Current Private and Hard Money loan rates range from about 5.5 percent to 12 percent. Most hard money lenders also charge points on a loan. Points are origination fees that help handle the administrative costs of the loan and mitigate the lender’s risk. One point equals one percent of the loan. For hard money loans, points can range between 2 and 4 percent of the total loan amount. Points are usually paid once upfront when initiating the loan, whereas interest is paid on a monthly basis.