Buying the Building Your Business Rents: A Florida Owner’s Playbook
Every rent check builds someone else's equity. For established Florida businesses, buying the building is often the single best wealth move available — and with the right structure, the down payment is smaller than most owners expect.
The 10%-down structures
Through the SBA 504 program, qualified owners buy with as little as 10% down: 50% bank loan, 40% SBA loan at a long-term fixed rate (6.97% for 25 years at the October 2026 debenture sale), and your 10%. SBA 7(a) loans can also buy real estate — sometimes blending the building, equipment, and working capital into one loan.
The rules that shape the deal
- Occupancy: your business must occupy at least 51% of an existing building (60% for new construction). Lease the rest — the rent helps carry the note.
- Entity structure: many owners hold the real estate in a separate entity and lease it to the operating business — talk to your CPA and attorney about liability and tax treatment.
- Appraisal and environmental: commercial appraisals take longer than residential; gas stations, dry cleaners, and older industrial sites may need environmental reports.
The math owners miss
Compare total occupancy cost, not payment vs. rent: your "rent" to yourself builds equity, the interest and depreciation are deductible (ask your CPA), and in 25 years the payment stops — rent never does. Add Florida's growth in industrial, medical, and retail corridors, and the building often outperforms the business inside it.
A simple first step
Ask your landlord the question most tenants never ask: would you sell? Owners nearing retirement say yes more often than you'd think — sometimes with seller financing or a lease-option that makes the SBA structure even easier. Off-market, relationship deals are where the best buildings trade.
We finance owner-occupied purchases across Florida every week — warehouses, offices, medical, retail, and mixed-use. Tell us what you pay in rent and where you want to own; we'll map the structure.
NEWLOANCO Commercial is a division of NEWLOANCO (NMLS #1369124). Jorge R. Regalado, CEO — NMLS #1243458. Content is educational only and is not a loan offer, quote, or commitment to lend. All loans are subject to lender approval. SBA loans are made by SBA-approved lenders; NEWLOANCO is not affiliated with the U.S. Small Business Administration or any government agency.