Monday, December 10, 2012

What You Should Know About Commercial Real Estate

By Richard Little


One of the most important things to remember about commercial real estate is that this market ebbs and flows wholly separate of any other type of real estate. An office building and a house, for example, are valued and sold based on different criteria. Learn all about commercial real estate in this article.

Commercial loans for real estate require a higher down payment on the property that is being purchased. Spend some time learning about the different commercial lenders in your area to find the one that has the best reputation with borrowers. This is sure to make a big difference when you are trying to get a loan.

Buying commercial real estate? Gather the necessary information. This includes: financial records, forecasts, estimates and business plan for the investment you are seeking. You are going to need to prove to the lender that you are capable of making the investment profitable. The lender needs to be confident in your abilities before they will loan you money!

With commercial properties reaching well into the millions, most investors are not capable of financing and managing a property independently. A trustworthy, resourceful investment partner can open doors to higher-priced opportunities and more risky endeavors. In return for an amount of cash or even credit, you can return the favor by promising your partner a portion of the cash flow generated by the property.

It is wrong to assume that commercial properties are the same as residential properties. Income on a commercial property is related to its usable square footage. This is not the case with a residential property. You need to know the difference, because you don't want to make any costly mistakes.

When dealing with a commercial real estate property in your interests, make sure that the building is ready for the sale. It is important that you are informed of every single thing about the property. For example, say the company knew there was something wrong with the HVAC system in the building, but you did not ask about it or get it inspected, this will be a cost that will set you back and could have been easily avoided.

Before you invest in commercial real estate, you should challenge underlying assumptions. Even though many pro formas will look really good, you should still review the validity of the different assumptions because the pro forma could have gaps in it that need addressing: Suppose a pro forma assumes there will be two months of leasing down-time. Therefore, you should consider what would happen if the leasing down-time is six months instead of two? What would happen? This is an important assumption that needs to be addressed.

Buying a commercial property is a process that takes much longer than purchasing a single family home. It is going to take more time to prepare the property so keep that in mind. Do not try to rush and do things too fast because you may end up making bad decisions as a result.

To make sure you get the most out of a commercial real estate investment, don't only consider apartments. There are a wide variety of commercial properties to invest in, from office buildings to trailer parks, and it's best to consider lots of options so that you can get the best deal available.

Although it's important to make relationships with investors, you also should associate with those who are experienced in the business and can answer your questions that come up while screening for properties and deals. Make friends with people that can lead you in the right direction while not scaring you off from deals due to certain questions you might have.

In conclusion, commercial real estate investment is extremely worthwhile for investors, especially when they acquire property that can be used to generate profit. You should be able to successfully become a commercial real estate investor and see profit gains, if you follow the helpful advice given in the above article.




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