Hard Money Lenders in Tuscaloosa, AL | Capital Kings LLC
Capital Kings LLC · Non-QM Mortgage Broker

Hard Money Lenders inTuscaloosa, Alabama

Fix and flip, DSCR rental and new construction financing for Tuscaloosa investors. We do not lend our own money, we shop your deal across a 400+ lender network and come back with real terms you can compare on total cost.

Get a term sheet →Price a Tuscaloosa deal

Prefer to talk it through? Call or text Micah at (281) 636-5682.

Reviewed by Micah Foster, Founder & CEO, October 2026

Price a Tuscaloosa deal right now

Prefilled with a realistic Tuscaloosa deal. Change any number and it reprices on the programs that lend in Alabama, with the same math as our term sheets.

Sizing your flip on the same terms as the term sheet. Get a real term sheet →

Financing a deal in Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa runs on the University of Alabama and the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, with the hospital close behind. That gives you two markets in one city: student and staff rentals near campus, and owner-occupant ranches farther out. The flip stock is 1950s to 1970s houses in Forest Lake, Alberta, Woodland Forest and South Tuscaloosa.

The Tuscaloosa deal starts with who lives there after you. Near campus, a finished house may earn more as a rental to students or staff than as a sale, and buyers who want a game-day house pay for location. Farther out, families and plant workers buy on schools and commute. We decide which exit the numbers support before we lock in the scope, because the two want different finishes.

What a Tuscaloosa deal looks like on paper

Tuscaloosa example: $150,000 purchase, $55,000 rehab, $295,000 after repair value, 700 credit, first flip. The engine puts that borrower on the Best Rate program at 9.49%. Picture a 1970s ranch in Alberta with a dated kitchen, worn floors throughout, an old roof and a back deck that needs to come down. Every number below is what the instant term sheet prints for that deal, so the picture cannot contradict the page.

Loan amount$182,500
Cash to close$34,722
Proof of funds to show$58,232
Where the $34,722 goes
  • Down payment (15% of the purchase)You$22,500
  • Origination (0.5%)Lender$2,000
  • Lender fees (flat)Lender$1,989
  • Broker fee (1%)Broker$2,000
  • Title and closing (estimate at Texas rates)Title$3,238
  • Prepaid interest (15 days)Lender$497
  • Property insuranceInsurer$1,948
  • AppraisalAppraiser$550

Interest while you rehab: $1,008 a month on the $127,500 funded at closing, $1,443 once every draw is out. Proof of funds is cash to close plus $14,850 of rehab reserve and $8,660 of interest reserve. Sample borrower, sample address; the sheet is issued by the same engine as the borrower’s instant term sheet.

Fix and flip programs in Tuscaloosa

Swipe the table for rates, credit and terms →

ProgramDown paymentMin creditExperienceRateOriginationMax loanTermClose
Best Rate15% of purchase700+First flip OK8.99% to 9.49%0.5%70% of ARV12 months5-14 days
First Flip, 10% Down110% of purchase + rehab660+First flip OK9.99%2%75% of ARV12 months21-30 days
7.5% Down, 3+ Flips27.5% of purchase + rehab660+3+ completed flips9.99%1.5%75% of ARV12 months21-30 days
5% Down, 5+ Flips35% of purchase660+5+ completed flips9.99% to 10.99%2%75% of ARV9-24 months10-14 days
100% Financing, 2+ Flips40% (100% financing)620+2+ completed flips9.50% to 12.00%2.5%70% of ARV9 months7-14 days
Fastest Close (3 days)10% of purchaseNo minimumFirst flip OK11.99%2%75% of ARV6 months72 hours
  1. Rate 9.99% with 2% to 2.25% origination by credit; more origination buys the rate down as far as 8.99%. Loans under $150,000 add 0.5% to the rate and 0.5% to the origination, under $100,000 1.5% and 1%. Under 680 credit the loan caps at 87.5% of cost. Standard interest, charged only on funds drawn. The loan is capped at a share of purchase plus rehab, the full rehab held back for draws, and the ARV must be at least 1.25 times purchase plus rehab. Processing $500, legal $1,495 and underwriting $795.
  2. Rate 9.99% with 1.5% to 1.75% origination by credit; more origination buys the rate down as far as 8.99%. Loans under $150,000 add 0.5% to the rate and 0.5% to the origination, under $100,000 1.5% and 1%. Under 680 credit the loan caps at 90% of cost. Standard interest, charged only on funds drawn. The loan is capped at a share of purchase plus rehab, the full rehab held back for draws, and the ARV must be at least 1.25 times purchase plus rehab. Processing $500, legal $1,495 and underwriting $795.
  3. Rate is set per file from 9.99%; origination about 2% plus a $995 processing fee.
  4. Needs 2 completed flips in the last two years and about $75,000 in verified liquidity. Rate 9.5% to 12% with 2% to 3% origination, set per file. Purchase plus rehab must fit under 70% of ARV.

Origination has a $2,000 minimum on most programs (a few lenders set a higher one, noted above) and our broker fee is 1% with a $2,000 minimum and a $10,000 maximum. These are the numbers our term sheets use as of October 2026. Strong credit, cash and a track record can price lower through specific lenders in the network.

Where Tuscaloosa prices sit right now

Before we price a Tuscaloosa flip, we look at where sales in the city sit today. Your block can run well above or below these numbers, so treat them as the starting point, not the answer.

Redfin puts the Tuscaloosa median sale price at $300K for the three months ending September 2026, flat on a year earlier, with homes selling in around 39 days. The median price per square foot is $197, down 5.7%.

Median sale price (Redfin)$300K
Change from a year earlierflat
Days on market (Redfin)39
Median price per square foot$197

Sources: Redfin, Tuscaloosa housing market

How a Tuscaloosa file actually gets priced

Prices here have been flat for a year, so we use closed renovated sales from recent months inside the same neighborhood. Appraisers won’t treat a house a mile from campus like one in the student zone. Northport is its own city across the river, and we keep its comps separate unless the house sits right at the line.

Alberta was hit hard by the 2011 tornado, and many houses there were rebuilt or repaired since, so check the permit history and the quality of that work. The Black Warrior River, Cottondale Creek and Hurricane Creek all flood, so pull the map. Before you plan a student rental, check the zoning’s rules on unrelated occupants and parking. The city enforces them, and they decide how many bedrooms you can actually rent.

Who buys your finished Tuscaloosa deal

The finished Tuscaloosa house sells to a university or hospital employee, a Mercedes plant worker or a parent buying for a student. Plant and university buyers mostly finance conventional or FHA, so the appraisal and inspection need to come back clean. Near campus, a DSCR loan on a long-term rental is often a stronger plan than a quick sale.

What happens after you apply

Apply once and the whole Tuscaloosa loan lives in the borrower portal: the term sheet you can accept and sign in the browser, where the loan stands, one place for documents, and the list of what the lender is still waiting on. These are real screens from the portal.

Capital Kings borrower portal: Welcome to your file
Welcome to your fileSign in and the term sheet is waiting, with every fee and who it goes to.
Capital Kings borrower portal: Where the loan stands
Where the loan standsApplication, appraisal, title, underwriting, clear to close.
Capital Kings borrower portal: Run the deal again
Run the deal againThe analyzer priced off your real numbers, before and after the appraisal.
Capital Kings borrower portal: What the lender still needs
What the lender still needsEvery open condition, what clears it, and who it is waiting on.

The full walkthrough is on how it works, and you can tour the borrower portal before you apply.

What we fund in Tuscaloosa

Fix and flip

10%down on a first flip
Rates
from 8.99% at 760+ credit
With experience
0% down with 2+ completed flips, purchase plus rehab under 70% of ARV
Rehab
100% funded, paid in draws
Fix and flip loans in Alabama →

Rental (DSCR)

7.00%rates from, 30-year fixed
Qualify on
the rent, no W-2s or tax returns
Down
from 20% at 700+ credit
Good for
buy-and-hold, and the refinance when a flip becomes a rental
DSCR loans in Alabama →

New construction

95%of cost with a financed interest reserve, after 1 completed build
Rates
from 8.49% with 5+ completed builds
First build
85% of cost with a GC who has 5+ builds
Builds
single family to small multifamily
New construction loans in Alabama →

Where we lend in Tuscaloosa

We broker deals across the whole Tuscaloosa market. The submarkets investors ask us about most are Alberta and Woodland Forest (35404), Forest Lake and Glendale Gardens (35401), The Downs and Pinehurst (35401), Taylorville and South Tuscaloosa (35405), Cottondale (35453) and Northport (35473 / 35476).

How long does a Tuscaloosa loan take to fund?

You send the address, purchase price, rehab budget and your ARV, which takes about five minutes and no credit pull. We take it to the lenders in our network that fit it and are licensed in Alabama, and the rate, origination, leverage and cash to close come back side by side. 5-14 days to fund, as little as 72 hours on the fastest programs. We stay on title and the lender through funding.

Tuscaloosa hard money FAQ

Do you lend hard money in Tuscaloosa?
Yes. Capital Kings is a broker, not a direct lender, so we shop your Tuscaloosa scenario across a 400+ lender network and bring back real terms instead of one lender’s rate sheet. The programs on this page are the ones whose lenders are licensed in Alabama, and the numbers come from the same engine that prices our instant term sheet.
Which fix and flip programs apply in Tuscaloosa?
As of October 2026: Best Rate (15% down, from 8.99%); First Flip, 10% Down (10% down, from 9.99%); 7.5% Down, 3+ Flips (7.5% down, from 9.99%, 3+ completed flips); 5% Down, 5+ Flips (5% down, from 9.99%, 5+ completed flips); 100% Financing, 2+ Flips (100% financing when purchase plus rehab fits under 70% of ARV, from 9.50%, 2+ completed flips); Fastest Close (3 days) (10% down, from 11.99%). Rehab is funded 100 percent in draws on every one of them, and we shop the file against the rest of the network before anything is signed.
How fast can a Tuscaloosa hard money loan close?
As little as 72 hours. Most Tuscaloosa fix and flip files fund in 5-14 days once the file is complete, and the 72-hour programs close that fast when title and insurance are ready. The First Flip, 10% Down program and the 7.5% Down, 3+ Flips program close in 21-30 days. The biggest delays are usually title issues or missing borrower documents, so getting those started early makes a big difference.
How much do I need to bring to close on a Tuscaloosa flip?
The worked example on this page is a $150,000 Tuscaloosa purchase with a $55,000 rehab and a $295,000 after repair value at 700 credit, first flip: $22,500 down (15% of the purchase) and $34,722 total cash to close, with $58,232 of proof of funds to show the lender. The lowest down payment for a first flip in Tuscaloosa is 10% down from 9.99% at 660+ credit. Investors with a track record can go to 0% down (100% financing) from 9.50% at 620+ credit with 2+ completed flips, when purchase plus rehab fits under 70% of ARV, and you still bring the closing costs in cash. Rehab is funded 100 percent through draws in every case. Run your own numbers in the calculator above, or send us the deal and we will price it.
Do you fund the rehab budget in Tuscaloosa?
Yes, 100 percent of the rehab is funded, but it is a holdback released in draws rather than cash at closing. You pay for each phase, request a draw, an inspector verifies the work, and the lender reimburses. That means you need working capital to float the first phase, which is the single most common thing new investors miss on their first deal.
What credit score do I need for a Tuscaloosa fix and flip loan?
One Tuscaloosa program has no credit floor at all, it is priced on speed rather than credit. The lowest rate here, 8.99%, needs 760+ credit. Depending on the program, rates step down at 760 credit and origination steps down at 700 and 740. Credit matters less here than on a conventional loan because the deal carries the file, but it moves your rate and your leverage, so know where you stand before you make offers.
Can I refinance a Tuscaloosa flip into a rental loan?
Yes. That is the BRRRR exit, and it is the most common way a Tuscaloosa flip becomes a hold. A DSCR loan qualifies on the property’s rental income rather than your W-2, so once the rehab is done and it is leased, you refinance out of the short-term hard money loan into 30-year financing. Worth deciding before you start, because it changes what finish level makes sense.
Should I sell or rent a Tuscaloosa flip near campus?
Run both. Near the university a renovated house can rent to students or staff for more than a sale would net, and parents sometimes buy for their kids. Check the zoning first, because occupancy limits for unrelated people decide how many rooms you can lease. If the rent supports it, a DSCR refinance lets you hold without a second purchase.
Do Northport comps count for a Tuscaloosa flip?
Usually not. Northport is a separate city with its own buyers and price ranges, and the appraiser will keep comps on the same side of the river when possible. Use Tuscaloosa sales for a Tuscaloosa house unless you are right at the bridge and there are no closer renovated sales.
Micah Foster
Micah Foster
Founder & CEO, Capital Kings LLC
Micah brokers Non-QM and hard money loans for real estate investors across 38 states from his base in Texas. He founded Capital Kings to give investors a broker who shops the market on their behalf instead of pitching one lender product.

What to read before you sign a term sheet

Hard money near Tuscaloosa: Birmingham, Huntsville and Montgomery. More Alabama city guides: Mobile. Or see everything we fund in Alabama.

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