Question 1

What kind of commercial property actually trades near Texas A&M?

Accepted Answer

Student housing repositioning, and small hotel or retail assets near Kyle Field. Texas A&M's College Station campus topped 74,000 students in fall 2025, and the market is in the middle of a supply wave: 3,668 purpose-built student beds under construction, more than 11 percent of existing off-campus inventory. That pressure lands hardest on older Class B and C complexes competing against new towers with pools and shuttle service. The other lane is game-day hospitality: Kyle Field seats 102,733, the largest stadium in the SEC, and small hotel or retail assets near it trade on seven-plus home weekends of peak demand a year. No metro-level CRE vacancy or cap-rate series exists for College Station-Bryan, so underwrite the rent roll and the lease, not a published market number.

Question 2

Why does a College Station student housing deal need a bridge loan instead of a bank term loan?

Accepted Answer

Because repositioning an older complex against new competition is exactly the file a bank waits on until the asset already cash flows. Re-tenanting, renovating, or converting a Class B or C property to compete on price and location rather than amenities takes months a bank underwriting committee will not carry. We fund that stretch with our own capital, up to $10M and up to 75% LTV, interest-only, for 24 to 36 months, then refinance you into permanent debt we also place in house. Senate Bill 1567 (effective 2025-09-01) also changed the underwriting math: College Station can no longer cap occupancy by relationship status, only by bedroom count and square footage, which reopened per-bedroom pricing on older houses and small complexes near campus. See the CRE bridge program for full terms.

Question 3

How much does the student housing supply wave matter to a College Station bridge exit?

Accepted Answer

It is the honest risk on the deal, and it argues for location over amenities. Texas A&M ranked first among southern university markets for student housing construction as of the most recent reporting: 3,668 beds under construction, equal to more than 11 percent of existing off-campus inventory and 5.1 percent of enrollment, with named projects like Hub College Station (2,201 beds) and the Legacy Point master plan (about 2,800 beds) landing while the university has announced a plan to slow enrollment growth over the next five to seven years. The properties that hold up are walk-to-campus locations with newly flexible per-bedroom pricing under SB 1567, not the commodity fourplex competing on a pool. There is no primary-source student-housing occupancy or preleasing rate for this metro; do not underwrite to a vacancy number that does not exist. Talk to your CPA about how a repositioning timeline affects your exit basis.

Question 4

Does a non-owner-occupied commercial property in College Station need to be registered with the city?

Accepted Answer

If it's a dwelling of one to six units, yes, regardless of whether rent is charged. College Station requires every non-owner-occupied dwelling of one to six units to register with the city: a one-time $90 fee per building, no annual renewal, but ownership or contact changes must be reported within 30 days. Penalties escalate fast on a lapse: $25 a day at 31 to 45 days overdue, $50 a day at 46 to 60, $75 a day plus a court summons at 61 to 75, and $100 a day plus another summons past 76 days, with municipal court citations running $180 to $500. Buildings of seven or more units are exempt. On a repositioning play, confirm registration status before closing; a lapsed registration accumulating $100 a day is a real liability to underwrite into the deal, not just paperwork.

Question 5

If a College Station commercial deal goes to foreclosure, how fast does it move?

Accepted Answer

Fast, and on a fixed monthly clock, same as anywhere in Texas. Texas is a non-judicial, deed-of-trust state under Property Code section 51.002: sales happen at the county courthouse between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month, after at least 21 days' notice by certified mail and courthouse posting. There is no residential 20-day cure notice on non-owner-occupied commercial property, so the practical floor from default notice to sale can run close to 21 days. That cuts both ways on a bridge: a lender or buyer chasing distressed Brazos County commercial inventory needs funds committed before the first Tuesday, and a borrower needs a term that survives a leasing delay through the fall pre-lease cycle rather than one that has to be fixed at month 20. Talk to us or start an application.

Question 6

What can a commercial bridge loan be used for?

Accepted Answer

Bridge capital is for repositioning or stabilizing a commercial property before permanent financing: value-add, lease-up, a partner buyout, or pulling equity out through a cash-out. We lend across property types on terms up to 24 to 36 months, with loans up to $10M.

Question 7

What rates, leverage, and terms should I expect?

Accepted Answer

Our commercial bridge pricing starts around 9%, interest-only, up to roughly 75% loan-to-value, on terms up to 24 to 36 months. Published bridge pricing generally runs 8% to 12% with 1 to 3 points. Final terms depend on the asset, the business plan, and sponsor strength.

Question 8

How fast can a commercial bridge loan close?

Accepted Answer

Commercial deals usually close in 2 to 4 weeks. They take a little longer than residential because of the appraisal, the rent roll and operating-statement review, and any third-party reports. We move as fast as the diligence allows and keep one point of contact on your file.

Question 9

Do I need positive cash flow (DSCR) to qualify?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily at closing. Bridge loans are often underwritten interest-only to the as-stabilized business plan rather than a minimum in-place DSCR, since the property is being repositioned. We do want to see a credible path to stabilization and enough in-place income or reserves to carry the loan.

Question 10

What documents do you need for a commercial bridge request?

Accepted Answer

Typically the purchase contract or current debt, a rent roll and trailing-12-month operating statement, your business plan and renovation budget, and sponsor financials. Larger assets may also need a property condition report and an environmental review. We will give you a clear checklist up front.

Question 11

Is the loan recourse, and is cash-out available?

Accepted Answer

Most bridge loans are recourse with a personal guarantee, while lower-leverage non-recourse can be possible on stronger assets. Cash-out is available when there is equity to support it. We structure recourse and leverage around the specific deal.

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