Glossary · The loan itself
In short
A mortgage already on any real estate owned by the business or pledged by you personally. This must be considered when determining collateral availability for a new SBA loan.
If the business owns real estate with an existing mortgage, or if you're pledging personal real estate, the SBA lender will assess the equity available after that prior lien. An existing mortgage reduces the unencumbered value that can serve as collateral for your SBA loan. Be prepared to provide full details and possibly refinance it.
13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans
Office of the Federal Register · Federal regulation
SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs
U.S. Small Business Administration · SBA Standard Operating Procedure
Last checked 2026-06-15. Official sources control — verify before relying on any rule for a live deal.
Defined by DealRoom.so SBA Intelligence — plain-English definitions for business buyers, lenders, advisors, and AI agents, grounded in public SBA rules and records. Last reviewed 2026-06-15 · Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an approval decision. Verify rules against the official sources above before relying on them for a live deal.
See which SBA lenders would fund your deal
Tell us the business, the price, and where you are — we'll point you to the lenders most likely to approve a 7(a) like yours and flag what trips up approval.
Free · No documents · Usually same-day