In commercial property investment, there are many factors that influence the decision as to whether or not a lender grants a loan. Those factors range from local zoning laws governing the area to the socio-economic composition of the community surrounding the location. All of these considerations are made with an eye towards a successful deal. Knowing how your business contributes to the cultural, social and environmental area is the first step to securing a profitable deal. The necessity of knowing all about a business before it is established at a location is critical. Commercial property analysis professionals will evaluate a multitude of influencing factors for you so that you can decide whether or not to pursue a loan for that particular site.

Time and effort are valuable commodities in real estate transactions. Time is, quite honestly, money. You should be confident that your time is being well spent when you contact your sellers, lenders and/or brokers concerning a site that you are interested in. Wading through the analysis information is time consuming and may cost you the deal if the investigation is not done thoroughly. Securing your loan is a critical goal if you are going to have a successful career in commercial property investment. A thorough analysis of the property you desire contributes to a successful transaction with your lender. During these financial considerations, a mortgage broker can also be as beneficial as your community property analysis.

A mortgage broker is familiar with the lender and borrower relationship and does his or her best to see that your application for a loan gets to the right hands. Still, without an accurate accounting of the target location, your broker will have difficulty securing your loan. A complete commercial property analysis will inform you about such things as the potential effects of the business on the community, the future success of your investment, the potential for growth and the success of surrounding business. All of this data is critical in the decision process of the lender and should be as critical in your decision to invest. The due diligence of such an analysis offers information on the condition of the land and the surrounding area, the socio-economic climate, and the possibility and likelihood of a profitable endeavor.

Everyone involved in the sale of real estate has a vested interest in the results of a real estate appraisal. The outcome affects the seller, the buyer, the lender, and even the realtor. A too low valuation of the property by the appraiser could mean a seller must lower the asking price. For a lending officer, it could mean a lesser commission or none at all. A too high valuation means the buyer could be paying more than the property is worth. For the realtor, his/her commission could go higher or lower, which is based on the purchase/sell price of the real estate.

An appraiser, who should be licensed by the state, performs the real estate appraisal. It is best to hire someone local with years of full-time experience in order to get a more accurate appraisal. The appraiser and appraisal are governed by the minimum standards, published periodically in the Uniform Standard of Professional Appraisal Practice by the Appraisal Foundation. The Foundation is chartered by Congress.

The recent real estate bubble, unfortunately, brought problems for appraisers and many involved in real estate transactions. According to Realty Times in their April 2006 issue, appraisers have been routinely asked by lenders to inflate real estate values to keep up with the ever-rising real estate market. One real estate appraiser in San Diego quit and turned in his license to the state, after being fired three consecutive times for refusing to inflate his valuations. Now, real estate appraisers across the United States are under a microscope from federal financial regulators and Congress.

The real estate appraiser may be hired by the seller to determine an accurate selling price or by the buyer to ensure the accuracy of the purchase price and mortgage; but generally, the lender does the hiring or uses their own in-house appraiser. Though buyers may assume the lender has their best interest, mortgage lenders have their own best interest at the forefront, especially some not-so-scrupulous lending officers who may be targeting a higher commission.

If five different real estate appraisers evaluated the same property within the same timeframe and under the same conditions, it could result in five different and varying real estate valuations. Why? There is no set checklist or established value for each property feature and amenity. Though appraisals are based on prescribed standards, it is a subjective process. If there is more than one real estate appraisal and they disagree significantly, you have options. If the value is too low for the seller, renovations may raise the value — or you can decline to sell. If the lender insists on its appraiser’s value, which disagrees with your real estate appraiser’s value, as the buyer you can look for financing elsewhere — or decline to purchase the real estate. There also is the option to bring the appraisers together to come to a common agreement on the value.