Should your business lease or own its building?
Plain guides to commercial real estate for Latino business owners in Southern California: SBA 504, NNN leases, Prop 13 and when to sell or stay.
Take the 6-question lease vs. buy check →Who this is for
- Business owners renting a storefront, shop, warehouse or office
- Owners thinking about buying the building they're in
- Families holding commercial property who are considering a sale
- Small investors reading their first commercial listing
How it works
1
Take the check
Six questions about time, space and capital point you to lease, buy or sale-leaseback.
2
Run the worked examples
Each guide includes a comparison table or checklist with illustrative numbers you can replace.
3
Talk to WCA when you're ready
Send WCA the address for a complimentary property review.
Own your building
Topic: Own your buildingLeasing vs. buying, SBA 504 and conventional loans, and what owner-users should model first.
Buying a building for your business: SBA 504 vs. conventional financing
How owner-users compare SBA 504 and conventional commercial loans, and the owner-occupancy rules that decide eligibility.
Lease vs. buy your business building: a 10-year comparison
A worked comparison of leasing and owning over ten years, the inputs that flip the answer, and the non-financial questions to ask first.
Leases & property taxes
Topic: Leases & property taxesNNN leases, renewals and Proposition 13: the costs that decide whether a location works.
Proposition 13 and commercial property: what changes when you buy
How a change in ownership resets the assessed value of a California commercial property and what that means for NNN tenants and buyers.
NNN, modified gross or full service: what your lease makes you pay
Who pays taxes, insurance and maintenance under the common commercial lease types, and the CAM clauses small tenants miss.
Commercial lease renewal: a 12-month negotiation timeline
When to start, what to gather and which terms to put on the table before your commercial lease expires.
Invest & sell
Topic: Invest & sellCap rates, broker opinions of value and sale-leasebacks for owners and investors.
Reading a cap rate on a small commercial listing: adjust the NOI first
What a capitalization rate measures, how listing cap rates are built, and three questions to ask before trusting one.
Before you sell: what a commercial broker opinion of value covers
What a BOV includes, how it differs from an appraisal, and how owners use it to decide whether to sell, refinance or hold.
Sale-leaseback for business owners: cash out and stay put
How a sale-leaseback works for an owner-occupied building, what buyers look at, and the trade-offs against a refinance.
Who's behind this
- Published by Williams Capital Advisors, DRE #02030467, powered by eXp Commercial of California, Inc., DRE #02134436.
- Written and reviewed by Francisco Williams, CCIM, CalDRE #01979442.
- Program facts link to the SBA, eCFR and California code.
- Examples are illustrative. No financing promises.
Francisco Williams: CalDRE #01979442 · Williams Capital Advisors: DRE #02030467 · eXp Commercial of California, Inc.: DRE #02134436
Frequently asked questions
Is this site a lender?
No. It's an education site published by a commercial real estate brokerage. Financing is arranged with third-party lenders.
Does the quiz tell me what to do?
It points you to the guides and next step that fit your answers. It isn't financial or tax advice.
Do you work only with Latino-owned businesses?
The guides are written for Latino business owners and families, and they're useful to anyone.
Is American Latino Business affiliated with the Smithsonian or a government program?
No.