Where we finance

Hard Money Loans in Georgia

Apex Capital Advisors arranges hard money and other business-purpose financing for real estate investors in Georgia, from in-town Atlanta bungalows to the older neighborhoods of Augusta, Savannah, Columbus and Macon. We offer fix and flip, DSCR rental, bridge and new construction loans, with a term sheet within 12 to 24 hours.

Discuss your deal All 36 states and Washington, D.C.

Fix & Flip
DSCR Rental
Bridge
New Construction

The lay of the land

Investing in Georgia

Georgia holds several distinct real estate markets. Metro Atlanta is the economic center, built around Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delta, Coca-Cola, Home Depot, Georgia Tech and Emory. Its in-town neighborhoods hold craftsman bungalows, Victorian houses and postwar brick ranches, and the suburban counties around it are full of newer subdivisions where single-family rental investing is well established.

Augusta, Macon and Columbus sit along the fall line, where the Piedmont meets the coastal plain. Each has historic districts, old mill villages and postwar neighborhoods, and each sits near a military installation: Fort Gordon, Robins Air Force Base and Fort Benning. Those bases bring a steady flow of soldiers, families and civilian workers who rent. On the coast, the Port of Savannah, Gulfstream and the Hyundai Metaplant in Bryan County anchor jobs. North Georgia adds mountain cabins and lake houses that often operate as short-term rentals.

Investors here renovate older houses, hold rentals near the bases, hospitals and universities, and build in the suburbs. Heat, humidity and termites are constant concerns in older houses, and coastal property carries flood and wind exposure.

Loan programs

Loan Programs in Georgia

Four ways to finance an investment property in Georgia, each sized to the deal rather than a fixed product.

Short-term project capital

Fix and Flip Loans in Georgia

The typical Georgia flip is an older house that needs updating. In-town Atlanta has bungalows and Victorians where buyers expect an updated home. In Augusta, Macon and Columbus, deals are often postwar ranches or older frame houses that need a roof, wiring, plumbing or HVAC on top of new finishes. Check for termite damage and crawl space moisture before you set a budget, since Georgia's humid climate invites both.

Our hard money fix and flip loans fund up to 92.50% of total cost and up to 100% of the rehab budget, released in draws after outside inspections. First-time investors are welcome, and the minimum FICO is 650, with lower scores considered case by case.

Newbies are welcome
Up to 92.50% Loan to Cost (LTC)
Up to 100% of rehab budget

Fix and flip loan details

Long-term rental financing

DSCR Rental Loans in Georgia

Georgia rentals take several forms: single-family homes in the Atlanta suburbs, houses leased to military households near the bases, small multifamily buildings in older city neighborhoods, and cabins and coastal homes run as short-term rentals.

Our DSCR loans are qualified on the property's cash flow, with no personal-income verification. Loan amounts run from $100K to $3M+, with 30-year fixed and ARM options, ratios as low as 0.75x and cash-out refinances up to 80% LTV. Reaching the full 80% takes a stronger DSCR and credit score than the program minimums, so leverage on each file is set by its DSCR and credit. In Georgia, a 30-year note usually brings the state's intangible recording tax at closing, and a rental gets no homestead exemption, so price the payment on a full tax bill.

Qualified on the property's cash flow, not your personal income
No traditional employment or personal-income verification
Cash-out refinance LTV up to 80%

DSCR rental loan details

Interim financing

Bridge Loans in Georgia

In Georgia, a bridge loan covers the gap when one deal has to close before another pays out. An Atlanta investor may need to close on the next house before the last one sells. A buyer in Augusta, Macon or Columbus may pick up a vacant duplex or small apartment building that must be repaired and leased before a long-term lender will look at it. Older downtown buildings converted to lofts or mixed use need the same runway.

The bridge carries the property until a sale or a DSCR loan pays it off. Terms are set deal by deal, and experienced and first-time sponsors are both considered.

Structured for transactions that cannot wait
Property in transition, lease-up or repositioning
Terms set deal by deal rather than to a fixed product

Bridge loan details

Ground-up construction

New Construction Loans in Georgia

Georgia investors build spec homes in the outer counties of metro Atlanta, infill houses on teardown lots in older in-town neighborhoods, and new homes around Savannah and Augusta, where port, manufacturing and military jobs draw newcomers.

Our new construction loans fund up to 100% of the construction budget, assess the lot and the build together, and release money in stages against progress. Approved plans are needed before closing and permits before the first draw. Plan termite protection and clay-soil drainage, and on the coast check flood zone rules for foundations and insurance. Collect Georgia's statutory lien waivers with every draw.

Up to 100% of the construction budget
Land or lot cost and build budget assessed together
Capital released in stages against construction progress

New construction loan details

Program terms are general guidelines, not a quote or commitment. Every loan is subject to underwriting and approval and is for business purposes only.

Local markets

Where We Finance in Georgia

Apex offers loans statewide. These markets are a starting point, not a limit.

Atlanta

In-town Atlanta neighborhoods such as Kirkwood, Grant Park, West End and East Atlanta have craftsman bungalows and Victorian houses that are classic flip candidates, and the Atlanta BeltLine has pulled renovation and new building toward the neighborhoods along its trail. Southwest Atlanta and nearby DeKalb County have streets of postwar brick ranches, and suburbs in Gwinnett, Cobb, Henry and Clayton counties hold newer subdivisions where single-family rentals are common. Comparable sales shift block by block, so match the house's age and condition. Short-term rentals inside the city need a city license, so check Atlanta's limits before you buy.

Augusta

Augusta, consolidated with Richmond County, is anchored by Fort Gordon, home of Army Cyber Command, and by Augusta University and its Medical College of Georgia. Those employers keep a steady base of renters. Summerville on the hill, Harrisburg and the downtown districts have Victorian houses, mill village cottages and worn rentals that call for full renovations, while Evans, Martinez and Grovetown in Columbia County offer newer houses. Each April the Masters brings crowds to Augusta National, and some owners rent their homes for the week. Check local rules before counting on that rent.

Savannah

Savannah's historic district, laid out around its squares, and the Victorian District south of it hold brick townhouses, wood-frame houses and carriage houses on the lanes. Downtown, new construction and exterior changes go through historic design review, which adds a step to a rehab schedule, and a certified historic rehabilitation may qualify for Georgia's preferential property tax assessment. Midtown and the Southside suit long-term rentals, while Pooler, Richmond Hill and Effingham County add newer homes near the port and the Hyundai plant. Short-term vacation rentals need a city certificate, and coastal flood zones affect insurance.

Columbus

Columbus, consolidated with Muscogee County, sits on the Chattahoochee River across from Phenix City, Alabama. Fort Benning, home of the Army's infantry and armor training, lies just south of the city, and Aflac and Columbus State University are based here. Soldiers, military families and civilian workers keep rentals near the base and along the main corridors in demand. The historic district near downtown has older houses suited to full restorations, while Wynnton and the city's postwar ranch streets offer simpler rehabs that fit a buy, renovate, rent and refinance plan.

Macon

Macon-Bibb County is a consolidated government in central Georgia, home to Mercer University and a short drive from Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins. Intown Macon and neighborhoods such as Vineville and Ingleside have large older houses, some antebellum and Victorian, near blocks of smaller frame houses and postwar ranches. Vacant and run-down houses sit in some neighborhoods, which creates rehab opportunities but makes careful comparable sales essential. Downtown has seen older commercial buildings converted to lofts and mixed use, work that often fits a hard money bridge loan until the space is leased.

Before you buy

What Investors Should Know About Georgia

Foreclosure by power of sale

Georgia lenders usually take a security deed, also called a deed to secure debt, and can foreclose under its power of sale without a court case. The sale is advertised weekly in the county's legal organ beforehand and held at the courthouse on the first Tuesday of the month, after written notice to the borrower. Buyers get a set monthly auction calendar.

Closings are handled by attorneys

The Supreme Court of Georgia has held that only a licensed Georgia attorney may close a real estate transaction or oversee the signing of a deed, including a security deed. Witness-only closings run by notaries or signing agents are not allowed. Choose a closing attorney early and confirm they can meet your lender's closing date.

Intangible recording tax on long-term loans

Georgia charges an intangible recording tax when the security deed for a long-term note is recorded. The county collects it before recording, based on the note's face amount with a cap, and the lender can pass it on to the borrower. Long-term depends on how far out the principal comes due: a 30-year DSCR loan is taxed unless an exemption applies, while a hard money loan that matures before the cutoff is not.

Property tax and the homestead gap

Georgia taxes property on a set share of its fair market value, billed to whoever owns it at the start of the year. A statewide floating homestead exemption limits assessment increases on a resident's homestead unless the local government opted out. A rental or a flip gets no such protection, so do not underwrite on an owner-occupant seller's tax bill.

Rental rules after the Safe at Home Act

Under Georgia's Safe at Home Act, leases signed or renewed since it took effect include a promise that the home is fit for human habitation, and security deposits are capped. Before filing for possession over unpaid rent, a landlord must give a short written notice to pay or vacate, posted in a sealed envelope on the door. Separately, state law bars cities and counties from regulating private residential rents.

Contractor liens and lien waivers

An unpaid Georgia contractor, subcontractor or supplier can record a claim of lien within a limited window after finishing the work, then must sue within a set period to keep it. Lien waivers must substantially follow Georgia's statutory forms, with separate versions for interim and final payments. A recorded lien can hold up a sale or refinance, so collect signed waivers with every draw.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Laws and rates change; confirm the details with a licensed attorney or tax professional in Georgia.

Questions

Georgia Hard Money Loan FAQs

Not answered here? Call +1(551) 321-5995 or read the full FAQ.

Do you offer hard money loans to first-time flippers in Georgia?

Yes. First-time investors are welcome on our Georgia fix and flip loans, which fund up to 92.50% of total cost and up to 100% of the rehab budget. The minimum FICO score is 650, with lower scores considered case by case. Without a track record, bring a detailed scope of work, a realistic budget, recent comparable sales and a closing attorney who can meet your timeline.

Will I pay Georgia's intangible recording tax on my loan?

It depends on the term. The tax applies to long-term notes secured by Georgia real estate. A 30-year DSCR loan qualifies and is taxed on the loan amount unless an exemption applies. A short-term hard money loan that matures before the state's long-term cutoff is not. The lender can pass the tax on to you, so check your closing statement.

Does Georgia have rent control?

No. State law bars cities and counties from regulating the rent on privately owned single-family or multifamily rentals. Tenant rules still apply: leases under the Safe at Home Act carry a duty to keep the home fit to live in, security deposits are capped, and a landlord must give written notice to pay or vacate before filing over unpaid rent.

Can I get a DSCR loan on a short-term rental in Savannah or Atlanta?

Yes. Short-term and long-term rentals are both eligible for our DSCR loans. Income can be supported by AirDNA data, the property's operating history or appraiser-supported short-term rental comparables, depending on the program. Check city rules before you buy. Savannah requires a short-term vacation rental certificate before a unit operates, and Atlanta requires a short-term rental license.

How does a Georgia closing work, and how fast can it happen?

A term sheet comes within 12 to 24 hours of receiving the deal, and qualified deals with complete documents can fund in as fast as 15 days. A Georgia attorney runs the closing. The state's transfer tax and any intangible recording tax are collected before the deeds are recorded, so ask your attorney which party pays what under your contract.

Beyond the state line

Nearby States We Serve

Investing on both sides of the border? The same programs and the same team cover the states around Georgia.

All 36 states and Washington, D.C.

Next step

Financing a Property in Georgia?

Send us the property, the plan and the timeline. We will tell you what is realistic and what we need to issue a term sheet.

Discuss your deal +1(551) 321-5995