Question 1

Would a small manufacturer near Fort Collins clear the SBA occupancy rule buying its own building?

Accepted Answer

Usually, and the mechanics are the same everywhere the rule applies. Under 13 CFR 120.131, an existing building needs your business in at least 51% of the rentable space, with the rest free to lease out. New construction is stricter: 60% owner-occupancy at minimum, only 20% permanently leasable to a third party, and an absorption plan for the remaining 20%. Fort Collins and Larimer County sit alongside a real advanced-manufacturing base (Woodward, Broadcom, Advanced Energy, Vestas, Otter Products are all named employers here), so a small manufacturer buying its own shop is a common scenario, not an edge case.

Question 2

Is a 504 loan really just 10% down for a Fort Collins building?

Accepted Answer

Ten percent is the floor, not the rule. Under 13 CFR 120.910, a borrower puts in 10% on an ordinary project, 15% if the business has operated less than two years or the building is single purpose, and 20% if both apply. There's an upside for manufacturers, who make up a real share of the local employer base: small manufacturers under NAICS 31 to 33 get a $5.5 million 504 cap instead of the standard $5 million, under 13 CFR 120.931. If the approval is going to take a while and the seller won't wait, a bridge loan can get you to closing while the SBA file works through underwriting.

Question 3

I heard SBA fees were waived. Is that still true for a loan I close in Fort Collins this year?

Accepted Answer

No. Fees came back for fiscal 2026, and any page still saying otherwise is stale. For loans approved between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026, the 7(a) upfront guaranty fee is back at 2% to 3.5% and up depending on size, after being zero under $1 million in fiscal 2025. The 504 upfront fee returned at 0.50%, with the annual service fee cut to 0.209%. Budget the upfront fee into your closing costs rather than finding it at the commitment letter. Small manufacturers keep a real carve-out: no 7(a) upfront fee at or under $950,000, and waived 504 fees. If your Fort Collins business runs manufacturing operations, say so on the first call.

Question 4

Can an SBA loan finance an Estes Park lodging property?

Accepted Answer

It can, but the licence sits ahead of the real estate in the underwriting. Estes Park caps vacation home licences in its residential zoning districts at 322 and cleared its waitlist in 2025, so an owner-operated inn or lodging property there is a licence-constrained asset before it is anything else. If you're the operating business occupying the property, that constraint is part of what makes the collateral defensible, but confirm the licence transfers or that you can obtain your own before you're under contract. We place SBA financing for owner-occupied lodging the same way we do for any other owner-occupied commercial building.

Question 5

How does Larimer County's commercial property tax rate change the carry on an SBA-financed building?

Accepted Answer

Commercial real estate assesses at 27% of actual value, roughly four times the residential rate, so model that line before you sign. A residential rental in Fort Collins assesses at 7.05% against school mills and 6.25% against everything else; a commercial building or unimproved lot assesses at 27% against every mill in the stack. On the certified Fort Collins tax year 2024 levy, that difference is the largest single variable in a commercial pro forma, well ahead of the mortgage payment for most owner-users. Pull the parcel's actual tax area from the Larimer County Assessor before you finalize a purchase, since city, school, and any overlapping metro district levies all stack on top of the base rate.

Question 6

What size SBA loan can I get for a Fort Collins building?

Accepted Answer

From $350,000 to $5 million and up, with financing up to 90% of the project. On a $2,000,000 owner-occupied Fort Collins purchase that is up to $1,800,000 financed and $200,000 from you (2,000,000 x 90% = 1,800,000), before fees and closing costs. Two things sit ahead of the number: the property has to be owner-occupied commercial real estate, and the FY2026 upfront guaranty fee is back, so budget it rather than meeting it at the commitment letter. Subject to underwriting.

Question 7

How long can I amortize an SBA loan on a Fort Collins property?

Accepted Answer

Up to 25 years, at market SBA rates. That is the trade this program makes against a bridge loan: a much longer runway and a lower payment, in exchange for a fully documented file and a longer approval. For a Larimer County manufacturer or health-care practice buying its own shop, a 25-year term is usually what makes owning cheaper than leasing. Model the 27% commercial assessment rate into the carry alongside the payment, since that line moves more than the rate does. Subject to underwriting.

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