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/

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

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/

00:00 Introduction

01:46 Focus on New England

03:54 2025 Market Outlook

05:42 Investor Sentiment

08:32 Cardinal Growth

09:50 Breaking into Boston

13:32 Competing with Banks

16:41 Flexible Lending

18:45 Mid-Project Refis

22:56 Rehab Loan Guidelines

27:47 New Investors

30:20 Interest Reserves

35:26 Property Types

38:03 Geographic Focus

41:45 Offices and Team

44:00 Capital Structure

45:59 Client Onboarding

47:45 Connecticut Expansion

49:43 Lending in NH RI ME

54:00 Rhode Island Deals

57:55 Providence and Newport

58:45 Final Thoughts

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/

00:00 Intro to Jon Hornik

01:21 Running NPLA Law Firm and a Town

02:07 Lending Market Update

03:44 Trade War Impact on Lending

07:35 Opportunity in Uncertainty

08:55 Securitization Market Outlook

10:13 NPLA Crisis Response

11:55 Industry Sentiment and Collaboration

13:20 Rising Costs and Layoffs

15:13 Tariffs and Construction Costs

17:01 Trade Policy Concerns

18:21 Sponsor Message

19:15 NPLA Meetings Explained

21:04 Meeting Format and Insights

23:35 NPLA Member Benefits

27:01 Membership Pricing

29:37 Mentorship and Collaboration

30:18 NPLA Conferences Overview

33:29 Why Atlantic City Works

35:35 Scottsdale Conference Preview

37:51 Conference Locations

38:51 Conference Agenda

40:32 About Private Lender Law

42:29 Closing Thoughts

43:31 Host on NPLA Membership

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/

00:00 Intro and Guest Overview

01:27 Market Trends Q1 2025

02:45 Expanding Beyond Florida

03:30 Tariffs and Investor Sentiment

04:40 Material Costs and Inventory

05:40 Treasury Rates and Capital

07:15 Securitizations and Rate Outlook

08:15 Loan Volume Growth

10:09 Borrower and Team Growth

11:59 Loan Types Overview

13:24 RTL Breakdown

16:36 Fix and Flip Strategy

20:56 Foreign National Lending

24:52 Construction Loan Terms

26:47 Large and Luxury Loans

29:42 Expansion Markets

31:05 Company History

36:43 Team and Operations

38:14 Growth Plans

40:27 Florida Market Overview

42:21 Why New Construction

43:47 Investor Shift from Florida

45:32 Inventory and Values

47:27 Risks in 2025

48:26 Condo Market

49:56 Florida Hot Markets

51:03 Jacksonville and Panhandle

52:26 Wrap-up and Contact Info