City Capital Realty is a Los Angeles hard money lender serving Santa Monica. Loans from $500,000 to $5 million, up to 70% of the property's value, 9% interest-only, with funding in as little as 7 business days. Our office at 1575 Westwood Blvd is about 5 miles from Santa Monica, and you work directly with Shawn Rabban (DRE 00667328, NMLS 298861).
Hard money loans in Santa Monica: the market today
Source: Redfin, three months ending September 2026.
Santa Monica is our closest market: about 5 miles from our Westwood office. Prices held roughly flat over the past year, but homes are selling faster and more of them are changing hands. Buyers who can close quickly have an edge, and owners moving within the Westside often need to buy before they sell.
Two local rules shape Santa Monica deals. First, Santa Monica has some of the strictest rent control in California, covering most apartment buildings built before 1979, so check a building's status before you count on higher rents. Second, Santa Monica has its own tax on high-end sales: Measure GS adds 5.6% to sales of $8 million or more, charged on the full price. A statewide ballot measure could change that, so confirm the current rules with your escrow officer. Santa Monica is its own city, so the City of Los Angeles mansion tax (Measure ULA) does not apply.
Santa Monica deals we finance
- Buy before you sell. Use your current home's equity to close on the next one, then repay when it sells.
- Condos and townhomes. Fast closings, including units in buildings a bank won't approve yet.
- Small apartment buildings. Purchases and cash-out refinances, with rent control priced in.
- Rebuilds in neighboring Pacific Palisades. Short-term loans for lots and construction after the January 2025 Palisades fire.
Example: freeing equity to buy your next Westside home
You own a Santa Monica home worth about the local median and still owe $500,000.
- Property value
- $1,800,000
- 70% of value
- $1,260,000
- Less current loan
- −$500,000
- Cash available from the loan
- $760,000
- Monthly interest (9%, interest-only)
- $5,700
- Origination fee (2%)
- $15,200
- Total cost if repaid after 6 months
- $49,400
Estimate only, using our published terms. Actual terms depend on the property and our review. Rates and fees are subject to change without notice. Some restrictions may apply. Subject to credit approval.
Santa Monica questions
Does Santa Monica have its own tax on expensive home sales?
Yes. Measure GS, approved in 2022, adds 5.6% to sales of $8 million or more, charged on the full price. A statewide ballot measure could change it, so confirm the current rules with your escrow officer. The City of Los Angeles mansion tax (Measure ULA) does not apply in Santa Monica.
Is Santa Monica rent controlled?
Most apartment buildings built before 1979 are under Santa Monica's rent control, which limits yearly increases. Newer buildings and most single-family homes fall under the state's rent cap instead. Check a property's status before you buy or refinance based on future rents.
How fast can you close in Santa Monica?
Many of our loans fund in as little as 7 business days. Our office is about 5 miles away, so we know the area well.
Related: hard money loan calculator, bridge loans, construction loans, how our loan process works and our 2026 Los Angeles hard money guide.
Other areas we serve: Beverly Hills hard money loans, Sherman Oaks hard money loans, Burbank hard money loans, Glendale hard money loans, Pasadena hard money loans, Torrance hard money loans, Orange County hard money loans, California hard money loans.