One of the biggest reasons business owners choose an SBA 504 loan is the rate. The SBA portion of a 504 loan carries a fixed rate for the full term, which means your payment won't change as markets move. But 504 rates work differently than a typical bank loan. Here's...
Buying an existing business can be a faster path to ownership than starting from scratch. You get customers, staff, systems, and cash flow from day one. But an acquisition usually comes with a big price tag, and the way you finance it can shape your monthly payments...
Every business needs a place to operate, and sooner or later most owners face the same question: should we keep leasing, or is it time to buy? There's no single right answer. It depends on your finances, your growth plans, and how long you expect to stay put. Here's a...
The SBA 504 loan can be one of the best ways to buy or build a commercial property. But if you've never used it, the process can feel like a black box, especially with a bank, a Certified Development Company (CDC), and the SBA all involved. Here's a step-by-step look...
Sometimes the right building for your business doesn't exist yet. Maybe you need a specific layout, more space than anything on the market, or a location that's only available as raw land. The SBA 504 loan isn't just for buying existing buildings. It's also one of the...
If you've started looking into SBA 504 loans, you've probably seen the term Certified Development Company, or CDC. It's one of the most important parts of the 504 program, and also one of the least understood. Here's what a CDC is, what it does for you as a borrower,...
If you're buying, building, or upgrading a commercial property, energy efficiency can do more than lower your utility bills. It can also help your project qualify for SBA 504 financing and even unlock higher loan limits. Here's how SBA 504 Green loans work and how to...
The SBA 504 loan is one of the best ways for small businesses to buy commercial real estate, thanks to low down payments and long-term fixed rates. But like many long-term commercial loans, it comes with a prepayment penalty during the early years. That's not a reason...
For most business owners, the biggest hurdle to buying a building isn't the monthly payment. It's the down payment. With a conventional commercial mortgage, coming up with 20% to 30% of the purchase price can mean draining the cash your business needs to operate....
At some point, many business owners look at their monthly rent check and ask a simple question: why am I paying for someone else's building? Buying your own space can lock in your occupancy costs, build equity, and give you full control over your location. The...