Private Lending Insights

In this episode of Private Lending Insights, Rocky Butani interviews Nema Daghbandan, Esq., CEO of Lightning Docs and Partner at Fortra Law. They discuss nationwide trends in private lending interest rates, loan volume, and market dynamics for both bridge and DSCR loans — based on real data from thousands of transactions each month on the Lightning Docs platform. Nema breaks down rate movements across major states, explains why competition is intensifying, the rapid rise in DSCR loan volume, the evolution of securitizations, and what’s next for private lending in 2026.

Visit Lightning Doc's profile on PrivateLenderLink.com to learn more and to contact them: 
https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/lightning-docs/?utm_source=lender-link-podcast

This interview is Episode #23 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/.

Rocky Butani interviewed Jon Hornik, Managing Partner of Private Lender Law and President of the National Private Lenders Association (NPLA), to discuss the Baltimore DSCR fraud scheme that shook the private lending industry in 2025, affecting dozens of lenders and millions in loans. Jon explains how the scheme worked, who was impacted, and what the NPLA is doing to fight fraud and protect lenders — including a new watchlist database for bad actors and updated valuation best practices for DSCR loans.

Visit Private Lender Law’ profile on PrivateLenderLink.com to learn more and to contact them: 
https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/private-lender-law/?utm_source=lender-link-podcast

Connect with Jon Hornik on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-l-hornik-esq-6620509a/

This interview is Episode #22 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/

Rocky Butani talks with Wesley Carpenter, Co-Founder and Partner at Stormfield Capital, a Connecticut-based private lender and debt fund manager with $750MM AUM. Wes discusses the 2025 market outlook, the state of bridge lending, and how Stormfield serves investors across the East Coast. He shares insights on loan volume, underwriting discipline, the company’s capital structure, and its plans to expand beyond the Northeast.

Visit Stormfield's profile on PrivateLenderLink.com to learn more and to contact them: https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/stormfield-capital/?utm_source=lender-link-podcast

This interview is Episode #21 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/.

Rocky Butani interviewed Paul Jackson, President & CEO of Residential Capital Partners, one of the few private lenders offering 100% financing for residential & multifamily rehab projects nationwide. Paul shares his insights on the real estate market, ground-up construction trends, and how ResCap has maintained steady lending volumes for 16+ years. Learn all about their loan program, borrower requirements, interest rates, fees, and much more.

Visit ResCap's profile on PrivateLenderLink.com to learn more and to contact them: https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/residential-capital-partners/?utm_source=lender-link-podcast

This interview is Episode #20 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/.

Rocky Butani interviews Anthony Geraci, founder of the newly re-launched Geraci Law Firm and a long-time leader in the private lending space. Anthony discusses his recent split from the firm he originally built, his continued focus on supporting private lenders, and his vision for the future of the industry. Anthony shares his perspective on major trends shaping the industry — from the rise of capital markets and securitization, to the growing demand for 50-state lending and alternative credit strategies. He also reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, the future of conferences in the space, and how private lenders can stay competitive in a shifting market.

Visit Geraci LLP's website: https://geracillp.com/?utm_source=lender-link-podcast

This interview is Episode #19 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/

00:00 Intro 

02:44 Firm Split 

05:40 Market Trends 

07:08 Lending Shift 

08:45 Beyond Real Estate 

09:31 Legal Landscape 

11:14 Strategy Advice 

12:55 Client Growth 

15:09 Balance vs. Securitize 

17:27 DSCR Loans 

20:43 CRE Outlook 

22:25 Resi Shift 

23:53 Defaults & Foreclosure 

25:05 New Firm Build 

27:23 Competing Firms 

29:25 New Conference 

32:10 Starting Out 

34:35 Founding AAPL 

39:02 Conference Boom 

46:08 AAPL Role 

49:33 Other Ventures 

Rocky Butani interviews Vance Hillstrom, CEO of Rubicon Mortgage Fund, for a wide-ranging discussion on California’s evolving real estate market, Rubicon’s conservative lending philosophy, and what it takes to survive and thrive in today’s private lending landscape. Rubicon has been originating bridge loans for nearly 20 years, funding deals exclusively with capital from its $150 million discretionary mortgage fund. While the firm started by focusing on the Bay Area, its lending footprint now spans the entire state of California, including a growing appetite for Southern California.

Visit Rubicon's profile on PrivateLenderLink.com to learn more and to contact them: https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/rubicon-mortgage-fund/

This interview is Episode #18 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/

00:00 Intro 

01:14 Market Trends 

02:56 Loan Extensions 

04:00 Bridge Loan Demand 

06:19 First Republic Loans 

10:50 Defaults & Foreclosures 

12:17 Loan Volume 

14:34 Portfolio Mix 

17:20 Property Types 

19:45 Gas Stations & Hospitality 

21:52 Lending Regions 

27:46 Guidelines & Terms 

33:46 Valuation Process 

39:29 Deposits 

41:12 Rehab & Construction 

42:30 Broker vs Borrower 

43:19 Loan Examples 

49:16 Team & Operations 

50:49 Mortgage Fund 

55:33 Closing

Rocky Butani interviews Dave Orloff, CEO of American Heritage Lending for an in-depth discussion on DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) loans. They explore current market trends in mid-2025, interest rate volatility, updated loan guidelines, and what makes AHL’s DSCR program stand out — including high LTV options, 40-year loan terms, fee stacking, and their approach to short-term rentals and multifamily properties. Whether you're a broker, investor, or lender, this episode offers practical insights into one of the most popular loan products in private mortgage lending today.

Visit American Heritage Lending's profile on PrivateLenderLink.com to learn more and to contact them: https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/amercian-heritage-lending/?utm_source=lender-link-podcast

This interview is Episode #17 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/

00:00 Intro 

02:00 Market Update 

04:15 Capital Markets 

06:00 Rates & Pricing 

07:10 Lending Trends 

10:00 Loan Volume 

13:00 DSCR Updates 

15:50 LTV Guidelines 

18:20 Credit Scores 

24:00 DSCR Calc 

26:30 Property Types 

29:30 40 Year Term 

33:40 Rate Locks 

37:10 Entities 

38:30 Short Term Rentals 

43:30 Fee Stacking 

45:50 Prepay Penalties 

47:00 Location Rules 

50:45 Acreage 

51:35 Closing 

Yieldi's principals, Joe Ashkouti and Josh Lloyd, spoke with Rocky Butani to talk about bridge loans for commercial and residential investment properties, their lending guidelines, the company's unique capital structure, and more. 

Visit Yieldi's profile on PrivateLenderLink.com to learn more and to contact them: 

https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/yieldi/?utm_source=lender-link-podcast

This interview is Episode #16 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/

00:00 Welcome and Intro   

00:40 Market Trends 2025   

01:45 Company Growth   

03:00 Land Loan Demand   

04:30 Market Insights   

06:00 Conservative Lending   

07:00 Bridge to Bridge Loans   

08:30 Free and Clear Deals   

09:30 Cash Out Strategy   

10:30 Foreclosure Bailouts   

12:00 Loan Volume Growth   

13:30 Commercial vs Residential   

14:30 Geographic Breakdown   

15:10 Lending Guidelines   

17:00 Loan Sizes and LTV   

19:00 Luxury Home Bridges   

20:30 Consumer Bridge Loans   

21:30 Land Loan Examples   

25:00 Land Underwriting   

27:30 Cross Collateral Loans   

30:00 Special Use and Hotels   

31:30 Foreign National Loans   

33:00 Rehab and Fix and Flip   

35:00 Commercial Value Add   

36:30 Valuation Approach   

38:00 Site Visit Process   

40:00 Company Background   

42:00 Capital Structure   

44:30 Lending Regions   

46:00 Georgia Lending   

48:00 Municipal Issues   

50:30 Final Thoughts 

Solomon Suleymanov, Partner and Director of Originations at We Lend LLC, spoke with Rocky Butani to talk about private/hard money lending in the New York City metro area. 

Visit We Lend’s profile on PrivateLenderLink.com to learn more and to contact them: 

https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/we-lend-llc/?utm_source=lender-link-podcast

This interview is Episode #15 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/

00:00 Intro 

01:06 NYC Market Overview 

02:12 Rehab and Conversion Trends 

03:55 Deal Example 

05:52 Why Convert Townhouses 

06:57 Manhattan vs Brooklyn 

08:26 Brooklyn Price Insights 

09:43 Long Island Projects 

10:56 Tariffs and Inflation 

12:03 Investor Activity 

12:40 Loan Types 

14:11 Ground Up Construction 

15:45 Shovel Ready vs Raw Land 

17:02 Foreclosure Bailouts 

19:45 Bailout Case Study 

22:40 DSCR in NYC 

25:59 Multifamily Lending 

27:32 Interest Rates 

29:19 Rehab Loan Terms 

30:41 About We Lend 

33:56 Founder Background 

35:36 Capital Structure 

38:50 Loan Servicing 

41:28 Squatter Challenges 

44:54 Payment Deferrals 

46:00 NYC vs Long Island 

47:40 Westchester and NJ 

50:15 Southern NJ Markets 

52:44 NJ Foreclosures 

54:02 Final Thoughts 

55:33 Outro 

Jack Miller, President of Gelt Financial, spoke with Rocky Butani to talk about hard money loans for small commercial properties, their unique lending guidelines, the company's long history, and more. 

Visit Gelt’s profile on PrivateLenderLink.com to learn more and to contact them: 

https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/gelt-financial/?utm_source=lender-link-podcast

This interview is Episode #14 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/

Check out Gelt Financial’s YouTube channel for educational content about hard money lending: https://www.youtube.com/@GeltFinancialLLC

00:00 Intro
01:38 Market Trends
03:31 Bank Tightening
06:05 Gelt's Flexibility
07:07 Loan Guidelines
09:18 Fees and Appraisals
12:39 Where Gelt Lends
13:22 Property Types
14:43 Retail and Multifamily
16:05 Foreclosure Bailouts
18:33 Foreign Nationals
20:13 Defaults and Workouts
22:35 HOA and Condo Loans
25:00 UCC Liens
27:24 Non-Recourse Loans
30:36 Fractional Ownership
31:41 JV Deals
36:12 JV Risk Approach
37:14 Company Overview
39:19 Fast Closings
40:31 Cross Collateral
42:45 Capital Structure
46:50 Loan Servicing
50:24 Buying Loans
52:16 Long-Term Borrowers
55:01 Borrower Feedback
55:45 Market Focus
58:02 State Challenges