The Encyclopedia of Commercial Real Estate Advice

TERRY PAINTER is the founder of Apartment Loan Store and Business Loan Store—mortgage-banking firms that have closed over four billion dollars in commercial loans nationally. He is a member of the Oregon Bankers Association, the Mortgage Bankers Association, and Forbes Real Estate Council, where he is a contributing writer. Terry lives in Portland, Oregon and the Dominican Republic.

Foreword xix

Introduction xxi

This Book Will Save You Time and Money xxiii

How to Use This Book xxiv

Part I Smart Strategies for Buying

Chapter 1 Who are You When Buying a Commercial Property? 3

Seven Top Character Traits of Experienced Commercial Real Estate Investors 4

Four Phases of the Commercial Real Estate Market Cycle and the Best Time to Buy 11

The Lowest-Risk Property Types to Choose 13

Ten Risk-Lowering Action Steps 16

Four Levels of Risk Based on Property Condition, Income, Location, and Occupancy 18

Chapter 2 Seven Smart Strategies for Adding Value When Buying 21

1. Have Your Down Payment, Professional Team, and Financing Together Before You Go Shopping 21

2. Use Leverage Responsibly 22

3. Define Your Property Search Objectives 25

4. Four 15-Minute Methods of Determining Property Value 28

5. Choose a Property That Can Be Recession-Proofed 30

6. Choose the Best Team Members 33

7. Winning the Numbers Game—Making and Negotiating Offers 36

Encyclopedia Topic A Buying 43

Part II Smart Strategies for Buyer Due Diligence

Chapter 3 Outstanding Due Diligence for Buyers 81

Twelve Due Diligence Mistakes That Buyers Should Avoid 82

Is This Property “Who” You Thought It Was? 91

Guidelines for Calculating How Much to Lower The Sales Price 92

Comming up with Your Pitch to Lower the Sales Price After Due Diligence 94

Encyclopedia Topic B Due Diligence 97

Part III Smart Strategies for Raising Investors

Chapter 4 Raising Money and Creating Investor Partnerships 123

Buying Commercial Real Estate Without Money or Experience 123

Eight Countermeasures for Not Having Enough Money and Experience 124

Using Other People’s Money to Get Rich When Buying Commercial Property 129

How the Inexperienced Deal Manager/Sponsor Can Get Started 131

What Percentage of Ownership Should You Get for Putting the Deal Together? 137

Why Non-Recourse Financing Is the Key to Raising Investors 138

Nine Pitfalls to Avoid in Investor Partnerships 139

Forming a Real Estate Syndication 141

Encyclopedia Topic C Raising Investor Partners 145

Encyclopedia Topic D Property Ownership Entity 161

Part IV Smart Strategies for Sellers

Chapter 5 Hold, Cash-Out Refinance, Sale, or 1031 Exchange? 171

Cash-Out Refinancing to Purchase More Investment Property 173

Is This a Good Time to Sell Your Commercial Property? 175

You’ve Got to Love the 1031 Tax-Deferred Exchange 178

Putting the Cart Before the Horse: The 1031 Reverse Exchange 183

Chapter 6 Adding Value in the Selling Process 187

Determining the Maximum Sales Price 187

Power Brokers are Highly Skilled at Pushing Up the Sales Price 190

Twelve Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Your Commercial Property 192

Value-Adding Before Selling 196

Why You Should Do a For Sale by Owner 199

Why You Shouldn’t Do a For Sale by Owner 199

Benefits o fWorking with an Experienced Commercial Real Estate Broker 200

Should You Owner-Carry? 201

Alternative to Owner-Carry: The Master Lease Purchase 202

Encyclopedia Topic E Selling 205

Part V Smart Strategies for Repositioning

Chapter 7 Unlocking Hidden Wealth with Repositioning 221

Repositioning a 246-Unit Multifamily Property in Oklahoma City 222

Repositioning a 38-Unit Multifamily Property in Garland, Texas 224

Manage Your Reposition Project According to a Plan 226

Three Types of Repositioning 226

Tips for Choosing the Best Property for Repositioning 227

The Biggest Bang for the Buck 229

Encyclopedia Topic F Repositioning 239

Part VI Smart Strategies for Developing

Chapter 8 Why Developers are at the Top of the Food Chain 257

What are Developers Made Of? 257

How Much Do Commercial Developers Make? 259

How Do Commercial Building Developers Earn Money? 260

How Do Commercial Land Developers Make Money? 261

Traits of the Best Commercial Real Estate Developers 261

What Is the Typical Day Like for a Commercial Developer? 265

Can You Become a Developer without Experience? 266

Fourteen Mistakes to Avoid When Developing Commercial Property 269

Chapter 9 50 Steps of Developing and That Isn’t All of Them 275

The 15 Professionals Commercial Developers Team Up With 277

The Commercial Development Process—Five Stages 280

Encyclopedia Topic G Development 295

Part VII Smart Strategies for Financing

Chapter 10 Trade Secrets for Getting the Best Rate, Loan Fees, and Terms 319

The Truth About How Commercial Lenders Set Rates, Terms, and Loan Fees 320

How Much Can Lenders Bend? 322

Advice from an Insider on Negotiating with Lenders 322

Nine Insider Tips for Getting the Best Loan Terms 330

A Seven-Step, Cutting-Edge Recipe for Getting Lenders to Compete 333

Why You Should Join the Non-Recourse Loan Club 336

Chapter 11 Taking Charge of Your Commercial Loan 339

Why You Should Take a Hands-On Approach 340

The Top Six Risks Commercial Lenders Dread 342

The Seven Preapprovals in Commercial Lending 343

The Truth About Commercial Appraisals and Why They Sometimes Kill Deals 349

Why You Should Use a Commercial Loan Broker 351

Ten Mitigations That Can Help You Qualify for Your Commercial Loan 352

Vetting Your Lender and/or Commercial Loan Broker 354

Encyclopedia Topic H Financing 357

Encyclopedia Topic I Commercial Loan Programs 391

Part VIII Smart Strategies for Managing and Leasing

Chapter 12 Smart Strategies for Managing and Leasing 407

Self-Management Versus Professional Management 407