Do all Private Lenders ask for upfront fees?

[Alton White]

I'm asking this question because I run across a lot of private lenders requesting upfront admin fees.  Is this the norm or are the ones I run across scam artist?

[Derek Dombeck]

Those are scammers. Most private money lenders are not going to charge any fees until the actual closing of the loan. You may pay for a title search or an appraisal prior to closing, but that's about it. Hard Money Lending companies may have an application fee or a document processing fee in addition to points and standard closing costs. My company doesn't charge anything up front as we feel like the loan needs to close before we have earned the money.