How To Make Money With A Commercial Bridge Loan

Commercial bridge loans can be a sound investment in the future, not just as a businessman in need of one, but as an investor looking to make his money grow without taking on too much risk.

You just got a nice bonus at work. As tempting as it would be to waste the money on a sports car, luxury vacations, or the most impressive home theater system ever built, you know you should do the smart thing and try to make your money grow. Make the right investment decisions and you can still have the vacations and home theater system after you retire and have time to use them.

But your buddy lost his shirt in a recent investment, and you are a little paranoid about suffering the same fate. What should you do? What has a limited amount of risk, but still has a decent gain?

Maybe you should get involved with a commercial real estate lender who approves commercial bridgeloans!

Why Commercial Bridge Loans?

What is a commercial bridge loan? It is not unusual for a business to need cash to keep from going into foreclosure or to cover costs while waiting for long-term financing to be approved. In those situations, a commercial bridge loan can be obtained. Since they are short-term and do come with a little more risk than a mortgage, the interest rate will be a little higher. So why should you invest in them?

If you allowed your money to be used for a commercial mortgage, you wouldn’t see it all again for a very long time. Commercial bridge loans, however, are short-term loans (often from as little as two weeks to three years) so you will see your money again a lot quicker than the 10-30 years it would take to get it all back from a commercial mortgage.

Loans are secured by commercial assets so should the borrower default your investment is safe. Your broker will have the loan placed in First Position, so a default does occur when the property goes up for auction you are paid first.

As the borrower makes payments, you will receive monthly payments as well a 6 percent yield. Most lenders will likely have no problem reinvesting it so that your money can keep working for you.

Is Investing In CommercialBridge Loans Worth The Risk?

If there were an investment that did not have some level of risk, it would have people waiting in line to get in. Everyone wants to earn money while not taking a chance on losing it. However, there is no such thing. Every investment will have some percentage of risk.

With a commercial bridge loan, your investment is secured by the commercial property the borrower used as collateral, but that does not mean the borrower is going to make every payment. Business could fall off, demand could slip, a scandal could taint the product or company, someone could embezzle money—there is a host of things that could go wrong.

Yes, there is the collateral that will be sold at auction, but there is no guarantee on how it will sell. So—is the risk worth the reward? Only you can answer that question.

 

Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO/MLO

Level 4 Funding LLC
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444 
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177 
Dennis@level4funding.com
www.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.

Commercial Mortgage: Tips and Tricks To Get Approved

Getting approved for a commercial mortgage can be challenging, but the process can be made easier by following certain tips.

Before you go into an interview, it is considered a good practice to find out as much as you can about your potential employers. Before taking a test, it can help to know what sort of questions an instructor likes to ask. Before taking a date to the movies, it is smart to know if she prefers comedies over action movies or romantic flicks over horror shows.

Just like job interviews, tests, and dates, the process of getting a commercial mortgage approved can go a lot smoother if you adhere to certain tips.

Tips To Help You Get Your Commercial Mortgage Approved

•    Location: Lenders prefer to enter into relationships with local businesses so don’t bother looking into any that are out of state or without an office in your metropolitan area. This doesn’t mean you can’t get approved by someone out of state, but you’ll get better terms from a local lender.

•    Don’t go with the first lender you see or talk to. There are a lot of potential lenders out there, and they all want your business. Terms can vary widely from one lender to the next, so you want to talk to a few and see who offers the best deal.

•    Be careful when dealing with private lenders. If they are pushing you to pay for fees upfront early in the process, there is a good chance they are crooks trying to run a scam.

•    Make sure you know how long your lender takes to approve loans. You want to ensure you allow enough time for it to get done before you need it. Expect it to take a while.

•    Only the lender can order an appraisal. So if you are working with a mortgage broker, don’t be talked into getting one.

•    If the lender wants you to get an appraisal, get a term sheet first. It is not legally binding, but it will give you an idea of what you are going to get before you pay for anything.

•    If you are not trying to get a loan through the bank you use, offer to switch your accounts to their institution should your loan get approved.

•    Be aware of any hidden costs your lender may charge before you even get the process started. No sense in wasting time if it is going to cost you money just to apply for a loan.

A Successful Approval Can Depend On Proper Documentation

No matter how many tips you follow or how many hoops you jump through, you will have a hard time getting your commercial mortgage approved if you can’t provide the lender with the appropriate documentation when asked.

At some point during the process, your lenders are going to want to see certain documentation. Whatever it is, make sure you have it on hand. One of the quickest ways to get turned down is to fail to provide something requested. So get organized and have it ready.

Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO/MLO

Level 4 Funding LLC
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444 
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177 
Dennis@level4funding.com
www.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.

Commercial Bridge Loan and You: What You Need to Know

Dreaming of an Investment Property? Well, find out if a commercial bridge loan is your dream come true or a nightmare.

In any industry things can move quickly, commercial real estate or investment properties are no different. Sometimes, it is your best interest to move quickly with a purchase. For instance, say you are interested in a foreclosed property time is usually of the essence i.e. you need to move quickly in order to purchase said property before someone else does. This particular scenario is when most commercial buyers consider applying for a commercial bridge loan.  Other instances where many companies looking into bridge financing is when their current mortgage is due and they have yet to find or rather secure a replacement mortgage or if a company needs to cover shortfalls in regards to general capital say for an upcoming balloon payment.

If you are not quite sure what a bridge loan is? There’s no need to panic, as you will become very familiar with this kind of commercial loan, especially if you are interested in moving fast on future investment property. Thus, without further ado, a bridge loan, as suggested is a quick fix to financing. In essence, this particular type o f loan is a short-term loan (can over a period as short as two weeks or up to three years) and it essentially gets its name from bridging the gap between until long-term financing is secured.

Generally, a commercial bridge loan is not overly complicated or difficult to apply for.  Nevertheless, the real issue with this particular kind of commercial loan is that for all its advantages such as a possible lack of prepayment penalty, there are definitely some setbacks to this kind of financing options. Thus, it is important that you manage your expectations when looking for short-term financing.

Managing Your Expectations with a Commercial Bridge Loan

Of course, managing your expectations may sound daunting, but what this really means knowing what you are getting out a  commercial bridge loan.  In other words, you are getting short-term solutions at a higher and more expensive interest rate. Moreover, as previously mentioned, understand your definition of short-term financing. If you need short-term financing but do not fall within the standard timeframe, then it’s probably time to get creative versus applying for a bridge loan for your commercial property or business. Lastly, it is common practice to pay off or repay your short-term financing in full upon receiving your replacement loan-term capital (new mortgage loan, new tenants, refinancing or selling and purchasing) and by time the necessary improvements have been made. Clearly, this common practice of repayment in full as soon as possible makes perfect sense due to the higher interest rates and overall costs of utilizing a non-residential bridge loan.

Learn More

Ultimately, if you still have questions or think that a bridge loan i.e. short-term financing will work for your commercial needs then it never hurts to do your own research in addition to speaking with a lender that has experience with non-residential bridge loans for more details.

Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO/MLO

Level 4 Funding LLC
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444 
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177 
Dennis@level4funding.com
www.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.

Commercial Bridge Loan: How to Evaluate the Pros and Cons

You are more than likely aware of your commercial short-term financing options and how they can help you achieve your long-term goals at this point. Nevertheless, if you are leaning towards a commercial bridge loan, make sure you weigh all the pros and cons before making your final decision.

The commercial bridge loans are a lot of things. For instance, these particular kind loans may be just what you need for your future endeavor, they can be the capital you were hoping for and they can help you realize your investment goals in record time. But, for all the good that comes with commercial short-term financing, there are still a few minor disadvantages and one major disadvantage to this particular kind of commercial financing.

In fact, the story always starts out the same. So often you will see a bright, business savvy person with a great investment plan get a commercial bridge loan without weighing the pros and the cons. Consequently, their great investment can easily blow up in their face because they did not truly take the time to consider one of the biggest disadvantages—larger or rather costly regular payments. Sure, this business savvy individual more than likely was aware that short-term financing is just that short-term and with all things short-term there tends to be a price. But, like most people, this bright, savvy business person simply did not realize exactly how short-term affects the repayment process.

Additionally, most commercial bridge loan lenders are simply not flexible with it comes to delayed or delinquent payments. This means before you know it you could be struggling to pay late payments, penalties, and even larger loan fees. You may even think well making sure you have permanent financing lined up will ensure that you won’t end up owning an absorbent amount of money on regular basis. Well, of course, long-term financing that is readily available will help solve this problem, but long-term financing that isn’t quite yet available means you still incur interest (high interest) on your commercial bridge loan in the meantime.

Beyond the Pitfalls

So at this point you are probably wondering—well if bridge loans have the ability to turn into a financial nightmare, why are they still so popular in the investment property industry? Well, as previously mentioned, when handled right, bridge loans can ultimately help get the job done. Moreover, most lenders allow their borrowers to choose from several repayment options. Thus, if you take the time thoroughly think through your current and future financial situation, your plans for your commercial property as well as just how you plan to pay your loan back in full then a bridge loan isn’t a nightmare waiting to happen.  

Dreams come true when you think things through

Ultimately, as previously mentioned, short-term financing may be just what you need to get your next business venture going. But, it is always in your best interest to look at a commercial bridge loan or any other kind of short-term financing from every possible angle to ensure that you are not putting yourself in a worse position than you started out in.

Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO/MLO

Level 4 Funding LLC
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444 
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177 
Dennis@level4funding.com
www.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.

Applying For A Commercial Bridge Loan

So you’ve decided that short-term financing is the best option for your new construction or upcoming investment. But, you’ve never applied for a commercial bridge loan before—no worries let’s go over the basics.

Applying for a commercial bridge loan is not necessarily any different than applying for any other kind of commercial loan. In other words, you still need the right documentation and a lender that understands your particular business needs or market. Thus, if this is not your first commercial loan, which it more than likely is not, you’re in luck. You do not have to lose sleep over narrowing down your short-term financing options.

With that being said, it may be more beneficial for you to focus on why a commercial bridge loan is right for you next project. For instance, say you already have an investment property or two underneath your belt and you are looking to make a few upgrades or improvements. If this scenario sounds familiar to you, then great! This is exactly the time for a short-term financing. Generally,  you can be approved for this particular loan if your new construction will take some time but will not exceed three or more years depending on your specific market( hint: construction that takes longer than three years, in general, is not a little upgrade).  In fact, non-residential bridge loans can be for a small time period of say two weeks or you if you go with a more traditional lender you may find bridge loans that range from 45 to 60 days.

Ultimately, when you start talking about years’ worth of upgrades you may want to rethink your need for short-term financing. However, it is important to note that you may be able to find a lender that offers what is known as bridge-to-permanent programs. These particular kinds of programs can make the transition from short-term financing to long-term financing more seamless (for a price of course).

                                  

Is a Bridge-to-Perm Loan a Win-win Solution?

Yes, in many ways a bridge-to-perm loan is a win-win solution, especially if you are not necessarily interested in taking the time to secure more financing or possibly work with another lender all together. The fact is it is often a lot easier to stay with the lender or bank you know. Thus, if you are currently working with a lender or bank that offers such programs, it would definitely be in your best interest to check out a bridge-to-perm loan programs or two.

Not to be confused with a Mini-Perm loan

As a side note, it is also important to understand that a bridge loan, a bridge-to-perm loans and a mini-perm loan are different from one another in what they ultimately offer. At this point, you probably are clear on the first two kinds of loans and what they can do for your commercial venture. Thus, the last thing to cover is what a mini-perm loan offers. A mini-perm is still a first mortgage on an investment property for mainly construction, but the terms of the loan differ i.e. typically this is a bank loan  that covers a  two to three years  period and it can either be an interest only loan or an amortized loan.

Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO/MLO

Level 4 Funding LLC
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444 
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177 
Dennis@level4funding.com
www.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.

Commercial Real Estate Loan? Things To Consider BEFORE Prepaying

There are different types of stipulations you have to follow if you are thinking about applying for a commercial real estate loan. In this brief article you will learn about how prepayment may affect the way your loan is handled.

No one likes having loans. Well, no one likes having to pay off loans over a long period of time. For most people that invest in a commercial real estate loan, however, are usually locked into a fixed rate of interest. Based on this agreement most lenders will allow you to pay off to 20 percent of your commercial real estate loan each year. For the business owners that do not follow that rule, there are some penalties that you may face.

It may seem like a weird way to calculate, believe it or not, many business and homeowners do can do this without even realizing it. For example, say you have a home that you are using to rent out to tenants. After which you decide that you want to sell the property you could potentially pay off your loan. Refinancing is another way that many people pay off their commercial real estate loan in full, as well. You do, however, end up with another loan on top of that. Once this happens you will have penalties that follow.

If you do decide to prepay your commercial real estate loan may run into more than one roadblock

When it comes to prepayment penalties there are two different types that you may face. They are called soft and hard penalties. When a lender allows a soft prepayment penalty option you are able to sell the asset your mortgage is based on. However, if you do decide to refinance it then you have to will receive prepayment penalty.

On the other hand, if your lender gives you a hard prepayment penalty in your agreement it is a little harsher.  In this case, if you were to sell your property or refinance it you would receive a prepayment penalty either way. With this type of prepayment penalty, it makes it harder for an investor that may want to back out of their business.

There are things you can do to soften the prepaying blow that your commercial real estate loan throw you

Defeasance is something that may help you with the prepayment penalties that come with your commercialreal estate loan. Defeasance is defined as an action that reduces and eventually nullifies what you have to pay. Usually, the institution that you are dealing with will have to review your assets and decide with you are able to use as collateral to cover the penalty on your commercial real estate loan.

Once that collateral is sold the borrower receives government securities so thereafter they can sell or refinance their property. Usually, this can take a little over a month to complete, however, it is possible to ask for a quicker sell. If you do decide to speed up the process, however, you do have to pay a premium for expedition services.

Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO/MLO

Level 4 Funding LLC
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444 
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177 
Dennis@level4funding.com
www.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.

How To Use Collateral When Applying For A Commercial Real Estate Loan

When purchasing a new property for your business you most likely will have to take out a commercial real estate loan. This article will show you how collateral works and what you can use as collateral for your property.

There are a lot of things business owners have to take into consideration when applying for commercial real estate loan.  One major issue some small business owners may run into is not having the assets to cover the costs of the loan itself. This is where collateral comes into the picture. Collateral is defined as an asset or assets that are pledged to a lender in the event that you cannot pay your loan back. This is a good thing because it forces you to loan against your assets. The amount of money you receive is calculated on a loan to value formula. The higher the value of your assets to more you could potentially be loaned.

This, however, does not mean you can use just anything for your commercial real estate loan

There are many different assets that you already have at your disposal that you may not even know you have. Collateral is broken up into two different categories, real and paper. Real assets you can use for your commercial real estate loan include cars, watercraft and homes. Most banks, however, do not usually accept vacant plots of land as a form of collateral.

Many large corporations will often use other properties to finance the collateral when applying for a commercial real estate loan. You can also use the equipment that your business has, as well. For example, if you have a logging company and you want to take out a loan for an office to run your operation out of you can use your trucks as collateral. You do have to make sure that the equipment that you are going to use as collateral has a new or long working life.

What else can I use for collateral with for my commercial real estate loan?

For business owners that do not have or do not feel comfortable using their real property, you are able to use paper assets. These assets are things that are intangible. Things that fall into this category include stocks, chattel paper, investment funding and payment rights. When it comes to using your company’s stocks you have to be careful of the market. Say your company hits a few roadblocks and your stock drops. The lender could potentially go head and sell off the assets you have pledged.

You are even able you to use the revenue of your company, as well. This type of collateral is based on the projection of your business over a set period of time. Depending on the bank that is planning on loaning you the money you could have a weekly, monthly, quarterly or even annually revenue payment plans.

Usually, if you are applying for a hard money loan this is a great option for your business. Since the loan itself does not last that long, depending on your business’ income you could repay the loan quickly. Before you look into using some of your assets as collateral you definitely want to make sure you look at the all the ins and outs of the plan you choose. 

Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO/MLO

Level 4 Funding LLC
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444 
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177 
Dennis@level4funding.com
www.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.