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Defeasance Calculator
Defeasance replaces your commercial loan's collateral with a portfolio of US Treasury securities sized to match remaining loan cash flows. The cost equals the PV of those future Treasury purchases plus transaction fees (broker, legal, rating agency). This calculator sizes the total defeasance cost for a CMBS prepayment.
Total defeasance cost
$5,088,824
Premium over balance
$88,824
Cost as % of balance
101.78%
Treasury portfolio cost
$5,030,173
Broker fee
$25,151
Monthly payment
$148,735
How the math works
On $5M balance, 4.5% rate, 36 months remaining, treasury 4.1%: monthly payment ~$27,780. PV of 36 × $27,780 at 4.1% discount ≈ $5.02M portfolio. Add $25K broker, $25K legal, $8.5K rating = $5.08M total — $80K (1.6%) premium over balance.
Defeasance is mechanically complex but conceptually simple: you're buying the right to prepay by assembling a Treasury portfolio that pays the lender exactly what your property collateral would have. The extra cost is the 'risk premium' (actually the spread between loan rate and treasury) plus transaction fees.
EveryCalc calculators are designed for fast, practical estimates with transparent inputs and no required account. We use plain formulas, visible assumptions, and related tools so visitors can check the result from more than one angle.
Results are informational only. For financial, tax, legal, medical, construction, or other high-impact decisions, verify the output against primary sources or a qualified professional.
Learn more about our review process on the EveryCalc methodology page.
How this calculator works
What this page estimates
This Defeasance Calculator is built to give a quick, browser-based estimate for defeasance. Defeasance replaces your commercial loan's collateral with a portfolio of US Treasury securities sized to match remaining loan cash flows. The cost equals the PV of those future Treasury purchases plus transaction fees (broker, legal, rating agency). This calculator sizes the total defeasance cost for a CMBS prepayment. The inputs stay on the page during normal use, and the result should be treated as an estimate for planning, comparison, or education rather than professional advice.
Calculation approach
The calculator applies the standard relationship implied by the inputs, then formats the answer so it can be checked and reused. For finance tools, the most important step is using consistent units, rates, time periods, and assumptions before comparing the result with another calculator or outside quote.
Example workflow
For example, start with a realistic value you already know, change one input at a time, and watch how the answer moves. That makes it easier to tell whether the result is being driven by the main amount, the rate, the time period, or a unit conversion.
Practical checks
- Use current, real-world numbers when the result affects money, health, tax, or legal decisions.
- Run a low, base, and high case when the inputs are estimates.
- Check the related calculators below when the next decision depends on a different assumption.
How to interpret the defeasance result
Best use
Use the result as a planning number for comparing payments, rates, returns, tax reserves, or cash-flow choices before you request a quote or make a commitment.
Cross-check
Compare the answer with the contract, lender estimate, tax form, brokerage statement, payroll record, or invoice that will control the real-world outcome.
Watch for
Do not rely on a single optimistic rate, return, or fee assumption. Money pages work best when you run low, base, and high cases and keep professional advice separate from the estimate.
This page belongs to the Finance calculator library, so the answer should be read in the context of the decision you are modeling rather than as a universal rule.
Before relying on this defeasance estimate
Most calculator mistakes come from the inputs, not the arithmetic. Use this short audit before you reuse the answer in a spreadsheet, quote, application, or important conversation.
Confirm source numbers
Match balances, rates, fees, taxes, income, and payment dates against the lender quote, payroll record, tax form, statement, invoice, or contract.
Separate cash flow from total cost
A lower monthly payment can still cost more over time if fees, interest, taxes, or a longer term are hidden in the structure.
Run conservative cases
Test at least one higher-cost or lower-return case before using the output for a purchase, refinance, investment, loan, or tax decision.
Rerun this page when the rate, price, term, fee, tax rule, income, expense, or expected holding period changes.
How to Use
- Enter loan balance, rate, months remaining, and current treasury yield matching the remaining term.
- Add defeasance transaction fees (broker, attorney, rating agency, accountant).
- Compare defeasance cost against a yield-maintenance alternative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why defease instead of paying off?
Most CMBS loans prohibit straight prepayment. Defeasance is the only allowed way to 'release' the property as collateral. The loan technically stays on the books with the Treasury portfolio as substitute collateral.
How much do transaction fees run?
$20K-$80K total. Broker (who assembles Treasury portfolio): 0.5-2% of portfolio. Legal (specialized defeasance attorneys): $15K-$40K. Rating agency fee: $5K-$15K. Accountant/successor borrower: $2K-$5K. Scales up for larger loans.
When is defeasance cheaper than YM?
Rarely. YM typically runs 2-6% of balance in a normal environment; defeasance 4-10%+. Defeasance becomes cheaper only when YM formulas produce unusually large numbers (deeply declined rates). Most CMBS loans don't allow YM — defeasance or nothing.
How long does defeasance take?
30-60 days. Includes broker assembly of Treasury portfolio, legal review, rating agency confirmation, escrow setup. Plan the close around this — your refinance lender needs to understand the timeline.
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