Loan underwriters & Borrowers

Loan underwriters find something on a tax return that disqualifies a borrower under the bank's lending guidelines. This "something" will frequently be insufficient net income, but when loan underwriters look at tax returns, there are many other possibilities which produce a similar result. For example, IRS Form 4506 (which authorizes the lender to obtain tax returns directly from the IRS) is routinely required by most traditional banks. Some lenders require this form in addition to current tax returns.

Strategy # 2:
Business loan borrowers will NEVER have Reason Number 2 to worry about if they are applying for a "Stated Income" commercial real estate loan. Very few traditional banks use Stated Income (no tax returns, no income verification, no IRS Form 4506) for a commercial mortgage. Commercial borrowers should seek out lenders using Stated Income Commercial Loans and "Limited Documentation Requirements". This strategy will not work for all commercial mortgages since there is a maximum loan amount of $2-3 million for most Stated Income Commercial Mortgage Programs.

Reason # 3:
The bank does not generally make business loans for the type of business involved or imposes special requirements that make the loan impractical for the commercial borrower. Fewer and fewer banks are making loans to bar/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, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, RV parks, marinas, golf courses, bed and breakfast, day care centers, churches and car washes that most traditional banks will not include in their business lending portfolio.

Strategy # 3:
For most business borrowers that can get approved at a traditional bank, there are better options available elsewhere. And "better options" are clearly available ONLY elsewhere when the bank won't make the business loan in the first place! There are very capable commercial lenders that are interested in unique or special purpose properties.

Reason # 4:
When a business is refinancing their current commercial mortgage and wants to get a significant amount of cash out for various uses, it is not unusual for the bank to limit the amount of cash to amounts as small as $100,000. Even though the bank might make the loan, if they won't provide the amount of cash needed by the commercial borrower, this is equivalent to declining the loan.

Strategy # 4:
As mentioned in Strategy Number 3, there are better options available elsewhere! 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 unrestricted cash out of a commercial refinancing, i.e. more cash out and no restrictions on what they do with it.

Reason # 5:
The bank will not provide a business loan without adequate collateral, usually in the form of a lien on personal assets such as the commercial borrower's home.

Strategy # 5:
Commercial mortgage borrowers should seek out lenders that do not "cross collateralize" assets as a condition for obtaining a business loan. This will provide greater flexibility for the commercial borrower and avoid unnecessary (and unwise) connections between personal and business assets.

The situations described above represent five common examples of commercial mortgage problems that can be avoided. Please see http://steve.bush.googlepages.com/home for a review of twelve commercial real estate loan problems that commercial borrowers should (and can) avoid. Another practical summary ( http://aexcommercialfinancing.com/_wsn/page9.html ) provides 14 reasons that a commercial borrower might not go to a bank for a commercial real estate loan.

Why Banks are Going Out of Business?
Since late 2006, 288 banks closed their doors, while other major banks are in the process of bankruptcy. Indy mac, countrywide, washington mutual, chase wholesale and lately on the verge of a merge wells fargo and wachovia, just to mention some. People are terrified to loose all their savings, so they’re saving money in their homes instead. That is a scary situation for america and the whole world. Which leads me to this question: What is happening to the world?