A commercial mortgage is a loan made using real estate as collateral to secure repayment. A commercial mortgage is similar to a residential mortgage, except the collateral is a commercial building or other business real estate, not residential property. In addition, commercial mortgages are typically taken on by businesses instead of individual borrowers. The borrower may be a partnership, incorporated business, or limited company, so assessment of the creditworthiness of the business can be more complicated than is the case with residential mortgages.
Some commercial mortgages are nonrecourse, that is, that in the event of default in repayment, the creditor can only seize the collateral, but has no further claim against the borrower for any remaining deficiency. The general reason for this is twofold: many laws significantly prevent the creditor from going after the borrower for any deficiency, and mortgages structured for sale as bonds give a higher priority to constantly receiving some sort of income and therefore require a clause which allows the lender to take the property immediately, regardless of bankruptcy proceedings that the borrower might be going through.
Frequently, the mortgage is supplemented by a general obligation of the borrower or a personal guarantee from the owner(s), which makes the debt payable in full even if foreclosure on the mortgaged collateral does not satisfy the outstanding balance.
Terms of a commercial mortgage
The majority of Commercial Mortgages in the United States, while requiring the borrower to simply make a monthly payment small enough to pay off the loan over a 20 to 30 year time frame, require a balloon payment (a total payoff) after a lesser time frame. The borrower most likely will attempt at that time to refinance the loan or sell the property. Thus there are two elements generally to the term of a commercial mortgage loan: the length of time allowed until balloon payment (known simply as the term), and the amortization. The length of the loan can vary from a matter of days to 30 years. If a loan had a 30 year amortization schedule, but a 10 year term it would commonly be referred to as a 10 year balloon with a 30 year payment schedule.
As an example, assume a $15,000,000 loan at 8% interest with a 30 year amortization schedule and 10 year term (a 10/30 loan) with monthly payments. The payment amount would be $110,065 per month or $1,320,776 per year if it were on a typical 360 day accrual (in Excel: =PMT(8%/12,30*12,15000000,0)*12 ).
Applications of commercial mortgage loans
Common applications of commercial mortgage loans include acquiring land or commercial properties, expanding existing facilities or refinancing existing debt. Common commercial properties are zoned for office, retail, & industrial purposes.
Commercial premises are purchased for many reasons. One may require bigger premises to cope with expansion, or you may be buying property, whereby the property is directly linked to a business e.g. a hotel. Commercial Mortgages are usually made with terms less than 10 years, but may be much longer than this. The Property itself is usually at risk if payments are not made on time.
Commercial Mortgages are often used for a variety of purposes:
- To purchase the premises of the business.
- For the extension of existing premises.
- Residential and commercial investment.
- Developing the property in other manners.
Lenders' criteria
Most banks and building societies offer commercial mortgages, but you must satisfy the lenders' criteria for qualification. The primary criterion is the debt service coverage ratio or the ratio of cash available to the required loan payments. Some lenders may accept applications where there is an adverse credit history, but most require a positive personal credit rating and clear evidence that your business is creditworthy. Most will apply a loan-to-value ratio and will expect you to invest a proportion of your own money into the purchase.
The lender's decision will also depend on your current business circumstances - a commercial lender will expect your business to be stable and profitable. They may ask to see your business plan and long-term financial projections, to assure themselves that your business has, and will continue to have, the ability to make repayments on the loan. Some lenders impose restrictions on the uses of commercial premises and certain business concerns may be excluded altogether. The terms of a commercial mortgage will depend largely on the type of business you're running and the type of premises or land you want to buy. This is a complex area and it's essential that you seek specialist advice from your solicitor and probably a chartered surveyor.
