State CRE Guide

Ohio Commercial Real Estate Loans: Conveyance Fees & C-PACE

What changes for a commercial property loan in Ohio: a conveyance fee of up to 0.4%, court foreclosure with sheriff sales, and C-PACE through energy districts.

By BestLoanUSA Updated September 29, 2026 3 min read

Ohio at a glance for commercial property loans
What	Ohio
State conveyance fee	1 mill — $1 per $1,000 of the price — on every deed, plus $0.50 per parcel. ^[1]
County transfer tax	Up to 3 more mills, set by each county — at most 4 mills ($4 per $1,000, 0.4%) combined. ^[2]
Foreclosure process	Judicial. The lender sues in the court of common pleas; after judgment, the county sheriff sells the property. ^[3]
Sheriff sale minimum	The property is appraised for the court; at the sale on a first-lien foreclosure, a bid must reach two-thirds of the appraised value. ^[4]
C-PACE structure	Energy Special Improvement Districts: special assessments for energy projects, for up to 30 years. ^[5]
C-PACE volume	$928 million across 324 projects, all-time through 2024 — second-largest state by dollars. ^[6]

Checked 2026-09-29; sources are listed at the end of the page. Rates and rules change — your title company and closing attorney confirm the figures for a specific deal.

Financing a property in Ohio? Compare lenders for your deal →

An Ohio commercial property loan uses the same programs as anywhere else — SBA 504, DSCR loans, bridge loans, bank and life-company permanent loans. What Ohio changes is a small, county-set conveyance fee, a foreclosure process that runs through the courts and ends in a sheriff sale, and a C-PACE system built on energy districts that is among the most used in the country.

Closing costs: a conveyance fee, no mortgage tax

Every Ohio deed pays a state conveyance fee of 1 mill — $1 per $1,000 of the price — plus $0.50 per parcel. Counties can add up to 3 more mills, so the combined rate is at most 4 mills, or 0.4%. Ohio doesn't tax the mortgage itself; recording the loan costs a recording fee, not a percentage.

Example: a $2,000,000 building bought with a $1,400,000 loan. State fee: $2,000,000 ÷ $1,000 × $1 = $2,000. In a county at the 3-mill maximum, another $6,000 — $8,000 in all. The $1,400,000 mortgage adds no percentage tax. Compare Florida, where the loan alone carries $7,700 of state tax, or New York City, where the recording tax on the same loan is $39,200. Who pays the conveyance fee is a term of the purchase contract.

Because the loan isn't taxed, an Ohio refinance costs mostly lender and title fees — which shortens the break-even on a lower rate. The refinance break-even calculator shows the months.

Court foreclosure and the sheriff sale

Ohio forecloses through the courts. The lender files in the court of common pleas, and only after a judgment does the county sheriff sell the property. Before the sale the property is appraised for the court, and on a first-lien foreclosure a bid must reach two-thirds of that appraised value.

A court process with an appraisal floor is slower and more predictable than a trustee sale in a state like Texas or California. Lenders price the longer path to recovery: expect close attention to LTV, DSCR and the guaranty. A non-recourse structure limits the lender to the property, subject to its carve-outs.

C-PACE in Ohio: energy districts

Ohio finances C-PACE through Energy Special Improvement Districts under Chapter 1710 of the Revised Code. Property owners and local governments form a district, and energy projects inside it are repaid through a special assessment for up to 30 years. Coverage is regional: a district covers the cities and townships that joined it, so the first question is whether one already covers the property.

By the C-PACE Alliance's 2024 national data, Ohio has financed $928 million across 324 projects since the program began — second among states by dollars, and one of the highest project counts. Active programs include the Columbus Regional Energy Special Improvement District and GC-PACE through the Port of Greater Cincinnati. The existing mortgage lender's consent is part of the process. C-PACE Desk, a BestLoanUSA site, tracks Ohio districts and capital providers.

Where to start

Choose the program — SBA 504 for an owner-occupied building, a DSCR loan for an income property, a bridge loan for a transition — and size it with the commercial mortgage calculator. For financing that isn't tied to real estate, the Ohio business loan guide covers SBA offices and lenders by region.

Ready to compare? Start a commercial real estate loan request — one application, compared across our lender network.

💡 BestLoanUSA compares bank, SBA, DSCR and bridge lenders for Ohio commercial property. See how it works — no hard credit pull to start.

Sources: Ohio Rev. Code §§319.54, 322.02, 2323.07, 2329.20 and ch. 1710; C-PACE Alliance, 2024 National C-PACE Program Volume Data (via C-PACE Desk, checked 2026-09-05).

The bottom line

Ohio keeps closing costs modest — a conveyance fee of at most 0.4% and no tax on the mortgage — and gives lenders a slower, court-run remedy. That combination tends to reward a well-documented file over a fast one. If the building needs energy work, check whether an Energy Special Improvement District already covers it before you size the first mortgage.

Commercial property by metro area in Ohio

The state rules above apply everywhere in Ohio. These are the local ones — county and city taxes, building mandates and programs — that change the numbers in its largest markets.

Columbus Franklin County

Conveyance fee: 3 mills — $3 per $1,000 of the price ($1 state + $2 county), plus $0.50 per parcel. On a $2,000,000 sale: $6,000. ^[7]
Energy benchmarking: Commercial and multifamily buildings of 50,000 sq ft or more report energy and water use every year by June 1 (City Code ch. 4117, 2020). ^[8]
C-PACE: The Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority administers C-PACE in the Columbus Regional Energy Special Improvement District, repaid on the tax bill for up to 30 years. ^[9]

Cleveland Cuyahoga County

Conveyance fee: The Ohio maximum: 4 mills, or $4 per $1,000 (1 state + 3 county). On a $2,000,000 sale: $8,000. ^[10]
Sheriff sale deposit: Third-party bidders post $10,000 on property appraised over $200,000 and pay the balance within 30 days of confirmation (Local Rule 27). ^[11]
C-PACE: C-PACE runs through the Northeast Ohio Advanced Energy District; in Cleveland each property is added by a City Council ordinance, which adds time to a closing. ^[12]

Cincinnati Hamilton County

Conveyance fee: 3 mills — $3 per $1,000 ($1 state + $2 county) plus $0.50 per parcel. On a $2,000,000 sale: $6,000. ^[13]
Sheriff sales: Held online since January 1, 2024, with bidding from two-thirds of the appraisal; the deposit on commercial property is set by the court. ^[14]
Tax abatement: The City negotiates Commercial Community Reinvestment Area abatements — up to 15 years under Ohio law — for new or renovated commercial, industrial, mixed-use and multifamily projects. ^[15]

Commercial loan rates and terms in Ohio

Rates and leverage come from the lender, the property and the borrower, so they are the same national ranges in Ohio as elsewhere — what changes here are the closing costs and rules in the table above. Typical terms as of September 2026:

Program	Rate	Max LTV / LTC	Term
Bank / credit union	6.5–8%	65–75% (80% multifamily)	5–10 yr
SBA 504	6.25–7.25%	Up to 90%	10–25 yr
SBA 7(a)	8.5–11.5%	Up to 90%	Up to 25 yr
DSCR	6.75–8.75%	Up to 75–80%	5–30 yr
CMBS	7–8%	Up to 75%	5–10 yr
Bridge	6.25–8.25%	65–80%	12–36 mo
Construction	6.75–10.5%	65–80% LTC	12–24 mo

How each range is built: commercial real estate loan rates by type.

Ohio commercial real estate loan FAQ

What are commercial mortgage rates in Ohio?

Commercial lenders price a loan on the property and the borrower rather than the state, so Ohio rates follow national ranges: about 6.5–8% for a bank loan, 6.25–7.25% for SBA 504, 6.75–8.75% for a DSCR loan and 6.25–8.25% for a bank or debt-fund bridge loan (benchmarks as of September 2026).

How much down payment do I need for a commercial property in Ohio?

Typically 25–35% for a bank loan and 20–25% for a DSCR loan. An owner-occupied building can qualify for SBA 504 with 10% down (15% for a business under two years old or a special-purpose building, 20% if both).

What does Ohio charge on a commercial property sale?

A state conveyance fee of $1 per $1,000 of the price plus $0.50 per parcel, and up to $3 more per $1,000 set by the county — at most 0.4%. Ohio doesn’t tax the mortgage.

How does foreclosure work in Ohio?

Through the courts. The lender sues in the court of common pleas; after judgment the county sheriff sells the property, and on a first-lien foreclosure a bid must reach two-thirds of the court-ordered appraisal.

How does C-PACE work in Ohio?

Through Energy Special Improvement Districts (Ohio Rev. Code ch. 1710): energy projects inside a district are repaid by a special assessment for up to 30 years. Coverage is regional, so check whether a district covers the property.

Sources

Checked 2026-09-29.