A straight answer
Can I get a hard money loan in Utah?
The direct answer
Yes. I arrange Utah hard money loans through West Capital Lending by placing them with private investors I work with. Whether one fits depends on the property, the plan and the investor's requirements. I'm Zach von der Linden (NMLS 1652805), a mortgage broker with West Capital Lending, based in San Clemente.
I am a mortgage broker, not the lender: I put the financing together with private investors I work with. I am licensed in Utah, and these loans are arranged under that license. This page is about business-purpose loans on investment property: a purchase or renovation, a bridge on an investment deal, a loan that is coming due, land, or a stalled project. Property in rough shape? Condition usually matters less than equity. The usual caveat is a loan-to-value that supports the loan. A loan on a home you live in, or for personal, family or household purposes, gets a separate review. Text or call me with the property address or city, what you want to do and when you need to close. I have been licensed in Utah for ten years, and I work with homeowners in California, Utah, Oregon and Arizona.
Zach von der Linden, mortgage broker and Branch Manager, West Capital Lending · NMLS 1652805
Wholesale pricing · California, Utah, Oregon and Arizona
5.0 across 66 reviews on Experience.com (read on 2026-09-24) · Text reaches Zach directly · Last updated 2026-10-16
Have a Utah property, a deadline or a financing problem? Tell me what is holding up the deal: text me the address or city, what you want to do and when you need to close.
No credit pull happens from a text or a call. Texts and calls go to Zach's cell.
What happens after you text me?
Texts go straight to my cell, and I answer them myself when I'm free. I'll ask for the few details that actually matter, tell you whether the structure looks worth pursuing, and explain the next step. If I don't think the loan fits, I'll tell you that too.
A text or phone conversation does not pull your credit.
Tough situations I can help with
Tell me what is holding up the deal. These are the situations that bring people to private money. I review each file, and approval depends on the property, the plan and the investor's requirements. None of them is an approval, and none is a no.
The deal is on a clock
- The bank said no
- A bank decision is one reading of your income and credit. A private investor reads the property first: its value and condition, your equity or cash in the deal, and how the loan gets paid off. I still ask for the written reason the bank gave, because it tells me whether the problem travels with you or stays with that program. How to read a decline notice.
- Your lender backed out before closing because of the property
- The appraisal came back with repair comments, or the program would not take the house as it stands, and the seller will not let you fix anything before you own it. A private investor can review the property in its current condition together with the work you plan, your equity in the deal and the exit. If you will live in the house, that is a consumer loan with a separate review, and the fixer-upper answer covers the mortgage version. Text me the address, the closing date and what the lender flagged. Can I buy a fixer-upper and pay for the renovation with one loan?
- You need to close fast
- The review looks at the closing date, whether the property is under contract, the title status, access for a valuation and what is already in hand. I tell you which of those has to be settled before anyone can say the date is realistic. No closing day is promised on this page or in a text. Text me the contract date and what you already have.
- An auction or foreclosure purchase
- Auction and trustee sales carry their own deposit and payment deadlines, and the property often cannot be entered before the sale. The review looks at those deadlines, access, occupancy, title and any contingencies you keep. The time to talk is before you bid, and eligibility is decided for the particular property and sale terms. Text me the auction notice, the address and the payment deadline.
- A hard money, bridge or balloon loan that is coming due
- The review looks at the maturity date, the payoff amount, the property's current condition, any listing history, the rent it brings in and the exit you have in mind. A seller-financed note with a balloon gets the same review. If a rental loan is the exit, I check that program's requirements first. No extension or replacement loan is promised; the earlier you start, the more routes stay open. Text me the property, the maturity date and what is holding up the payoff. Can I buy a rental where the rent qualifies instead of my tax returns?
The property is the problem
- The property is in rough shape
- Condition usually matters less than equity. The usual caveat is a loan-to-value that supports the loan. Deferred maintenance, fire or water damage, a failed inspection, a vacant house the bank passed on, or contamination that needs remediation can all be reviewed, usually as long as there is enough equity in the property. The review still looks at the plan for the work, the bids and how the loan gets paid off. Text me the address, the condition and what you plan to do with it; photos help early.
- A flip that needs the purchase money and the repair money together
- The review looks at the contract, the repair scope and bids, your experience with this kind of project, your cash in the deal, the resale support and the schedule. Every other lender or partner in the deal is disclosed and lien priority is settled before closing. If you plan to keep the property as a rental after the work, I check the rental loan that would pay this one off before you rely on it. Text me the address, the purchase terms, the repair budget and the closing date.
- A stalled flip or construction project
- A loan that is expiring with the house unfinished, a budget that grew mid-project, or a build you want to take over from a builder who stopped: the review looks at the work already done, any unpaid contractors and lien notices, permits, the remaining budget, the schedule to finish and the plan for paying the new loan off. A partly finished project is valued differently from a finished one, so photos and the budget to finish matter early. Can I get a loan to buy land or build a house?
- Land, a lot or a spec build
- A lot under contract where the land loan and the construction loan do not line up, a spec home you plan to sell when it is finished, or rural land you want to hold before you build. The review looks at legal access, water, zoning, utilities, what you intend to do with the parcel, how long you expect to hold it and how the loan gets paid off. A parcel for sale is not automatically a parcel you can build on, and financing the land does not include the site work unless the plan says so. Land and construction loans.
- Zoning, unit count or a lot you want to split off
- A rental with commercial zoning, units the city has not recognized, or a duplex with land you hope to split are valued on what is legal and approved today, not on what the plan hopes for. The review asks for the zoning confirmation, the legal unit count, what the city has said in writing and what the deal looks like if the approval never comes.
- A condo project a lender will not finance
- Nightly-rental operations, a hotel-style management agreement or project restrictions can put a Park City or resort condo outside a regular mortgage. The review looks at the project documents, the association questionnaire, the permitted use and your own planned use. Sometimes a specialty mortgage already fits, and I say so. Why won't my condo qualify for financing?
The money is in the wrong place
- Buying before your current property sells
- The first question is occupancy. If the next property is an investment, the review looks at both properties, their liens, the equity in the one you are selling and the sale timing. If you will live in the next home, that is a consumer situation and it gets a separate review; the bridge answer covers the homeowner version. Can I get a bridge loan to buy before I sell?
- Your cash is tied up in Utah rentals and the next deal is ready
- The first tool to rule in or out is an ordinary equity loan on a rental, and the rental HELOC answer covers it. When that does not fit the timing or the property, a private loan secured by the property, or by additional collateral, is reviewed against what you own, what you owe and the deal you are funding. The more defined the next purchase is, the clearer the review. Text me what you own, what you owe and the deal you want to fund. Can I get a HELOC on a rental property?
- You bought a rental below market and the refinance will not return your cash yet
- Rental loan programs set their own rules on how long you must have owned the property and on cash out, so the acquisition financing has to be built around that program's timetable, not around the value you expect. I check the refinance program's requirements before you rely on it, and I ask what the sale alternative looks like if the proceeds fall short. Investment property loans qualified on the rent.
- Credit or income issues
- A recent late payment, a thin credit history, write-offs that shrank the income on paper, or a bankruptcy that is discharged or still open. An asset-based review weighs the property and the plan more heavily than a credit score or a tax return, but the investor still reviews you. If a bankruptcy case is still open, your attorney is part of the conversation before anything else. I ask what is in your file, what you can document and what you have in the deal, and I never describe a loan as one with no documentation. Hard to qualify? Start with the calculation, not the verdict.
Ownership is changing hands
- A partner buyout
- Your partner wants out and you want to keep the rentals. The review looks at the entity documents and operating agreement, who stays on title and signs, how the buyout price is supported, the property's value and liens, and the exit. An investment property held in an LLC or partnership is usually a business-purpose file, which is the kind this page is about. Text me the property, the agreed buyout and when your partner needs to be paid.
- An estate or probate property
- Siblings inherited a house and one of you wants to keep it as a rental, or the estate's house needs work before it can sell. The review starts with who has authority to sign. The Utah Courts say probate is required when an estate includes real property of any value, so the court papers that name the personal representative come before anything else. Then title, the liens on the property, the plan for it and how the loan gets paid off. Buying out siblings on an inherited house and what happens to a home equity line when the owner dies cover the homeowner side.
- Divorce
- The review looks at the decree or stipulation, who keeps the property, whether it is a residence or a rental, the liens on it and how a buyout would be paid off. A buyout of the home one of you lives in is a consumer situation and gets a separate review under different rules; the divorce buyout page covers that version. Divorce home buyout.
A home you live in
- Behind on the mortgage, a basement apartment, a contractor who walked off, or a bridge to your next home
- These are consumer situations, and they get a separate review under different rules from the business-purpose loans on this page. I do not advertise an owner-occupied hard money product. Start with the page that fits: a late mortgage payment, paying for a remodel or buying your next home before you sell this one. If none of them fits, text me anyway and I will tell you what does.
Something else? Text me the situation anyway. If private money is not the right tool, I will say so and point you at the loan that is.
Who is actually lending, and what is my role?
The money comes from private investors. I am the broker: I review your situation, place the loan with the investors I work with, and walk you through the terms before you sign. I arrange these loans through West Capital Lending, the brokerage that sponsors my license, and my compensation runs through it. The loan funds come from the investors, not from West Capital Lending. I do not name the investors on this page or in a text, I do not quote a count of Utah loans, and this page makes no other statement about them.
Utah regulates this work, and I am licensed in Utah. Utah law says a mortgage loan originator shall conduct the business of residential mortgage loans only through the entity that sponsors the license and in that entity's authorized business name, and the same section says it does not restrict the number of different lenders a person may use as a funding source (Utah Code 61-2c-209). That is the arrangement here: West Capital Lending sponsors me, and the private investors are the funding source.
Nothing on this page is an offer. The terms of any loan come from the investor, in writing, for the particular property.
What do I need to look at first?
- The property: address, type, condition, and whether it is occupied. A property in rough shape can work; condition usually matters less than equity, and the usual caveat is a loan-to-value that supports the loan.
- The numbers you have: purchase price or payoff, repair budget, and what you are putting in or already have in equity.
- Existing liens and who is on title.
- Timing: the contract or maturity date, and anything that has to happen before closing.
- Your experience with this kind of project, where it matters to the investor.
- The exit: how the loan gets paid off, and when.
You do not need a polished package to start. Three things in a text are enough: the property, what you want to do and the deadline. The rest comes in conversation, and documents go through the secure process I give you, not by ordinary text.
How will the loan be paid off?
A hard money loan is short-term money, so the exit is part of the review from the first conversation. The two usual exits are a sale and a refinance.
If the exit is a refinance into a rental loan, I check that program's requirements before you rely on it: the property condition it accepts, the rent it needs to see, how long you must have owned the property, and how it treats cash out. The investment property page explains how a rent-qualified loan works. If the exit is a sale, the review looks at the resale support and the market time you are assuming.
I do not treat a hoped-for extension or future appreciation as a repayment plan.
Is this for a home I will live in?
Tell me early, because it changes the review. Federal Regulation Z exempts an extension of credit primarily for a business, commercial or agricultural purpose from the rules that govern consumer credit (12 CFR 1026.3(a)). A loan on an investment property you will not live in is usually that kind of business-purpose credit. A loan on the home you live in, or one whose proceeds are for personal, family or household purposes, is consumer credit, with its own disclosures and its own underwriting rules.
Business purpose does not take a loan outside Utah's mortgage licensing. Utah's licensing act defines a residential mortgage loan by its collateral, a dwelling of one to four units in the state, not by the purpose of the loan (Utah Code 61-2c-102). The Utah Division of Real Estate's newsletter guidance says business-purpose loans secured by one-to-four-unit residential property fall under the Division's jurisdiction regardless of the intended use of the property (Division of Real Estate newsletter, 2nd Quarter 2025). The Utah Department of Financial Institutions regulates a separate set of mortgage activity under its own statute and says that statute does not apply to commercial or business purpose mortgage activities (Utah DFI, Mortgage Lending). I keep to the rules that apply to the particular loan rather than treating investment use as an exemption from all of them, and I arrange these loans under my Utah mortgage license, through West Capital Lending.
This page describes business-purpose loans on investment property. If you want to buy your next home before your current one sells, or borrow against the home you live in, I review that separately, and the bridge loan answer and the buy-before-you-sell page are the places to start. I do not advertise an owner-occupied hard money product.
Hard money, a rental loan, or a regular mortgage?
It depends on the property, the purpose and the timing. A property that needs work, a deadline a bank cannot meet, or an exit measured in months rather than decades points to private money. A rental that is already in good condition and already rents is often a rental loan qualified on the property's income, which is a longer-term mortgage with a different review. A home you will live in is a regular mortgage, and my hard-to-qualify pages cover the income and credit questions that come with it.
I lay the options side by side and say which one fits. Investment property loans qualified on the rent, the hard-to-qualify hub and construction and land loans are the pages that go deeper.
Where in Utah?
Anywhere in the state. The questions change a little by area.
Along the Wasatch Front, from Ogden through Salt Lake City to Provo and Lehi, most conversations are a purchase and renovation, a rental acquisition or a build. I ask which city has jurisdiction over the property and what it has actually approved, because permits and inspections run through the city.
In Park City and the Wasatch Back, condo and nightly-rental questions come up. Whether a unit may be rented nightly is a question for the city and the association, and the review checks the permitted use before any rental income is counted.
In St. George and the surrounding communities, the same distinction applies. A nearby address is not automatically inside St. George city limits, so I confirm the jurisdiction before assuming its rules apply.
Elsewhere, including rural parcels and recreation property, access, water and utilities tend to lead the review.
Based in San Clemente, licensed in Utah for ten years
I am based in San Clemente, California, and I have been licensed in Utah for ten years. I arrange Utah hard money through West Capital Lending, the brokerage that sponsors me, by placing the loans with private investors I work with. Utah is a big part of my work and a big part of my life: I visit often, and many of my friends live there. When you text me about a Utah property, you are talking with me, not a call center.
Tell me what is holding up the deal: the property, what you are trying to accomplish and what has been getting in the way. For Utah hard money I review the situation with the private investors I work with and tell you what would have to be true to move forward. If another kind of financing looks like a better fit, I will say that too.
Questions people ask next
How fast can a Utah hard money loan close?
It depends on the property and what is already in hand. The review looks at the contract or maturity date, title, access for a valuation and the documents you can produce, and I tell you which of those has to be settled before a date is realistic. I do not promise a closing day.
Do I need an LLC to get a hard money loan in Utah?
Not necessarily. Whether the borrower is you or an entity depends on the investor and the transaction, and an entity brings its own documents, signers and guarantees to the review. I do not tell everyone to form a Utah LLC; I ask how you hold or plan to hold the property and go from there.
Will you need my tax returns?
The documentation depends on the investor, the purpose, the property and you. An asset-based review leans on the property and the plan, and some investors ask for less income documentation than a bank would, but I never describe a loan as one with no documentation. Tell me what you can and cannot produce, and I will tell you what the review needs.
Does the condition of the property matter?
Less than you might expect. Condition usually matters less than equity. The usual caveat is a loan-to-value that supports the loan. A property that needs work, has failed an inspection or has sat vacant can be reviewed, usually as long as there is enough equity in it, and the review still looks at the plan for the work and how the loan gets paid off. No condition is an automatic yes or an automatic no; it depends on the particular property, the plan and the investor's requirements.
Who is the lender, and are you licensed in Utah?
The lender is a private investor I work with; I am the broker, not the lender. I am licensed in Utah. I arrange these loans through West Capital Lending, the brokerage that sponsors me, by placing them with private investors. The loan funds come from the investors, not from West Capital Lending. I do not name the investors, and this page makes no statement about them beyond that.
Can I get a hard money loan on the house I live in?
That is a consumer loan, not the business-purpose financing this page describes, and it gets a separate review under the rules for owner-occupied credit. I do not advertise an owner-occupied hard money product. Tell me what you are trying to do; a bridge loan, a home equity line or a refinance may be the right tool, and the pages on buying before you sell cover the homeowner version.
What does a Utah hard money loan cost?
No rate, points, fee or payment appears on this page. The costs of a particular loan come from the investor in writing, and they cover the investor's charges, my compensation as the broker (paid through West Capital Lending), the valuation, title and escrow, document preparation and recording. I walk you through the written terms line by line before you sign.
Is a first flip or a first rental purchase a problem?
It is part of the review, not a no. The investor weighs your experience alongside the property, the budget, your cash in the deal and the exit, and some investors treat a first project differently from a tenth. I ask about it early so the right investor sees the file.
Can I pay a hard money loan off early?
Often, and the note decides it. Whether there is a minimum interest period, a prepayment charge or a payoff fee varies by investor, so I put that question into the upfront review rather than assuming early payoff is free.
What clients say
Zach was so easy to work with. He made a stressful situation into a very positive experience for us and did push us one way or another. He listened to what we hoped we could accomplish and made it happen.
Word for word from Experience.com. Read all reviews.
Sources and checked dates
Sources: Zach von der Linden, statement to this site (2026-10-16) (checked 2026-10-16) · Zach von der Linden, statement to this site (checked 2026-09-25) · Utah Code 61-2c-209, Sponsorship -- Affiliation (checked 2026-10-16) · Utah Code 61-2c-102, 61-2c-105 and 61-2c-201, Utah Residential Mortgage Practices and Licensing Act (checked 2026-10-16) · Utah Division of Real Estate, Newsletter, 2nd Quarter 2025, "Business Purpose Loans (1-4 Family Units)" (checked 2026-10-16) · Utah Department of Financial Institutions, Mortgage Lending (checked 2026-10-16) · 12 CFR 1026.3(a), Regulation Z, exempt transactions (CFPB) (checked 2026-10-16) · Utah State Courts, Informal Probate (checked 2026-09-28).
Show each claim on this page, what it depends on, and the date it was checked (14)
| What we say, and what it depends on | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| For Utah hard money, Zach arranges the loan by placing it with a group of private investors he works with. The investors provide the loan funds; Zach is the mortgage broker, working under West Capital Lending, Inc., and the loan is not West Capital Lending lending its own money. No investor is named, and no count or volume of Utah loans is stated. | Zach von der Linden, statement to this site (2026-10-16) | 2026-10-16 |
| Zach arranges Utah hard money loans through West Capital Lending by placing them with private investors he works with. The private-investor placements and his compensation run through West Capital Lending as his sponsoring brokerage. The loan funds come from the investors; West Capital Lending is the brokerage, not the source of the funds. | Zach von der Linden, statement to this site (2026-10-16) | 2026-10-16 |
| Zach arranges his Utah hard money loans under his Utah mortgage license, the one his NMLS record shows, sponsored by West Capital Lending. The page says "licensed in Utah" and names no separate license, license type or number for this work. | Zach von der Linden, statement to this site (2026-10-16) | 2026-10-16 |
| Each investor's licensing basis is the investors' own matter. The page makes no claim about the investors: no licensing, no exemption, no count and no names. It says only that the loan funds come from private investors Zach works with. | Zach von der Linden, statement to this site (2026-10-16) | 2026-10-16 |
| The hard money loans Zach arranges can work with a property in almost any condition, usually as long as there is enough equity, meaning a loan-to-value that supports the loan. The page states this without a loan-to-value number and without a guarantee. | Zach von der Linden, statement to this site (2026-10-16) | 2026-10-16 |
| Zach has been licensed in Utah for ten years. | Zach von der Linden, statement to this site (2026-10-16) | 2026-10-16 |
| Zach is based in San Clemente, California, visits Utah often and has many friends there. | Zach von der Linden, statement to this site (2026-10-16) | 2026-10-16 |
| Zach places short-term, asset-based (hard money) real estate loans through lending partners. | Zach von der Linden, statement to this site | 2026-09-25 |
| Utah Code 61-2c-209 (Sponsorship -- Affiliation), (4)(a): "A mortgage loan originator shall conduct the business of residential mortgage loans only: (i) through the entity by which the individual is sponsored; and (ii) in the business name under which the sponsoring entity's principal lending manager is authorized by the division to do business." (4)(b)(iv): a mortgage loan originator may not "receive consideration for transacting the business of residential mortgage loans from any person except the principal lending manager of the mortgage loan originator's sponsoring entity." (4)(c): "This Subsection (4) does not restrict the number of: (i) different lenders a person may use as a funding source for a residential mortgage loan". (1)(a): the division may not license, and a licensee may not conduct the business of residential mortgage loans unless, for a mortgage loan originator, the individual "is sponsored by an entity licensed under this chapter" and "is affiliated with the sponsoring entity's principal lending manager". | Utah Code 61-2c-209, Sponsorship -- Affiliation | 2026-10-16 |
| Utah Code 61-2c-102 (Definitions), (1)(oo): "Residential mortgage loan" means an extension of credit, if "the loan or extension of credit is secured by a: (A) mortgage; (B) deed of trust; or (C) consensual security interest" that "is on a dwelling located in the state" and "is created with the consent of the owner of the residential real property." (1)(v): "Dwelling" means "a residential structure attached to real property that contains one to four family units including any of the following if used as a residence", and the list that follows names a condominium unit, a cooperative unit, a house and one further structure type (its two words are left out here under the site's wording rule; see the statute). The definition is keyed to the collateral; the words "business purpose" and "personal, family, or household" do not appear in the section. Utah Code 61-2c-105 (Scope of chapter -- Exemptions), (1)(a): "Except as to an individual who will engage in an activity as a mortgage loan originator, this chapter applies to a closed-end residential mortgage loan secured by a first lien or equivalent security interest on a dwelling." (1)(b): "This chapter does not apply to a transaction covered by Title 70C, Utah Consumer Credit Code." Utah Code 61-2c-201(1)(a): "a person may not transact the business of residential mortgage loans without first obtaining a license under this chapter", with (1)(b) excepting a person exempt under 61-2c-105 or holding temporary authority. | Utah Code 61-2c-102, 61-2c-105 and 61-2c-201, Utah Residential Mortgage Practices and Licensing Act | 2026-10-16 |
| The Utah Division of Real Estate's newsletter for the 2nd Quarter of 2025, in a staff-written article titled "Business Purpose Loans (1-4 Family Units): A Comprehensive Overview", says: "BPLs secured by 1-4 family unit residential properties fall directly under the jurisdiction and regulatory authority of the Utah Division of Real Estate (DRE). This regulatory oversight applies regardless of the intended use of the property, whether for occupancy, a second home, or purely for investment purposes. Any individual or entity engaged in originating these investment loans must obtain a mortgage license from the DRE before engaging in such activities." It also says: "The Utah DRE primarily regulates residential first position closed-ended loans." | Utah Division of Real Estate, Newsletter, 2nd Quarter 2025, "Business Purpose Loans (1-4 Family Units)" | 2026-10-16 |
| The Utah Department of Financial Institutions' mortgage lending page says: "Utah's mortgage regulation structure is complex because two different agencies regulate different activities. Brokering and retail origination of closed-end residential first mortgages are activities primarily regulated by the Utah Division of Real Estate (DRE)." It says the Department's authority comes from "the Financial Institution Mortgage Financing Regulation Act, Title 70D of the Utah Code Annotated", that "Title 70D does not apply to commercial or business purpose mortgage activities", and that "If you are a Mortgage Lender subject to Title 70D, you may also be subject to licensing by the DRE." Utah Code 70D-1-102(6)(a) defines a "Mortgage loan" for that title as a loan "(i) secured by a mortgage; and (ii) made for personal, family, or household purposes." | Utah Department of Financial Institutions, Mortgage Lending | 2026-10-16 |
| Regulation Z, 12 CFR 1026.3 (Exempt transactions), as published on the CFPB's regulations site: "The following transactions are not subject to this part or, if the exemption is limited to specified provisions of this part, are not subject to those provisions: (a) Business, commercial, agricultural, or organizational credit. (1) An extension of credit primarily for a business, commercial or agricultural purpose. (2) An extension of credit to other than a natural person, including credit to government agencies or instrumentalities." | 12 CFR 1026.3(a), Regulation Z, exempt transactions (CFPB) | 2026-10-16 |
| The Utah Courts say probate is required if “the estate includes real property (land, house, condominium, mineral rights) of any value.” | Utah State Courts, Informal Probate | 2026-09-28 |
Written for and accountable to: Zach von der Linden, Mortgage broker and Branch Manager, West Capital Lending.
Last updated 2026-10-16.
Verify him: NMLS Consumer Access, ID 1652805 · 66 reviews on Experience.com.
Sources for product claims are listed on this page, with the date each was checked.