Iowa private & asset-based lending

Hard money qualification. Thirty-year money.

Like a hard money lender, we qualify the property — not your tax return. Unlike one, we write 30-year fixed loans at rates far closer to a bank's, and we are usually the loan that pays the hard money off.

Asset-based qualification No bridge rates The permanent loan, not the flip loan
Bridge lender vs. EquityBoost
Term12–18 mo  →  30 years
BalloonRequired  →  None
Qualifies onThe asset  →  The asset
Rehab drawsYes  →  No — we're the exit
The one thing we share with hard money is how the file qualifies — on the asset. The rest — term, rate, structure — is permanent financing.
The honest answer

Are we a hard money lender? Not quite.

And if what you need is fast bridge money on a flip, we are not your lender — here is exactly where the line sits.

What we share with hard money

We qualify the property, not your personal income. No W-2, no tax returns, no debt-to-income test, and no limit on how many rentals you already own. Qualification turns on whether the deal works — which is the part of hard money investors actually like.

What we don't

We do not write 12-month bridge loans, we do not fund construction or rehab draws, and we do not charge hard money rates. EquityBoost writes 30-year fixed loans to Iowa LLCs on rentals that are already habitable and leased or lease-ready — investors most often come to us as the takeout that pays off the bridge once the property is renovated and rented.

Versus a bank

Property-first lending, without the bank box.

One point of contact

A private lender qualifies the file on the property and moves at deal speed. A bank underwrites you, to rigid guidelines, through layers of approval.

Cash-flow qualification

The property's rent carries the file — not your paystubs, and not a DTI calculation that punishes you for owning rentals.

No property-count ceiling

Banks and conventional lenders stop at ten financed properties. We don't count.

Iowa abstract fluency

The abstract-of-title process trips up out-of-state lenders constantly. It is routine for us.

When private lending makes sense: self-employed investors whose tax returns understate real cash flow, portfolio builders past the conventional cap, and buyers who want qualification tied to the property rather than their W-2. That is who this product exists for — across Iowa's metro areas.
Straight answers

Hard money questions, answered.

01

What is a hard money lender?

A hard money lender is a private, asset-based lender that funds real estate loans based primarily on the strength of the property and the deal rather than the borrower's personal income or credit profile alone. Hard money and private money lenders are typically faster and more flexible than banks because they underwrite the asset rather than the borrower's income.
02

Is EquityBoost a hard money lender?

Not in the usual sense. Like a hard money lender, EquityBoost qualifies the property rather than the borrower's personal income. Unlike one, EquityBoost does not write short-term bridge or fix-and-flip loans and does not lend at hard money rates. EquityBoost writes 30-year fixed rental-property loans to Iowa LLCs, priced well below hard money, on properties that are already habitable and leased or lease-ready.
03

How is private money lending different from a bank loan?

A bank underwrites to rigid, standardized guidelines, applies a debt-to-income test to the borrower, and routes files through multiple layers of approval. A private lender like EquityBoost qualifies the file on the property's cash flow and carries it from application to closing with one team, which usually means a more direct process and no cap on how many properties you already own.
04

Does a private lender require income verification?

For EquityBoost's investment-property loans, qualification is based on the rental property's cash flow rather than personal income, tax returns, or employment. That makes private, asset-based lending a strong fit for self-employed investors and those growing a rental portfolio.
05

Where in Iowa does EquityBoost lend?

EquityBoost lends in Iowa's metropolitan areas: Des Moines and the surrounding metro including West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale and Waukee, plus Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Davenport and the Quad Cities, Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Sioux City, Ames, Dubuque and Council Bluffs. EquityBoost does not currently lend on rural property or acreage.
06

Can you fund the rehab on a fix-up or BRRRR deal?

No — we do not fund renovation draws or construction. We are the takeout. Once the property is renovated, habitable and leased, we refinance it on the stabilized rent and pay off your rehab money, with cash out available after six months of ownership.
07

How do I get rates and terms?

Send the address, the rent, the value or purchase price, the loan amount you want, and a rough credit score. Our published credit box and current rate illustration are on the DSCR loans page.
Ready when you are

Have a deal in mind?

Tell us about the property. If a 30-year fixed rental loan is the right tool we will price it; if you need bridge money we will say so.