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.

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