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

Hard Money Lenders inHelena, Montana

Fix and flip, DSCR rental and new construction financing for Helena 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 Helena 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
7-30
Days to fund, by program
100%
Of rehab funded, released in draws
9.00%
Rates from, in Montana, with 2+ completed flips
Run the numbers

Price a Helena deal right now

Prefilled with a realistic Helena deal. Change any number and it reprices instantly on the lanes licensed in Montana, 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 Helena

Helena is Montana’s capital, and state government is the anchor that keeps its housing market steady. A college, a VA medical center at Fort Harrison and the regional hospital add more jobs. The city grew out of a gold rush, so the west side is full of Victorian homes and brick cottages, and newer ranches and subdivisions spread out across the Helena Valley to the north and east.

Helena buyers are mostly state workers and health care staff with steady paychecks, which makes resale predictable but not frothy. The deal is decided by the age of the house. On the west side, a century-old brick home can need a sewer line, wiring and a foundation fix before the finish matters. In the valley, the question is well and septic, since much of it sits outside city service.

A real term sheet

What a Helena deal looks like on paper

Helena example: $285,000 purchase, $60,000 rehab, $470,000 after repair value, 730 credit, 4-10 flips completed. The engine puts that borrower on the 5% Down, 3+ Flips program at 12.00%. Picture a 1920s brick bungalow on the west side: roof, a sewer line, rewiring, radon mitigation, kitchen and bath. Every number below is what the instant term sheet prints for that deal, so the picture cannot contradict the page.

Loan amount$330,750
Cash to close$34,351
Proof of funds to show$70,396
Where the $34,351 goes
  • Down payment (5% of the purchase)You$14,250
  • Origination (2%)Lender$6,615
  • Doc prepLender$749
  • Broker fee (1%)Broker$3,308
  • Title and closing (estimate at Texas rates)Title$3,970
  • Prepaid interest (15 days)Lender$1,631
  • Property insuranceInsurer$3,278
  • AppraisalAppraiser$550

Interest while you rehab: $2,708 a month on the $270,750 funded at closing, $3,308 once every draw is out. Proof of funds is cash to close plus $16,200 of rehab reserve and $19,845 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 Helena

ProgramDown paymentMin creditExperienceRateOriginationMax loanTermClose
Experienced Investor Rate115%680+2+ completed flips9.00%0.75%75% of ARV12-24 months7-14 days
First Flip, 10% Down210%660+First flip OK9.99%2%75% of ARV12 months21-30 days
7.5% Down, 3+ Flips37.5%660+3+ completed flips9.99%1.5%75% of ARV12 months21-30 days
5% Down, 3+ Flips45%600+3+ completed flips12.00%2%75% of ARV12 months7-14 days
5% Down, 5+ Flips55%660+5+ completed flips9.99% to 10.99%2%75% of ARV9-24 months10-14 days
100% Financing, 2+ Flips60% (100% financing)620+2+ completed flips9.50% to 12.00%2.5%70% of ARV9 months7-14 days
  1. Rate and origination are the program floor; two completed projects in the last 36 months preferred.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Rate from 12%, set per file. Origination steps down with experience: 1.5% at 5+ deals, 1% at 8+.
  5. Rate is set per file from 9.99%; origination about 2% plus a $995 processing fee.
  6. 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 Helena prices sit right now

Before we price a Helena 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 Helena median sale price at $441K for the three months ending September 2026, down 1.2% from a year earlier, with homes selling after about 58 days on the market.

Median sale price, Helena (Redfin, 3 months to Sep 2026)$441K
Days on market, Helena (Redfin)58
Year over year change in median (Redfin)-1.2%

Sources: Redfin, Helena housing market

Underwriting

How a Helena file actually gets priced

In Montana, sale prices are not publicly disclosed, so appraisers rely on the MLS. Helena appraisals separate the historic west side, central Helena and the valley, and an older in-town house does not comp against a valley subdivision. We use closed MLS sales from the last few months in the same area and style, and we check that the comps match on basement finish and garage, which buyers here care about.

Helena sits in one of Montana’s more active earthquake zones, and a series of quakes in 1935 damaged much of the town, so unreinforced brick and older foundations deserve a structural look. Radon runs high in the area. Parts of the Helena Valley have a high water table and flood risk along Tenmile and Prickly Pear Creeks, and wells and septic need testing there. Winters are cold and dry. Permits go through the City of Helena, or Lewis and Clark County outside city limits.

The exit

Who buys your finished Helena deal

The finished Helena flip usually sells to a state employee, a hospital or VA worker or a family moving up from a rental. They want updated systems in an older home with character, or a clean valley ranch with a garage. Legislative sessions bring short-term demand for rentals, and the steady government workforce keeps long-term rents firm, so a DSCR refinance is a sound backup.

After you apply

Your whole loan, in one portal

Apply once and the whole Helena 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 Helena

Fix & Flip

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

15% down from 9.00% at 680+ credit with 2+ completed flips · 10% down from 9.99% at 660+ credit on a first flip

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 Helena

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

Mansion District and the upper west side (59601)Lower west side and Sixth Ward (59601)Central Helena near downtown (59601)East side and the Capitol area (59601)Helena Valley (59602)East Helena (59635)
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 Montana, 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

Plan on 7-14 days with completed flips and 21-30 days on a first flip. We stay on title and the lender through funding.

Questions

Helena hard money FAQ

Do you lend hard money in Helena?
Yes. Capital Kings is a broker, not a direct lender, so we shop your Helena 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 Montana, and the numbers come from the same engine that prices our instant term sheet.
Which fix and flip programs apply in Helena?
As of October 2026: Experienced Investor Rate (15% down, from 9.00%, 2+ completed flips); 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, 3+ Flips (5% down, from 12.00%, 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). 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 Helena hard money loan close?
In Montana, once the file is complete, the programs for investors with completed flips close in 7-14 days (10-14 on 5% down with 5+ flips, 21-30 on 7.5% down with 3+ flips) and a first flip on the 10% down program closes 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 Helena flip?
The worked example on this page is a $285,000 Helena purchase with a $60,000 rehab and a $470,000 after repair value at 730 credit, 4-10 flips completed: $14,250 down (5% of the purchase) and $34,351 total cash to close, with $70,396 of proof of funds to show the lender. 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 Helena?
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 Helena fix and flip loan?
The lowest credit floor among the Helena programs is 600, on 5% down with 3+ completed flips. A first flip needs 660 or higher. The lowest rate here, 9.00%, needs 680+ credit and 2+ completed flips. Depending on the program, 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 Helena flip into a rental loan?
Yes. That is the BRRRR exit, and it is the most common way a Helena 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 worry about earthquakes on a Helena flip?
Plan for them on older brick houses. Helena has a history of damaging quakes, and unreinforced masonry chimneys and foundations are what an inspector will flag. A structural review before you close tells you whether you need bracing or chimney work, and it is cheaper to know up front.
Does a Helena Valley house change the rehab plan?
Often, yes. Many valley houses are on a private well and septic system and sit outside city limits, so you will need a flow test, water quality test and septic inspection, and permits run through the county. Some lots also have a high water table, so check the basement for moisture. In Montana a first flip can be priced at 10% down with 660+ credit (from 9.99%).
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 Helena deal →
Keep reading

Before you sign anything

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
Points, fees & rate: how to compare hard money lenders
Read article →
Hard money in Great Falls →Hard money in Bozeman →Hard money in Missoula →All Montana coverage →

Ready to fund your Helena deal?

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