Investor’s Guide to Hard Money Lending

25 Houses in 18 Months—and self-managing all of them!

After buying his sixth rental house, Leigh Cumbie called his mentor and said, “I can’t do this anymore.” Less than two years later, he owned 25—and was adding properties at a pace of two a month.

In this episode, Leigh tells Alissa how he used hard money to scale with just a few thousand dollars at each closing, why he reinvests instead of taking profits, and how his rentals now average about $800 in monthly cash flow apiece.

He also shares the less polished side of the business: relentless repair calls, costly HVAC surprises, and the landlord work that helped tenants refer him to new renters.

https://corelendfinancial.com/

We are experienced local Memphis and Birmingham investors and the most experienced local Hard Money lenders. We care about your success and only fund loans we’d do ourselves.

📅 Have questions? Let’s talk! Schedule a free call: https://calendly.com/alissa-fowler

This week we welcome back Jim Johnson, now a licensed real estate agent with Crestcore Realty and Crestcore Property Management. Jim discusses the Memphis rental market, noting signs of improvement despite overall softness, with increased lease signings driven by personal marketing approaches.

He emphasizes that Memphis is now a buyer's market, encouraging investors to purchase properties needing rehab, particularly in suburban areas. Key advice includes thorough inspections, quality renovations in kitchens and bathrooms, and leveraging Corelend's financing to cover both purchase and rehab costs for strong cash flow returns.

https://corelendfinancial.com/

We are experienced local Memphis and Birmingham investors and the most experienced local Hard Money lenders. We care about your success and only fund loans we’d do ourselves.

📅 Have questions? Let’s talk! Schedule a free call: https://calendly.com/alissa-fowler

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This week Alissa sits down with interviews Richey Ward, Director of Corelend Financial. Richey shares his journey from wholesaling in Nashville to scaling a Memphis rental portfolio using hard money lending.

He explains how 100% financing enabled him to grow without tying up personal cash. The conversation covers current market shifts toward buy-and-hold rental strategies, the speed advantages of hard money over conventional loans, common investor pitfalls like underestimating rehab costs, and the importance of market knowledge.

Richie emphasizes doing the math backward and building a strong team to succeed.

https://corelendfinancial.com/

We are experienced local Memphis and Birmingham investors and the most experienced local Hard Money lenders. We care about your success and only fund loans we’d do ourselves.

📅 Have questions? Let’s talk! Schedule a free call: https://calendly.com/alissa-fowler

This week Alissa speaks with Ryan Guess from Northpointe Bank about non-qualified mortgage (non-QM) lending, particularly Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DCSR) loans. They discuss how investors use bridge loans with DSCR refinancing as an exit strategy, challenges like rental income coverage ratios, credit scores, and realistic appraisals.

Ryan highlights ideal property value ranges for cash flow, prepayment penalty considerations, and the importance of maintaining financial reserves. The conversation also touches on portfolio scaling strategies and the evolving appraisal landscape for real estate investors.

https://corelendfinancial.com/

We are experienced local Memphis and Birmingham investors and the most experienced local Hard Money lenders. We care about your success and only fund loans we’d do ourselves.

📅 Have questions? Let’s talk! Schedule a free call: https://calendly.com/alissa-fowler

This week Alissa welcomes back Mario Jaramillo from Red Rock Construction. Mario shares his buy-and-hold strategy, securing properties well below asking price and refinancing quickly to scale his portfolio.

https://corelendfinancial.com/

We are experienced local Memphis and Birmingham investors and the most experienced local Hard Money lenders. We care about your success and only fund loans we’d do ourselves.

📅 Have questions? Let’s talk! Schedule a free call: https://calendly.com/alissa-fowler

This week Alissa sits down with real estate investors Jay and Arielle, who share their strategy of investing in West Memphis, Arkansas—a less competitive market with significantly lower property prices than Memphis.

They discuss leveraging hard money loans to scale quickly using a BRRRR approach, navigating refinancing challenges, and building market comps through renovations.

While still working as engineers, they emphasize patience, sticking to investment criteria, hiring property management, and taking calculated risks early.

https://corelendfinancial.com/

We are experienced local Memphis and Birmingham investors and the most experienced local Hard Money lenders. We care about your success and only fund loans we’d do ourselves.

📅 Have questions? Let’s talk! Schedule a free call: https://calendly.com/alissa-fowler

This week Alissa Fowler speaks with Kelbert Fagan, Program Manager for Convergence Memphis. Kelbert explains how Convergence Memphis works to increase homeownership among low-to-moderate income and minority communities through education and affordable housing development.

The conversation highlights the collaborative role of hard money lenders, developers, realtors, and nonprofits in revitalizing Memphis neighborhoods. Key topics include land development, down payment assistance, duplex construction, and homebuyer education.

https://corelendfinancial.com/

We are experienced local Memphis and Birmingham investors and the most experienced local Hard Money lenders. We care about your success and only fund loans we’d do ourselves.

📅 Have questions? Let’s talk! Schedule a free call: https://calendly.com/alissa-fowler

Atlanta-based real estate investor Andre Stephens is here to share insights about his value-add multifamily investment strategy in Memphis's emerging markets.

Andre explains how hard money lending enables him to move quickly on distressed properties that traditional banks won't finance. He shares insights on tenant management, renovation strategies, contractor oversight, and the importance of maintaining cash flow during rehab.

He emphasizes the critical role of local knowledge, strong team-building, and realistic budgeting, while highlighting the current market softness as a prime buying opportunity for disciplined investors.

We are experienced local Memphis and Birmingham investors and the most experienced local Hard Money lenders. We care about your success and only fund loans we’d do ourselves.

📅 Have questions? Let’s talk! Schedule a free call: https://calendly.com/alissa-fowler

Memphis investor Clarence Terry shares his decade-long journey, from struggling with analysis paralysis and wholesaling to building a successful rental portfolio.

This week we travel down to Alabama to meet Birmingham-based real estate investors Austin and Jess Willingham. The couple shares their journey from wholesaling to building a rental portfolio using the BRRR strategy. They discuss Birmingham market conditions, renovation standards, appraisal challenges, and refinancing timelines.

Austin and Jess emphasize the importance of quality finishes, multiple exit

📅 Have questions? Let’s talk! Schedule a free call: calendly.com/alissa-fowler