Chapter 16

15. Although nonrecourse loans dominate the commercial mortgage lending practices of pension funds, life insurance companies, and commercial mortgage-backed security (CMBS) originators, banks are likely to require some form of a guarantee by the organizer/sponsor of the investment opportunity to make the lender whole in the event the lender suffers a loss on the loan. This protection to the lender is more commonly referred to as a: A. Credit enhancement B. Property externality C. Joint venture D. Mezzanine loan

A. Credit enhancement

8. While floating rate mortgage loans may offer lower interest rates to borrowers than comparable fixed-payment mortgages, floating-rate loans may increase a lender's exposure to which of the following risks since borrowers may not be able to continue to service the debt if payments on the loan increase significantly? A. Default risk B. Interest rate risk C. Liquidity risk D. Pipeline risk

A. Default risk

9. The yields on commercial mortgages have been approximately 2 percent higher, on average, than the yields on comparable maturity treasury securities over the past 15 years. Often considered the signature risk of commercial mortgage lending, this spread primarily represents: A. Default risk B. Interest rate risk C. Pipeline risk D. Fallout risk

A. Default risk

21. Land acquisition, development, and construction loans used by developers differ significantly from the "permanent" mortgages that traditionally are used to finance the purchase of commercial properties. All of the statements listed below are true regarding land acquisition, development, and construction loans EXCEPT: A. Developers can never be held personally liable for such loans B. These loans have floating interest rates tied to short-term interest rate indices C. These loans are interest-only loans. D. These loans can be prepaid at any time without penalty.

A. Developers can never be held personally liable for such loans

18. Once a loan application is signed, the lender begins a process that typically includes ordering the fee appraisal, the title report, and a number of third party inspection, compliance, and engineering reports in an attempt to make sure the potential borrower did not misrepresent the property in any way in the original loan submission package. This process is more commonly referred to as: A. Due diligence B. Loan submission C. Loan development D. Defeasance

A. Due diligence

3. Which of the following types of loans is the most common instrument used to finance the acquisition of existing commercial property? A. Fixed-rate balloon mortgage loans B. Floating-rate mortgage loans C. Mezzanine loans D. Construction loans

A. Fixed-rate balloon mortgage loans

1. One of the main differences between residential mortgage loans and permanent financing of commercial real estate lies in the allocation of liability in the case of default. In commercial real estate, a "bankruptcy remote" special-purpose entity is created that shields the actual borrower from personal liability. When a lender cannot lay claim to the personal assets of the defaulted borrower, this type of loan is commonly referred to as a: A. nonrecourse loan B. mini-perm loan C. partially amortizing loan D. interest-only loan

A. nonrecourse loan

22. If the mortgage loan is going to be packaged with similar loans and then resold to investors as part of a commercial mortgage-backed security, the originating lender may rely more heavily on examining which of the following ratios in order to determine the maximum amount they are willing to lend to the borrower? (Note: This ratio indicates the cash-on-cash return the lender would earn on its invested capital if it had to foreclose on the property immediately after originating the loan) A. Debt coverage ratio B. Debt yield ratio C. Debt service ratio D. Equity dividend ratio

B. Debt yield ratio

16. Relative to residential loans, the underwriting process for commercial loans is more complicated. The commercial loan underwriting process focuses first on which of the following? A. Individual borrower's credit quality B. Income producing potential of the collateral property C. Individual borrower's wages D. Individual borrower's personal assets

B. Income producing potential of the collateral property

5. While balloon mortgage loan payments are typically based on a 30-year amortization schedule, the loan actually matures in either 3, 5, 7, or 10 years. Of the following, which is the primary risk that a lender reduces their exposure to through the relatively short loan term on a balloon mortgage? A. Default risk B. Interest rate risk C. Liquidity risk D. Financial risk

B. Interest rate risk

20. Different financing requirements usually are involved in the various phases of a property's life. Which of the following types of loans is used to finance improvements to the land, such as sewers, streets and utilities? A. Land acquisition loans B. Land development loans C. Construction loans D. Bridge loans

B. Land development loans

19. Which of the following terms refers to a written agreement that binds the lender to make a loan to the borrower provided the borrower satisfies the terms and conditions of the agreement? A. Loan application B. Loan commitment C. Loan underwriting D. Loan document

B. Loan commitment

11. There are a number of alternatives when it comes to the capital structure for acquisitions of commercial real estate. Through which of the following lending relationships does the lender have the right to foreclose on the equity of the borrower's company in the case of default? A. Second mortgage loan B. Mezzanine loan C. Mini-perm loan D. Construction loan

B. Mezzanine loan

23. A commercial real estate loan may take 90 days from the signing of the purchase and sale contract until loan closing. Therefore, there is the possibility for interest rates to fluctuate during this period. In some cases, the lender may offer the borrower the opportunity to "lock in" the interest rate on the loan. To protect against exposure to rate increases during this period, the borrower is often willing to pay a nonrefundable fee as part of what is more commonly known as a: A. Lockout provision B. Rate lock agreement C. Floating rate agreement D. Yield maintenance provision

B. Rate lock agreement

6. In contrast to residential mortgage loans, most fixed-rate commercial mortgages do not allow borrowers to freely prepay the principal on their loan. Which of the following prepayment penalties ties the penalty that borrowers pay to how far interest rates have declined since origination? A. Lockout provisions B. Yield-maintenance agreements C. Defeasance D. Curtailment

B. Yield-maintenance agreements

10. An alternative vehicle for financing commercial property involves having the lender acquire an ownership (equity) interest in the property by supplying a portion of the required equity capital in addition to providing the permanent debt financing. This type of financing arrangement is commonly referred to as a(n): A. installment sale B. joint venture C. land sale-leaseback D. complete sale-leaseback

B. joint venture

13. In order to better understand a borrower's probability of default, lenders have a number of tools at their disposal. The ratio that measures the percentage of the price (or value) of a property that is encumbered by the first mortgage is referred to as the: A. debt coverage ratio (DCR) B. loan-to-value ratio (LTV) C. break-even ratio (BER) D. price-earnings ratio (PE)

B. loan-to-value ratio (LTV)

7. If mortgage rates decline significantly, borrowers may decide to prepay the principal on their loan even if they face prepayment penalties. One way that lenders protect themselves from prepayments in such circumstances is by requiring the borrower who prepays to purchase for the lender a set of U.S. Treasury securities whose coupon payments replicate the cash flows the lender will lose as a result of the early retirement of the mortgage. This process is referred to as: A. Lockout B. Yield-maintenance C. Defeasance  D. Curtailment

C. Defeasance

24 The use of a mezzanine loan in the purchase of a commercial property has all of the following impacts on the borrower EXCEPT: A. Allows the borrower to increase their financial leverage in the purchase of the property B. Increases the borrower's expected first year return on equity C. Mitigates the risk of financing for the borrower D. Requires the borrower to pledge an equity interest in their company (e.g., LLC) as collateral for the loan rather than pledging the property.

C. Mitigates the risk of financing for the borrower

4. Some commercial mortgages have adjustable, or floating, interest rates. The index rate to which the contract rate is tied is typically which of the following for commercial mortgages? A. The yield on a constant maturity Treasury security of the same term  B. The cost of funds index (COFI) C. The London Interbank Offer Rate (LIBOR) D. The interest rate on a comparable maturity level-payment mortgage

C. The London Interbank Offer Rate (LIBOR)

14. The use of financial leverage by real estate investors can be a double-edged sword. All of the following statements regarding the use of financial leverage by real estate investors are true EXCEPT: A. The use of financial leverage by real estate investors mitigates the impact that limited financial resources would otherwise have on their pursuit of investment opportunities.  B. The use of financial leverage by real estate investors will increase the internal rate of return (IRR) on equity as long as the cost of borrowing is less than the unlevered IRR. C. The use of financial leverage reduces the real estate investor's exposure to default risk. D. The use of financial leverage by real estate investors makes the realized return on equity more sensitive to changes in rental rates and resale values.

C. The use of financial leverage reduces the real estate investor's exposure to default risk.

17. Prospective borrowers often submit loan requests directly to lenders. However, commercial loan requests can also be submitted through another channel in which a permanent lender agrees to purchase loans or consider loan requests from a mortgage banker or broker. This type of business relationship is more commonly referred to as a(n): A. installment sale B. joint venture C. correspondent relationship  D. sale-leaseback

C. correspondent relationship

2. In recent years, lenders have been unwilling to relieve borrowers from personal liability in the event of fraud, environmental problems, or unpaid property tax obligations. Therefore, some lenders include a clause that pierces the single-purpose borrowing entity to hold the actual borrower liable in such instances. This clause is commonly referred to as a: A. habendum clause B. lockout provision C. defeasance D. "bad boy carve-out" clause

D. "bad boy carve-out" clause

12. An interest-only balloon mortgage loan is commonly referred to as a(n): A. Mini-perm loan B. Mezzanine loan C. Land acquisition loan D. Bullet loan

D. Bullet loan