A bridge loan is a temporary source of finance that helps to fill in the gap between a funding requirement and a source of funds in the future. It is often applied in real estate whereby a buyer would wish to buy a new house before selling the current one. Bridge loans are established to offer a short term access to cash normally 6 to 12 months, but with a higher interest rate than a normal loan. They are best suited in regards to transactions that require time and long-term funding may lead to lost opportunities.