SBA Community Advantage Lending - Is This An Opportunity For You?

Feb. 8, 2011 - PRLog -- SBA has launched a new program called Community Advantage. The objective is to expand the access to capital for small businesses in underserved areas. Focused on the 7(a) loan program, the Community Advantage initiative has three key elements:

• Streamlined application process for SBA guaranteed 7(a) loans up to $250,000 that are submitted via the Advantage platform;
 
• Increased points of access by opening SBA's 7(a) loan program to "mission-focused" financial institutions including Community Development Financial Institutions, Certified Development Companies, and non-profit microlending intermediaries;

• Extra counseling and technical assistance for borrowers who need this support.  

Three national experts in SBA lending will participate in this informative webinar moderated by Bob Coleman, Editor of the Coleman Report. They will explain the Community Advantage lending program structure and how your financial organization, particularly CDCs, can become involved. They will also share tips on how to make the Community Advantage program a profitable opportunity for your organization. Specifically, the expert panel will address:

•  What is the Advantage platform and how is it accessed?
•  What are the SBA eligibility criteria for underserved communities?
•  Are there different credit box guidelines for Community Advantage loans?
•  How does my organization apply to be a Community Advantage lender?
•  How does a CDC generate loan volume in partnership with their 504 lending partners?
•  How do larger lenders build upon existing relationships to identify Community Advantage lending prospects?
•  How do Community Advantage lenders provide "counseling and technical assistance" to borrowers?
•  Can the guaranteed portion of the Community Advantage loan be sold into the Secondary Market for 7(a) loans?

The SBA lending experts who are the webinar panelists are:

Jordan Blanchard, Executive Vice President, CDC Direct Capital (a wholly owned subsidiary of CDC Small Business Finance Corp)
Jordan has been involved in SBA lending for the last 20 years.  He is one of the founders of Secondary Market Access (SMA), a consortium of CDC's and financial companies that have organized to source 504 first mortgages, then package, underwrite and facilitate funding through Pool Originators.

Bob Judge, Partner, Government Loan Solutions
Bob Judge is a partner and co-founder of Government Loan Solutions, which provides valuation services, prepayment analytics, and operational support for the SBA marketplace. He is also the editor of The CPR Report, a monthly publication that tracks SBA loan default, prepayment and secondary market activity.  Bob has 25 years of experience in the fixed income markets.

Bruce Thompson, Executive Director, National Association of Premier Lenders
The National Association of Premier Lenders (NAPL) is focused on implementing policies which allow the SBA and CDCs to provide small businesses with access to capital with the most efficient procedures. Prior to joining NAPL, Bruce served as the Small Business Administration (SBA) Region IX Administrator from 2001 until 2008, laying a foundation of knowledge regarding the details of the inner-workings of the SBA. Additionally, he was elected to the California State Assembly in 1994 and served through 2000.  

Bob Coleman,  Editor, Coleman Report
Bob is the Founder of Coleman Publishing, an online media company covering the small business banking industry. As the nationally recognized expert on small business banking, he has appeared on Fox Business News and CNN and has been quoted by most major financial media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Bloomberg. Coleman Publishing started in 1993 with the Coleman Report, a newsletter covering the Small Business Administration's lending programs.


Webinar participation on Wednesday, February 23 at 2:00 EST is available to anyone who would like to participate at a cost of $189 per location. Register at www.colemanpublishing.com. For additional information, contact Bob Coleman at bob@colemanpublishing.com.

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Coleman Publishing is an online media company covering the small business banking industry. The founder, Bob Coleman, is the national expert in small business lending.
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