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Kickstart your career in real estate finance by learning how to analyze real estate deals like fix-and-flips using the tools and methods used by both real estate investors and private lenders.
Private mortgage lending is a multi-billion-dollar industry that powers the construction and renovation of homes across the United States. In this Build Project, you will learn the ins and outs of the industry, along with how to analyze real estate investment opportunities from the perspectives of both the borrower and lender.
By the end of this 8-week project, you will develop an investment report – in the form of a PDF – showcasing your knowledge of the private mortgage lending industry with a risk-return analysis of real estate investments. You'll work with real-world examples to evaluate deals, assess risks, and determine optimal financing structures. The skills you'll develop are in high demand as lenders seek talent to help tackle America’s housing shortage.
Meet your Build Fellow, and get an overview of both the private lending industry and your course structure.
Learn to evaluate different property types from a lender’s perspective.
Learn how to evaluate a fix-and-flip deal using key industry metrics.
Understand how to analyze the different types of risk that borrowers present, and how a lender may mitigate those risks.
Evaluate a real-life fix-and-flip loan application using metrics learned in the course.
Supplement your loan evaluation with other risk analyses that we have learned.
Summarize your loan evaluation into an investment report with key findings and recommendations.
Present your investment recommendations to the class and receive feedback, plus a chance to discuss career opportunities.
Get access to all of our Build projects, including this one, by creating your Build account!
Get started by submitting your application.
We'll notify you when projects reopen. In the meantime, you can explore our resources and learn more about our Fellows.
Joe Dillamore is a Finance Build Fellow at Open Avenues, where he works with students leading projects in Real Estate Finance.
Joe is CEO & Finance Manager at Petra Loan Servicing Corp, where he is building a new startup in the private mortgage lending space.
Joe has over eight years of experience in the real estate finance field. He is co-owner of Think Property Finance, a UK-based lending company, and was previously the founder of Hardback, a lending marketplace.
He holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and Management from the University of Oxford and a Master of Business Administration from Clemson University.
A fun fact about Joe is that he loves to travel and travelled to every continent (other than Antarctica!) in his teens.