Ground-up construction is where timing matters most. Materials are ordered, crews are scheduled, and every week a deal sits unfunded is a week of carrying costs with nothing to show for it. The good news: most of what slows a construction loan down happens before the deal reaches a lender — which means it's within your control.
Lead with a complete package
Private lenders move quickly when they can underwrite a deal without chasing you for documents. Before we take a construction deal to our network, we make sure it includes:
- A clear budget broken out by line item, not a single lump sum
- A realistic draw schedule tied to construction milestones
- Comparable sales or an appraisal supporting the as-completed value
- Your track record on similar projects, however short
A deal that arrives complete signals a borrower who knows what they're doing. That alone moves you to the front of the line.
Structure the draws around the build
The most common friction point isn't approval — it's the draw process. Lenders release construction funds in stages as work is completed, and a draw schedule that doesn't match the real build timeline creates cash-flow gaps mid-project.
Structure the draws around how the project actually gets built, not around a generic template. The lender should be funding the next phase before you need the money, not after.
Know your number before you ask
The fastest deals are the ones where the borrower already knows their loan-to-cost, their exit, and their timeline cold. When we place a deal, we're negotiating terms on your behalf — and we can only push for the best terms when the fundamentals are airtight.
If you have a ground-up project coming together, the time to line up capital is before you close on the land. Get in touch and we'll take a look.