Understanding commercial real estate loans is the first step in deciding if you are ready to own a commercial property. Learning about the process will ensure that you know what to expect and how to prepare yourself and your business.

Owning a successful business is a rewarding accomplishment and one that might be leading you to consider purchasing a commercial property for your business. But you need to know more about the process and the requirements before you begin to invest your valuable time in searching for a property. The application process is not as simple or fast as a personal mortgage process and the documentation required can be much more in depth. But once you understand the eligibility and requirements you will be better able to make your decision about purchasing a commercial property.

Commercial real estate loans are secured by liens on the property that you are purchasing. The lien gives the lender the right to take the property from you if you do not make the payments that are outlined in your loan documents. This protects the lenders investment in the event that your business fails, the economy disrupts your business or any other issue that could cause you to default on the loan. But because commercial property value can fluctuate more than residential property, the lender requires that you make a large down payment on the property. This is a way of creating instant equity which is good for both you and the lender. It reduces the amount that you are borrowing and therefore reduces the amount of interest that you are going to pay. And it also helps the lender to know that if you default on your loan, then they have a better chance of recovering all of their investment even if the property value has dropped since you purchased it.

Commercial real estate loan terms are also a bit different. They are normally in two terms. The first is intermediate and is for three years or less and the long term is from 5 years to 20 years. There is also a balloon loan that is an option. In this case the loan payments are mostly just covering the interest and at the end of the term you owe a final payment that covers the balance of the loan. In most cases the payment is very large and the borrower is forced to refinance the loan to cover the final payment.

Know Your Interest Rate

Because a business’s financial stability is more tied to the economy than that of an individual, lending money to a business is, in general, considered to be more of a risk. For that reason, commercial loans tend to have a higher interest rate and additional fees that must be paid. Be sure that you are carefully examining all of the fees and interest that you are agreeing to pay before you sign the loan agreement.

Research Your Options for Lenders

Knowing about the commercial real estate loans process is only half of the research that you need to complete. You will also want to learn about all of your options for lenders. Commercial banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders and the Small Business Administration are all good options to explore when you are ready to apply for a commercial real estate loan.