Commercial borrowers will frequently discover that lenders and business financing brokers are not adequately proactive about commercial loan obstacles. To address this, I have published a related business loan article about business lenders to circumvent. The central point of this article is about key commercial financing obstacles which business borrowers and lenders often fail to see in time.

Unexpected business financing possibilities can result in severe complications with a business loan, and business borrowers should be prepared for these commercial financing circumstances. There are many potential business loan obstacles to be evaded with commercial financing. Business financing problems with a typical commercial loan are more numerous and serious than most business borrowers would think.

Some of these difficulties might be unavoidable, but in most cases these business financing challenges can be successfully overcome. By being aware of these common commercial loan obstacles, borrowers and their advisors will be properly positioned to take timely and appropriate corrective action.

(1) Avoidable Commercial Mortgage Scenario Number 1: Asset sourcing/seasoning and ownership seasoning. This potential business financing obstacle will not apply to all commercial borrowers. If it is applicable, borrowers need a lender without sourcing-seasoning limitations.

Many commercial lenders will request business borrowers to document the source of the down payment (sourcing). Commercial lenders sometimes require that funds for a commercial mortgage down payment be verified, often for a period of up to 12 months (seasoning). If a lender imposes a minimum time a commercial property must be owned in order to refinance, this indicates seasoning of ownership.

(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) Proactive Commercial Loan Example Number 3: Business financing that needs a long-term commercial loan. Is long-term financing really possible for a business loan? Some lenders will only offer 5 years before commercial real estate financing will expire with a balloon payment due.

If that sounds like short-term business financing instead of long-term, there are business lenders that can arrange 30-year commercial mortgage loans. Longer-term business financing will often be the critical difference that facilitates a successful business investment because new business financing will not be required for many years and commercial loan payments will also be reduced.

(4) Avoidable Commercial Mortgage Scenario Number 4: Business loan recall provisions. Commercial loan recall covenants mean that the business lender can force the borrower to repay early by calling the loan before it would normally expire. This potential concern is not applicable to all borrowers since some business financing agreements will not allow a loan recall possibility.

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.

Contingency Plans for Business Loan Recalls: When borrowers receive a business financing recall, they must quickly obtain refinancing assistance. When reviewing commercial loan choices for refinancing, borrowers should exclude potential lenders that require recall terms.

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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