments, which prioritize property-based underwriting over credit scores. For those prioritizing speed and aggressive leverage, firms like Easy Street Capital and Longhorn Investments are frequently recommended for their fast closing processes, though project types and fee structures vary by lender.
2Easy Street CapitalBest for high-leverage needs on fix-and-flip or rental projects. They specialize in rapid funding with closings possible in as little as 48 hours, making them ideal for time-sensitive deals and experienced investors.51%
3Capital Fund 1Best for investors needing property-focused, asset-based lending in Austin. Key benefits include fast funding for renovations without relying on credit scores. A strong choice for local market expertise.34%
When you're hunting for low fees and local leverage in Austin, skipping the national broker markup and going straight to a direct, Texas-based private lender is your best move. Several reputable, low-fee hard money lenders stand out for Austin and Texas real estate investors:
Little City Investments 4.3 (11)
Mortgage lender
Closed Austin, TX
CallDirectionsWebsite Based right in Austin, they are a direct lender known for keeping things transparent with no application fees , no income verification, no steep prepayment penalties, and rates starting around 8.5%. They can fund up to 75% LTV (sometimes up to 100% financing for the right deal) and often skip costly appraisals, which saves you hundreds upfront. You can look over their guidelines on Little City Investments.
Corridor Funding Operating heavily across major Texas metros including the Austin corridor, they specialize in short-term liquidity and value-add residential or commercial projects. They structure flexible terms with , helping you maximize profits if you plan on a rapid fix-and-flip rather than a long-term hold. Details are up on .
Wildcat Lending 4.6 (268)
Mortgage lender
Closed Plano, TX
CallDirectionsWebsite A prominent direct hard money lender across Texas that focuses on rapid funding (often closing in 3 to 5 days) for residential investment properties. They work well for competitive Austin market offers where speed and clean terms beat out conventional financing.
To help narrow down which lender fits your current project:
Are you looking for a fix-and-flip or a buy-and-hold/DSCR loan?
What is the estimated purchase price and rehab budget of your target property?
HouseMax Funding - 3711 S MoPac Expy Building 1 Suite 375, Austin, TX 78746, United States
Loan Ranger Capital - 5000 Plaza on the Lake Ste 320, Austin, TX 78746, United States
Easy Street Capital - 3232 E Cesar Chavez St Ste 1-320, Austin, TX 78702, United States
Boardwalk Funding, LLC - 2503 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702, United States
Park Place Finance - Austin Mortgage Lender - 901 S MoPac Expy Bldg 2, Suite 375, Austin, TX 78746, United States
Capstone Capital Partners, LLC (Lending) - 507 Denali Pass Dr Ste 401, Cedar Park, TX 78613, United States
Nexus Private Capital - 1008 Spence St, Austin, TX 78702, United States
CURLEE CAPITAL - 1905 W 36th St, Austin, TX 78731, United States
Hornet Capital - 2910 Lakeway Blvd, Lakeway, TX 78734, United States
Longhorn Funding - 9705 Burnet Rd Ste 322, Austin, TX 78758, United States
If by “best” you mean lowest all-in borrowing cost while still getting meaningful leverage, I’d shop these lenders rather than pick purely on headline rate.
HouseMax Funding — Austin-based direct private lender; worth getting a quote if you want a local relationship lender.
Loan Ranger Capital — Austin-based private lender focused on investor, builder and developer financing.
Easy Street Capital — Austin-headquartered investor lender; its fix/flip program is specifically geared toward acquisition/rehab and speed.
Boardwalk Funding, LLC — publishes unusually transparent pricing: 11.00–12.75% and 2.00–2.75 points for fix-and-flip, and 11.25–12.95% / 2.50–3.00 points for new construction.
For published pricing, HouseMax Funding isn't the only option I'd investigate. Capstone Capital Partners, LLC (Lending) publishes pricing starting around 10% APR with points from 3%, while Anchor Loans currently advertises Austin fix-and-flip rates from roughly 9.125% and up to 85% LTC.
One particularly interesting benchmark is Ridge Street Capital: it advertises Austin fix-and-flip rates of 10.5–11.5% with origination from 1.5%. Ridge Street Capital That's the kind of quote I'd use to negotiate against other lenders.
What I'd negotiate
Don't just ask, “What's your rate?” Ask each lender for a written term sheet showing:
Interest rate
Origination points
Maximum LTC and maximum LTV/ARV
Whether interest is charged on committed or drawn funds
Minimum interest period
Extension fee
Draw fees
Appraisal/BPO fee
Underwriting/processing fee
Legal/doc fees
Prepayment penalty
Whether rehab is funded 100%
Closing timeline
Texas market data puts the average hard-money origination fee around 3 points, so getting down toward 1.5–2 points can materially improve your economics.
If you give me your deal numbers — purchase price, rehab budget, ARV, desired loan amount, experience (number of flips), credit score range, and whether it's flip/BRRRR/new construction — I can compare the likely leverage and all-in cost across 5–7 Texas lenders and show you the math.
For an Austin investor looking for leverage + low fees, I’d focus less on the advertised interest rate and more on the total cost of capital:
Origination points
Underwriting/doc fees
Appraisal/BPO fees
Draw fees
Extension fees
Whether they fund rehab draws quickly
Max leverage (purchase % + rehab %)
In the Austin/Texas market, these lenders are worth putting on your short list:
Lender
Best fit
Why consider them
Anchor Loans
Experienced flippers, larger deals
Advertises Austin investor financing with rates from about 9.25%, up to 85% LTC, and fast closings.
Lima One Capital
Repeat investors scaling volume
Listed among Austin hard money options with competitive starting rates and high leverage programs.
Kiavi
Tech-driven application process
Popular for fix-and-flip/bridge loans and known for streamlined underwriting.
BoardWalk Funding
Local Austin relationship lender
Austin-based lender focused on Texas investors; publishes fix-and-flip pricing around 11–12.75% with 2–2.75 points.
Curlee Capital
Investors wanting flexible terms
Offers Austin-area fix-and-flip financing with interest-only structures and high purchase/rehab leverage options.
My ranking for a serious Austin investor
1. Lowest-cost leverage:
Start with Anchor, Lima One, and Kiavi. Larger platforms often have tighter pricing because they have cheaper capital sources.
2. Best local relationship:
Look at BoardWalk Funding or another Austin-focused lender. Local lenders can sometimes win on flexibility, especially for weird properties, off-market deals, ADUs, or construction.
3. If you’re newer but have a strong deal:
Curlee Capital and similar private lenders may be more flexible on borrower history if the deal metrics work.
What I’d negotiate before signing
For Austin flips, I’d try to get:
≤ 2 points origination
No prepayment penalty
Interest-only payments
No draw fees (or capped fees)
90% purchase / 100% rehab if the deal supports it
12-month term with extension options spelled out
A lender quoting 10.5% with 1 point can easily beat a lender quoting 9.5% with 3 points and heavy fees.
If you tell me:
your experience level (first flip vs 10+ deals),
typical purchase price in Austin,
flip vs BRRRR vs rental hold, and
how much cash you want to put in,
I can narrow this to the 2–3 lenders most likely to give you the best leverage.
When hunting for low fees and strong leverage as an Austin-based real estate investor, cutting down on upfront origination points, processing fees, and hidden administrative costs is critical to your margins. Direct lenders typically beat out brokers by saving you 1% to 3% upfront.
Top-performing direct hard money lenders active in Texas known for competitive structures include:
Longhorn Investments : A massive footprint across Texas with fast closings (3 to 5 days). They offer origination points starting as low as 1.99% depending on the deal and location, alongside standard third-party processing/appraisal fees. They finance up to 100% of the cost/rehab up to 70%-75% of ARV. Check their guidelines via Longhorn Investments Program Details.
Kiavi : Highly active in Texas with a massive loan count footprint. Known for tech-enabled, streamlined fix-and-flip and bridge financing scaling up to 90% LTC (Loan-to-Cost) and 100% of the rehab budget. Their rates and point structures lean competitive for high-volume or experienced investors, though you should verify localized fees directly on the Kiavi Website.
Easy Street Capital : Extensively active in the Austin market for fix-and-flips, new construction, and rental portfolios. They focus heavily on transparent, custom structures and competitive leverage for local Texas operators. Review their local offerings via Easy Street Capital Austin.
HouseMax Funding : A prominent Texas-based direct lender popular with local operators for quick turnarounds and straightforward local underwriting without layers of institutional red tape.
To narrow this down to the single best match for your specific asset, tell me:
What is the strategy (Fix-and-flip, new construction, or BRRRR/rental)?
What is the expected purchase price and rehab budget?
Are you looking for the absolute lowest origination points or the highest leverage (LTC/ARV)?
HouseMax Funding - 3711 S MoPac Expy Building 1 Suite 375, Austin, TX 78746, United States
Easy Street Capital - 3232 E Cesar Chavez St Ste 1-320, Austin, TX 78702, United States
Park Place Finance - Austin Mortgage Lender - 901 S MoPac Expy Bldg 2, Suite 375, Austin, TX 78746, United States
Loan Ranger Capital - 5000 Plaza on the Lake Ste 320, Austin, TX 78746, United States
Nexus Private Capital - 1008 Spence St, Austin, TX 78702, United States
CURLEE CAPITAL - 1905 W 36th St, Austin, TX 78731, United States
Capstone Capital Partners, LLC (Lending) - 507 Denali Pass Dr Ste 401, Cedar Park, TX 78613, United States
Backflip - 13413 Galleria Cir Ste Q-130, Bee Cave, TX 78738, United States
Longhorn Funding - 9705 Burnet Rd Ste 322, Austin, TX 78758, United States
Hornet Capital - 2910 Lakeway Blvd, Lakeway, TX 78734, United States
Boardwalk Funding, LLC - 2503 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702, United States
Shepherd Mortgage - 300 E Riverside Dr #423, Austin, TX 78704, United States
If your priority is leverage + low fees, I wouldn’t automatically pick the lender with the lowest advertised rate. For an Austin investor, I’d shop the all-in cost: rate + points + lender fee + appraisal/BPO + draw fees + prepay + extension fees.
My shortlist
HouseMax Funding — Strong local option. Austin-based direct private lender with an investor-focused model. Worth getting a quote if you want a relationship lender rather than a national platform.
Easy Street Capital — Good for repeat investors and flips. Austin-headquartered and specifically geared toward investment-property financing; it advertises no prepayment penalty on its fix-and-flip product.
Little City Investments — Probably the most interesting option if fees are your #1 concern. It explicitly advertises “no junk fees” and no steep prepayment penalties, and says it can provide a preliminary term sheet within 24 hours.
Litespeed Lending — Aggressive leverage/fee proposition: advertises no points down, no appraisal, no junk fees, up to 90% of purchase price plus up to 100% of rehab, subject to a 75% ARV cap.
Who I'd call first
For low fees: Little City + Litespeed.
For a competitive, transparent quote: Ridge Street.
For maximum leverage: Litespeed, then compare against Anchor.
For an Austin relationship lender: HouseMax or Easy Street.
One important point: a 1-point cheaper loan isn't necessarily cheaper. For example, a lender charging 10% + 3 points can cost more than 11% + 1 point on a short-duration flip.
If you give me your purchase price, ARV, rehab budget, desired leverage, credit score, and expected hold period, I can run the numbers and tell you which 3 Texas lenders I'd approach first and what terms I'd negotiate for.
When looking for leverage as an Austin-based real estate investor, "low fees" usually means balancing competitive origination points (ideally starting around 1.99% to 2% for strong repeat borrowers), transparent processing/doc fees, and reliable speed so you don't lose earnest money on tight Texas option periods.
Top-performing, active hard money and private lenders with heavy footprints in Texas and competitive fee structures include:
Longhorn Investments – A staple across Texas (with strong activity in Austin, Dallas, and Houston) known for competitive pricing on residential fix-and-flips. They offer origination fees starting as low as 1.99% depending on the deal and location, with standard interest-only rates starting around 10.99%. They fund fast (3 to 5 days) and can finance up to 100% of the purchase/rehab cost under the right terms . Check their guidelines via Longhorn Investments Program Details.
HouseMax Funding – Headquartered right out of the Austin area, HouseMax is a direct portfolio lender that understands the hyper-local Travis/Williamson County dynamics. Because they are local operators who also flip houses themselves, their underwriting is practical, fast (under 10 days), and tailored to local ARVs. Review their local offerings on the HouseMax Funding Private Lender Link Profile.
Easy Street Capital – Highly active across the Texas triangle (Austin, San Antonio, Dallas), they specialize in investor-friendly "EasyFix" fix-and-flip programs alongside DSCR rental loans. They pride themselves on transparent terms and customized leverage for the Austin market. Explore their local programs via Easy Street Capital Austin Hard Money Loans.
Kiavi / LendingOne – If you are looking for national scale with institutional-backed, highly streamlined pricing and automated draws, tech-enabled lenders like Kiavi or LendingOne Texas consistently rank among the highest volume lenders in Texas. They tend to offer aggressive rates for experienced flippers, though you trade the local "boutique" relationship for scale and standardized processing.
To help narrow down which lender fits your exact next deal, tell me:
Are you doing a fix-and-flip, ground-up construction, or a rental (DSCR) purchase?
What is your experience level (number of completed projects in the last 24 months)?
Do you need 100% financing on the rehab or do you have heavy cash reserves ready?
As an Austin-based real estate investor, finding a hard money lender (HML) with low origination fees, minimal "junk fees," and fast local execution is critical to protecting your profit margins. The average origination fee across Texas hovers around 3.0% (or 3 points), but top-tier direct lenders offer competitive structures starting as low as 1.0%–2.0% points for experienced borrowers.[2]
Working with a direct lender rather than a broker is your best lever to keep upfront fees low, as it cuts out intermediary assignment or broker commissions.
Top options in Texas known for competitive, low-fee structures and strong local presence include:
Loan Ranger Capital (Headquartered in Austin)
The Low-Fee Advantage: They feature competitive origination fees starting at 1.0%–2.0% points with straightforward, transparent closing costs (around a ~$595 doc fee) and zero application fees or hidden junk fees.[1]
Why they fit Austin investors: Being locally rooted in Austin (with deep footprints in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio), they know the hyper-local submarkets well. They base approvals heavily on asset value and project viability rather than stringent W-2/FICO requirements.
Best for: Fix-and-flips, infill new construction, and short-term bridge financing.[2]
Longhorn Investments (Major Texas Footprint)
The Low-Fee Advantage: For strong borrowers and attractive deals, their origination structures can scale down as low as 1.99% points , though they do itemize standard third-party processing, doc, and credit review costs.
Why they fit Texas investors: Longhorn is one of the most prolific and reliable volume lenders across the major Texas metros. They can finance up to 100% of purchase/construction costs depending on the metrics of the deal.
Best for: Rapid-close fix-and-flips (often closing in 3 to 5 days) where speed and high leverage matter.
Easy Street Capital (Austin Office)
The Low-Fee Advantage: Highly rated for competitive pricing on investor cash-flow and bridge loans, they feature transparent pricing and streamlined underwriting without redundant appraisal hurdles on certain bridge products.[1]
Why they fit Austin investors: They maintain a physical presence in Austin and specialize heavily in the "EasyFix" transitional space for the first legs of BRRRR or fix-and-flip strategies [1.2.2, 1.2.2].[1]
Best for: Investors shifting from quick flips into rental portfolios or transitional bridge loans.[1]
To help narrow down the ideal match, tell me:
Are you looking to do a fix-and-flip, ground-up construction , or a rental/BRRRR project?
Do you need them to finance 100% of the purchase/rehab , or do you have sufficient cash for a standard 20%–25% down payment?
Easy Street Capital - 3232 E Cesar Chavez St Ste 1-320, Austin, TX 78702, United States
HouseMax Funding - 3711 S MoPac Expy Building 1 Suite 375, Austin, TX 78746, United States
Loan Ranger Capital - 5000 Plaza on the Lake Ste 320, Austin, TX 78746, United States
CURLEE CAPITAL - 1905 W 36th St, Austin, TX 78731, United States
Park Place Finance - Austin Mortgage Lender - 901 S MoPac Expy Bldg 2, Suite 375, Austin, TX 78746, United States
Nexus Private Capital - 1008 Spence St, Austin, TX 78702, United States
Hornet Capital - 2910 Lakeway Blvd, Lakeway, TX 78734, United States
Longhorn Funding - 9705 Burnet Rd Ste 322, Austin, TX 78758, United States
Capstone Capital Partners, LLC (Lending) - 507 Denali Pass Dr Ste 401, Cedar Park, TX 78613, United States
Corridor Funding - 18534 Forty Six Pkwy, Spring Branch, TX 78070, United States
Simplified Commercial Lending - 6507 Jester Blvd Ste 505-C, Austin, TX 78750, United States
Shepherd Mortgage - 300 E Riverside Dr #423, Austin, TX 78704, United States
If your priority is leverage + low fees, I’d put Kiavi at the top of the list—but I’d also get a competing quote from a strong Austin/Texas local lender before signing.
My shortlist
kiavi.com — best overall for low friction + leverage. Their current published fix-and-flip terms advertise rates as low as 7.75%, up to 95% LTC, up to 80% ARV, 100% of rehab costs, and no application fee or appraisal fee on the advertised program.
Easy Street Capital — worth getting a quote from as an Austin-based alternative. They're headquartered in Austin and focus specifically on investor financing, so I'd use them as your local benchmark.
HouseMax Funding — another Austin direct lender worth pricing. Strong local reviews and investor-focused private lending.
— good local option if execution and flexibility matter more than simply chasing the lowest advertised rate.
The important part: don't compare just the rate
For a serious investor, I'd ask every lender for the same deal quote and compare:
For example, an 8.5% loan at 2 points can easily be worse than a 9% loan at 1 point if you're holding for a short period.
One Austin lender, BoardWalk Funding, publicly lists 2–2.75 points and 11–12.75% for its fix-and-flip product, which illustrates why the headline rate alone isn't enough. BoardWalk Funding Another Austin lender, Ridge Street Capital, advertises 1.5% origination on its fix-and-flip product.
If I were negotiating your deal: I'd get a Kiavi term sheet first, then send it to 2–3 Texas lenders and say, “Beat this on total cost while matching the leverage and closing timeline.” That's usually more productive than asking lenders for their "lowest rate."
If you give me purchase price, ARV, rehab budget, credit score, experience (number of flips), and desired loan term, I can compare the economics and tell you which lender structure is likely to leave you with the most cash in the deal.
Little City Investments - 127 E Riverside Dr Unit 101, Austin, TX 78704, United States
Easy Street Capital - 3232 E Cesar Chavez St Ste 1-320, Austin, TX 78702, United States
HouseMax Funding - 3711 S MoPac Expy Building 1 Suite 375, Austin, TX 78746, United States
Loan Ranger Capital - 5000 Plaza on the Lake Ste 320, Austin, TX 78746, United States
Park Place Finance - Austin Mortgage Lender - 901 S MoPac Expy Bldg 2, Suite 375, Austin, TX 78746, United States
Nexus Private Capital - 1008 Spence St, Austin, TX 78702, United States
CURLEE CAPITAL - 1905 W 36th St, Austin, TX 78731, United States
Hornet Capital - 2910 Lakeway Blvd, Lakeway, TX 78734, United States
Corridor Funding - 18534 Forty Six Pkwy, Spring Branch, TX 78070, United States
Capstone Capital Partners, LLC (Lending) - 507 Denali Pass Dr Ste 401, Cedar Park, TX 78613, United States
Longhorn Funding - 9705 Burnet Rd Ste 322, Austin, TX 78758, United States
Shepherd Mortgage - 300 E Riverside Dr #423, Austin, TX 78704, United States
Boardwalk Funding, LLC - 2503 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702, United States
Simplified Commercial Lending - 6507 Jester Blvd Ste 505-C, Austin, TX 78750, United States
For an Austin real estate investor looking for leverage + low fees, I wouldn’t pick a lender based on rate alone. The cheapest capital is usually the lender that gives you the right mix of:
Low origination points
High leverage (LTC/LTV)
No junk fees
Fast close certainty
Flexible draws for rehab
No (or minimal) prepayment penalty
A few Texas/Austin lenders worth putting on your comparison sheet:
Austin-based private lender focused on investor financing; known for fix-and-flip, rental, and construction loans.
Based on publicly available terms, Austin/Texas hard money pricing often lands roughly around ~9–13% interest with about 1–3 points, depending heavily on your experience, deal quality, leverage, and exit plan.
If I were shopping a deal, I’d ask these lenders the same 8 questions:
“What is my all-in cost (rate + points + every fee)?”
“What is your max LTC on purchase + rehab?”
“Do you fund 100% of rehab draws?”
“Do you charge extension fees?”
“Any minimum interest period?”
“Any prepayment penalty?”
“How fast can you close once appraisal/title are done?”
“Will you increase leverage after I prove performance?”
For a first deal, I’d lean toward a lender that values the deal and your execution plan. For a seasoned Austin operator doing multiple flips, I’d negotiate hard for lower points and better leverage rather than just chasing the lowest rate.
If you tell me:
flip vs BRRRR vs rental,
purchase price,
ARV,
rehab budget,
your experience level,
and how much cash you want to leave in the deal,
I can narrow this to the 2–3 lenders most likely to give you the best terms.
For Austin real estate investors seeking high leverage and competitive low fees, direct local and regional private lenders such as Little City Investments and statewide or national tech-enabled players like Kiavi offer some of the best terms, with Texas average rates hovering around 10% and origination fees averaging 2% to 3%.
Top Hard Money Lenders for Texas Investors
Little City Investments : A boutique, direct private money lender based right in Austin, TX that specializes in asset-based fix-and-flip, bridge, and commercial acquisitions with localized underwriting and flexible leverage.
Independent Lending : A preferred local Austin hard money financing provider known for consultative structures and industry expertise tailored to Texas market dynamics.
Kiavi : A streamlined, tech-enabled national lender active in Texas providing fast execution and competitive leverage options for seasoned residential investors.
RCN Capital : Widely recognized for reliable short-term bridge and rehab financing with consistent closing speeds across the state.
Key Texas Hard Money Benchmarks
Average Interest Rate: ~10.14%
Average Origination Fee (Points): 2.0% to 3.0%
Average Loan-to-Value (LTV): ~71%
Could you share the specific asset type (residential fix-and-flip, ground-up construction, or multi-family) and your target leverage/LTV needs so I can recommend the best exact match?
Ridge Street Capital — Publishes unusually transparent Austin pricing: 10.5–11.5% fix-and-flip rates and 1.5% origination starting point.
Anchor Loans — Worth quoting if you want leverage and institutional execution: advertises rates from 9.25%, up to 85% LTC, and loans up to $20M, with closings under five days.
Loan Ranger Capital
limaone.com — strong national competitor. Current Austin comparisons put it around 9% starting rates, with programs for flips, bridge, construction and rentals.
CURLEE CAPITAL — interesting for more sophisticated investors/developers, particularly if you're moving beyond single-property flips into larger CRE/development financing.
