2. How the Process Works

RPA Commercial Loans is a loan origination company, not a direct lender. This means we do not lend our own money, instead, we act as your advocate and matchmaker, preparing your application and presenting it to a carefully curated network of qualified lenders (called "Funders" on our platform). Here is how the process unfolds from start to finish:

3. Applying for a Loan

The fastest way to start is by completing the Quick Application at www.rpacommercialloans.com/apply. The form is divided into sections; you do not need to complete everything at once, and your progress is saved automatically.

3.1 What You Will Need

Before you begin the application, it helps to have the following information on hand:

• The address of the subject property (or the general area if you are in early due diligence).
• The loan amount you are requesting.
• The current value of the property, or the purchase price if this is an acquisition.
• Your estimated credit score (you can find this on your credit card statement or through a free service like Credit Karma).
• A general sense of your annual income, liquid assets, and net worth.

3.2 Loan Information Section

You will be asked to select:

• Transaction Type: Are you buying, refinancing, or seeking working capital?
• Loan Type: Bridge, Conventional, SBA, Fix & Flip, Construction, Hard Money, etc.
• Loan Purpose: Existing property, fix and flip, land, construction, cash-out, etc.

3.3 Property Information

Begin typing the property address in the address field. The system uses Google Maps to suggest matching addresses; select your property from the list to auto-populate the city, state, ZIP code, and county fields. You will also be asked for property type, year built, square footage, and, for income-producing properties, rental income and occupancy information.

3.4 Your Contact Information

Provide your full legal name, email address, and phone number. You will be asked to create a password on this step; this password will be used to log in to the Borrower Portal. Make sure to use a strong, unique password.

3.5 Submitting

Review the information on the final summary screen and click "Submit Application." You will immediately receive a confirmation email containing your Application Number, which is formatted as RPA-XXXX-XXXX. Keep this number for your records. An RPA loan officer will contact you within one to two business days.

4. Your Borrower Account

After submitting your application, you will receive a login invitation by email. This gives you access to the Borrower Portal, where you can track your application, upload documents, and review any term sheets received.

4.1 Logging In

Visit www.rpacommercialloans.com and click "Log In" in the top navigation. Enter your email address and the password you created during application. You will be taken directly to your Dashboard, which shows a summary of your active applications.

4.2 Your Dashboard

Your Dashboard displays each of your loan applications as a card, showing the application number, property address, loan amount, and current status. Click on any application card to open its detail view, where you can see the full application information, document checklist, activity log, and term sheets.

4.3 Application Status

Your application status will update automatically as it moves through the process. You will also receive email notifications at each major milestone. The key statuses to watch for are:

• Documents Pending, Your loan officer needs additional documents. Log in and check the Documents tab.
• Under Review, Your complete file is being reviewed. No action is needed from you at this time.
• Submitted to Funders, Your application is actively being reviewed by lenders in our network.
• Term Sheets Received, Lenders have submitted offers. Log in to review them.
• Funder Selected, You have selected a lender and the loan is advancing to processing.
• Funded, Congratulations! Your loan has closed.

5. Uploading Documents

Document collection is the most time-sensitive part of the loan process. The sooner you provide complete, legible documents, the faster your application can move forward. We strongly recommend uploading all documents as PDFs whenever possible.

5.1 How to Upload

5.2 Document Tips

• Use PDFs. Scan documents to PDF whenever possible. Multi-page documents should be combined into a single PDF file.
• Ensure legibility. Documents must be clear and fully readable. Blurry or dark photos of documents will be rejected.
• No password protection. Do not upload password-protected PDFs. Remove any password before uploading.
• Use the correct category. Upload each document under the category that best matches its type. If you are unsure, select "Other" and add a note.
• Complete documents only. Do not upload partial documents. Tax returns, for example, should include all pages and schedules.

5.3 Common Document Requirements

The following documents are commonly required for most commercial loan types. Your loan officer will provide a specific checklist:

• Government-issued photo ID (driver's license or passport, front and back)
• Personal tax returns, most recent 2 years (all pages and schedules)
• Personal financial statement (a form listing all assets and liabilities)
• Bank statements, most recent 3 months (all pages, all accounts)
• Property photos (exterior and interior)
• Purchase contract (if this is a purchase transaction)
• Current mortgage statement and payoff letter (if refinancing)
• Lease agreements (for rental properties)
• Business tax returns and financial statements (if a business entity is borrowing)
• Entity documents: operating agreement, articles of incorporation, EIN letter

6. Reviewing Term Sheets

Once your application has been submitted to funders, you may begin receiving term sheets, written proposals from lenders outlining the terms on which they are willing to provide financing. Term sheets are not binding contracts; they are expressions of interest that initiate the formal negotiation and underwriting process.

6.1 How to View Term Sheets

When a term sheet is received, you will be notified by email and the status of your application will update to "Term Sheets Received." Log in to the Borrower Portal, open your application, and click the "Term Sheets" tab. Each received term sheet will be displayed as a card.

6.2 What a Term Sheet Contains

Each term sheet card shows the following information from the prospective lender:

• Offered Loan Amount, May be different from your requested amount.
• Interest Rate, Annual percentage rate, which may be fixed or variable.
• Rate Type, Fixed, Variable, or Hybrid.
• Loan Term, Duration in months.
• Amortization, The schedule over which payments are calculated.
• LTV Offered, The loan-to-value ratio the lender is willing to provide.
• Origination Fee, The lender's fee, expressed as a percentage of the loan amount.
• Other Fees, Processing, appraisal, or other flat-dollar fees.
• Recourse Type, Full, Partial, or Non-Recourse.
• Conditions, Any conditions the lender has placed on their offer.
• Estimated Closing Date, The lender's anticipated timeline to fund.

6.3 Selecting a Lender

After reviewing all received term sheets, you may select the offer you prefer by clicking the "Select This Funder" button on the corresponding term sheet card. You will be asked to confirm your selection. Once confirmed, the application status will update to "Funder Selected" and RPA will initiate the formal introduction between you and the selected lender.

6.4 Comparing Offers

When comparing term sheets, do not focus solely on the interest rate. Consider the total cost of the loan over its full term, including all origination fees and other costs, the amortization structure (which determines your monthly payment), the prepayment penalty, whether the loan is recourse or non-recourse, and the lender's track record and estimated closing timeline. Your RPA loan officer is available to help you analyze and compare offers.

7. The Closing Process

After you have selected a funder and they have issued a formal commitment letter, the loan enters the processing and closing phase. The following steps typically occur during this period.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

9. Glossary