Serg Lupescu went from living in his car to owning 255 licensed assisted living beds.

In this episode of The Lo-Down, Serg shares the raw truth about walking away from nursing to build an assisted living business from the ground up. He opens up about the sacrifices, mistakes, and lessons learned while scaling from his first small facility to a multi-location operation.

This conversation goes beyond surface-level success and dives into what it actually takes to choose a harder path, stay resilient through uncertainty, and build something real over time.

What we cover:

• Why he left a stable nursing career for entrepreneurship
• The reality of living in his car while starting his first facility
• How he chose assisted living as his niche and why it matters
• Scaling from 5 beds to 255 and the systems that made it possible
• Location, licensing, and regulations most people misunderstand
• Preventing burnout in healthcare-focused businesses
• Using social media to build credibility and attract opportunities
• Why taking action beats perfect planning

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Whether you’re in healthcare, real estate, or simply questioning the traditional path, Serg’s story is a powerful reminder that the right niche paired with relentless action can change the trajectory of your life.

Connect with Serg Lupescu:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/serg.lupescu
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMnasdyxsKn0ULRpS4Zi7Zw

Connect with Lorenzo Mercado:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo.mercado
Websites:
https://www.mercasaventures.com
https://www.ascentcapital.llc

Timestamps

1:20 From Nurse to Entrepreneur5:40 Living Out of a Car While Getting Started13:25 Choosing Entrepreneurship Over Stability21:59 Why Assisted Living Became the Right Niche32:53 Lessons From the First Facility40:39 Thinking Bigger Than the First Win47:38 Transitioning Into Commercial Assisted Living54:45 What New Assisted Living Investors Miss59:01 The Real Challenges of Scaling1:01:58 Building a Positive Workplace Culture1:07:20 How Social Media Changed the Business

Lorenzo Mercado sits down with Hemant Mahajan—Bay Area real estate developer, hard money lender, founder of Newbridge Equity, and author of Buying Back Your Life—to explore what really changes when you operate as both the lender and the investor.

Hemant breaks down how seeing deals from both perspectives completely transforms risk assessment, deal structure, exits, and long-term wealth creation. With 15+ years of experience, nearly 100 funded deals, and millions deployed across residential, commercial, and development projects, he shares hard-earned lessons most investors only learn the painful way.

This conversation covers:

• Hard money lending explained
• How lenders actually think when deals go sideways
• Structuring joint ventures using both debt and equity
• Real-world examples of complex, high-risk deals
• Biggest investing mistakes and mindset shifts
• Buying back time using real estate and passive income

If you want to understand how experienced capital really moves in real estate, this episode is essential.

Connect with Hemant:

New Bridge Equity: https://newbridgeequity.netlify.app/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meetrajum/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmahajan/

Connect with Lorenzo:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo.mercado

Website: https://www.mercasaventures.com | www.AscentCapital.llc

Listen to The Lo-Down Podcast

🎙Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lodown/id1764777761

🎙Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YjwXXjvFT3mqve6uMF983

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Chapters:

Chapters:00:00 – Seeing deals as both a lender and investor01:14 – Guest introduction: Hemant Mahajan02:01 – Why Hemant started as a lender, not an investor03:03 – Learning without a mentor in early hard money lending04:20 – What hard money lending actually means05:11 – Interest rates then vs now in hard money06:14 – How borrowers earn better rates over time07:05 – What lenders look for in first-time investors08:30 – Trust, equity, and win-win lending09:12 – When and why Newbridge Equity was formed10:20 – Licensing, usury laws, and scaling lending legally11:24 – What separates Newbridge Equity from other lenders12:17 – Combining debt and equity in joint ventures13:51 – Case study: 9-townhome development deal15:44 – Why flexible lenders matter in construction delays18:03 – Avoiding foreclosure through smarter deal structure19:34 – Why Hemant avoids “lend-to-own” strategies20:29 – How new investors earn JV opportunities22:04 – Red flags that stop Hemant from funding deals23:12 – Why real estate beats stocks and crypto for him25:20 – What most investors overlook in deals26:34 – “Hairy” deals others avoid and why he targets them28:19 – Buying distressed property during active litigation30:25 – Why complex deals offer higher upside31:05 – Biggest real estate loss and lessons learned33:47 – Why losses teach more than wins34:24 – Building resilience and long-term mindset36:39 – Creating freedom with passive income38:31 – From CDs and savings to real estate wealth39:41 – Best advice for W-2 employees starting in real estate40:21 – House hacking and first investment strategies42:48 – Using debt intelligently to grow wealth43:07 – Writing Buying Back Your Life45:16 – Turning money into your employee46:20 – Buying back time through joint ventures48:21 – How many hours Hemant actually works49:14 – Should beginners start as lenders or investors51:23 – Using 401(k)s and passive lending52:27 – Vision for the next 3–5 years54:07 – Why happiness is about the present, not milestones