Multifamily bridge loans in Illinois

What Illinois means for a bridge lender

Illinois is a judicial foreclosure state, and contested cases, especially in Cook County, can take a long time. Lenders that lend off the asset factor that into leverage, and Chicago has its own landlord-tenant ordinance that affects multifamily operations.

Foreclosure runs through the courts, which usually takes longer and costs more than a power-of-sale process. Lenders that size loans on the property, not the borrower, price that time in: some reduce leverage, some ask for larger interest reserves, and some only lend in judicial states on stronger assets.

Multifamily specifics

Check local rent regulation, registration and inspection rules before you underwrite rent growth; some cities have rent stabilization, just-cause eviction or rental licensing ordinances that change both value and the business plan.

How multifamily bridge loans are sized

Many asset-based bridge lenders cap multifamily leverage around 65–75% of as-is value. When there is a renovation budget, lenders often size to loan-to-cost and fund rehab draws from a holdback, with the total loan also limited by a percentage of the after-repair or stabilized value. Leverage tends to drop when physical occupancy is low, collections are weak, the property has significant down units, or the asset is in a tertiary market. Lenders that don't pull credit or verify income usually offset that with lower leverage.

What lenders will ask for

• Current certified rent roll
• Trailing 12-month operating statement (T-12) and prior-year financials
• Bank statements or deposit history supporting collections
• Purchase contract or current loan payoff statement
• Renovation budget and scope by unit and common area
• Current insurance declarations and loss runs

Full list and timeline on the multifamily bridge loans page.