$5 Million Multifamily Refinance in Los Angeles

By Trevor Damyan, Commercial Mortgage Broker at Commercial Lending Solutions

A $5 million multifamily refinance in Los Angeles is one of the most common deal sizes in the LA capital markets. Most $5M LA multifamily refis fund through Freddie Mac Optigo SBL or Fannie Mae DUS Small Loans at 65 to 75 percent LTV with a 10-year fixed-rate non-recourse execution. Below the SBL minimum ($1M to $7.5M for Freddie SBL and $1M to $9M for Fannie Small), the loan competes with bank balance sheet, life co relationship lenders, and the limited bench of CMBS conduits that play down to $5M.

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What a $5M Multifamily Refinance Capital Stack Looks Like

Most $5M Los Angeles multifamily refinances fund as a single senior loan from an agency Seller-Servicer at 65 to 75 percent LTV. Mezz and preferred equity are typically not part of the stack at this size. The decision is which agency and which Seller-Servicer.

Capital Source Rate / Cost Size / LTV Notes
Freddie Mac Optigo SBL 5.65 to 6.05% (10-year fixed) $5M / 70 to 75% LTV Streamlined SBL, faster close than DUS Small
Fannie Mae DUS Small 5.75 to 6.10% (10-year fixed) $5M / 75 to 80% LTV Slightly higher leverage than SBL on some deals
Bank balance sheet 6.85 to 7.85% (5 to 7 year fixed) $5M / 65 to 70% LTV Recourse typical; rate buy-down with depository
Life company (relationship) 5.55 to 5.95% (10 to 15 year fixed) $5M / 55 to 60% LTV Trophy properties only; relationship-tier pricing

Pricing reflects active CLS CRE quote pipeline as of April 2026. Specific deal pricing depends on sponsor, property, and structure.

Who Closes a $5M Multifamily Refinance Deal

Typical $5M LA multifamily refinance sponsors are private capital owners with 1 to 10 LA-area multifamily properties. Sponsor net worth typically $3M to $15M; liquidity $500K to $3M. The deal often replaces a maturing bank loan or an older agency loan with a fresh 10-year fixed at lower coupon and modest cash-out (typically 5 to 15 percent of property value). LA-specific compliance items including AB 1482 rent caps, RSO compliance, soft story retrofit, SB 326 / SB 721 balcony inspections, and Measure ULA transfer tax are addressed in the agency Seller-Servicer's standard underwriting package.

A Real $5M Example

On a 24-unit Class B 1960s vintage stabilized multifamily in West LA, the sponsor refinanced an expiring 5-year bank loan at 6.95 percent into Freddie Mac Optigo SBL at 5.78 percent fixed 10-year, 72 percent LTV, $5.2M loan amount, with 1 year of interest-only and standard yield maintenance. The new coupon saved approximately $61,000 per year of interest expense and locked in cost of capital through 2036. Soft story retrofit was complete and AB 1482 compliance was confirmed in the SBL underwriting.

Anonymized. All deal references protect borrower and lender identity.

$5M Multifamily Refinance Los Angeles FAQ

Yes. Freddie Mac Optigo SBL targets the $1M to $7.5M loan size. $5M LA multifamily is squarely in the sweet spot, with streamlined underwriting and 30 to 45 day close timelines.
It depends on the day. Pricing moves daily and varies with each Seller-Servicer's pipeline. Most experienced LA brokers run both agencies on every refinance and select the better quote at term sheet.
Measure ULA is a transfer tax on sales, not a refinance issue. Refinances do not trigger ULA. However, sponsors planning to sell within the loan term should plan for ULA exposure (4 to 5.5 percent of sale price above $5M).
Freddie Mac SBL typically closes in 30 to 45 days. Fannie Mae DUS Small typically closes in 35 to 50 days. Bank balance sheet refinances run 45 to 75 days through credit committee.
Yes, modestly. Agency programs typically allow cash-out refinance at 70 to 75 percent LTV. Sponsors looking for higher cash-out (above 75 percent) typically move to bridge debt or supplemental loans.

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