ST. PETERSBURG, Florida - Bison Financial Group, Inc., a real estate advisory firm based here announces the closing of a $625,000 loan to refinance existing higher interest rate debt on a local, neighborhood retail strip shopping center with second floor offices located in Temple Terrace (Tampa), Florida. This is the third Florida commercial loan Bison has arranged for the principals of this investment group in the last 12 months and the second loan Bison placed with this lender in 2003.

Bison represented the borrower, a California investment group that acquired the property several years ago when rates were higher. "With the aggressive interest rates we're seeing in today's commercial lending market it makes sense to refinance to either: pull cash out, shorten the term or increase cash flow", said Jared Repka, one of the principals of Bison, "There's no guarantee it will last much longer and many of our longtime clients are striking while the iron is hot and money is cheap and plentiful." The loan was structured with a 10-year term and an initial interest rate of 5.75%. Tenants at the property are a mix of national and local tenants including: Pizza Hut, Allstate Insurance, Fantastic Sam's, U.S. Military Recruitment Office and others.

Bison has an array of unique and dependable sources of private and institutional capital willing and able to lend on properties in all shapes, sizes, conditions and locations. Bison works with investors nationwide that invest in traditional, vanilla income producing properties (retail, office/industrial, multi-family & hospitality) as well as more unique property types, development projects and special situations. Bison has closed complex loans on commercial real estate in as little as 11 business days.