Austin’s commercial real estate owners are navigating one of the most dynamic lending environments in years, and refinancing at the right moment can mean the difference between preserving cash flow and watching it erode. Whether you own an office building along the Domain corridor, a flex-industrial property near the airport, a multifamily asset in East Austin, or retail space in Round Rock, a well-timed commercial mortgage refinance in Texas can lower your monthly payment, unlock trapped equity, or replace a maturing balloon note before it becomes a problem. RefiLoop connects Austin property owners with competing lenders — banks, credit unions, CMBS conduits, agency lenders, and private capital — so you can compare real offers side by side instead of taking the first quote your current bank puts on the table.
Texas Commercial Real Estate Market
Austin remains one of the fastest-growing major metros in the country, and its commercial property market reflects that momentum. The region’s economy is anchored by technology — with major corporate campuses from semiconductor manufacturers, software companies, and hardware makers — alongside state government, the University of Texas, healthcare systems, and a thriving hospitality sector fueled by year-round events. That employment base drives durable demand across nearly every property type: multifamily communities absorbing new residents, industrial and flex space serving the manufacturing supply chain along the SH-130 corridor, neighborhood retail following rooftop growth into suburbs like Pflugerville, Leander, and Kyle, and medical office tracking the metro’s population gains.
The trends that matter most to refinancing owners are rent trajectory and valuation. Austin’s multifamily market worked through a heavy supply wave in recent years, which pressured rents in some submarkets before absorption caught up — a factor lenders scrutinize closely when underwriting current income. Industrial vacancy has stayed comparatively tight, and well-located retail continues to perform. Office is the most bifurcated segment: newer, amenitized buildings lease well while older stock faces higher vacancy, which affects both achievable loan-to-value and lender appetite. Statewide, Texas benefits from no state income tax, strong in-migration, and a deep bench of active commercial lenders, which generally means more competitive refinance terms than owners find in slower-growth markets.
Commercial Refinance Options in Texas
There is no single “best” refinance product — the right structure depends on your property type, occupancy, credit profile, and how long you plan to hold. These are the main options Austin owners compare through RefiLoop:
- Bank and credit union refinance. The workhorse of Texas commercial lending. Local and regional banks offer 5-, 7-, and 10-year fixed terms, typically on 20-25 year amortization, with competitive pricing for stabilized properties and borrowers with strong banking relationships. Expect full recourse in most cases and loan-to-value up to about 75%.
- CMBS (conduit) loans. Best suited to larger, stabilized assets — generally $2 million and up. CMBS offers 10-year fixed rates, non-recourse structure, and interest-only options, in exchange for less flexibility on prepayment (defeasance or yield maintenance) and more standardized servicing.
- Bridge loans. Short-term financing (typically 12-36 months) for properties in transition — lease-up, renovation, or a maturing loan that needs to be retired before the asset qualifies for permanent debt. Bridge lenders move fast and underwrite to the property’s stabilized value rather than today’s income.
- Agency loans (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac). For multifamily properties of five or more units, agency financing usually offers the lowest fixed rates available, non-recourse terms, 30-year amortization, and up to 80% LTV on qualifying assets. Austin’s large apartment stock makes this one of the most-used products in the metro.
- Hard money and private lending. The fastest and most flexible option, priced accordingly. Hard money makes sense when timing is critical — a discounted payoff, a partnership buyout, or a loan maturity measured in days rather than months — or when the property or borrower doesn’t yet fit institutional criteria.
If you’re weighing these structures for the first time, our commercial mortgage refinancing guide walks through each product in depth, including prepayment mechanics, recourse considerations, and how lenders price risk across property types.
| Product | Typical Rate Range | Max LTV | Term | Recourse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank / credit union | 6.0% – 8.5% | 75% | 5-10 yr fixed | Usually full |
| CMBS | 6.0% – 8.0% | 75% | 10 yr fixed | Non-recourse |
| Agency (multifamily) | 5.5% – 7.0% | 80% | 5-30 yr | Non-recourse |
| Bridge | 8.0% – 12.0% | 70-75% | 1-3 yr | Varies |
| Hard money | 9.5% – 13%+ | 65-70% | 6-24 mo | Varies |
Rates shown are indicative market ranges by product, not offers; your actual pricing depends on the property, leverage, and lender competition at the time you apply.
What Lenders Look For in Texas Properties
Underwriting a refinance comes down to a handful of metrics, and knowing where your property stands before you apply puts you in a far stronger negotiating position.
debt service coverage ratio (DSCR). This is the first number every lender calculates: net operating income divided by annual debt service. Most Texas lenders want a minimum DSCR of 1.20x-1.25x, with agency and CMBS lenders sometimes accepting 1.20x on strong multifamily and banks preferring 1.25x or better on office and retail. Run your own numbers with our DSCR calculator before you start conversations — if you’re below 1.20x at current rates, you’ll want to focus on lenders who underwrite to stabilized income or consider a bridge-to-permanent strategy.
Loan-to-value (LTV). Lenders in Texas will generally refinance up to 70-75% of appraised value for most commercial property types, and up to 80% for qualifying multifamily through the agencies. Cash-out refinances often price slightly higher and may cap leverage a bit lower than rate-and-term deals.
Debt yield. Increasingly common as a backstop metric, especially with CMBS and larger bank deals: NOI divided by loan amount, with most lenders wanting 8-10% or better. Debt yield matters because it’s immune to interest-rate movement — it tells the lender how quickly they’d recover their basis if they had to take the property back.
Property condition and location. Expect a third-party appraisal, and on most deals a property condition report and Phase I environmental assessment. Deferred maintenance gets flagged and often escrowed. Austin’s submarket dynamics matter here too: a lender will view a stabilized industrial building near the airport differently than a 1980s-vintage suburban office property, even at identical DSCRs.
Tenant quality and lease terms. For retail, office, and industrial, lenders read the rent roll closely — tenant credit, lease maturities relative to the loan term, and concentration risk. A single tenant representing 60% of income with a lease expiring in year three of a ten-year loan will draw structure (reserves, cash management triggers) or pricing adjustments. For multifamily, the focus shifts to occupancy history, collections, and market rent comparisons.
Borrower strength. Net worth relative to loan size, liquidity (often 6-12 months of debt service post-closing), credit history, and experience with the property type all factor in — especially on recourse bank deals.
Getting Started with Your Texas Refinance
The refinance process is more straightforward than most owners expect, particularly when lenders compete for your loan rather than the other way around. Here’s how it works with RefiLoop:
Step 1: Share your property and loan details. Tell us about the asset — property type, location, estimated value, current loan balance, rate, and maturity date — along with what you’re trying to accomplish: lower payment, cash out, longer fixed term, or retiring a balloon. This takes a few minutes and there’s no cost or obligation.
Step 2: Compare competing offers. We match your deal to lenders actively funding your property type and market, and you receive real term sheets to compare — rate, amortization, fees, prepayment terms, and recourse. Use our commercial mortgage calculator to translate each offer into monthly payments and total cost over your expected hold period, because the lowest rate isn’t always the cheapest loan once prepayment penalties and fees are factored in.
Step 3: Close with confidence. Once you select a lender, we help keep the process on track through application, third-party reports, underwriting, and closing. Having your documents ready — three years of operating statements, a current rent roll, trailing-12 income and expenses, and personal financial statements — is the single biggest factor in a fast closing, so start assembling your document checklist early.
Ready to see what your property qualifies for? Get Your Free Refinance Quote and compare offers within days, not weeks. For statewide market data, lender types, and Texas-specific legal considerations like the state’s title and lien framework, see our full Texas refinance guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast can I close a commercial refinance in Texas?
For permanent financing — bank, CMBS, or agency loans — plan on 45 to 90 days from application to closing. The timeline is driven mostly by third-party reports (appraisal, environmental, property condition) and how quickly you deliver documentation. Bridge and hard money lenders move much faster: two to three weeks is typical, and some private lenders can close in under ten days when the situation demands it. If you have a loan maturity approaching, start the process at least four to six months out so you’re never forced into an expensive extension.
What are typical commercial refinance rates in Texas right now?
Rates vary by product and risk profile. As general market ranges: bank and CMBS loans price around 6% to 8.5%, agency multifamily loans run roughly 5.5% to 7%, and bridge financing typically falls between 8% and 12%. Within each range, your specific rate depends on leverage, DSCR, property type, market, and borrower strength — which is exactly why comparing multiple lenders matters. A half-point difference on a $3 million loan is roughly $15,000 a year.
What loan-to-value can I expect on a Texas commercial refinance?
Most lenders will go up to 70-75% LTV for stabilized commercial properties, and agency lenders will reach 80% on qualifying multifamily. Cash-out refinances sometimes cap slightly lower — around 70% with many banks. If your current loan balance is well below these thresholds, a cash-out refinance can be an efficient way to fund improvements or acquisitions without selling the asset.
Do I need to use my current bank to refinance?
No — and shopping the market is usually where owners find the most savings. Your existing lender knows switching is inconvenient and prices accordingly. Bringing competing term sheets to the table either gets you a better deal elsewhere or gives your current bank a reason to sharpen its offer. Either way, you win.
—
Every refinance starts with knowing what the market will actually offer for your property — not what one loan officer says it will. RefiLoop puts your deal in front of a network of 7,000+ commercial lenders competing across Texas, from Austin community banks to national conduit and agency shops, and delivers real, comparable quotes at no cost. Get your free refinance quote today and make your next loan decision from a position of strength.
Get Your Free Refinance Quote
Get matched with the best lender for your deal from our network of 7,000+ commercial mortgage lenders.
Start My Free QuoteAbout David Greenbaum
David Greenbaum is a commercial mortgage broker and co-founder of RefiLoop. He specializes in helping commercial property owners refinance maturing loans between $200K and $15M across Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, and other priority markets. With hands-on experience in commercial bridge loans, debt fund financing, and conventional CRE refinancing, David helps borrowers find the right capital source for their situation — not just the easiest one.