I am a loan processor who deals mainly with HARD MONEY. Hard Money loans are for people with very low credit scores or who are currently in, or recently been in foreclosure. These are very ugly loans...for a reason. It is a high risk investment for the investors who fund the loans and they need to be assured that they will get a return on their money, or the property will sell at fair market price if it has to go to auction. I have not yet worked with Mariners Capital, but found this site as I was looking for theirs since I have a borrower who fits. The reason they or any other hard money lender is taking a while to close a loan is not because they are doing everyhting they can to screw it up, it is becasue they are struggling to find an investor who wants to lend on the property...maybe the appraisal is not so hot. A lot of times the investor who is putting up the money will drop the value of the property from what the appraiser has. Maybe they are concerned with the borrowers ability to repay. Some people get put into loans they cannot afford, especially first time home buyers, and I can do everything to get them a loan, but it will be ugly and may just put them further in the hole. No lender, including Mariners Capital, enjoys putting homes in foreclosure, it is a long and expensive process and if the home does not sell at auction, that lender now owns the home and has to take over all mortgage payments associated with the property.
Another reason it can take a long time to close a hard money loan is issues on title, tax liens, abstracts of judgment and a previous company who did not record things properly can take a lot of time to clear up and many people in need of a hard money loan have some issues clouding their title as well.
Mariners Capital may not be hard moeny, but their niche is to help people get back to the lower rates by being a step in between hard money and a conventional loan.
As far as the BBB, any business can send in $25 and be part of the BBB. If nobody ever complains about them they will have glowing reviews from the BBB but may be a terrible company. The BBB is great for consumers who have been taken advantage of by a company who basically tells them they do not care. This entity can step in as the middle man and help the customer get their money back or simply get a response from the company. The fact that a company is part of the BBB does not prove that they are good or bad, they simply sent in their money and became a member.