Rebecca,
You have received good answers from everyone so far.
Hard money lenders make their money from the interest rate they charge you (which is usually high) though, you can buy a property with their backing. I would only do this if you can secure regular financing at some point. Many people would like to buy at a trustee sale and since they don't have the cash, they use a hard money lender.. If you need more information, please contact me.

The question is - why do you need a private lender? There's many lenders out there public and private. Why specifically a private lender???

http://www.dawnsellssandiego.com

Rebecca:

There are a number of private lenders in San Diego County. You can Google for them, call an area Realtor, or give me a call at 760-402-9101. I can refer you to someone knowledgeable about these resources.

Tread with caution, though--and good luck!

It's called hard money...and you can find investors that do this...but it is expensive, and you need to be very carefull. Here are some of the questions you should ask yourself first:

How much do I want to borrow?
Why can't I get a regular loan? - the investors are going to want to know...
How much an I willing to pay for the money I borrow? Interests rates are usually much higher.

Good Luck,
Joan Wilson
760-757-3468