Use this checklist before you email a broker, submit an LOI, or pay for deeper diligence. The goal is simple: determine whether the deal is likely to support financing before you spend time chasing a transaction lenders will not like.

Deal Financeability Checklist.png

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This checklist is for education and deal screening only. It does not guarantee financing, approval, loan terms, or lender interest. Final decisions depend on lender underwriting, borrower qualifications, seller cooperation, collateral, cash flow, documentation, and market conditions.

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Quick Scorecard

Rate each section from 0–5:

Section Score
--- ---:
Business stability ___ / 5
Financial documentation ___ / 5
Cash flow and debt coverage ___ / 5
Seller and transition support ___ / 5
Buyer qualification ___ / 5
Deal structure ___ / 5
Risk profile ___ / 5
Total ___ / 35

Score interpretation

Total Score What it means
---: ---
29–35 Strong financing candidate. Worth deeper lender conversations.
22–28 Potentially financeable, but expect lender questions or structure changes.
15–21 High-friction deal. Improve documentation, structure, or buyer profile before moving forward.
0–14 Likely not ready for financing unless major issues are fixed.

1. Business Stability

A lender wants to know the business is not a short-lived spike, trend, or risky transfer.