Glossary

CRE & Underwriting Terms

Every CRE and underwriting term used across Trestle, defined plainly. The same definitions power the hover tooltips you'll see next to technical terms throughout the app.

Altman Z-Score
Bankruptcy prediction model for public companies. Z-score above 2.99 = safe zone; below 1.81 = distress zone.
BoV (Broker Opinion of Value)
A broker's analysis estimating property value, often including comp tables. Useful as an input source for Trestle's appraisal.
Cap Rate
Property's annual NOI divided by its purchase price (or value), expressed as a percentage.
Example: $70K NOI ÷ $1M = 7% cap rate
Cap Rate Comp
A recently-sold comparable property used to estimate market cap rates. Sales comparison approach to valuation.
Composite Underwriting Score
Trestle's overall score (0-10), weighted average of: tenant credit (40%), lease quality (25%), market fundamentals (20%), financial metrics (15%).
Example: 6.5+ = strong | 5.0-6.4 = marketable | <5.0 = challenging
Dark Value
Estimated property value if the current tenant vacates ('goes dark') and the space must be re-leased at market rent. Stress test for high-credit single-tenant deals.
Debt Yield
Annual NOI ÷ loan amount, expressed as a percentage. More conservative than LTV/DSCR — doesn't depend on assumed cap rate or interest rate. Lenders typically want 8-10% minimum.
Example: $700K NOI ÷ $10M loan = 7% debt yield
DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio)
Annual NOI ÷ annual debt service. Lenders typically want ≥1.20-1.25x — meaning NOI is 20-25% larger than the loan payment.
Example: 1.30x = NOI is 30% larger than annual debt service
EPA ECHO
Enforcement and Compliance History Online — the EPA's public database of environmental violations, enforcement actions, and compliance status. Trestle queries it to flag properties with a history of environmental issues.
HBU (Highest and Best Use)
The use of a property that is legally permissible, physically possible, financially feasible, and maximally productive. Appraisers consider HBU before valuing — a dark big-box's HBU might be re-tenanting, redevelopment, or demolition.
HHI (Herfindahl-Hirschman Index)
Measure of tenant concentration in multi-tenant properties. Sum of squared rent shares × 10,000. Higher HHI = more concentrated tenant risk.
Example: Single tenant = 10,000; 10 equal tenants = 1,000
Income Approach
Valuation method that derives property value from its income. Value = NOI ÷ Cap Rate. Primary method for stabilized income-producing CRE like NNN deals.
Example: $100K NOI ÷ 7% cap rate = $1.43M value
Investment Grade (IG)
Tenant credit rating of BBB- or higher (S&P/Fitch) or Baa3 or higher (Moody's). Lower-risk tenants generally trade at lower cap rates.
LTV (Loan-to-Value)
Loan amount divided by property value, expressed as a percentage.
Example: 75% LTV on $10M property = $7.5M loan
NNN (Triple Net Lease)
Tenant pays all property expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance, repairs) on top of rent. Landlord receives 'net' rent.
NOI (Net Operating Income)
Annual rent minus operating expenses. For NNN deals, NOI ≈ annual rent (tenant pays expenses).
OM (Offering Memorandum)
The marketing document brokers prepare to sell a property. Source document for most of Trestle's deal data extraction.
Phase I ESA (Environmental Site Assessment)
A non-invasive environmental review of a property — historical records, database searches, site reconnaissance, interviews. Identifies 'recognized environmental conditions' without any physical sampling. Required for most CRE financings.
Reconciled Value
Final valuation = weighted blend of income approach + sales comparison. Default: 70% income, 30% sales (heavier on income for stabilized NNN deals).
Rent Comp
Market rent data point ($/SF or annual rent for a similar property). Used in income approach to determine market rent vs contract rent.
Sales Comparison Approach
Valuation method that uses recently-sold comparable properties to estimate value on a $/SF or $/unit basis. Complementary to income approach.
Stress DSCR
DSCR calculated under a stressed interest rate scenario (typically +200bps). Tests downside protection.
Superfund (CERCLA)
The EPA's program for cleaning up the nation's most contaminated sites. Trestle checks whether a property is on or near a Superfund site (NPL — National Priorities List) since proximity can carry liability.
Title Commitment
A title insurance company's formal promise to issue a title policy on the property, subject to listed exceptions (easements, liens, CC&Rs, etc.). Lenders require a title commitment before closing.
WALT (Weighted Average Lease Term)
For multi-tenant properties: average remaining lease term weighted by each tenant's share of total rent. Higher WALT = more stable income.

Missing a term? Email support@trestlecre.com and we'll add it.