Hard Money Lenders in Charleston, SC | Fix & Flip Loans | Capital Kings LLC
Broker, not a lender

Hard Money Lenders inCharleston, South Carolina

Fix and flip, DSCR rental and new construction financing for Charleston 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 Charleston deal

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

Reviewed by Micah Foster, Founder & CEO · October 2026
How we work

What you get working with us

400+
Lenders we shop your deal across
72 hrs
To close at the fastest, 5-14 days typical
100%
Of rehab funded, released in draws
8.99%
Rates from, in South Carolina
Run the numbers

Price a Charleston deal right now

Prefilled with a realistic Charleston deal. Change any number and it reprices instantly on the lanes licensed in South Carolina, using the same engine behind our term sheets.

Enter your numbers to see the program, loan size and cash to close.
Get a real term sheet →Same math as our term sheet. No credit pull, nothing saved.
The market

Financing a deal in Charleston

Charleston is a high-priced coastal city where the flips are mostly mid-century houses away from the tourist peninsula. The port, MUSC, Joint Base Charleston, the aerospace plant in North Charleston and tourism drive jobs, and people keep moving in. The flip stock is 1940s to 1960s brick ranches in West Ashley and James Island, plus older frame houses on the upper peninsula.

Water decides almost every Charleston deal. Tidal flooding, king tides and heavy rain put water in streets on the peninsula and in parts of West Ashley, especially around the Church Creek basin. A house that stayed dry sells for a premium, and one with a flood history or a low first floor can scare off buyers and lenders. We pull the elevation, the flood zone and the claim history before we agree on an after repair value.

A real term sheet

What a Charleston deal looks like on paper

Charleston example: $400,000 purchase, $80,000 rehab, $690,000 after repair value, 730 credit, first flip. The engine puts that borrower on the Best Rate program at 9.49%. Picture a 1950s brick ranch in West Ashley near Byrnes Downs, on a slab, with a tired kitchen, original baths, single-pane windows and a low spot in the backyard that holds water. Every number below is what the instant term sheet prints for that deal, so the picture cannot contradict the page.

Loan amount$420,000
Cash to close$79,448
Proof of funds to show$119,377
Where the $79,448 goes
  • Down payment (15% of the purchase)You$60,000
  • Origination (0.5%)Lender$2,100
  • Lender fees (flat)Lender$1,989
  • Broker fee (1%)Broker$4,200
  • Title and closing (estimate at Texas rates)Title$4,411
  • Prepaid interest (15 days)Lender$1,638
  • Property insuranceInsurer$4,560
  • AppraisalAppraiser$550

Interest while you rehab: $2,689 a month on the $340,000 funded at closing, $3,322 once every draw is out. Proof of funds is cash to close plus $20,000 of rehab reserve and $19,929 of interest reserve. Sample borrower, sample address; the sheet is issued by the same engine as the borrower’s instant term sheet.

Programs

What we can fund in Charleston

ProgramDown paymentMin creditExperienceRateOriginationMax loanTermClose
Best Rate15%700+First flip OK8.99% to 9.49%0.5%70% of ARV12 months5-14 days
First Flip, 10% Down110%660+First flip OK9.99%2%75% of ARV12 months21-30 days
7.5% Down, 3+ Flips27.5%660+3+ completed flips9.99%1.5%75% of ARV12 months21-30 days
5% Down, 5+ Flips35%660+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%No minimumFirst flip OK11.99%2%75% of ARV6 months72 hours
  1. Rate 9.99% at 2 to 2.25 points by credit; buy down to 8.99%. Loans under $150,000 add 0.5% to the rate and half a point, under $100,000 1.5% and a point. 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% at 1.5 to 1.75 points by credit; buy down to 8.99%. Loans under $150,000 add 0.5% to the rate and half a point, under $100,000 1.5% and a point. 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% and 2 to 3 points, set per file. Purchase plus rehab must fit under 70% of ARV.

Origination has a $2,000 minimum on every program and the broker fee is 1% with a $2,000 minimum. These are the numbers the instant term sheet uses as of October 2026. Strong credit, cash and a track record can price lower through specific lenders in the network.

What we check first

Where Charleston prices sit right now

Before we price a Charleston 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 Charleston median sale price at $660K for the three months ending September 2026, up 8.1% on a year earlier, with homes selling in around 72 days. The median price per square foot is $366.

Median sale price (Redfin)$660K
Change from a year earlierup 8.1%
Days on market (Redfin)72
Median price per square foot$366

Sources: Redfin, Charleston housing market

Underwriting

How a Charleston file actually gets priced

Charleston appraisers separate the peninsula, West Ashley, James Island and North Charleston, and they match on flood zone and elevation. We set the after repair value on renovated sales in the same subdivision and the same flood zone. A North Charleston address is a different city with a different buyer, so it never prices a Charleston house. Plan on a closing attorney, since South Carolina requires one.

Flood zones cover much of the city, and a rehab over half the building’s value in a mapped zone triggers the substantial improvement rule, which can require raising the house. On the peninsula and in much of the historic area, the Board of Architectural Review approves exterior changes and demolition. Older houses bring termites, moisture and wiring issues. Wind and flood insurance costs belong in your carry and in your buyer’s payment.

The exit

Who buys your finished Charleston deal

The finished Charleston house sells to a hospital or port professional, a family relocating from out of state, or a buyer who wants to be close to downtown without paying peninsula prices. Most expect a turnkey house and dry ground. If you hold, a DSCR loan works, but South Carolina taxes a rental at a higher rate than a primary home, so run the rent with that bill.

After you apply

Your whole loan, in one portal

Apply once and the whole Charleston 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.
What happens after you apply →Tour the borrower portal
Loan products

What we fund in Charleston

Fix & Flip

Purchase plus 100% of rehab, released in draws. The core product in Charleston.

15% down from 8.99% at 700+ credit · 10% down from 9.99% at 660+ credit

DSCR Rental

Qualifies on the property’s rent, not your W-2. The usual exit when a flip becomes a hold, and the long-term financing on a BRRRR.

30-year · no income docs

New Construction

Ground-up for builders and infill developers, with a draw schedule matched to the build timeline.

Land + build financing
Coverage

Where we lend in Charleston

We broker deals across the whole Charleston market. These are the submarkets investors ask us about most:

West Ashley, Byrnes Downs and Avondale (29407)Old Windermere and Moreland (29407)Wagener Terrace and Hampton Park (29403)North Central and Rosemont (29403 / 29405)James Island and Riverland Terrace (29412)Johns Island (29455)
Process

From deal to funded

01

Send the deal

Address, purchase price, rehab budget and your ARV. Three minutes, no credit pull.

02

We shop it

Your scenario goes to the lenders in our network that actually fit it and are licensed in South Carolina, not all 400 at once.

03

Real terms back

Rate, origination, leverage and cash to close side by side, so you can compare on total cost.

04

Close

5-14 days to fund, as little as 72 hours on the fastest programs. We stay on title and the lender through funding.

Questions

Charleston hard money FAQ

Do you lend hard money in Charleston?
Yes. Capital Kings is a broker, not a direct lender, so we shop your Charleston 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 South Carolina, and the numbers come from the same engine that prices our instant term sheet.
Which fix and flip programs apply in Charleston?
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 Charleston hard money loan close?
As little as 72 hours. Most Charleston 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 Charleston flip?
The worked example on this page is a $400,000 Charleston purchase with a $80,000 rehab and a $690,000 after repair value at 730 credit, first flip: $60,000 down (15% of the purchase) and $79,448 total cash to close, with $119,377 of proof of funds to show the lender. The lowest down payment for a first flip in Charleston 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 Charleston?
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 Charleston fix and flip loan?
One Charleston 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 Charleston flip into a rental loan?
Yes. That is the BRRRR exit, and it is the most common way a Charleston 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.
How do I know if a Charleston house floods?
Check the FEMA flood zone, the base flood elevation and the elevation of the first floor, then ask for the flood claim history. Walk the street after a heavy rain or a king tide if you can. In West Ashley, the Church Creek area has a long flooding history. Buyers here ask these questions, so you should know the answers first.
Does the Board of Architectural Review affect a Charleston flip?
If the house is inside its jurisdiction, yes. Exterior changes, including windows, siding, porches, roofing material, additions and demolition, need approval before the permit. Interior work isn’t reviewed the same way. Check whether your address falls under it before you buy, and build the review time into your schedule.
Who you are working with
Micah Foster
Founder & CEO
Micah Foster
Micah brokers Non-QM and hard money loans for real estate investors across 37 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.
Send Micah your Charleston deal →
Keep reading

Before you sign anything

Loan Cost
Dutch vs standard interest: what it really costs you
Read article →
Cash Needed
Cash to close on a flip: the number most investors miss
Read article →
Term Sheet
How to get an instant hard money term sheet
Read article →
Broker
Direct hard money lender vs broker: the honest breakdown
Read article →
Hard money in Mount Pleasant →Hard money in Columbia →Hard money in Savannah →Hard money in Myrtle Beach →All South Carolina coverage →

Ready to fund your Charleston deal?

Submit your scenario in under 3 minutes. We shop it and come back with real terms, not a generic rate sheet.

Start application →Get a pre-approval letter