SBA 504 Loan
Encyclopedia
The US Small Business Administration
504 Loan or Certified Development Company program is designed to provide financing for the purchase of fixed assets, which usually means real estate
, buildings and machinery, at below market rates. As part of its mission to promote the development of businesses, the SBA offers a number of different loan
programs tailored to specific capital
needs of growing businesses. The 504 program works by distributing the loan among three parties. The business owner puts a minimum of 10%, a conventional lender (typically a bank
) puts up 50%, and a so-called Certified Development Company (CDC) puts up the remaining 40%. Certified Development Companies are established under the 504 code
as non-profit corporations set up to support economic growth in their local areas. There are a few hundred such CDCs nationwide. The maximum amount of the loan is $5 million ($5 million for meeting SBA-defined policy goals, and $5.5 million for manufacturers and some energy-related policy goals), and if the borrower defaults, the private sector lender is paid off first, reducing the risk to the lender and encouraging loans.
of the ownership of the operating companies and the holding company. , the 504 Loan does not contain any restrictions or ceilings; however, there are three criteria for eligibility:
If the borrower's company has less than two consecutive years of operating history or if the building or assets to be financed are considered "special purpose" (e.g., gas stations or some medical clinics), the borrower must increase their contribution by 5% for a total of 15%, and the CDC lends 5% less for a total of 35%-- in cases where the borrowers meet both of these conditions, they must increase to 20%, and the CDC lends 30%.
Total project costs can include the costs for land and existing building or equipment; hard construction/renovation; fixtures and equipment; certain furniture; professional fees including appraisals and environmental investigations; soft costs; and closing costs. Project costs can usually be financed in their entirety with a 504 loan, whereas most commercial bank loans only finance a percentage of the purchase price/appraised value and borrowers would have to come up with closing and soft costs out of pocket. If borrowers later decide to sell their property, 504 loans are assumable.
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...
504 Loan or Certified Development Company program is designed to provide financing for the purchase of fixed assets, which usually means real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
, buildings and machinery, at below market rates. As part of its mission to promote the development of businesses, the SBA offers a number of different loan
Loan
A loan is a type of debt. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower....
programs tailored to specific capital
Financial capital
Financial capital can refer to money used by entrepreneurs and businesses to buy what they need to make their products or provide their services or to that sector of the economy based on its operation, i.e. retail, corporate, investment banking, etc....
needs of growing businesses. The 504 program works by distributing the loan among three parties. The business owner puts a minimum of 10%, a conventional lender (typically a bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
) puts up 50%, and a so-called Certified Development Company (CDC) puts up the remaining 40%. Certified Development Companies are established under the 504 code
Code (law)
A code is a type of legislation that purports to exhaustively cover a complete system of laws or a particular area of law as it existed at the time the code was enacted, by a process of codification. Though the process and motivations for codification are similar in common law and civil law...
as non-profit corporations set up to support economic growth in their local areas. There are a few hundred such CDCs nationwide. The maximum amount of the loan is $5 million ($5 million for meeting SBA-defined policy goals, and $5.5 million for manufacturers and some energy-related policy goals), and if the borrower defaults, the private sector lender is paid off first, reducing the risk to the lender and encouraging loans.
Eligibility
In order to qualify for the program, the borrower must meet the SBA's definition of small business and must plan to use over half (51%) of the property for its own operations within one year of ownership; if the building is to be newly constructed the borrower must use 60% at once and plan to occupy 80%. The borrower may form a real-estate holding company that lease 100% to the operating business, which then subleases surplus space (up to 49%). To qualify for this program, U.S. citizens or permanent residents must hold a majorityMajority
A majority is a subset of a group consisting of more than half of its members. This can be compared to a plurality, which is a subset larger than any other subset; i.e. a plurality is not necessarily a majority as the largest subset may consist of less than half the group's population...
of the ownership of the operating companies and the holding company. , the 504 Loan does not contain any restrictions or ceilings; however, there are three criteria for eligibility:
- The company's average net income cannot surpass $5 million after taxes for the preceding two years.
- The anticipated project size must be greater than the personal, non-retirement, unencumbered liquid assets of the guarantors/principles.
- Does not have a tangible net worth in excess of $15 million.
Structure
There are three partners in an SBA 504 loan—the borrower, a bank or other regulated lender, and a CDC. Typically the borrower must contribute 10% of the total project cost; their bank lends 50% at their own rate and term (as long as the term is at least 10 years), and has a first lien on the assets being financed; and the CDC lends 40%, with a second lien. If the financing is for real estate, as most 504 loans are, the CDC's loan is for twenty years at a fixed rate of interest. The fully amortized rate for loans funding in August 2010 was 4.931%. The funds for these loans are raised through a monthly auction of bonds that are 100% guaranteed by the U.S. Government. If the financing is for long-lasting fixed equipment such as printing presses, commercial laundry equipment, manufacturing equipment, etc., the 504 loan term is 10 years.If the borrower's company has less than two consecutive years of operating history or if the building or assets to be financed are considered "special purpose" (e.g., gas stations or some medical clinics), the borrower must increase their contribution by 5% for a total of 15%, and the CDC lends 5% less for a total of 35%-- in cases where the borrowers meet both of these conditions, they must increase to 20%, and the CDC lends 30%.
Total project costs can include the costs for land and existing building or equipment; hard construction/renovation; fixtures and equipment; certain furniture; professional fees including appraisals and environmental investigations; soft costs; and closing costs. Project costs can usually be financed in their entirety with a 504 loan, whereas most commercial bank loans only finance a percentage of the purchase price/appraised value and borrowers would have to come up with closing and soft costs out of pocket. If borrowers later decide to sell their property, 504 loans are assumable.