A useful deal summary lets a lender understand what you are buying, what will change, where the money comes from and how it gets repaid. You do not need to sound like an experienced developer. Label estimates, disclose gaps and keep the same assumptions across every version of the file.
Start with a one-page scenario
Use the following outline in your own notes. Unknown items can be marked “to confirm.” For a first conversation, a concise summary is more useful than an unsorted document bundle.
| Item | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Property and use | State, property type, legal units, current condition and whether anyone related to you will occupy it |
| Control and timing | Owned, under contract or still searching; purchase price or existing payoff; target close and any contract deadlines |
| Plan | Sell, hold for rent, renovate, build or refinance; current stage and realistic completion timeline |
| Budget | Acquisition, work, soft costs, transaction costs, holding costs, contingency and reserves, listed separately |
| Value and income | Current and projected value with support; existing or expected rent with its source; taxes, insurance and other expenses |
| Requested financing | Initial acquisition/payoff advance, future rehab funding and any other requested use of proceeds |
| Borrower and team | Actual experience, proposed ownership, contractor or manager, available cash and any partners |
| Exit and alternative | Sale or refinance assumptions, maturity fit and the plan if timing or proceeds disappoint |
Stage the documents instead of sending everything at once
For the initial discussion
Bring the summary, an itemized budget if work is planned, and the main question you want answered. Avoid guessing private figures just to complete a box. If there is no active property, describe the strategy and location you are considering.
When the lender requests a file
- Purchase agreement or current loan and payoff information.
- Property records, leases, rent roll and operating information appropriate to the deal.
- Contractor scope, bids, schedule, experience and insurance where applicable.
- Borrower/entity documents and verified funds as requested.
- Evidence supporting the proposed value or income, clearly separated from independent valuation.
Use the agreed secure document channel for identity documents, bank statements, tax records and other private material. Public inquiry forms are for a general scenario, not account numbers or confidential files. Get permission before sharing another person’s information.
Compare written terms on the same assumptions
Create one comparison sheet for the same project budget and expected holding period. A higher loan amount can still leave less usable cash if it includes fees, reserves or a larger holdback.
- At closing: total commitment, initial advance, payoff deductions, financed costs and cash you must bring.
- During the project: payment calculation, funding milestones, inspection costs, retainage and required liquidity.
- At exit: maturity, balloon balance, prepayment cost, extension conditions and repayment requirements.
- Before funding: appraisal, credit, title, insurance, borrower, entity, contractor and other remaining conditions.
- Responsibility: guarantors, collateral, covenants and who services the loan and draw requests.
A preliminary quote, term sheet and final credit approval are different stages. Ask what is binding, what can change, when any fee becomes nonrefundable and what must be completed before money is available. Have counsel review documents where appropriate.
What deal placement and structuring mean at Stonehaven
Structuring means working through the financing arrangement: who borrows, what the loan funds, how much cash is needed, when advances occur and how repayment is expected to happen. It does not mean finding a way to omit facts a lender needs.
Placement means matching that scenario with potential lender criteria and presenting the information for review. We can help clarify feedback, compare proposals and organize follow-up requirements. We cannot commit a lender to approval or guarantee that a future refinance will be available.
If feedback is “not yet,” ask which fact prevents the current request from working. A missing scope, insufficient draw cash and an unsupported rent assumption call for different next steps. An honest constraint can be useful information before you commit more money to a project.
Before you sign or close
- Reconcile the latest budget, loan structure and cash sources. Remove old numbers from the working file.
- Confirm the property’s intended use, legal unit count and required approvals with the appropriate professionals.
- Align the contractor’s payments with the financing process and your available liquidity.
- Read the final payment, maturity, guarantee and prepayment terms rather than relying on the first quote.
- Know what you will do if the sale, rent or refinance differs from the base case.
These guides are a starting point for better questions. They do not replace the lender’s requirements, a property inspection or legal and tax advice for your circumstances.
Have a rough scenario? Start there.
Tell us what you know and what you still need to work out. We can help organize the financing conversation and identify what a lender will need next.
Tell us this is your first investment. We follow up by text or email. Keep account numbers and private documents out of public forms.
Sources and scope
Sources support the concepts identified in the guide. One lender’s criteria are not universal and do not establish terms available through Stonehaven. Examples are hypothetical, not closed transactions or offers.