Looking To Invest Through My Contracting Business

[Paul Burbank]

Hello BP. I have spent a lot of time searching the forums for info on this topic and not come up with much specific information. Any help, info, advice, or stories of your own experience are GREATLY appreciated!!!

My father and I run my families electrical contracting business in upstate New York. I also have owner occupied a 3 unit property with my wife and kids for about 3.5 years now. I have finally talked my father into investing in real estate through the corporation. We want to do fix and flips as well as buy and holds on multi families and, possibly, commercial real estate.

I am no pro investor but I have spent a lot of time over the last 5 plus years educating myself as well purchasing and managing my own property. I am very familiar with the basics of investing. I know how to find and analyze a deal, how to negotiate a deal, I am familiar with most of the different types of financing I can attempt to acquire as an individual.

My biggest question at this point, I suppose, is what types of financing can I acquire as a corporation and what types of properties and deals can I leverage against. What kind of terms might I be looking at, what will a lender require of the business(experience, available cash flow, personal guarantee, documentation, etc.), will any cash flow just funnel through the business' normal revenue path? 

Can I go to an HML for fix and flip funds? Can I use a personal HELOC to purchase property through the corporation?

I realize I am being a bit vague here but I am not entirely sure even where to start on this so any help or insight on these topics or anything else would be greatly appreciated. I have reached out to a couple local banks but the information I have been provided with has been extremely vague. Maybe I just need to make more calls.

I look forward to any responses!