A Midwest Walgreens loan matured in September 2025 just as lenders pulled back on pharmacy exposure. We negotiated a two-year extension with a 10% paydown and waiver of default interest. The extension created time for market conditions to evolve—potentially allowing a refinance or sale later under stronger circumstances.

When consulting a borrower advocate or advisor, ask whether their advice truly serves your interests. Recently, a prospective client asked for guidance on transferring their loan to special servicing. Another advisor recommended doing so immediately. Instead, we advised waiting until closer to the loan’s maturity—about nine months away. Acting right away would have triggered unnecessary servicer and advisory fees that could have cost the borrower hundreds of thousands of dollars. Before recommending any action, we run a quick cost analysis to determine the most cost-effective path—even if that means advising a client to wait. If the guidance you receive could cost significant money, it’s worth getting a second opinion.

A large income-producing property fell into severe financial distress as rising interest rates made its SOFR-based, three-year ARM loan unsustainable. As the asset’s value dropped to nearly half of the outstanding debt, refinancing options disappeared and operational pressures mounted, including vendor liens and the risk of utility shutoffs. After months of unsuccessful attempts to work directly with the servicer, the owners discovered 1st Service Solutions. As their borrower advocate, we helped stabilize the situation and determine that a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure was the best achievable outcome, avoiding a more damaging collapse. This case underscores the importance of early engagement to preserve options and limit downside risk.

Faced with a maturing loan on an office property worth half its debt, the owner risked massive taxes by handing back the asset. Leveraging direct relationships and decades of workout expertise, 1st Service Solutions arranged a 1031 exchange alongside the hand back—eliminating the tax hit while resolving the overleveraged debt. In CRE, 1st Service Solutions is your 1st choice for the life of the loan.

1st Service Solutions helped a 125-key Texas hotel avoid a scheduled foreclosure on a $10M loan. By negotiating directly with the lender, we delayed the foreclosure, secured a $500K fee waiver, and finalized a bring-current agreement. The foreclosure was cancelled, enabling the borrower to preserve the asset and regain long-term stability.

A buyer engaged 1st Service Solutions to acquire a large Texas office property in special servicing. The original borrower’s loan was past maturity, and after recouping their initial investment, the borrower was unwilling to continue funding the asset. Although the loan remained current, a receiver had been appointed. In a challenging office lending environment where new financing is difficult to secure, 1st Service Solutions structured a creative solution by obtaining approval for the buyer to assume the existing loan, which exceeded current market value. We also negotiated a three-year extension and a future discounted payoff at today’s market value, enabling an attractive acquisition while providing a viable resolution for the lender.

A major tenant change at a $30M San Francisco office property put the owner at risk for a cash sweep by the lender that would jeopardize cash flow and investor distributions. To enable the owner to land the new tenant and avoid the cash sweep entirely, 1st Service Solutions calculated the lease terms and expedited lender consent.

A South Texas retail property was days away from foreclosure after the owner’s independent attempts at loan restructuring failed. Despite an initial consultation with 1st Service Solutions, the owner chose to handle loan restructuring alone, leading to weeks of silence from the servicer, then a devastating foreclosure notice. The owner engaged our team and, within 24 hours, successfully re-established communication, delayed foreclosure, and began the process of returning the loan to good standing. This case highlights the significant risks and costs—in time, money, and control—associated with delaying action or attempting to navigate complex loan restructurings independently.

A distressed Pennsylvania retail property, with a $3,567,000 UPB, faced challenges after its single-tenant retail pharmacy closed and stopped paying rent. This led to a significant drop in property value and insufficient income to cover debt service and operating expenses. With loan maturity approaching, the borrower couldn’t refinance the full amount. 1st Service Solutions successfully negotiated a $1.5 million discounted payoff, allowing the borrower to retain the asset at a significant discount.

A complex $80M loan assumption for a large retail center was executed with unprecedented speed by commercial real estate borrower advocate 1st Service Solutions. The firm secured lender consent for the assumption in a rapid 55 days without any conditions, a crucial achievement for the retail property. Despite the involvement of rating agency confirmation (RAC), a process that typically extends transaction times to over 120 days, 1st Service Solutions closed this deal just 30 days after consent, bringing the total timeline to an impressive 90 days from start to finish.