Business owners are likely to be distressed when a commercial loan application is turned down and will be unsure as to why it took place and how to avoid a similar problem again. Practical solutions are provided for each of the key situations typically resulting in rejected commercial real estate loans.

Two reasons (tax returns and business plan requirements) could impact virtually all commercial loans. Many loan officers will begin their review of potential commercial real estate loans by stating "We will need to see at least three years of tax returns" and "Can you show me your business plan?" before proceeding.

Small business mortgage requests are sometimes too unique for a traditional commercial lender. In these situations (even if a business owner has an adequate business plan and favorable tax returns), it is not unusual for commercial borrowers to be declined for business loans by a traditional commercial bank.

The five major issues described here are very common problems encountered by business owners. It is likely that two or three of the reasons described will be important for typical commercial real estate loans.

(1) Commercial Real Estate That is Used for Special Purposes. Reason number one for business loan rejections is that the lender does not make commercial mortgage loans for the type of business involved. As one illustration, very few commercial lenders will provide financing for bars and restaurants. In a similar fashion, an auto service business is often given expensive and unnecessary environmental stipulations. There are many special purpose commercial properties such as campgrounds, churches, funeral homes and gas stations that most traditional lenders have eliminated from their commercial lending program.

Strategy number one for converting the disapproved business loan into an approved commercial mortgage loan is realizing that there are reasonable options beyond traditional commercial lenders. There are capable lenders that are interested in special purpose properties. When a traditional bank cannot make a commercial loan, the best loan options will probably be found from a commercial lender considered to be non-traditional.

(2) Tax Returns. Reason number two for commercial loan disapprovals is when loan officers find a problem on an income tax return that disqualifies a commercial borrower under the bank's loan guidelines. This "problem" will typically be related to net income after business deductions, but when loan officers review tax returns, there are many possibilities which will result in the same outcome.

Strategy number two for converting the declined commercial mortgage into an approved commercial real estate loan is to apply for a "Stated Income" commercial loan. Very few traditional banks use Stated Income (no tax returns, no income verification, no IRS Form 4506) for business loans. Borrowers should search for commercial lenders using Stated Income commercial financing. Because the normal maximum stated income loan is two million dollars, this particular solution cannot be used in all cases.

(3) Cash Out Limitations. The third reason for rejection of business loans will be seen frequently during refinancing attempts which involve a need to obtain cash by the borrower. It is common for a traditional commercial lender to limit what the funds are used for and to restrict the amount of cash to as little as $100,000. Borrowers should realize that the bank is essentially disapproving the loan when they refuse to provide adequate cash to the business owner.

Strategy number three for converting the declined commercial mortgage into an approved commercial real estate loan is to seek alternative business financing. 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.

(4) Collateral Required. Reason number four for commercial mortgage loan disapprovals is that the bank will not make a commercial loan without sufficient collateral such as a lien on personal assets.

Strategy number four for converting the declined commercial mortgage into an approved commercial real estate loan is for commercial borrowers to 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.

(5) Required Business Plan. 0Reason number five for commercial mortgage disapprovals is when a bank's loan officer determines that the business plan does not support the needed commercial loan.

The fifth strategy is to avoid lenders which require a business plan, and this approach can save both time and money. This can result in several primary advantages:

(A) Decrease commercial mortgage costs by several thousand dollars. A typical business plan (prepared to normal bank specifications) costs $5,000 to $10,000.

(B) Shorten the business financing closing period. A typical time for a business plan to be prepared is one to two months.

(C) Commercial financing approvals will involve fewer requirements when a business plan is not mandatory.

Unfortunately, the circumstances described in this article are responsible for many commercial finance difficulties. However, as noted above, the five key reasons for loan officers rejecting business loans can be overcome by most business owners. In addition to the five common small business mortgage problems noted in this article, there are several other significant difficulties that will benefit from timely and effective commercial loan strategies.