Investing your money plays a critical role in achieving financial security, especially for your life after retirement. People don’t always agree on the best place to invest money, but one thing they can agree on is to start investing early. The earlier in life you invest, the more time you have to earn a profit. One place to invest that has a potential for yielding a worthwhile profit is rental properties. When you buy a property to rent, whether you choose to buy a house, duplex or apartment building, it’s going to cost money upfront. Fortunately, it’s possible to obtain loans specifically for purchasing investment properties.

When looking to take out a commercial loan, the most important factor is your credit score. Having a very good credit score, 740 and above, will increase your likelihood of obtaining a loan. Anything less than a 740 credit score, will increase your monthly payments and interest rates or even prevent you from being approved. Debt is another aspect to take in consideration. If you have financial debt, it’s best to take care of it before seeking a loan. Having a lot of debt makes it difficult if not impossible to be approved for a loan.

If you’re in a good position to obtain a loan, you need to decide who your lender is going to be. Large national banks are a viable option; however, they don’t have much room for flexibility. National banks want to be certain that they get their money back. As such, they won’t approve loans for properties that they deem risky and, they usually require large down payments.

An alternative option to taking out a loan directly from a large bank is to go through a private broker. The biggest benefit of using a broker is having the flexibility not offered by national banks. Brokers are more willing to work with you to create a plan that suits your circumstances. Larger brokers offer loans ranging from $1,000,000 to $50,000,000. Private lenders have more options for fixed rates ranging from 3 to 35 years.

Working with a commercial loan broker opens up more opportunities for you to put your money into investment real estate properties. They have the knowledge and experience to help you take out a loan that’s right for you. Getting approved for a loan and purchasing a rental property today will assist you in your journey of obtaining financial security.