S5E10 | From Fighting to Funding with “Sam” Sarkis Chivitchian
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
“Sam” Sarkis Chivitchian is the founder and CEO of Secured Capital Lending, a direct private lending firm specializing in private money and hard money loan products — including fix and flip, construction loans, DSCR, commercial bridge, land loans, and asset-based financing. With over 20 years of experience in real estate and finance and more than 1,200+ transactions closed, Sam has become a recognized voice in the private lending industry. He frequently shares his expertise as a guest speaker at national conferences, podcasts, and industry events. Beyond lending, Sam is a real estate...
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S5E9 | Wall Street Wisdom: Insights From Charlie Woo
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
Charlie Woo, President of Fidelity Bancorp Funding, joins Kevin Kim in this episode of Lender Lounge. With a deep background in investment banking and a pivotal role in past industry-shaping transactions, Charlie shares why he moved from Wall Street to private lending. Fidelity Bridge Loans focuses on small-balance bridge loans for commercial real estate with an emphasis on multifamily and business-purpose residential properties. Charlie discusses the firm’s strategic balance between retail and institutional capital, their selective growth into DSCR and construction lending, and the...
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S5E8 | The (Unofficial) Roast of Kevin Kim
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
In this special pre-Captivate episode of Lender Lounge, Fortra Law Partners Kevin Kim, Jennifer Young, and Nema Daghbandan trade industry insights, leadership philosophies, and plenty of jabs in a no-holds-barred “roast” of their own. Set against the backdrop of Captivate 2025, this episode blends serious economic forecasting with personal stories from the trio’s time building Fortra Law. From market expansion and DSCR strategies to parenting styles, grumpiness, and what it means to be a good older sibling (or not), the episode gives listeners an unfiltered, funny, and refreshingly...
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Cultivating Success Through Connection with Kendra Rommel
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
Kendra Rommel, co-founder of Futures Financial, joins Geraci Partner Jen and Geraci Attorney Nichole for a special “She-Shed” takeover episode of Lender Lounge. Kendra shares her unconventional path from retail to mortgage lending, her early operations experience, and the strategic decisions behind launching Futures with her partner David Rosenberg. The conversation explores balancing personal life and business, building a resilient team, lessons in partnership, and the importance of remaining adaptable in an ever-changing private lending market. Kendra’s story reveals the grit,...
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Live from Renovo’s Top Gun
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
Kevin Kim hosts a special episode of Lender Lounge on location at Renovo Financial’s Top Gun Event in Los Angeles. Joined by Paul Shaughnessy, a top originator at Renovo, and Kevin Werner, CEO of Renovo Financial, the discussion delves into Renovo's culture of employee investment, relationship-driven lending, and long-term growth strategy. The guests highlight Renovo’s commitment to local market expertise, continuous learning, and a high-performance team culture that drives their success. Insights into client relationships, the importance of local market presence, and future ambitions for...
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When A Cardinal Appears
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
In this episode of Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim, Briana Hildt, CEO and Founder of Cardinal Capital Group, joins the show to share her remarkable journey in private lending. From starting in asset management to becoming one of Massachusetts' leading private lenders, Briana discusses how she transitioned from a loan broker to launching and scaling her own lending business. She provides insight into the challenges of breaking into the Northeast market, the importance of relationship-driven lending, and how strategic decision-making fueled Cardinal Capital’s success. Briana’s story highlights...
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A League of Their Own - Guimont Capital
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
In this episode of Lender Lounge, Kevin Kim interviews Daniel Guimont, CEO of Guimont Capital, and Kirsten Lundell Koester, the company's Chief Legal Officer, at their Bellevue office. Daniel and Kirsten share Guimont Capital's journey from its roots as Las Vegas Loans to becoming a diversified lender focused on high-value, diverse projects across the U.S., from real estate to business acquisitions. They discuss the company’s hands-on approach, unique underwriting process, and commitment to borrower relationships, emphasizing both operational experience and the human element in lending....
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Live At CAPTIVATE
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
Kevin Kim hosts a live episode of Lender Lounge from the Captivate Conference at the Encore Hotel in Las Vegas. Joining him are industry veterans Evan Stone, CEO of Champions Funding and Chairman of Community Savings, Dustin Wells, President of Dominion Financial Services Wholesale, and Dave Orloff, CEO of American Heritage Lending. This discussion explores the evolving landscape of private lending, particularly the intersections of consumer and business-purpose lending. The panelists dive into their experiences transitioning from consumer to business-purpose lending, the distinct challenges...
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Don’t Mess with Texas, Michael Hoffman - Longhorn III
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
In this episode of Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim, Mike Hoffman, CEO and President of Longhorn Investments, joins Kevin to share his journey into private lending and the growth of Longhorn Investments. Starting from a background in law with no real estate experience, Mike stumbled into the world of hard money lending during the 2008 financial crisis. He shares the origins of Longhorn Investments, its expansion beyond Texas, and the unique challenges of building a successful private lending business. Mike also discusses how the company adapted to market changes, including the decision to start a...
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“Constructive Conversation”- with Ben Fertig, President of Constructive Capital
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
In this episode of Lender Lounge, Kevin Kim welcomes back Ben Fertig. Ben is the founder and President of Constructive Capital, the leading national capital provider for DSCR Rental Loans and Residential Transitional Loans (RTL or Fix and Flip Loans). Prior to Constructive, Ben led Credit and Asset Management at Finance of America Commercial; and, before that, he served as Chief Operator Officer of Jordan Capital Finance, where he managed originations, credit policy, and capital markets. Ben was instrumental in the sale of the Jordan Capital Finance platform to Blackstone and Finance of...
info_outlineKevin Kim hosts a live episode of Lender Lounge from the Captivate Conference at the Encore Hotel in Las Vegas. Joining him are industry veterans Evan Stone, CEO of Champions Funding and Chairman of Community Savings, Dustin Wells, President of Dominion Financial Services Wholesale, and Dave Orloff, CEO of American Heritage Lending. This discussion explores the evolving landscape of private lending, particularly the intersections of consumer and business-purpose lending. The panelists dive into their experiences transitioning from consumer to business-purpose lending, the distinct challenges of each, and the nuances of RTL and DSCR products. The conversation also highlights the importance of understanding credit risk, borrower psychology, and the growing role of brokers in non-agency lending. The episode provides valuable insights into market trends, capital strategies, and the future of private lending in a rapidly changing economic environment.
Bullet Points:
[00:00:57] Kevin introduces the Captivate Conference and the episode’s panel.
[00:03:02] Discussion on the difference between consumer and business-purpose lending.
[00:05:03] Panelists share their preferences between consumer and BPL.
[00:09:01] The evolution of liquidity and secondary markets in BPL since 2018.
[00:12:03] Dominion’s unique approach to RTL and partnership with life insurance companies.
[00:16:05] The role of banks in BPL and managing liquidity through term financing.
[00:20:02] Initial reactions of consumer lenders entering BPL and adapting to its unique challenges.
[00:25:04] The critical role of understanding credit risk and the differences in underwriting BPL versus consumer loans.
[00:33:07] Exploring borrower profiles and their impact on RTL underwriting decisions.
[00:39:10] DSCR as a growing product category and its current market conditions.
[00:45:12] The psychology of borrowers and the impact of rate fluctuations on market behavior.
[00:50:06] Discussion on the potential long-term stability of rates and borrower expectations.
[00:55:05] Concerns about commoditization and standardization in the RTL sector.
[01:00:09] Champions Funding’s focus on staying specialized and cautious about market overextension.
[01:05:07] Insights into the factors that contribute to the success or failure of consumer shops entering the BPL space.
Links:
Learn more about Champions Funding at https://www.champstpo.com/
Learn more about Dominion Financial Services at https://www.dominionfinancialservices.com
Learn more about American Heritage Lending at https://ahlend.com/
Learn more about Geraci Law Firm at https://www.geracilawfirm.com
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