Frequently asked questions

What is Commercial Real Estate (CRE)?

Briefly, commercial real estate (CRE) is any property owned to produce income. This includes:

  • property owned by investors to rent or lease to businesses or residential tenants
  • property owned or leased by a business (i.e. storefront, office) to conduct business
  • property that is owned or occupied by nonprofit organizations
  • property that is owned or occupied by religious organizations
Examples of CRE properties are:
  • multifamily (residential apartment building)
  • mixed-use (combination of residential and retail or office units)
  • office
  • retail
  • industrial
  • land



What are some types of commercial property types?

There are 6 main property types:

  1. Multi-unit/family (apartment buildings)
  2. Mixed Use (combination of retail or office space and residential apartments)
  3. Office
  4. Retail
  5. Industrial
  6. Land



How does residential real estate differ from CRE?

According to most definitions, residential real estate includes single family homes, condominiums, co-ops and typically, smaller (4 units or less) apartment buildings. These properties are usually owner occupied. At R4 Commercial we include 2-4 unit apartment buildings in the multi-family space because of the owner’s ability to lease units to produce income.



Can I get a 20 or 30-year mortgage loan for a CRE property?

A typical loan for a commercial property is a 5-year balloon. That said, there are programs that offer longer mortgage loan terms for multi-family properties and owner-occupied businesses. These programs require certain conditions to be met.



How can I reach you?

Call, email, or complete our inquiry form. We’d love to hear from you.



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