Pennsylvania Commercial Real Estate Loans
Capital for investors who buy, refinance, or build retail, office, industrial, and mixed-use property anywhere in Pennsylvania. We size each loan around the project’s cost, value, and income rather than your tax returns, then move quickly: construction pricing from 9.5%, leverage up to 85% of cost, and closings in as few as 10-20 days.
- Ground-up construction, acquisition, bridge, and refinance financing
- Up to 85% loan-to-cost and up to 75% of completed value
- Retail, medical office, industrial, flex, self-storage, and mixed-use projects
- Underwriting that accounts for floodplain, stormwater, and steep-slope requirements
- LLCs, developers & foreign nationals welcome · all 67 Pennsylvania counties
- Describe the propertyLocation, property type, land or purchase price, and total budget.
- Receive a same-day term sheetWe size the loan around cost, value, and expected income.
- Close and get to workYour first draw funds quickly, and later draws follow inspections.
Property types
Commercial properties we finance across Pennsylvania
From a suburban Montgomery County pad site to a distribution building in the Lehigh Valley, we evaluate each project on its own economics:
Retail & Shopping Centers
Grocery-anchored strips, neighborhood centers, and pad sites in fast-growing suburbs.Industrial & Flex
Distribution buildings, small-bay flex, and warehouses near ports, rail, and interstates.Office & Medical Office
Professional suites, outpatient clinics, and specialty medical buildings near major hospital systems.Mixed-Use & Multifamily
Ground-floor retail with apartments or offices above, suited to walkable urban districts.Commercial financing
How a Pennsylvania commercial real estate loan works
A commercial real estate loan is secured by property that earns income or houses a business, and lenders judge it mainly by what the asset can produce. That is different from a home mortgage. We review the purchase price or build budget, the likely rents, the location, and the plan, then structure funding to match. A buyer closing on an occupied center needs a different loan than a developer clearing a vacant lot, so we offer several paths instead of one rigid product.
For new construction, funds are released in stages as inspected work is completed, and you pay interest only on the balance already drawn. We lend up to 85 percent of total project cost, which includes land, hard costs, and soft costs, and up to 75 percent of the building’s projected value on completion. When the building is finished, you can sell it, refinance into a long-term loan, or use a one-time-close structure that converts automatically. Because Pennsylvania projects can involve DEP erosion-control and stormwater permits, floodplain and waterway rules, steep slopes or mine subsidence in some regions, and municipal zoning and land-development approvals, and because Pennsylvania mechanics’ lien law shapes draw and title procedures, we review those items early so your schedule is not derailed at appraisal or title.
| Collateral | The land and the commercial property being purchased, refinanced, or built (mortgage) |
| Loan amount | $100,000 to $100,000,000 |
| Construction leverage | Up to 85% of total cost · up to 75% of completed value |
| Construction structure | Interest-only · pricing from 9.5% · 12-24 month term · draws against inspected work |
| Pennsylvania factors | DEP Chapter 102 erosion-control and NPDES stormwater permits, floodplain and waterway rules, Act 2 brownfield options, mechanics’ lien practice; zoning and land-development approvals run through individual boroughs, townships, and cities |
| Borrower | Individual, LLC, or development entity · foreign nationals eligible |
| Coverage | All 67 Pennsylvania counties, from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and Lake Erie |
Loan programs
Pennsylvania commercial loan programs
Pick the structure that fits where your property is in its life cycle:
Ground-Up Construction
Interest-only funding for new retail, office, industrial, and mixed-use buildings, released as work is inspected.
Land Plus Construction
Buy the parcel and fund the building together, so you are not arranging separate loans for lot and structure.
Acquisition & Bridge
Short-term capital to secure a property that needs lease-up, repositioning, or renovation before permanent financing.
Refinance & Exit
Take out a construction or bridge loan once the building is complete and leased, including one-time-close options.
Why build commercial in Pennsylvania
Why investors choose to construct, not just buy
- Massive, fast-growing demandPennsylvania has about 13 million residents and sits between the Northeast and the Midwest with major interstate, rail, and port access, and every household needs shopping, medical care, jobs, and storage.
- Building can beat buyingNew construction lets you design for modern tenants and lock in a cost basis that may deliver a better yield than purchasing a finished, fully priced asset.
- Many distinct marketsPhiladelphia’s port and life sciences, Pittsburgh’s healthcare and robotics, Lehigh Valley logistics, and Harrisburg-area distribution each create a different commercial niche.
- A lender that knows the stateDEP permitting, floodplain rules, Pennsylvania lien rules, and municipal approval timelines are priced into our process from the first conversation.
Free tool
Commercial construction budget & yield calculator
Estimate total project cost, loan amount, required equity, and interest carry, then compare your expected net operating income to the all-in cost. The interest estimate assumes the outstanding balance averages about half the loan over the build. Illustrative only.
Your project
Illustrative only; not a commitment to lend. Excludes permits, impact fees, insurance, reserves, and closing costs. Interest rate and NOI are example inputs, not a quote or a forecast.
How we compare
CambridgeHomeLoan vs. typical Pennsylvania banks
Community and regional banks can offer good terms to existing customers, but approvals often hinge on a long relationship and a slow committee process. Here is how our approach usually differs, with our advantages highlighted.
| Feature | CambridgeHomeLoan | Typical Pennsylvania Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifies on | Project cost, value & plan | Relationship plus the project |
| Documentation | Streamlined | Full financials, often deposits |
| Time to close | As fast as 10-20 days | Often 45-90+ days |
| Draw turnaround | Typically 3-5 days | Often 1-2 weeks or longer |
| Floodplain & brownfield sites | Underwritten routinely | Often restricted |
| Exit options | In-house one-time-close | Usually a separate loan |
Bank column is a generic composite of commonly seen terms as of 2026 and does not describe any specific lender.
Top construction markets
12 Pennsylvania cities where commercial construction makes sense
Pennsylvania has very different markets, from the Philadelphia region and the Lehigh Valley to Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and the Lake Erie shore. Below is a snapshot of twelve active areas for commercial construction loans, with rounded population figures and the employers and centers that shape demand.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia is Pennsylvania’s largest city, with Comcast, the University of Pennsylvania, Jefferson, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as major employers, plus the Navy Yard and PhilaPort. University City life-science space, Center City mixed-use, and industrial projects are common, and the city’s construction tax abatement can improve returns.
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is anchored by UPMC, Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh, and a strong robotics and AI cluster. Medical office, lab-ready flex, and mixed-use projects in the Strip District and Bakery Square fit well, while steep slopes and river flooding call for careful site review.
Allentown
Allentown is the center of the Lehigh Valley, with PPL, Lehigh Valley Health Network, and a downtown Neighborhood Improvement Zone that has spurred office and mixed-use construction. The valley’s I-78 and I-81 access also feeds a large warehouse market.
Bethlehem
Bethlehem pairs Lehigh University and the redeveloped SteelStacks site with Wind Creek Bethlehem and a busy Route 22 retail corridor. Flex, medical office, hospitality-adjacent retail, and brownfield redevelopment are typical projects.
King of Prussia
King of Prussia, in Upper Merion Township, is home to one of the largest shopping malls in the country and a dense mix of offices, hospitals, and life-science tenants near the Schuylkill Expressway and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Medical office, hospitality, and mixed-use are natural fits.
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the state capital and sits at the crossroads of I-81, I-83, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, with the Susquehanna River as a flood consideration. Government employment supports office and medical space, and the wider region hosts major distribution centers.
Lancaster
Lancaster combines a revitalized downtown, Lancaster General Health, and a strong tourism draw. Mixed-use, medical office, and adaptive-reuse projects are common, though farmland preservation and municipal approvals shape suburban growth.
Reading
Reading is the seat of Berks County, with a large hospital system, outlet retail heritage, and industrial buildings ripe for reuse. Its location on US 422 and near the Turnpike supports flex, industrial, and medical projects at a moderate basis.
Scranton
Scranton anchors Lackawanna County and northeastern Pennsylvania, with strong warehouse and distribution demand along I-81 and I-380, plus healthcare and higher education employers. Industrial, medical office, and retail projects offer a lower basis than the Philadelphia region.
Erie
Erie is Pennsylvania’s Great Lakes port city, home to Wabtec’s locomotive plant and Erie Insurance, with Presque Isle driving tourism. Industrial, medical office, and hospitality-adjacent retail are typical, and winter weather shapes construction schedules.
State College
State College is dominated by Penn State University and Mount Nittany Medical Center. Medical office, student-oriented services, and mixed-use projects fit well, with strong year-round demand from the university.
West Chester
West Chester is the seat of affluent Chester County, with a walkable downtown and West Chester University. Small-format retail, medical and professional office, and mixed-use infill fit the market, though borough approvals and land supply are tight.
Population figures are rounded and approximate, drawn from recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates, and may have changed. Employers and centers are named for market context only and do not imply any relationship with them.
We fund projects all over Pennsylvania. If your city is not listed, call us or submit your application and we will confirm.
How it works
Get your Pennsylvania commercial loan in three steps
Send the project details
Share the location, property type, plans, total budget, and whether you plan to sell, lease, or hold.
Receive a same-day term sheet
We review cost, expected value, and your experience, then return clear terms with minimal paperwork.
Close and start drawing
We close, fund your first draw, and release later draws promptly as each stage passes inspection.
Requirements
Pennsylvania commercial loan requirements
| Equity | As little as 15-20% of total project cost, depending on experience and the project |
| Credit | 640+ FICO typical; deal-first, with exceptions considered |
| Income documents | Streamlined and asset-based; personal income is not the main driver |
| Plans & permits | Approved plans, municipal land-development approvals, and permits (or in process), building-code compliance, and floodplain, erosion-control, and stormwater documentation where applicable |
| Vesting | Individual, LLC, or development entity · foreign nationals eligible |
| Exit | Sale on completion, or refinance into a long-term loan |
Answers
Pennsylvania commercial real estate loan FAQ
What is a Pennsylvania commercial real estate loan?
A Pennsylvania commercial real estate loan finances income-producing or business-use property such as retail centers, office and medical buildings, industrial and flex space, and mixed-use projects. Instead of leaning on personal income, we look at the property, its cost or value, its projected or actual rents, and your plan for it. Funding can cover a purchase, a refinance, bridge capital, or a ground-up build, and we lend in all 67 Pennsylvania counties.
How much can I borrow for ground-up commercial construction?
Construction loans run from $100,000 to $100,000,000. Leverage reaches up to 85 percent of total project cost and up to 75 percent of the completed value, and we size the loan to whichever measure is more conservative. Pricing starts at 9.5 percent on an interest-only term of 12 to 24 months.
Do you lend on floodplain, hillside, and brownfield sites?
Yes. Floodplain, hillside, and brownfield sites are a normal part of Pennsylvania lending, and we underwrite them with that in mind. We review flood designation and elevation certificates, DEP erosion-control and stormwater permits, steep-slope and geotechnical reports, and environmental status for former industrial sites, along with municipal approvals. Your design team will usually already be building to these rules; we simply need the documentation in your file.
How do construction draws work?
You receive an initial draw at closing to start work, then request additional draws as each phase, such as site work, foundation, structure, and interior build-out, is finished. We inspect the completed work before releasing funds and typically turn draws around in about three to five days. Because interest accrues only on money already drawn, carrying costs stay lower early in the project. Retainage and lien waivers follow Pennsylvania construction practice.
Can I buy land and build in a single loan?
Yes. Our land-plus-construction structure can fund the lot purchase and the vertical build together in one transaction. If you already own the land, its value generally counts toward your required equity in the project.
What happens when the building is finished?
After the certificate of occupancy, you can sell the property and repay the loan from proceeds, refinance into a long-term commercial loan, or convert automatically if you chose a one-time-close structure. Many investors lease up the building first so the long-term lender underwrites a stabilized income stream.
Do you finance projects in cities that are not listed on this page?
Yes. The cities above are a sample of the most active Pennsylvania commercial markets, not a limit. If your project is somewhere else in the state, call us or submit an application and we will confirm the details.
Keep exploring
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© 2026 CambridgeHomeLoan.com · NMLS #1826020 · 4830 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33609 · (800) 826-5077 · Equal Housing Lender. Commercial real estate and construction loans are business-purpose loans and are not available for primary residences. Rates, points, loan-to-cost, loan-to-value, terms, draw schedules, and closing timelines are illustrative, subject to change without notice, and subject to borrower, property, and project qualification and underwriting approval. “Rates from 9.5%,” “up to 85% loan-to-cost,” and other maximums reflect the strongest profiles and are not a quote or commitment to lend. Completed values are estimates confirmed by appraisal. Calculator results are illustrative and exclude permits, impact fees, insurance, reserves, and closing costs. Population figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau, are rounded and approximate, and may have changed. Employer and shopping-center names are used only to describe local markets and do not imply endorsement or affiliation. City descriptions are general observations, not property-specific or investment advice. Comparison figures are generic composites and do not describe any specific lender. Borrowers must confirm applicable building code, floodplain, erosion-control, stormwater, zoning, lien, and permitting requirements with licensed professionals. This page is informational and is not financial, legal, tax, or investment advice.