Articles

The Commercial Credit Approval Process Explained

The purpose of this article is to shed some light on how a bank evaluates a loan request from a potential borrower. But, before we get there, let’s have a quick review of how a bank works and who the key players are in the credit approval process. In it’s simplest form, a bank makes …

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What is a Modified Gross Lease & How Does It Work?

Understanding commercial real estate leases takes careful attention to detail. People will often categorize a lease as either a triple net lease or a full service (gross) lease. The reality is that most lease agreements fall somewhere in the middle of this spectrum where both the landlord and the tenant each pay some share of operating …

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The Cap Rate: What You Should Know

The capitalization rate, or cap rate, is a fundamental concept in commercial real estate. It is calculated by dividing a property’s net operating income by its value. Although the formula is simple, the cap rate is often misunderstood and sometimes misused. This article will explore the concept in depth and clarify common misconceptions. Cap Rate …

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How Does an Expense Stop Work?

Understanding the terms of a commercial real estate lease can quickly become a challenging task. One lease term that people often find confusing is the expense stop. In this post, we discuss what an expense stop is, how an expense stop is typically used, and then walk through an example to bring it all together. …

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What is a Mini Perm Loan?

A mini-perm loan is a crucial financial tool for developers and real estate investors, providing short-term financing for newly constructed for-lease projects. This type of loan is typically used to refinance a construction loan and allows borrowers to pay off the original interest-only loan, stabilize their operations, and then refinance with a longer-term loan or …

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How to Value Commercial Property

Valuing commercial property is an important step in every commercial real estate transaction. This post will demystify the commercial property valuation process and walk you through some common valuation techniques used in the commercial real estate industry. What is Value? Before we dive into understanding commercial property valuation, let’s take a step back and ask …

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Common Real Estate Formulas You Should Know

The real estate investment industry involves a lot of math, and understanding real estate finance includes knowing a lot of formulas and ratios. Sometimes it’s easy for even the best of us to forget or confuse many real estate formulas. This post will serve as a helpful guide to common real estate formulas you should …

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Discounted Cash Flow Analysis for Real Estate

Discounted cash flow analysis for real estate is widely used, yet often misunderstood. In this post, we’re going to discuss discounted cash flow analysis for real estate and clear up some common misconceptions. As you follow along, you might also find this discounted cash flow analysis spreadsheet template helpful. Discounted Cash Flow Real Estate Model First, …

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The Real Estate Proforma: A Beginner’s Guide

The first task in any real estate investment decision is to build a proforma, which is just a word that means cash flow projection. In this guide, we will define the term proforma, look at an example of a simple real estate proforma, review a more complicated real estate proforma, and also discuss some nuances …

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Difference Between Cap Rate and Discount Rate

What is the difference between a cap rate and a discount rate? Because these concepts are often confused, this article will discuss the difference between a capitalization rate and a discount rate in commercial real estate, and leave you with a clear understanding of the two concepts. As you follow along, you might also find …

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