P2PGI will be increasing its allocation to asset-backed loans in its investment trust; the firm will primarily focus on secured real estate loans however it will also be increasing its allocation to invoice credit lending and other secured lending investments; the increased focus on secured loans follows a previous announcement on targeting UK originated loans. Source
AlphaFlow has announced the launch of AlphaFlow Managed Portfolios; created by Ray Sturm, co-founder of RealtyShares, AlphaFlow has been managing real estate investments that allow investors to invest in loans across multiple real estate crowdfunding platforms since its launch in 2015; the introduction of the AlphaFlow Managed Portfolios is an effort to better meet the needs and demands of the firm’s investors; the new platform will provide investors with a real estate portfolio of 75 to 100 real estate loans; the portfolio will be driven by AlphaFlow Advanced Analytics and targets returns of 8% to 10% with a 1% fee on assets under management. Source
The partnership will focus on Money360 providing pre-arranged financing options for eligible commercial properties listed for auction on the Ten-X platform; financing options on these properties will be transparently disclosed on the platform and Money360 will work with buyers to complete the underwriting, processing and closing of the loan; the partnership expands deal flow of commercial properties for Money360, which utilizes technology to enable commercial real estate loan transactions from $1 million to $20 million. Source
Lend Academy shares details about some of the emerging platforms in the real estate market; new platforms have been providing innovative services to help make real estate transactions easier and make homeownership more affordable; companies mentioned are offering lower down payments and some participate in purchasing equity of the home; new platforms are also significantly reducing the expected transaction time for buying and selling a home. Source
Marketplace lender, LendingHome, has reached a new milestone; firm has funded over $750 million in mortgage loans since its launch in April 2014; claims to be the largest mortgage marketplace lender; firm attributes the rapid growth to a broader range of investors, now including retail investors, and the secured status of the real estate loans; Matt Humphrey, LendingHome CEO, shares additional thoughts in the included Q&A. Source
Small Change is claiming to be the first real estate crowdfunding platform that's issuing investments under Reg. CF; the company focuses on investment projects with community enhancement benefits; Reg. CF (covered by the JOBS Act Title III) is one of several regulatory frameworks to facilitate private investments; Reg. CF is suited for smaller startups and investment offerings up to $1 million, without the full SEC filing requirements of Reg. A+; in the Crowdfund Insight interview, Small Change CEO, Eve Picker, suggests that they will use Reg. CF for smaller real estate investment projects and broader outreach to all levels of investors, while using Reg. D in parallel to reach accredited investors for larger deals. Source
Online mortgage lending has helped to revive the market for mortgage loan securitizations; new online mortgage lenders are providing a new wave of mortgage loan securitizations for the market specifically with fix and flips; these loans are attractive to investors because of the high yields and offer investors shorter duration investments because of the fix and flip focus; despite defaults and structuring inefficiencies created from the 2008 financial crisis, institutional investors are placing confidence in these investments; LendingHome has been leading the market with steady issuance of fix and flip loan securitizations and the products have been performing successfully for investors indicating the niche investments could begin to scale more broadly. Source
According to CB Insights, real estate tech received $2.6 billion in funding in 2016 across 277 deals; the category is broad including companies providing technology to brokers, investors, lenders, mortgage providers, property owners, managers and buyers; given current run-rates total volume for 2017 is expected to increase; notable financings include Homelink, PropTiger, Placester, Knock, OfferPad and Nested. Source
One of the most innovative banks in Europe is now partnering with Airbnb to allow residential mortgage customers to rent their properties; Metro Bank will allow customers to rent their homes for up to 90 days without any written approval; Paul Riseborough, chief commercial officer at Metro Bank explained, "Our focus is on making our customers' lives as straightforward and convenient as possible and we therefore hope today's news will give our customers the reassurance they need to jump in and take advantage of everything the dynamic sharing economy has to offer." Source