What we do
Hard Money Chicago maintains an independent directory of hard money and private money lenders that serve the Chicago metropolitan area, plus deep per-neighborhood and per-suburb investor market data covering all 77 Chicago community areas and 50+ Chicagoland suburbs.
What we don't do
We are not a lender, broker, or financial advisor. We don't originate loans, hold escrow, or take fiduciary responsibility for any transaction. Specific loan terms, eligibility, and pricing are determined by individual lenders.
How we make money
We receive referral fees from lender partners when investors connect through our directory and complete loans. This does not affect our editorial content — lender rankings on each neighborhood and product page reflect documented activity in that submarket, not pay-to-play placement.
Editorial principles
- Local accuracy: Every piece of content is specific to the Chicago metro market.
- Independent reviews: Lender rankings reflect documented activity, not paid placement.
- Educational focus: Every page includes investor-relevant data (median ARV, rehab cost ranges, property type distribution, exit strategies).
- Transparent disclaimers: Where we lack first-hand verification, we say so.