Do you lend outside Harris County?

Yes — Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria, Galveston and the rest of the metro area.

Can you lend on property in a flood zone?

Often, yes, with appropriate flood insurance in place. It is part of valuation and title review, not an automatic no.

Hard Money Loans in Greater Houston

BuildUp Capital makes hard money loans across Greater Houston: first-position, business-purpose loans of $100K–$10M for 6–18 months, up to 80% LTV on commercial or non-homestead investment property, from The Woodlands to Sugar Land, Pearland and Galveston.

The Greater Houston, by county

We use the nine counties of the Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands metropolitan area: Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria, Galveston, Liberty, Waller, Chambers and Austin. (OMB Bulletin 23-01 (metropolitan statistical areas))

County	2020 base	July 2024	Change
Harris	4,731,433	5,009,302	+5.9%
Fort Bend	822,989	958,434	+16.5%
Montgomery	620,567	749,613	+20.8%
Brazoria	372,040	413,224	+11.1%
Galveston	350,686	367,407	+4.8%
Liberty	91,658	115,042	+25.5%
Waller	56,750	65,109	+14.7%
Chambers	46,543	56,179	+20.7%
Austin	30,167	32,546	+7.9%
Total	7,122,833	7,766,856	9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 county population estimates. (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 estimates)

Greater Houston had about 7.8 million people in July 2024 across these nine counties, by Census Bureau estimate. Our Houston collateral skews industrial: yards, shops and warehouses owned by energy-services, construction, and logistics businesses, plus investment residential.

Among the larger counties, Montgomery (+21%) and Fort Bend (+17%) grew fastest from 2020 to 2024 in the Census Bureau’s estimates; Harris County, at about 5 million people, remains by far the largest market.

How Greater Houston borrowers use hard money

Industrial-services cash-out

A Pasadena-area contractor uses equity in its yard for equipment ahead of a turnaround season.

Fort Bend owner-user

A Sugar Land medical practice buys its building when the landlord sells and refinances into bank debt later.

Montgomery County bridge

A Conroe business acquires the lot next to its shop and bridges to a bank loan once the expansion is built.

Illustrative structures, not specific client transactions.

Hard money loan terms in the Greater Houston

Loan size: $100K–$10M
Term: 6–18 months
Position: First position (a second position is the rare exception)
Max LTV: Up to 80%, residential or commercial
Rates: Rates as low as 11% for prime-market, low-LTV loans; most first-position loans start around 12%.
Payments: Monthly, interest-only; prepayment allowed
Speed: Term sheet typically within 5 business days; close typically around 10 days once diligence is in
Purpose: Business purpose only — not consumer mortgages

Final pricing depends on the property, the market and the exit; fees are stated in the term sheet before you pay for diligence. Documents we ask for

Texas law that applies here

Most Texas loans are secured by a deed of trust with a power of sale. Sales are held on the first Tuesday of the month between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., after at least 21 days’ notice. (Tex. Prop. Code §51.002)
If the property is used as the debtor’s residence, the lender must first give at least 20 days to cure before accelerating. (Tex. Prop. Code §51.002)

More on collateral, foreclosure and title in hard money loans in Texas.