Commercial Loan Problems - Business Financing Choices

Commercial lenders and commercial loan brokers are not as proactive about business financing problems as they could be. Because of this tendency, I have published a separate commercial loan article about business financing lenders to avoid. The focus of this article is on the equally important business loan problems often ignored by commercial borrowers and lenders alike.

Unanticipated circumstances can lead to unexpected problems with a commercial loan, and borrowers should be ready for these business financing scenarios. There are several critical commercial loan difficulties to be circumvented with business financing. Business loan problems are more serious and prevalent than many borrowers would imagine.

Although some of these obstacles might be unavoidable, in most cases these business loan challenges can be overcome. By anticipating these recurring business financing problems, commercial borrowers and their advisors will be more able to take corrective action before it is too late.

(1) Proactive Commercial Loan Example Number 1: Seasoning of ownership and sourcing-seasoning assets. This commercial mortgage difficulty will not matter to all borrowers. When it does apply, business borrowers should insist on a lender without seasoning and sourcing requirements.

Some commercial lenders will require borrowers to document the source of the down payment for a purchase (sourcing). Commercial lenders will also frequently require that business financing down payment funds be substantiated, most commonly for 1-12 months (seasoning). Seasoning of ownership is based on the minimum time a commercial property must be owned before refinancing can occur.

(2) Proactive Commercial Loan Example Number 2: A borrower wants to use a seller second or other secondary financing to decrease the down payment required to buy a business property.

Many commercial loan programs will not permit a seller second. With business financing through less restrictive commercial lenders, a borrower will be able to employ a seller second and reduce their down payment needs.

(3) Avoidable Commercial Mortgage Scenario Number 3: A business loan scenario that requires long-term business financing. How long is a long-term commercial loan? Business lenders often consider 3 years as the maximum period before a balloon payment will be due for a commercial mortgage.

For those of you who feel that is a short-term business loan, you should restrict your options to commercial lenders that routinely offer a period of 30 years for a commercial loan. Long-term business financing will help facilitate a profitable commercial property investment because monthly commercial mortgage payments will be reduced, monthly cash flow will improve and new commercial financing will not be an issue for many years.

(4) Proactive Commercial Loan Example Number 4: Business financing recall terms. Business loan recall conditions will often allow the commercial lender to force the borrower to repay their loan before the normal loan expiration. This possibility is not relevant to business borrowers if their commercial loan does not contain such recall terms.

Business lenders regularly include recall clauses in their business loan agreements. The provisions which will prompt a recall will vary and typically include annual business lender monitoring of financial statements, tax returns and credit history. Without agreed income, tax returns and credit standards, the lender can choose to require the borrower to pay off the commercial loan within a very short period of time.

Business Financing Recall Contingency Plans: With a commercial loan recall, borrowers will need to refinance with a lender quickly. Prudent borrowers will exclude lenders that require recall agreements when evaluating business loan refinancing options.

Borrowers would be wise to exclude business loans with recall terms so that they will not be confronted with an unanticipated recall situation. If business borrowers have recall conditions in their current commercial mortgage, it will be equally wise to actively pursue commercial loan refinancing before a recall is initiated by the lender so that refinancing involves a timetable convenient to the borrower.

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