S5E11 | The Benefits of Balance Sheet Lending featuring Wes Carpenter
Release Date: 10/14/2025
From Regulation to Resilience: How CMA Champions California Lenders
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
In this episode of Lender Lounge, host Kevin Kim sits down with Brad Laddusaw of SNL Capital Group and Brock VandenBerg of Talamar Financial for a dynamic discussion on the realities of private lending in California. Both guests bring unique perspectives—Brad as the President of the California Mortgage Association (CMA) and Brock as a seasoned fund manager. They explore topics such as the complexities of lending regulation in California, the role and value of CMA in advocacy and education, the evolution of loan products, and the importance of industry collaboration. The episode offers...
info_outline
S5E11 | The Benefits of Balance Sheet Lending featuring Wes Carpenter
Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
Wes Carpenter, Managing Partner at Stormfield Capital, joins Kevin Kim in this episode of Lender Lounge. With a background in multifamily investing and over a decade in private lending, Wes shares the unique story of building Stormfield into a contrarian, institutional-grade lender. Unlike many of its peers, Stormfield operates as a true balance sheet lender with no structural leverage or loan sales, holding over $750 million in AUM. Wes discusses the evolution from syndicating hard money deals to launching a fully audited, institutional fund, highlighting their focus on durability,...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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,...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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....
info_outline
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...
info_outlineWes Carpenter, Managing Partner at Stormfield Capital, joins Kevin Kim in this episode of Lender Lounge. With a background in multifamily investing and over a decade in private lending, Wes shares the unique story of building Stormfield into a contrarian, institutional-grade lender. Unlike many of its peers, Stormfield operates as a true balance sheet lender with no structural leverage or loan sales, holding over $750 million in AUM. Wes discusses the evolution from syndicating hard money deals to launching a fully audited, institutional fund, highlighting their focus on durability, disciplined underwriting, and investor-first principles. The conversation covers market shifts, the rise of securitization, and the long-term outlook for residential and commercial lending.
Bullet Points:
[00:00:00] Introduction
[00:01:07] Wes Carpenter introduces Stormfield Capital and their lending strategy.
[00:02:32] The firm's origin story and how it differs from other lenders.
[00:04:24] From syndicating loans to launching their first fund in 2016.
[00:07:06] Why Stormfield committed to being a balance sheet lender.
[00:10:06] Avoiding correspondent lending in favor of business independence.
[00:12:20] Wes's early background in multifamily and discovering bridge lending.
[00:14:23] Strategic CRE lending only when risk is asymmetrical.
[00:15:24] Borrower evolution from fix-and-flip to long-term investing.
[00:17:18] Transitioning Stormfield into an institutional asset manager.
[00:19:52] Staying unlevered and resisting the temptation of selling loans.
[00:22:05] Building the fund with full audit and third-party admin from day one.
[00:24:30] Avoiding structural leverage to ensure durability in down markets.
[00:26:03] Stormfield’s growth during periods of market dislocation.
[00:28:14] Reaction to widespread leverage and securitization in the market.
[00:31:03] Questioning if bond investors are being adequately compensated.
[00:33:05] Disconnect between pension/endowment capital and direct originators.
[00:34:04] Why RTL’s short-term nature challenges traditional securitization.
[00:36:57] SMAs may be a more viable path for institutional entry.
[00:38:17] Recognition of self-originated securitizations gaining better pricing.
[00:40:03] Stormfield’s continued commitment to residential lending.
[00:42:14] Reducing Florida exposure due to insurance and demographic shifts.
[00:44:36] Stormfield’s contrarian approach and resisting mainstream trends.
[00:46:19] Declining DSCR offerings to stay focused on core strategy.
[00:48:42] Gaining traction with endowments through early planning and access.
[00:50:08] The hidden challenges and risks of institutional capital.
[00:53:33] HNW investors provide stability compared to large institutions.
[00:57:20] Wes’s market outlook: multifamily trough and market reset.
[01:00:59] The lack of permanent agency financing as a long-term concern.
[01:01:06] Regional variations and pricing corrections in residential real estate.
[01:02:09] Competitive pressure from aggressive lenders versus discipline.
[01:02:09] Kiavi's real advantage is borrower experience, not just price.
[01:04:34] Tech investment and borrower UX need more industry focus.
Links:
Learn more about Stormfield Capital at https://www.stormfieldcapital.com/
Learn more about Geraci Law Firm at https://www.geracilawfirm.com
Subscribe to the Lender Lounge newsletter for episode notifications and exclusive content at https://www.geracilawfirm.com/lender-lounge-podcast
Subscribe to the Geraci Law Firm newsletter at https://www.geracilawfirm.com/sign-up