Define a Bridging Loan
A bridge loan is basically a short term loan — one that is repaid in under a year. A bridge loan helps the borrower to get the cash quickly while waiting for a long-term loan or other financing to come through. The instant money allows the borrower to pay for outstanding financial obligations while still waiting for a deal or contract.
Bridge loans have high interest rates and need to be backed by collateral. What they do, as their name suggests, is to bridge the gap between a time when the borrower has the more permanent loan or financing that he’s seeking and the present with its immediate financial needs. Bridging finance is used in many different financial situations.
Business owners may apply for bridge loans to finance their needed working capital for an investment while their equity financing deal is still in the process, which usually take several months to complete.
Bridge loans are often used when selling real estate. This can be useful when the real estate market is slow or a particular house is not selling fast enough. Homeowners who want to sell their homes and buy a new one utilize bridge loans to finance their various obligations such as utility bills and food bills, while their old home is still on the market. Also, they may use the bridging finance as “chain breaking”, meaning they use the loaned amount to purchase a new house while they are still on the process of dealing their current house to prospective buyers.
Another use for bridge loans is to repair one’s credit. A person may borrow the money needed to pay off creditors so as to increase one’s credit score, making it more probable that one can then get a larger, more permanent loan or be able to be approved to rent a new apartment. People also use bridge loans when they are in between jobs but fully expect to be hired very soon or are just waiting to start. Along those same lines, these types of loans may be used to finance a relocation for work related purposes.
Bridging finance can be done in less than a day, as the high interest rates, short duration, and collateral backing allow for less stringent credit and background checks.
