Business Loan Solutions – Commercial Mortgage Loan Strategies

Commercial borrowers are likely to be confused when they are turned down and will probably be unsure as to why it happened and what to do next. For each of the five major reasons that a bank might decline a commercial mortgage, a practical strategy is provided for converting the declined commercial mortgage loan into an approved business loan.

Two of the reasons (business plans and tax returns) will potentially impact all commercial borrowers. Many commercial mortgage loan officers will start their business loan review by stating some variation of “Can you show me your business plan?” and “We will need to see several years of tax returns.”

Commercial projects are frequently too unique for traditional commercial banks. In these situations (even if a commercial borrower has favorable tax returns and an adequate business plan), it is not unusual for the business owner to be declined for a commercial mortgage loan by a traditional commercial lender.

The reasons provided below represent commonly-found issues. It is likely that several of the reasons will be relevant for most business loan scenarios.

Commercial Mortgage Rejections: (1) Special Purpose Properties

Reason Number One for business loan rejections: The lender does not make commercial mortgage loans for the type of business financing involved or imposes special covenants that make the commercial real estate loan difficult for the business owner. In a typical example, fewer commercial banks are offering business financing for bar and restaurant properties.

Similarly, auto service businesses are frequently given unnecessary (and expensive) environmental reporting requirements. There are many “special purpose” properties such as funeral homes, campgrounds and churches that most traditional banks will not include in their business lending portfolio.

Strategy Number One for converting the rejected commercial real estate loan into an approved business loan: For most commercial borrowers, there are viable commercial mortgage options beyond traditional commercial lender choices.

There are action-oriented non-traditional commercial lenders that will offer commercial mortgage loans for most special purpose commercial property situations. The best business financing could be available only from a non-traditional lender when a traditional lender won’t provide the necessary commercial real estate loan.

Commercial Mortgage Rejections: (2) Tax Returns

Reason Number Two for business loan rejections: A loan underwriter finds an issue on tax returns that disqualifies a business borrower under the bank’s lending standards. This “issue” will often be inadequate net income, but when commercial loan underwriters analyze income tax returns, there can be a wide variety of other possibilities which produce the same disapproval.

Strategy Number Two for converting the rejected commercial real estate loan into an approved business loan: Commercial borrowers will never have this reason to worry about if they have applied for a “Stated Income” commercial mortgage loan. Very few traditional lenders use a Stated Income process (no income verification, no tax returns, no IRS Form 4506) for a commercial loan.

Business borrowers should look for lenders using Stated Income business loans. This approach, however, will not work for all commercial loans due to a prevailing maximum loan of $3 million for typical Stated Income commercial mortgage situations.

Commercial Mortgage Rejections: (3) Cash Out Limitations

Reason Number Three for commercial mortgage loan and business loan disapprovals: When a business attempts to refinance their commercial property loan and wants to get significant cash out, it is normal for a traditional bank to restrict what the funds are used for and to severely limit the amount of cash received. Even though the bank is willing to make the commercial loan, if they won’t provide the cash required by the commercial borrower, this is similar to rejecting the loan.

Strategy Number Three for converting the declined commercial mortgage into an approved commercial real estate loan: As mentioned above, there are other commercial lending options available. The commercial borrower’s mission (and it is not impossible at all) is to use a commercial real estate lender that will allow them to get much larger amounts of cash out of a commercial refinancing without restrictions on what they do with it.

Commercial Mortgage Rejections: (4) Collateral Required

Reason Number Four for business loan rejections: The bank will not approve a commercial mortgage loan without collateral, typically as a lien on the commercial borrower’s personal residence or other personal assets.

Strategy Number Four for converting the rejected commercial real estate loan into an approved business loan: Commercial mortgage borrowers should seek out business lenders that do not cross collateralize assets as a requirement for receiving a commercial loan. This will provide more options for the borrower and eliminate unnecessary and unwise connections between personal and commercial assets.

Commercial Mortgage Rejections: (5) Business Plan Requirements

Reason Number Five for commercial mortgage loan and business loan disapprovals: A bank’s loan officer determines that the business plan does not support the needed commercial loan.

Strategy Number Five for converting the rejected commercial real estate loan into an approved business loan: Business borrowers should experience fewer delays and profit from dealing with a commercial lender that does not have a business plan requirement due to several key benefits:

(A) Reduce commercial loan costs by thousands of dollars. A common range for an average business plan (prepared to typical bank specifications) is $5,000 to $10,000.

(B) Shorten the business financing closing period. Business plan preparation is likely to take 1-2 months or more.

(C) If a professional business plan is not needed, an approval for the business financing requires one less item.

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