As a small business owner you might have very little experience or information about how commercial real estate loans actually work. But learning the process can be a great help in successfully applying for a loan.
If you are purchasing your first commercial property or expanding to a new location that you plan to own, then you are certainly happy to be operating a successful business and one that is expanding into real estate ownership. But there could be a lot that you do not know about the process that could cause you a great deal of stress and even some major financial issues in the future if you do not have a good grasp on what you are agreeing to when you sign on the dotted line.
Commercial real estate loans are similar to a personal mortgage in that they are a means of borrowing a large amount of money to purchase a property. And both loans use the property as collateral, so in the event that you cannot pay and default, then the property can be foreclosed upon. And in both of these cases you are also required to make a down payment on the property. In the case of a home the amount of the down payment is not as large as the commercial loan requirement. A big part of the reason for the large commercial loan down payment is the volatility of commercial real estate values. They can increase or decrease very rapidly and with little or no warning. For this reason, lenders like to see some instant equity on a commercial property to be sure that they will have collateral which is valued high enough to cover the balance of the loan of you default.
Know How Commercial and Personal Mortgage Loans Differ
But the similarities quickly come to an end when you compare the term of a personal mortgage to that of a commercial mortgage. Some mortgages are issued for a short term which normally does not exceed three years and others can span from five years up to twenty. It is also quite common to have a balloon payment that is due on a commercial loan. In this case you make regular payments for 5 – 7 years and then the final payment is the balance of the loan. This means that it can be a very large amount. At that time you have the option to pay the final payment if you can or try to refinance the remaining loan balance. And refinancing can be a challenge if your company is struggling, your cash flow has dropped or if the owners have experienced some personal financial issues.
Understand What You Are Agreeing To
Getting a commercial mortgage is important to the growth and expansion of your business. But be sure that you are entering into an agreement with a full understanding of the terms and expectations for repayment. Having a large final payment due in less than ten years can put an exceptional amount of stress on you and your company’s finances.
Dennis Dahlberg
Broker/RI/CEO/MLO
Level 4 Funding LLC Private Hard Money Lender
Arizona Tel: (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel: (512) 516-1177
Dennis@level4funding.com
Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO
NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
111 Congress Ave |Austin | Texas | 78701
About the Author: Dennis has been working in the real estate industry in some capacity for the last 40 years. He purchased his first property when he was just 18 years old. He quickly learned about the amazing investment opportunities provided by trust deed investing and hard money loans. His desire to help others make money in real estate investing led him to specialize in alternative funding for real estate investors who may have trouble getting a traditional bank loan. Dennis is passionate about alternative funding sources and sharing his knowledge with others to help make their dreams come true. Dennis has been married to his wonderful wife for 42 years. They have 2 beautiful daughters 5 amazing grandchildren. Dennis has been an Arizona resident for the past 40 years.
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