Buying or building the property a business runs in: SBA 504, 7(a) and conventional commercial mortgages.
Owner-occupied commercial real estate loans finance the building a business operates from: an office, a clinic, a shop, a warehouse or a special-purpose property such as a car wash or daycare. Because the business itself occupies the property, lenders underwrite the operating company's cash flow along with the real estate, and the SBA 504 and 7(a) programs allow longer terms and smaller down payments than many conventional commercial mortgages.
Lenders commonly require the business to occupy a majority of the building for the SBA programs, and special-purpose properties carry larger equity requirements because they are harder to resell. These guides compare 504 and 7(a) with conventional loans, explain appraisals and environmental reports, and show how to weigh owning against leasing for your business.
Childcare Center Real Estate and Buildout Financing: Owning Your Building — Childcare center financing for a building of your own comes from SBA 504 and 7(a) lenders, banks and private real estate lenders. The structures, the conversion questions, and the illustrative math of owning against leasing.
Farm and Ranch Loans: Operating Lines, Equipment and Land Financing — Farm loans are usually three structures at once: an annual operating line for inputs, equipment loans or leases, and long-term land and facility financing. Who writes each one, what they weigh and what to bring.
Hotel Financing: SBA, Conventional and Bridge Loans for Hotels and Motels — Hotel financing comes from SBA 7(a) and 504 lenders for smaller flagged and independent properties, banks and credit unions for stabilized hotels, and bridge lenders for acquisitions, repositioning and maturing debt.
Multi-Unit Franchise Financing: Funding Your Second, Third and Tenth Location — Multi-unit franchise financing is a sequence, not a loan: SBA 7(a) for the early units, portfolio lenders and equipment lines once there is a track record, and real estate for owned sites. The development agreement sets the pace.
Gas Station and Convenience Store Loans: Buying, Building and Upgrading — Gas station loans are written by SBA 7(a) and 504 lenders, conventional real estate lenders and equipment lenders. The site, the tanks, the fuel contract and the inside sales margin decide which one, and how fast.
Financing Ski, Marina and Outdoor Recreation Businesses — Marinas, ski areas, campgrounds and outfitters are financed mainly on their assets: real estate and SBA 504 loans for land and docks, equipment loans for lifts and fleets, seasonal lines for the pre-season build.
Why Banks Decline Contractors, and What Lenders Need to See — Banks decline contractors because the file cannot answer whether the jobs are profitable, when the draws arrive and what is held in retainage. A work-in-progress schedule, a backlog report and a retainage-separated aging can.
Financing a Second Restaurant Location: Buildout, Working Capital and Timing — Financing a second restaurant location is easier than the first because the first location's P&L is the underwriting. Lenders fund the buildout, the kitchen and the pre-opening months on proven unit economics, timed to the lease.
Med Spa Financing: Lasers, Buildout and Working Capital — Medical spa business loans are layered: equipment financing for lasers and devices, buildout and tenant improvement funding, working capital lines, and SBA 7(a) loans, which med spas are not excluded from. What each layer takes.
Office and Real Estate Financing for Bail Bond Agencies — A bail bond agency can finance its office building, because the lender is underwriting a property near a courthouse and an owner, not the industry. Who writes it, the down payment to expect, and how the building anchors borrowing.
Bail Bonds Business Loans: Funding a Bail Bond Agency — Bail bond agencies can borrow, but not from banks or large online lenders: real estate loans for the office, owner-priced term loans for working capital, vehicle financing, and capital for build-up fund contributions.
Bitcoin Mining Equipment Financing: ASICs, Containers and Power Infrastructure — Bitcoin mining equipment financing exists through equipment lenders, lessors and private credit funds that price ASIC resale value, power cost and the hosting contract. What each asset class attracts and what the file must contain.
Nightclub Financing: Buildout, Sound and Lighting, and Working Capital — A nightclub is financed in layers: the landlord's allowance and FF&E financing for the room, leases for sound, lighting and video, revenue-based capital against weekend card volume, and the lease or building that sets the term.
Buying the Building: Commercial Real Estate Loans for Adult Businesses — Private and non-bank commercial real estate lenders finance the buildings adult businesses operate from, at conservative loan-to-value with zoning and licensing as closing conditions. Purchase, refinance, cash-out and sale-leaseback.
Financing a Gentlemen's Club: Real Estate, Buildout and Working Capital — A gentlemen's club is financed as special-purpose real estate with a liquor license on top. The building carries acquisition and refinance, equipment lenders fund the buildout, and revenue-based funders supply working capital.
Adult Entertainment Business Loans: What Lenders Will Actually Fund — Adult entertainment businesses are financed by non-bank funding sources against real estate, card revenue, equipment and owner credit, not by SBA lenders or most banks. Here is the realistic menu and how a file gets placed.
Financing a Shooting Range: Construction, Equipment and Working Capital — Gun range financing is built in layers: SBA 504, 7(a) or conventional loans for the building, equipment lenders for ventilation and baffles, and working capital underwritten on memberships, retail and training.
Dispensary Financing: Real Estate, Buildout, Equipment and Working Capital — Dispensary financing comes in layers, not one loan: equity and investors for the license, equipment and fixture lenders for the buildout, private capital for inventory and working capital, and real estate structures later.
Cannabis Business Loans: What Financing Actually Exists in 2026 — Cannabis business loans exist, but almost none come from banks or the SBA. The realistic menu is specialty private lenders, equipment financing, real estate and sale-leasebacks, and revenue-based capital.
Commercial Real Estate Loan Requirements: What Lenders Actually Underwrite — Lenders underwrite a commercial real estate loan on four things: property income (DSCR), appraised value (LTV), sponsor net worth, liquidity and experience, and third-party reports. Here is how each test works and where files stall.
What is an owner-occupied commercial real estate loan?
It is a loan to buy, build or refinance a property that the borrower's own business occupies, rather than a property leased to tenants. Lenders treat these loans differently from investment property loans because the business's cash flow, not rental income, repays the debt.
Is SBA 504 or 7(a) better for buying a building?
A 504 loan suits a purchase centered on real estate or heavy equipment and commonly offers a long fixed rate on the Certified Development Company portion. A 7(a) loan is more flexible and can combine real estate with working capital or a business purchase. The right answer depends on the project mix.
How much down payment does a commercial property purchase need?
SBA programs commonly allow smaller down payments for owner-occupied properties than conventional loans do. A startup business or a special-purpose property, such as a car wash, hotel or daycare, usually requires more. The exact amount is set by the lender and the program for each deal.