If you are not familiar with commercial loans Texas then you might believe that they are similar to any personal loan that you applied for. But the short answer is that they are not.

The first and largest difference between commercial loans Texas and a residential mortgage loan is that it is not backed by a guarantor such as Fannie Mae. This means that commercial loans Texas represent a much greater risk for the lender. For that reason, commercial lenders are much more selective about who they are willing to lend money to. Interest rates are higher and down payments are also much larger and that is just the beginning of the differences.

Balloon payments used to be common in residential mortgages but they are not any more. However, they are quite common in commercial loans Texas. So you will make payments that would pay off a loan in 30 years but the term of the loan will only be 3, 5 or 10 years. The result is a large balloon payment that is due at the end of the term. Most businesses are not in a position to pay the balloon payment and must refinance the final amount and keep paying on the property. Another option is to select a higher interest rate in return for a longer payment term.

Down payments are also quite different in the commercial property world. Unlike the 10% required to secure a home loan, commercial mortgages often require 25% or more down. A big reason for the larger down payment is the greater risk involved in a commercial property loan. Values on commercial property tend to fluctuate more frequently than residential values. For that reason the lender want to be certain that there is instant equity in the commercial property which is the collateral for the loan.

Understand the Cost of Borrowing

Commercial lenders are in business to make money and they do that in many creative ways. You know that you will be paying interest on the loan amount but that is not all you will be paying. Some lenders will charge points to cover their administrative costs while others will break the fees down and charge you per line item. Some fees can include an application, fee which is normally nonrefundable even if you are not approved for the loan, a loan processing fee, appraisal fees and survey fees.

There can also be Penalties

As a borrower, we are trained to think in terms of saving money. This means that paying off a loan early is always a good thing. It is a way to save on the interest or finance costs of a loan. But commercial lenders are counting on a specific amount of interest, or earnings, from your loan. And they are not willing to let you avoid any of those costs. Many lenders will include a prepayment penalty in the terms of your loan. This can mean that you will pay a flat fee for the right to pay off the loan early or it could be a percentage of the interest that you avoided paying. In some cases the savings on the interest is greater than the fees but in other cases the fees will cost you more than the continued interest. Be sure that you understand all of the terms of any loan before you sign or you will be forced to adhere to them.

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 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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