Business Loans - Strategies for Avoiding Rejections Posted By :

Navigation: Main page » Business

 Print this page Submit articleComment article

Author: Commercial borrowers are likely to be confused when they are turned down and will probably be unsure

Article source: http://www.articledeshboard.com/. Used with author's permission.

When lenders disapprove commercial loans, business owners need to be prepared to take appropriate action. Because rejected commercial real estate loans are common, it is important for borrowers to have an alternative strategy for obtaining business loans.

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) Special Purpose Commercial Property. 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. Specialized commercial lenders will regularly be interested in special purpose property financing. The best loan might be available only from a non-traditional commercial lender when traditional banks won't make the requested commercial loan.

(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. Many commercial lenders will severely restrict how much cash can be obtained as well as what can be done with the money. Borrowers should realize that the bank is essentially disapproving the loan when they refuse to provide adequate cash to the business owner.

The third strategy for responding to a commercial mortgage rejection is to search for alternate sources for the loan. An important goal for a commercial borrower is to find a lender that will not impose unfair restrictions in how refinancing cash is to be used.

(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) Reduce the period needed to complete business financing. 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. Similarly, with proper advice and strategies for small business mortgages, commercial real estate loans that are disapproved for other reasons (beyond the five issues described here) can also result in successful and effective commercial loans.

Steve Bush is a small business loans expert - learn how to avoid mistakes with commercial loans and find out about business cash management strategies at AEX Commercial Financing Group => aexcommercialfinancing.com