What this means for Highland Park investors
Highland Park, Lake County, is moderately active for investor financing new construction lending. Affluent north shore lakefront suburb with historic homes and active tear-down market. Median home values are approximately $745K, with after-repair values reaching $945K.
Typical rehab budgets for Highland Park new construction projects fall in the $95K–$395K range. Dominant property types include historic single-family, colonial, tear-down. Common considerations on this housing stock include historic restoration, tear-down/rebuild, large home system updates.
Highland Park has significant tear-down activity. Historic restoration projects in landmark districts can clear strong margins. Hard money used for fast-close estate sales. Property tax structure is the typical Lake County annual assessment cycle, which affects both acquisition underwriting and exit pricing.
New Construction Loans in Highland Park: how the financing works
New construction loans finance ground-up residential investor projects: tear-down-and-rebuild, infill new construction, and small subdivision development. Funds are typically drawn down on a schedule tied to construction milestones.
For Highland Park deals specifically: typical rates run 10.0%–12.5%, with 1.5–3 points typical points and 70%-80% of completed value maximum loan-to-value. Term lengths run 12–18 months (construction) + permanent financing. Both hard money and private money paths are commonly used for this product type.
Lenders active for new construction in Highland Park
8 lenders match this product and money type for Highland Park deals. Listed in approximate order of local activity:
Renovo Financial is the largest Chicago-based hard money lender. Founded 2011, they've closed thousands of loans across the Midwest and have particularly deep penetration in Chicago, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee. Strong relationships with the local broker community make them a default first-call for many Chicago investors.
Kiavi (formerly LendingHome) is one of the largest hard money lenders by volume in the country. Tech-forward platform with online application and fast underwriting for experienced borrowers. Active across Chicago and all major investor markets.
Lima One Capital is one of the deepest non-QM lenders in the country with a full product suite spanning fix-and-flip, BRRRR, rental, and new construction. Particularly strong on the rental refi exit, which makes them a one-stop shop for BRRRR strategies.
LendingOne is an established national non-QM lender with deep coverage across hard money and rental products.
RCN Capital is a national non-QM lender with capacity for larger transactions and strong experience on multi-unit and small commercial deals.
Patch of Land has experience underwriting heavier-rehab and distressed-property deals. Marketplace-backed with established investor base.
Constructive Loans has particular strength in new construction and ground-up development financing across multiple states including Illinois.
Genesis Capital (a Goldman Sachs portfolio company) operates on larger-scale residential investor lending with institutional underwriting.
Highland Park property characteristics relevant to new construction
| Dominant property types | historic single-family, colonial, tear-down, modern new construction |
|---|---|
| Typical year built | 1900-2024 |
| Common rehab considerations | historic restoration, tear-down/rebuild, large home system updates |
| Days on market | 30 |
| Investor activity level | moderate |
| Common exit strategies | historic single-family rehab, tear-down and rebuild |
| County | Lake |
| GPS center | 42.1817°, -87.8003° |
Investor note for Highland Park
Highland Park has significant tear-down activity. Historic restoration projects in landmark districts can clear strong margins. Hard money used for fast-close estate sales.
Other financing paths in Highland Park
- Hard money lenders in Highland Park
- Private money lenders in Highland Park
- Fix and flip loans in Highland Park
- BRRRR loans in Highland Park
- Highland Park cash flow analysis
- Highland Park investor overview
Highland Park new construction FAQ
Yes. Highland Park is a regularly-served market for investor financing lending. Most national hard money and private money lenders that operate in Chicago will quote on properties here. Specific underwriting depends on the deal — purchase price, after-repair value, rehab budget, and your investor experience. Typical max LTV runs 70%-80% of completed value.
Investor financing rates on new construction loans in Highland Park currently run 10.0%–12.5% with 1.5–3 points. Pricing depends primarily on your funded-deals history, the deal's leverage ratio, and exit certainty. Experienced Highland Park investors with track records routinely price toward the lower end of these ranges.
Rehab budgets for Highland Park typically run $95K–$395K depending on scope. Cosmetic updates on the lower end; gut rehabs at the upper end. Common considerations on Highland Park housing stock include historic restoration and tear-down/rebuild — budget contingency accordingly.
The dominant investor-targeted property types in Highland Park are historic single-family, colonial, tear-down, modern new construction. Single-family rehabs dominate the flip activity here.
Typical close timelines for Chicago-area investor financing loans run 7–14 days. Same-week close is possible with local private money operators on clean deals. Documentation moves faster on properties with clear title and recent comps; Highland Park's north shore affluent lakefront market characteristics generally support standard timelines.
Common investor exit strategies in Highland Park include historic single-family rehab, tear-down and rebuild.
Hard money typically means institutional non-QM lenders (Kiavi, Lima One, Renovo, etc.) with standardized terms — faster origination, more transparent pricing, broader product menus. Private money typically means individual lenders, smaller funds, or family offices with more flexible underwriting, sometimes better rates for established borrowers, but more relationship-dependent. Both regularly fund Highland Park deals.
Plan for 10–25% of purchase price plus 1–3 points in origination fees plus closing costs. For a typical Highland Park deal at the $745K median, expect cash-to-close of roughly $112K on a leveraged structure. Lenders also typically want to see 3–6 months of rehab carry and reserves liquid.
Yes — materially. Cook County classifies investor properties at higher assessment ratios than owner-occupied, which can push effective tax rates 2–3 percentage points higher. For a property with ARV of $945K in Highland Park, expect approximately $24K in annual property tax under investor classification (before appeals or exemptions). Build this into your underwriting.
Yes — both Chicago-based local private money operators (Chicago Private Capital, Midwest Bridge Capital, Trust Deed Capital, Pillar Capital) and national hard money lenders (Kiavi, Lima One, Renovo) regularly fund deals in Highland Park. Use the lead form on this page to get matched with lenders quoting your specific deal type and location.
Many lenders accept first-time investors on smaller deals (under $250K) with strong credit (680+) and proven liquidity. For larger deals or thinner deal margins, lenders typically prefer 1+ funded deals of experience or partnership with an experienced principal.
Yes — most hard money and private money loans require LLC vesting because they're structured as business-purpose loans (exempt from consumer mortgage regulations). Single-member or multi-member LLCs both work. The personal guarantee from the LLC principal(s) typically backs the loan.
Information shown is for general educational purposes. Specific loan terms, eligibility, and pricing are determined by individual lenders. Verify before relying on any specifics. Hard Money Chicago is a directory and educational resource, not a lender or broker.