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Business Finance and Commercial Real Estate Mortgage Loan Choices

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:56:52 +0000

By: Steve Bush

Even though longer-term business finance techniques might be appropriate for many circumstances, there are some important short-term business loan options that will be less costly in producing improved credit card processing and commercial mortgage results for business owners. Short-term business financing choices can be misunderstood because of a preference by many business owners for long-term commercial real estate loan and commercial loan programs.

Two Important Short-Term Business Finance Options

Two of the most overlooked short-term working capital business loan strategies are short-term commercial mortgage loan programs and business cash advance programs in conjunction with credit card processing. Both of these business finance options are relevant for most business owners but are frequently misunderstood.

Short-term Programs for Commercial Real Estate Investment Financing

A long-term business loan is appropriate for many businesses that own commercial real estate investment property. Business properties should normally be financed with a combination of short-term and long-term business finance funds. When a longer-term commercial mortgage is viable, it is preferable to secure long-term business financing, preferably for 30 years.

However there will be many commercial mortgage loan situations in which longer-term real estate business financing is not appropriate for the business owner. In such circumstances it is important for a business owner to realize that there are viable short-term working capital management options.

When a Short-Term Commercial Mortgage is Appropriate

If a business owner plans to sell or refinance their business within a few years, it is preferable to explore short-term business finance options. The best short-term business loan will have minimal prepayment penalties in comparison to terms commonly included with long-term commercial real estate investment property financing.

The avoidance of business finance prepayment fees and lockout fees fees in some short-term business financing programs is an important benefit of these short-term commercial mortgage approaches. The absence of these potential fees could produce a savings of up to 20% or more if the business property is sold during the period which would have involved lockout fees in a longer-term commercial loan.

Short-Term Commercial Real Estate Investment Property Financing Limitations

There are some trade-offs that need to be understood if a business owner chooses shorter-term business financing even though prepayment fees will usually be avoided with a short-term business loan. When short-term commercial real estate financing is a realistic option, the loan-to-value will usually be no higher than 70%, the commercial mortgage will not be readily available for special purpose business investment properties such as golf courses and the interest rate will frequently be in the range of about 12%.

Best Investing Possibilities for a Short-Term Commercial Mortgage Loan

Warehouse, multi-family, office, mixed-use and retail business properties are the best possibilities for short-term business financing. Business owners should be comfortable with a time period of less than three years for a typical short-term business loan.

Fewer Mortgage Lenders for a Short-Term Commercial Real Estate Loan

There will typically be a very small number of commercial real estate investment property lenders who are effective at implementing the short-term commercial mortgage loan strategy properly. There are also a number of problems to be avoided with a short-term commercial real estate loan, so choosing an appropriate provider is extremely important to any business owner considering a short-term business finance program.

Credit Card Processing and Business Cash Advance Programs

For any business that accepts credit cards as a method of payment, a business cash advance is a critical working capital management tool that is often overlooked. Even thriving businesses frequently need more working capital than they can borrow. One of the least-known business finance strategies for successful businesses is potentially the single best working capital loan strategy for obtaining needed cash for growing their business: the use of a merchant cash advance or business cash advance program.

Primary possibilities to take advantage of this business financing program are service and retail businesses. This credit card processing and credit card financing strategy uses credit card receivables to determine the amount of a merchant cash advance.

Working Capital Management: Credit Card Financing and Credit Card Processing

This business financing technique is called credit card financing or credit card factoring. Some business owners might have used a business finance technique referred to as receivables factoring to sell future receivables at a discount and receive immediate cash.

Many service and retail businesses cannot document business receivables to obtain a business loan. Businesses such as bars and restaurants do not typically have receivables to use for business financing.

What these businesses do have in many cases is documented sales volume and documented credit card sales activity. It is this documented level of sales volume and credit card sales activity that becomes a financial asset to the business and its business finance strategies. Business cash advances from $5,000 to $300,000 can usually be obtained based on a merchant’s sales volume and future credit card sales.

A business financing merchant cash advance must usually be paid back in less than 12 months. For business owners that want to renew the working capital cash advance program, it is typically possible to get more working capital after payback of the initial advance.

Limitations and Problems to Avoid with Credit Card Processing and Merchant Cash Advance Programs

As with any successful business finance strategy, there will typically be only a small number of commercial lenders who are effective at implementing this working capital management strategy properly. There are also a number of problems to be avoided with business cash advance programs, so choosing the appropriate provider of this commercial financing service is extremely important to any business owner considering a credit card financing program.

Steve Bush and AEX Commercial Financing Group provide business opportunity loan help, commercial real estate financing advice and publish Commercial Mortgage Reports.

Educate yourself to Amazing Car Finance

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:28:05 +0000

By: Jas

First, you want to figure out where you are going to get your car finance. There are a number of institutions that can get you financing. Banks, credit unions, the dealership, or even auto manufacturers can provide financing for your new or used vehicle.

Second, with a car finance, you need to realize that whether you buy a new or used vehicle will affect your financing. As a general rule, interest rates will be lower on new cars than on used ones. Also, new cars can often qualify for financing over a longer period of time than can used cars.

Next, when it comes to our car finance, don’t believe everything you see or read. Commercials for special financing for those who are first time buyer or have bad credit abound in papers and on the television. These are usually a little too good to come true and come attached with requirements such as extra high down payments and extremely high interest rates. In some cases, both apply to the loan.

Before you go to get your loan, make sure you know about your own credit history. Get a copy of your credit report and go over it with a fine toothed comb. Look at the score as well as the payment histories on it. If anything at all looks incorrect, make sure you get it cleared up. When a lender looks at how much money to give you, they will check out your debt ratios, how long you have been at your job, your history with similar loans, and your credit report as a whole.

Once you are armed and ready to consider your car finance, shop around. It is usually a good idea to look for the financing before you buy the car. You will better know what you qualify for that way. Also, you can use your information to bargain further with the dealer. In order for them to finance your car, you should ask them to beat the rate you have from wherever else you have looked.

Remember that everything is negotiable. Just because the car finance rate you got is pretty good, it doesn’t mean that you have to pay what they ask. Negotiate the rate of your loan, the price of the car, or anything else you can talk to them about. It can’t hurt and you could save yourself a lot of money that way. As the process goes on, don’t get caught up in the numbers. The dealers will try to give you monthly payment numbers only so that you don’t notice any added charges. However, sit down with a calculator and just figure out the payments yourself and you will have nothing to worry about.

How To Look At Your Franchise Financing Options

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:14:07 +0000

By: Kevin Sinclair

So you’ve decided to start working for yourself; congratulations! Being self-employed can be a wonderful thing. Franchising is one of the very best ways to go into business for yourself, but you’ll need financing for your new start-up. If you intend on obtaining financing for your new business venture, start looking at your franchise financing options now. It can take longer than you think to apply and wait for an approval.

Home Equity Loans: This is the least expensive and easiest commercial loan option, generally speaking. If you own your home and have some equity built up in it, you can get a home loan in around a month. A line of credit loan will allow you to draw checks upon this loan as expenses arise. Remember to include you loan payment as a business expense when doing your financial statements.

Your Retirement Account: This is a lesser known franchise financing option. Companies exist who are in the business of converting your retirement account’s funds from a retirement account into a fund for your business. However, this is not the best choice for the risk averse – you are, after all using your retirement funds for this venture, so be cautious if you go this route.

SBA Loan: The Small Business Administration provides loans for start-up businesses; or rather, they give guarantees to banks for these loans. The SBA sets up the loan programs and determines who qualifies for these loans.

Keeping It In The Family: Suppose you have good credit but don’t own your own home. You could (provided you can convince them) use the home of someone in your family as collateral for a SBA or other type of loan. You’ll still have to qualify for the loan of course, but this can be a way of getting collateral for the loan that your business needs.

Asset-Based Lenders: Using an asset-based lender is a possibility if you’ll have to buy equipment and other items for your new business. You won’t be able to finance all of the costs that you’ll incur with one of these loans; there is, for instance, the franchise fee to be paid – but you’ll need less cash on hand at the beginning this way. You collateral for this sort of loan are your assets (equipment, etc.). Keep the interest rate in mid here; the interest rate will be higher for an asset-based loan than for a loan with collateral consisting of real estate.

Sell Stock In Your Corporation: This can take some doing, since you’ll need the services of a lawyer to incorporate your new business venture, not to mention convince investors that buying into your start-up is a good idea. You’ll need a business plan which can excite investors, yet doesn’t sugarcoat the potential risks of the venture.

There are a lot of franchise financing options available out there; these are just a few of the most commonly used ones. It is very important to consider your financing source when deciding whether to buy a franchise or begin any sort of new business.

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of Be Successful News, a site that provides information and articles on how to succeed in your own home or small business.

Why I Love Commercial Financing!

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:07:35 +0000

By: Mario Joyner

Whenever one invests in real estate the most important thing that they have to look for are the finances. Any real estate property be it apartment or other requires huge amounts of money and hence the need of apartment financing. The choice of a particular financing option largely affects the investment outcomes and hence one must tread cautiously in the matter of apartment financing. There are many financing options that one can go for in apartment financing such as banks and private lenders. There are also some prerequisites that one can consider before going in for apartment financing. The traditional methods of apartment financing do not allow much flexibility but with the growth of private lenders there is much flexibility which one can consider in apartment financing.

Apartment Financing Options

Before considering the different financing options one must make sure how long one is going to hold the property and whether the investment is long term or short term because this has important implications in the choice of finance one can get. When one is considering owning the apartment for a short period then one can surely go in for the adjustable rate mortgage or the ARM for short. The ARM apartment financing option offers an interest rate that changes with the index. The initial interest rate in the ARM is more competitive than other apartment financing options. Interest rate fluctuations in the future impact the finances and hence the ARM is important in this regard. Also the maximum interest rate also works as protection for those who hold the mortgage. For those wanting to remain long in the business there is the fixed rate mortgage apartment financing. The rate of interest for the borrowers in this apartment financing remains the same for the whole period of the mortgage and hence it offers the borrowers cost effective apartment finance.

When one goes for the fixed interest rate apartment financing when the interest rates are low all the advantage is for the borrowers since they qualify for the same interest rate until all the loan is repaid. The opposite happens when the interest rates are higher in the market. First time investors must also look for the value of the apartment because it affects the type of finance they will receive. Generally higher the value of the apartment the best interest rates will be got from direct lenders or investment companies. However when the value of the property is smaller one can consider the financing options from ones local banks.

Apartment financing from smaller banks or direct lenders is another important option that one can consider in apartment financing because they offer flexible apartment loans as compared with other reputed banks and lenders. One can have finances like non-recourse as well as partial-recourse loans from the small banks and the direct lenders who are always on the look out for borrowers. In the event of non-repayment of the amount the traditional lenders can claim the property and recover their loan while in the conventional loan the lender cannot claim the apartment for which finance is given but they can claim the property that has been mortgaged as the security for their finances.

Find out more at Learn Apartment Financing

I have been involved in financing for 13 years. I have assisted many real estate investors both residential and commercial with identifying real estate opportunities, financing the acquisition of the real estate while advising the investor during the duration of ownership of the options available for maximum investment return.

Mario D. Joyner
Commercial Financing Finder
THE MONEY FINDERS, LLC

209 S. Stephanie
Suite b265
Henderson, NV 89012

702.237.1639 Phone
800.296.2388 Toll Free
866.313.4439 Fax

In Negotiating for 100% Development Finance

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:02:25 +0000

By: Cherry Bo

When you are looking for 100% funding for your needed commercial development finance, you need to consider some of the things that lenders are looking for. Lenders in development finance UK may be flexible in terms of their clients’ needs, but they are also putting their money at stake so they can also be rigorous about their conditions. In this regard, they want guarantees from you about what they can earn if they provide 100% development finance for your commercial development project.

Brokers for development finance UK are usually providing bespoke service where they assist you in making proposal that are worth for approval. Nevertheless, you need to ensure that they are straightforward in their arrangements and are free from hidden fees. Also, they should be able to give you principle decision within a short period so that you will know what else they require from you.

Usually, you can get the needed 100% development finance if you are an experienced developers or developers who have NHBC/Zurich registered builders working on the project in a variety of structures. Aside from having good track records, sometimes, development finance UK will assess your ability to put additional 10% to the deal. If they find that you are not capable to do so, they may require you additional security in replacement to the 10% that you cannot provide.

Cherry Bo is providing financial solutions to development projects or owning property by the services of Dial Financial Service LTD. With Dial Financial under development finance UK, you have various options to get the needed funds.

Real Estate Financing – Mortgages – Secrets Of The Trade

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:59:30 +0000

By: Helen Hecker

Don’t jump into anything blindly or sign any real estate contract or home mortgage loan contract or any type of contract without giving it serious thought. This year alone, Americans are expected to borrow $1.33 trillion in acquiring 7.4 million houses, condominiums and co-ops. If you have monthly obligations like car payments, credit card payments, personal loan payments, student loan payments, etc., be sure to take these into account when you’re determining your bottom-line affordability figure.

Be careful when working on your real estate financing; if you make too many loan inquiries, with applications, it may look like you’re shopping for credit; this can be a glaring red flag for many lenders. If you’re working with a local builder within a sub-division or housing development and just making carpeting, lighting and appliance selections for a brand new home, you’ll probably be able to get a standard mortgage loan; but if you’re hiring contractors, electricians, plumbers, and painters, you will probably need a construction loan, which provides funds to pay the subcontractors as the work progresses. Get an estimate of your real estate financing closing costs from the lender you’ve chosen; by law, the lender is required to provide his statement to you within three days of receiving your loan application.

When financing real estate it’s important to know that a low FICO credit score does not mean you won’t qualify for a home loan or home mortgage. Some lenders may impose limits on how much of your down payment can come from borrowing from other sources. 15-year fixed-rate mortgages mean consistent monthly payments for all 15 years that you have the mortgage; you build equity even more quickly than with a 30-year or 20-year loan, and paying less in interest, you save money in the long run.

Keep in mind that adjustable rate mortgages are best for homeowners who aren’t planning on staying with a property for a long period of time. If you’re buying a second home or second property, you’ll need to identify the sources for your down payment, since you will not be selling your current house and using the proceeds, and you’ll need to expect a larger monthly payments for housing or other expenses too. If you have a less-than-perfect or a ‘bad credit’ credit report it may not be a problem.

With adjustable rate mortgages the initial interest rate is usually lower than with a fixed-rate mortgage and the monthly payment would also be lower. There are plenty of options that are ideal for those who have a few bad credit marks on their credit report. The real estate financing situation for each buyer is unique.

Disadvantages of an adjustable rate mortgage include the possibility of increasing monthly payments if interest rates go up. People usually are not aware that they may be able to customize their loans; just ask the mortgage broker or lender; although lenders advertise 15-year loans and 30-year fixed rate mortgages, applicants can ask for 20 years, 25 years or any other number of years; this may allow borrowers to build up equity faster but keep monthly payments affordable. If you’re having a problem getting a home mortgage and the seller still owes money on the home you can check with your lender and see if you can get a wraparound mortgage; although not legal in all states, it will allow you to pay the monthly payment on the existing mortgage and an additional payment to pay the difference; make sure that a wraparound mortgage will not trigger a due-on-sale clause.

If you’ve applied to other lenders, when you finally do select a good lender you may have to explain why there are other inquiries from lending institutions on your credit report. If you do borrow money for a down payment it must be disclosed to the lender or if any of your money for your down payment was a gift, provide proof for it.

Take your time, study all the resources available online and offline and get lots of advice from several mortgage and real estate brokers and professionals before you do any real estate financing or investing. You have to be careful not to assume that you can cut back on your expenses and stretch yourself into a house payment; you don’t want to be cutting into healthy eating habits by eating fast food or junk food for a house that you may not be well enough to live in for a long time – consider this when you first start out searching for the best real estate financing. Remember that buying a home may be the single biggest investment you’ll ever make; invest carefully.

For more information on bad credit real estate financing and finding the best home or commercial loan or mortgage go to http://www.Real-Estate-Financing-Tips.com a real estate broker’s website specializing in real estate financing tips, help, quotes and resources including refinancing and creative financing

Purchase Order & Letter of Credit Financing

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:24:31 +0000

By: Gregg Elberg

Many business opportunities come with an associated challenge. For most entrepreneurial businesses, the greatest challenge is financing the business opportunities created by your sales efforts. What are your options if you have a sales opportunity that is clearly too large for your normal scale of operations? Will your bank provide the necessary financing? Is your business a startup, or too new to meet the bank’s requirements? Can you tap into a commercial real estate loan or a home equity loan in sufficient time to conclude the transaction? Do you decline the order? Fortunately there is an alternative way to meet this challenge: You can use Purchase Order Financing & Letter of Credit financing to deliver the product and close the sale.

What is purchase order financing?

Purchase order financing is a specialized method of providing structured working capital and loans that are secured by accounts receivables, inventory, machinery, equipment and/or real estate. This type of funding is excellent for startup companies, refinancing existing loans, financing growth, mergers and acquisitions, management buy-outs and management buy-ins.

Purchase order financing is based upon bona fide purchase orders from reputable, creditworthy companies, or government entities. Verification of the validity of the purchase orders is required. The financing is not based on your company’s financial strength. It is based on the creditworthiness of your customers, the strength of the commercial finance company funding the transaction, and in most cases a letter of credit.

What is a letter of credit?

A letter of credit is a letter from a bank guaranteeing that a buyer’s payment to a seller will be received on time and for the correct amount. If the buyer is unable to make payment for the purchase, the bank is required to cover the full amount of the purchase. In a purchase order financing transaction, the bank relies on the creditworthiness of the commercial finance company in order to issue the letter of credit. The letter of credit “backs up” the purchase order financing to the supplier, or manufacturer.

Is purchase order financing appropriate for your sales program?

The perfect paradigm is a distributor buying products from a supplier and shipping directly to the purchaser. Importers of finished goods, exporters of finished goods, out-source manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors can effectively use purchase order financing to grow their businesses.

Is purchase order financing appropriate for growing your sales orders?

Purchase order financing requires you to have management expertise- a proven track record in your particular business. You must have bona fine purchase orders from reputable firms that can be verified. And you must have a repayment plan; often this is from a commercial finance company in the form of accounts receivable or asset-based financing.

You should have a gross margin of at least 25% to benefit from purchase order financing. Sellers of services or commodities with low margins, such as lumber or grain, will not qualify.

The bottom line decision for purchase order financing:

It can take two or more years to develop a profitable business. Banks generally base their lending limits on a business’ performance for the past two or three years. Purchase order financing, combined with letters of credit and/or accounts receivable or asset-based financing can give you sufficient funds to cover your operating costs, financing costs and still realize significant profits. If you qualify for purchase order financing, you can grow your business by taking advantage of large purchase orders and eventually qualify for bank financing.

Mr. Elberg is a licensed attorney and licensed real estate broker. Gregg Financial Services is a full service brokerage for commercial finance companies and banks that fund B2B businesses. Mr. Elberg arranges funding from $25,000 to $50 million per month at competitive pricing, and works to reduce your financing costs as your company grows. For more information about GFS, please visit our website: www.greggfinancialservices.com

Development Finance Uk: the Right Location

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:59:16 +0000

By: Cherry Bo

In reality, there is no real guarantee on return of investment, however solid it looks; because there are just a lot of factors that influence failure and success of development finance UK. As an investor you are largely at the will of how the market moves. That’s why it is important to always assess the risks with the finance available for development before you commit to investing. It is even riskier if you are into 100% development finance as you are under the mercy of your lenders. By making some thorough research and using your experiences and expertise in development, there are some things you can do to minimize the risk of developing land in particular. One of the major considerations in developing land is choosing the right location. The site that you are going to develop or utilize is perhaps the most significant factor in the whole process.

First, you need to consider what sort of site you are looking for. You should already have a plan if you are into residential development finance or commercial development finance. From here you need to ask: are you going for a site that already has properties on it which you are going to demolish and rebuild? Or are you just looking for empty land which has planning permission for you to build on? If the site is in the middle of nowhere, you will have to have very good idea about what you are going to build there. Otherwise, the development finance UK specialist would be hesitant to lend you needed funds. In the same way, if the location of the plot is surrounded with other buildings, you need to consider what type of property is likely to be most sought-after there, and consequently, give the most returns.

Two Habits That Spell Disaster for Your Finances

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:38:41 +0000

By: Steve Kroening

In today’s culture, it’s very easy to compartmentalize our lives. In fact, many organization specialists say that this is the best way to keep track of the many elements of our busy lives. That’s because having a system works.

But you need to keep in mind that all the areas of your life are linked. For instance, poor relationships can cause serious health problems. And poor parenting skills will hurt your children’s chances for success.

Well, your finances are part of your overall world. When other areas are negatively hit, it causes serious problems with your finances. With that in mind, there are two habits most people don’t connect to finances, but I’ve found will often cause major financial trouble.

The two habits are not going to church and sexual immorality. I know that sounds off the wall. Most of you are probably saying, “Those have nothing to do with finances.” But they do. In fact, I’ve seen how both of them can work together to destroy your finances.

While this principle is one I’ve seen over and over again in practice, there is a Scriptural basis for the connection. Hebrews 13:1 says, “Let love of the brethren continue,” which means you need to continue fellowshipping with believers on a regular basis. Then in verse 4, the same chapter discusses adultery. And verse 5 discusses the love of money.

While these verses don’t draw a direct connection, it does discuss them together. And I believe the practical connection illustrates a biblical truth: When Christians stop going to church and fellowshipping with believers, they fall into all kinds of trouble. And the consequences of their sin often result in financial problems.

In fact, in my experience, I’ve seen immorality push people out of church. And I’ve seen it destroy their finances. I know of one couple that recently divorced because of marital infidelity and both of them are struggling financially. And, at one point, both of them pulled out of their church.

I’ve seen other cases where a Christian couple wasn’t tied into a church and the husband got involved in Internet immorality. He soon lost his job and put his family in serious financial trouble.

One habit doesn’t necessarily mean the others will always happen. I’ve seen very godly people who were very involved in church go through terrible financial times (Job is a great example). But, as trends go, I’ve seen a lot of cases where all three go hand in hand.

The good news is you can save yourself from a lot of heartache and financial ruin simply by staying closely plugged into a group of Bible-believing Christians. They can help you stay out of immoral situations with personal accountability and help you through any tough times that do come along.

Steve Kroening writes for Success magazine and also publishes Wisdom’s Edge. You can get Biblical tips on health, finance, relationships, parenting, and success, delivered to your email inbox every week. Simply visit http://www.wisdomsedge.com and sign up for this free e-zine.

First Learn About Your College Financing

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:28:37 +0000

By: Bowe Packer

Going to college is a dream that many parents have for their children. This dream however is an expensive one. You will find that many colleges offer special deals for teenage students to encourage them to choose a particular college. As this is mostly the case when you are considering any type of college you may want to find out what the college financing is.

Knowing the details of the college financing will provide you with the information that you need. While this financing can help you during your college years you should realize that you will need to pay this money back. As this point is one that you will need to face it is best to be clear on all of the details that are contained in the college financing.

There are many different government and private institutions who will be able to furnish this information you require. You should make sure that you have read all of the information that is provided. Then you can talk with your schools advisor or your family to find out how this college financing will affect you both during your college years and right after.

These matters will need clarification so that you can apply for the college financing your future college may need of you. You will find plenty of documents and applications that deal with this part of college life. To help you in finding your way through this maze the federal government has provided a helpful website. In this website you will find many useful links.

These links will let you see how to apply for the college financing loans. There is information about how to pay back your student loans. The consequences of defaulting are also presented to you in a clear manner. You will be able to find links to a variety of different college financing programs which have the approval of your state and the federal government.

As application procedures for these college financing programs can be some what confusing you will find many helpful links which will provide you with all of the information you require about applying. These sections will provide you with the type of documents you may have to furnish to have your student loan approved.

Since the process of going to university and college is very expensive it is always a good idea to check out the various student aid programs that you can find. The information and advice you receive from these college financing programs will help make your choice of colleges easier to think about.

Bowe provides free information to the online community. Visit his student loans site and gather free information on student loans, college financing and much more.