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
03:40  Leaving the Old Firm, Starting Fresh
07:20  Private Lending’s Next Decade
11:05  Capital Markets & Securitization Trends
15:00  Balance Sheet vs. Institutional Models
19:20  DSCR Loans & Secondary Market Demand
24:15  Nationwide Lending & Licensing Expansion
29:10  Commercial Real Estate Outlook
34:00  Strategic Advisory for Lender Growth
39:20  Conferences, Networking & Industry Impact
45:05  Founding AAPL & Industry Evolution
51:00  Final Thoughts on What’s Next

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/

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/

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/

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/

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

Briana Hildt, Co-Founder and CEO of Cardinal Capital Group, shared some insights about private lending in New England, the state of the market, their lending guidelines, the company's growth over the past few years, and nuggets about each of the different metro areas in the region.

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

https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/cardinal-capital-group/?utm_source=lender-link-podcast

Connect with Briana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briana-hildt/

This interview is Episode #13 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast with Rocky Butani: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/

Jon Hornik spoke with Rocky Butani to share his thoughts on the trade war’s impact on the private lending industry as of late April 2025. He also shared insights about the National Private Lenders Association (NPLA). Hornik serves as the Founder, Executive Director, and General Counsel of the NPLA. In addition, Hornik is the Managing Partner and Chair of the Private Lender Law Group at LaRocca Hornik Greenberg Kittredge Carlin & McPartland LLP. His firm represents over 100 nationwide lenders, originators, and investors, including top Wall Street banks and private equity firms.​ Jon Hornik is also the Mayor of Marlboro Township, New Jersey.

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 #12 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/

Andres Saias, Chief Lending Officer at RBI Private Lending, spoke with Rocky Butani to share some insights about their growth in the past few years, their national expansion, and what's happening in Florida. 

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

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

Connect with Andres on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andres-saias-22b04a97/

This interview is Episode #11 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/

Kevin Kim, securities attorney and partner at Geraci LLP, spoke with Rocky Butani to share some insights about private mortgage funds and the secondary market for private lending in early 2025. Kevin specializes in fund formation and has assisted tons of private lending companies with securities and capital raising legal matters.

Visit Geracis profile on PrivateLenderLink.com to learn more and to contact them: 

https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/geraci-law-firm/?utm_source=lender-link-podcast

Connect with Kevin Kim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinkimesq/

This interview is Episode #10 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/

Charlie Einsman, Co-Founder of Clear Sky Financial spoke with Rocky Butani to share some insights about real estate investing and lending in the DMV region (DC, Maryland, Virginia). Find out what's happening with real estate in each of the 3 states (2025 Q1), learn about Clear Sky's unique lending program for real estate investors, and more.

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

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

This interview is Episode #9 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/

Jeff Tesch, CEO of RCN Capital spoke with Rocky Butani to share some insights about a variety of topics in private lending: 2024 loan volume, interest rates, insurance challenges, multifamily financing, 2025 predictions, RCN's wholesale program and more. RCN is mostly a wholesale lender serving loan originators, and they have a small retail division which is around 15% of their total loan volume. Around 75% of their lending is DSCR long-term rental loans and 25% is bridge loans, including fix & flip and ground-up construction.

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

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

This interview is Episode #8 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/

Rocky Butani provides a report about private lending and Lender Link: thoughts about 2024, predictions for 2025, updates on our podcast, a few new lenders that were recently added to PrivateLenderLink.com, our new AI project and industry conferences. 

Visit this page on our website to see a list of all the private lending conferences in 2025: https://pllk.io/evpl.

In the 6th episode of the Private Lending Insights Podcast, Rocky Butani interviewed Marc Rouda and Alexis Rouda from Security Financial Services to learn all about private lending in Northern California. They talked about their loan program, Bay Area private money trends, tenants in common deals in San Francisco and more. The company was established in 1943 and is based in San Francisco.

Visit Security Financial Services’ profile on PrivateLenderLink.com to learn more and to contact them: 

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

Connect with Marc Rouda on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-rouda-60174/

Connect with Alexis Rouda on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-rouda-18738b23/

In the 5th episode of the Private Lending Insights podcast, Rocky Butani interviewed Jeremiah Wiedman and Erik Brown from Center Street Lending to learn all about ground-up construction for residential investment properties and small multifamily properties throughout the United States. We talk about trends in 2024-2025, requirements to get a loan, the pricing structure, costs, draw process, ADU building and additions in California and more.

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

https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/center-street-lending/?utm_source=lender-link-podcast

Connect with Jeremiah Wiedman on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremiah-wiedman-47b16533/

Connect with Erik Brown on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-brown-07505196/

In the 4th episode of the Private Lending Insights podcast, Rocky Butani interviewed John Santilli from Rehab Financial Group to learn all about their 100% financing loan program for residential real estate investors. We go in-depth to cover all the requirements, the pricing structure, costs, draw process and much more.

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

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

As of January 2025, Rehab Financial Group lends in 18 states: AL, CT, DE, FL, GA, IN, KY, MA, MD, MO, NC, NJ, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA. They do not lend in Cleveland or Baltimore. The property must be a residential investment property (1-4 units) situated in a metropolitan area. Rural locations will not be considered. They require borrowers have to a minimum FICO score of 650. Experience is not required.