Frequently asked questions

We find the right financing for hotel owners, real estate investors and business buyers, and we stay with you through closing. We compare banks, SBA lenders and other capital sources, share what we have learned as owners about franchise terms and renovation plans, and connect you with CPAs, tax professionals and other partners. We are not a lender.

Yes. We work with clients across the U.S. and with lenders nationwide: banks, credit unions, SBA lenders, life companies, CMBS lenders and debt funds. Our office is in Addison, Texas, but your deal can be anywhere in the country.

Usually within one business day, once we have the basics: the property or business, the price or current loan, the income, your plan and your timeline. The quick-read form takes about a minute.

No. We do not charge clients a fee. We are paid by the lender when your loan closes. You pay only the normal third-party costs of a loan, such as appraisal, report, legal and title fees, which you would pay anyway.

Yes. Many of our clients are buying their first or second hotel. We explain the franchise agreement, the property improvement plan and the SBA process in simple terms, and we build the document checklist for you.

No. We advise on financing structure and arrange it with banks, credit unions, SBA lenders, life insurance companies, CMBS lenders and debt funds. Every lender makes its own credit decision.

Lenders size loans to the lowest of several tests, usually loan-to-value, debt-service coverage and debt yield. Our loan sizing calculator shows how those tests work. The practical answer depends on the property's income, the lender type, your experience and liquidity, and the program. SBA loans can reach higher leverage for owner-operators.

With a recourse loan, you and your guarantors are personally liable if the property cannot repay the loan. A non-recourse loan limits the lender to the property, except for specific "carve-outs" such as fraud or unauthorized transfers. Bank and SBA loans are usually recourse; life company, agency and CMBS loans are usually non-recourse.

It depends on your current rate, prepayment penalty, how long you plan to hold the property and what new terms are available. Our refinance calculator compares conventional, SBA and CMBS scenarios against your existing loan and shows the net benefit or added cost over the time you plan to hold.

A straightforward bank or SBA loan typically takes 45 to 90 days from a complete package to closing. Bridge loans can close faster. Construction loans, CMBS and complex structures take longer. The biggest variable is how quickly the documents arrive, which is why our portal builds your checklist up front.

For most purchases: the purchase agreement, ID for each owner, three years of business and personal tax returns, K-1s, financial statements and a personal financial statement; for hotels, also STR reports, the T-12 and the franchise documents. You do not need to sort anything. Upload everything you have to the portal and we match each file to the checklist, then show you what is still missing, one item at a time, easiest first.

Yes. The client portal includes a questionnaire that builds your personal financial statement in the standard SBA Form 413 layout, files it in your deal folder and lets you sign it electronically.

Yes. You sign in with a one-time email code, an emailed link, a password or Google. Uploaded documents are encrypted while they are processed, delivered to a restricted document store, never attached to email, and every action is logged. See our security overview on the Disclosures page.

Lenders verify the identity and immigration status of every owner and guarantor, and some programs have ownership rules for non-citizens. The checklist asks for a passport photo page (and green card or visa records) only for owners who are not U.S. citizens.

Yes. The portal works on phones and lets you photograph documents, such as a driver's license, directly.

Sometimes. Initial fees, ramp-up royalty relief, PIP scope and timing, and conversion incentives are negotiable with some brands in some situations, especially for experienced operators and desirable locations. We never promise a concession; we help you evaluate the total cost of the agreement and prepare a credible negotiation.

Key money is a payment a hotel brand may offer to secure a franchise or management agreement for a property it wants in its system. It usually comes with conditions: it amortizes over the agreement term and may have to be repaid if the agreement ends early or the hotel is sold. We help you read those terms and weigh them against fee reductions and other incentives, which are not interchangeable.

Lenders treat the property improvement plan as a project cost. It can be funded through a holdback, a reserve or your equity, and its size and timing affect loan sizing and debt-service coverage. We put the PIP into the sources and uses from day one.

A one-page agreement that makes us your financing advisor for a specific deal for 180 days, then month to month. It costs you nothing: we are paid by the lender. It means every lender conversation runs through us, so your deal is presented once, consistently. You read and sign it in the portal before uploading documents.

By the lender, when your loan closes. On SBA loans, any compensation we receive is disclosed on SBA Form 159 and follows SBA rules.

No. We coordinate with your attorney, CPA and insurance broker, and we can introduce experienced professionals, but they act for you independently.

We welcome lenders and capital providers. Share your current programs on our Lenders page and we will match transactions to your criteria.