An owner-user purchase means your business buys the building it operates from. Instead of rent disappearing into a landlord's pocket, roughly the same monthly cost builds equity in an asset you control: no landlord, no renewal negotiations, no surprise rent bumps, and a building that becomes part of your retirement whether you sell the company someday or lease it back to whoever buys it.
The financing is what makes this possible for ordinary businesses. SBA 504 loans typically stack a bank first at about 50% of the price, a CDC second at about 40%, and your down payment at roughly 10%, with long fixed-rate terms, provided your business occupies at least 51% of the building. SBA 7(a) offers a similar path with different mechanics. Compare that to 30-40% down conventional and the math changes for most owners. I coordinate with SBA lenders early so you shop with real buying power, not a guess.
What you actually get: a rent-versus-own analysis with your real numbers before you commit to anything, a search covering everything listed plus off-market opportunities surfaced by my sourcing systems (loan maturity tracking and direct owner outreach find buildings before they hit CoStar), underwriting on every serious candidate covering total occupancy cost, capital needs, and resale fundamentals, offer strategy and negotiation, and a managed escrow with a due diligence checklist that runs on hard dates: inspections, environmental, title, appraisal, lender coordination.
Like tenant representation, my fee comes from the seller's side of the transaction in nearly every case. You get an advocate; the deal pays for it.
Owner-user purchases reward preparation: the best buildings go to the buyers who are ready before the opportunity appears.
Define size, location, and layout needs, then get prequalified. SBA 504 and 7(a) programs let qualifying owner-users buy with roughly 10% down. Sellers take prequalified buyers seriously; everyone else waits.
Everything listed, plus what isn't. My AI sourcing systems track loan maturities and owner signals across Orange County, which is where the buildings nobody else saw come from.
Real numbers on every candidate: total occupancy cost versus your current rent, capital needs, and resale fundamentals. Then we walk the shortlist with a critical eye.
A structured offer backed by comps, negotiated on price, terms, contingencies, and timeline. In a soft market, terms move as much as price does.
Inspections, environmental, title, appraisal, and lender coordination, run on a checklist with hard dates so nothing surprises you at the end.
Close of escrow, move coordination, and a building that builds your balance sheet instead of your landlord's.
With SBA 504 or 7(a) financing, qualifying owner-users can often buy with roughly 10% down, if the business occupies at least 51% of the building. Conventional loans typically want more.
Plan 3 to 9 months of search depending on how specific your requirement is, plus 60 to 90 days of escrow, sometimes longer with SBA financing in the mix.
Run both numbers honestly: total occupancy cost of owning (debt service, taxes, maintenance, opportunity cost of the down payment) against market rent, plus what appreciation and control are worth to your business. I'll build that comparison for you before you commit to anything.
Nothing. The seller pays the commission in nearly all cases, exactly like a lease.
Tell me what you're working on: a lease coming up, a building to buy or sell, or a market question you want a straight answer to. I'll respond within one business day.