Loan to Cost Ratio – Explained
The Loan-to-Cost (LTC) ratio is a financial metric used in commercial real estate that measures the percentage of a property’s acquisition, rehab, and construction costs that’s financed by a loan. It’s calculated by dividing the loan amount by the total cost of the project.
Here’s the formula:
For instance, if the cost of acquiring and rehabilitating a commercial property is $1 million, and you secure a loan of $700,000, the LTC would be 70%.
LTC is an important metric for several reasons:
1. Risk Assessment: Lenders use LTC to assess the risk associated with a real estate loan. A higher LTC ratio indicates that the borrower has less equity invested in the project, implying a higher risk for the lender if the project fails or the borrower defaults.
2. Loan Approval and Amount: The LTC ratio also helps determine whether a lender will approve a loan and how much they’re willing to lend. Most lenders have a maximum LTC ratio that they’re willing to extend. If a project’s LTC ratio exceeds this limit, the lender may not approve the loan, or they may require the borrower to invest more of their own equity.
3. Investor Equity Requirement: From the investor’s perspective, the LTC ratio can help determine how much of their own equity they’ll need to contribute to a project. For example, if a lender has a maximum LTC ratio of 75%, the borrower will need to contribute at least 25% of the total project cost.
4. Profitability Analysis: Investors can also use the LTC ratio in their profitability analysis. If the loan amount covers a large percentage of the project cost, the investor could potentially realize a higher return on their equity investment, assuming the project is successful.
Remember that while the LTC ratio is a useful tool in the loan evaluation and investment decision process, it’s just one of several financial metrics used in real estate finance. Other important metrics include the Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio, the After-Repair Value (ARV), and the Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR).