Federal Reserve Announces Likely Rate Hikes
Since the economic crisis and financial meltdown in 2008, the Federal Reserve has kept the Fed Funds rate at very close to zero. The Fed Funds rate is the rate that the Federal Reserve charges to its member institutions. By keeping this rate very low, banks and other financial institutions have been able to keep the interest rates they charge to their customers at historically low rates. This has allowed individuals to buy homes, cars and other large items at very low rates – stimulating an economic recovery. Business customers and commercial real estate owners have likewise been able to buy and refinance commercial property at historically low rates. Most consumer and business loan rates are tied into the rates in the United States treasury market. Since the Fed funds rate has been so low, United States treasury securities have also been very low for the past seven years.
The Federal Reserve is starting to reassess their strategy and have announced that it is likely that rates will begin to rise between now and the end of this year. An increase from the Federal Reserve will cause an increase in the United States treasuries, which in turn will mean an increase in the rates charged to consumers and business owners. For more information on likely policy from the Federal Reserve, click this Washington Post article.
If you are considering purchasing a new commercial property, investment property, or refinancing the debt on your existing commercial real estate loan, you should consider acting now before rates increase.
You can check out our commercial real estate loan rates here. Then use our commercial mortgage calculator to determine your monthly principal and interest payment.
Author
Stephen A. Sobin is the President and Founder of Select Commercial Funding LLC. Mr. Sobin has over 35 years’ experience originating commercial real estate loans. He formed Select Commercial to offer commercial mortgage banking and real estate capital advisory services to his clients on a national basis. His goal was to become an advocate for his clients and to help them navigate the ever-changing economic conditions facing the banking industry and to assist them by providing access to commercial real estate funds despite the uncertainty of the capital markets. The company was founded on the belief that most small to medium sized property and business owners lacked the expertise and sources to obtain the best financing options in the $1,500,000 to $10,000,000 range. While large real estate companies often have in-house finance professionals, most small to medium sized borrowers do not have the same access to professional advice and sources of funds. Mr. Sobin focuses on providing those services to this segment of the market.