A commercial mortgage involves any kind of real estate loan for an income-producing property that’s meant to be used for business purposes. Commercial mortgages can be used to purchase such buildings as hotels, office buildings, and shopping centers. If you require a commercial mortgage for a building that you wish to purchase or invest in, you should think about obtaining assistance from a commercial mortgage broker. These brokers are financial specialists who have the experience and training needed to provide investors and businesses with assistance in securing a standard commercial mortgage loan. Commercial mortgage brokers also provide investors and businesses with advice on which options are right for them, which allows them to make the right decision for their company or investment portfolio.
Mortgage brokers have comprehensive knowledge of the mortgage process, which means that they can help you find the best interest rates and loan terms. Their expertise gives them the ability to understand all of the financial options available to investors and businesses that are looking for a commercial property. The connections that mortgage brokers build should allow for a smooth loan application process. The following provides an in-depth look at why it’s important for investors and businesses to retain the services of a commercial mortgage broker.
Benefits of a Commercial Mortgage for Your Business
When you’re getting ready to expand your business, there are many benefits that can be derived from obtaining a commercial mortgage as opposed to renting office space. For one, purchasing a building outright with the assistance of a commercial mortgage can often times be cheaper than renting. While the upfront spending for the building can be very high with a possible down payment of 10-40 percent, you should be able to save a significant amount of money over the duration of the loan.
When you purchase a property for your business, it’s also possible for you to make money depending on how much of the space you’re using. If you’re only expecting to use around 60 percent of the space in the building, you could rent out the other space to smaller businesses that need office space for their operations. This option isn’t available when you rent a building for your business. Your monthly rent payments would also likely be significantly higher than the monthly payments on your mortgage, which is why renting the property would be more expensive than purchasing it. Along with the standard rental payments, you would likely be tasked with paying for utilities, maintenance costs, insurance, and property taxes.
Another key benefit of obtaining a commercial mortgage is that this type of mortgage assists with the future financing of your company. In the event that the property goes up in price, your business capital will increase as well. As the equity of the building increases, you will be able to use the equity to provide further funding for any growth or expansion that you believe your company is ready for. Keep in mind that the rate of appreciation will vary depending on such factors like interest rates, local supply, inflation rates, and demand conditions. Purchasing a property also comes with substantial tax breaks in the form of deductions for depreciation, expenses that aren’t related to the mortgage, and interest.
More Reasons to Take Out a Commercial Mortgage
There are additional reasons that you might want to take out a commercial mortgage, the primary of which is that it will provide you with the ability to secure land-development ventures as an investor. If you believe that you’ve found a location that would be ideal for land development and would provide high returns, you might want to take out a commercial mortgage to help you pay for the purchase of the land and eventual development of property on that land.
This type of mortgage will also provide you with the ability to add to your buy-to-let portfolio. When you invest in a buy-to-let mortgage, you will be purchasing the property as a building that you will rent out in order to obtain returns on your investment. If you’re not purchasing the property with the intent to live in it, you won’t be able to use a standard mortgage to purchase the property. Keep in mind that most lenders of these mortgages will require a down payment of 20-40 percent, which should help you get a low-interest rate of 2-5 percent.
There are many benefits that come with adding a buy-to-let property to your portfolio. For instance, this type of investment is designed to be used as a long-term investment that will have consistent growth. While real estate prices can fluctuate somewhat, they have been stable over the past decade, which means that the value of your property should continue to grow as you own it. When you rent out a property, you will be able to generate income from your tenants, which should help you make your mortgage payments while also increasing the returns on your investment. Profits can be increased further if you can obtain a low-interest rate on the mortgage. While investing in a buy-to-let property isn’t automatically a perfect investment that will net you a high return, it’s a relatively low-risk investment that will allow you to diversify your portfolio without increasing the risk by a substantial amount.
What Makes a Good Commercial Mortgage Broker?
Once you’ve made the decision to obtain a commercial mortgage for your business or as an investment opportunity, it’s highly recommended that you find a good commercial mortgage broker who will be able to guide you through the process and help you find the ideal mortgage. A good mortgage broker will have great connections and a vast network that they can tap into when helping a client. It’s important to understand that a mortgage broker represents your interests rather than the interests of a lending institution, which means that they will do everything they can to find the best deals for you in a commercial mortgage.
Because of the connections that a good mortgage broker has, the one you choose should be able to provide you with the greatest value in terms of interest rate, repayment amounts, and loan products. In order to maximize your investment or make low monthly payments on the mortgage, it’s important that you find the lowest interest rates that are available. Since mortgage brokers aren’t loyal to a single lending institution, they can look across the entire industry and numerous lenders in order to find the lowest rates.
When you go to meet a mortgage broker who you feel will provide you with exemplary service, it’s recommended that you attend this meeting with a high credit score, which will also help you obtain a low-interest rate when it comes to the commercial mortgage. If your credit score is hovering in the low 600’s or even lower, you will likely need to increase it if you want your application for a commercial mortgage to be improved.
There are several ways that you can effectively improve your credit score. For one, make sure that you start paying all of your bills on time. Once you do, your score should start to increase little by little. Missed payments can lower a person’s credit score significantly, which is why you’ll want to keep any late payments at a minimum. If you have any debts at the moment, you can also work to pay these debts off over time, which will help you increase your current score. Low utilization on your credit card can also keep your credit score high. If your credit card utilization is below 30 percent, your credit score should increase with each passing month.
*Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of AB Capital. AB Capital makes no representations, warranties or guaranties as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in this article. AB Capital is licensed by the Financial Division of the California Department of Business Oversight as a California finance lender and broker (DBO Lic. No. 60DBO-69427). AB Capital makes money from providing bridge loans. Nothing stated in this article should be interpreted, construed or used as legal, financial, investment or tax planning advice, or a substitute for thorough due diligence and the exercise of sound independent judgment. If you are considering obtaining a bridge loan, it is recommended that you consult with persons that you trust including but not limited to real estate brokers, attorneys, accountants or financial advisors.