Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
The podcast that gives an exclusive look beyond the title of private lending industry leaders.
Latest Episode
First to Market: A Conversation with John Beacham
John Beacham, CEO of Toorak Capital Partners, joins Kevin Kim for a special episode of Lender Lounge, produced in collaboration with the American Association of Private Lenders. John shares his extensive journey in the finance industry, detailing his transition from investment banking to leading one of the most recognized firms in the private lending sector. The discussion covers the evolution of real estate finance, the impact of market crises, and the strategic maneuvers that have shaped Toorak’s success. John is an experienced entrepreneur who has completed more than $50 billion in transactions over his 25-year career and has structured CMBS or financings that were honored with multiple “Deal of the Year” awards. Prior to Toorak, Mr. Beacham was the founder and President of B2R Finance, the leading mortgage origination company focused on the single-family rental (SFR) and residential bridge loan markets. B2R Finance (now Finance of America Commercial) is a Blackstone portfolio company. Before founding B2R SFR platform, Mr. Beacham originated large balance commercial real estate loans in the CMBS group at Deutsche Bank and worked in the financial institution’s investment banking groups at Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse First Boston.
First to Market: A Conversation with John Beacham
John Beacham, CEO of Toorak Capital Partners, joins Kevin Kim for a special episode of Lender Lounge, produced in collaboration with the American Association of Private Lenders. John shares his extensive journey in the finance industry, detailing his transition from investment banking to leading one of the most recognized firms in the private lending sector. The discussion covers the evolution of real estate finance, the impact of market crises, and the strategic maneuvers that have shaped Toorak’s success. John is an experienced entrepreneur who has completed more than $50 billion in transactions over his 25-year career and has structured CMBS or financings that were honored with multiple “Deal of the Year” awards. Prior to Toorak, Mr. Beacham was the founder and President of B2R Finance, the leading mortgage origination company focused on the single-family rental (SFR) and residential bridge loan markets. B2R Finance (now Finance of America Commercial) is a Blackstone portfolio company. Before founding B2R SFR platform, Mr. Beacham originated large balance commercial real estate loans in the CMBS group at Deutsche Bank and worked in the financial institution’s investment banking groups at Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse First Boston.
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Meet the Host
Kevin Kim, Esq.
Kevin Kim is a Partner with Geraci LLP and leads the firm's corporate & securities practice. His expertise lies in fund formation, private placements, and other securities offerings for private lenders, real estate developers, and investors of all sizes. Kevin and his team have advised and prepared hundreds of securities offerings including mortgage funds, structured debt offerings, real estate syndications, crowdfunding offerings, EB-5 projects, and Qualified Opportunity Funds. Kevin's passion lies in serving his clients as a pragmatic advisor focusing on real world solutions.
Kevin is also a nationally recognized expert in mortgage fund formation. Kevin is the lead instructor for the American Association of Private Lender’s Certified Fund Manager courses, where he teaches mortgage fund managers throughout the United States on fund management and securities laws.
Kevin hosts the podcast Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim, where he interviews industry leaders, friends, and colleagues in the private lending space to learn what makes them tick.
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Previous Episodes
What’s in a Name? I Zack Lofton, Loan Ranger Capital
On the road in Texas, Kevin visited with Zack Lofton with Loan Ranger Capital. He got to learn about their “garage band debt fund” and how Loan Ranger has grown rapidly in a short period of time in the central Texas market. Kevin and Zack also talked about building the brand, staying lean and mean, and growing a great company culture. He also got to learn about Zack’s background as a Chartered Financial Analyst and learn how he grew the business from a solo operation.
Entrepreneur at Heart | Vincent Balagia, Stallion Capital Management
For this episode, Kevin took a trip to visit with Vincent Balagia at Stallion Capital’s headquarters in Austin, Texas. Vincent shared more about the history of Stallion Capital and discussed his perspective on leadership and culture. They also had a lively discussion about the local market conditions in central Texas. Listen in to learn more.
Candid Chat with the Best Dressed Man in Lending | Peter Steigleder, Fidelity Mortgage Lenders
For this episode, Kevin interviewed Peter Steigedler, the best-dressed man in Hard Money! Listen in to learn more about Peter’s career path at the German consulate, to real estate broker, to principal at Fidelity Mortgage Lenders – one of the oldest shops in private lending. Kevin got know Peter as a person as well as they discussed his work with the Guardians of Los Angeles Jewish Home.
Innovate Special Edition | Kristina Sawyer, Arixa Capital; Ruben Izgelov, WeLend LLC; Vincent Balagia, Stallion Capital
Geraci’s Innovate Conference for 2021 was a massive success. While we were there with all of our wonderful clients and friends, Kevin had the opportunity to interview Kristina Sawyer with Arixa Capital, Ruben Izgelov with WeLend, and Vincent Balagia with Stallion Capital. The purpose of this episode was to get a better understanding of their local markets. All three individuals have immense expertise of their local and surrounding geographies and shared their insights on where the market was headed. One interesting point was how popular ADUs are in all three markets. Listen in and learn more!
Champion of Culture and Customer Service | Kevin Werner, Renovo Financial
For this episode, Kevin interviewed Kevin Werner with Renovo Financial. The Kevin’s discussed the history of Renovo, its values, and its steady growth over its 10-year life cycle. They went into a pretty deep discussion on this episode, talking about their expansion philosophy, their internal culture, and their obsession with customer service. Listen in to learn more.
Keeping It In-House | Scott Rerucha, Legacy Group Capital
For this episode, Scott Rerucha, CEO and founder of Legacy Group Capital in Washington state, joined Kevin to discuss the unique way the firm built their business and avoided a single foreclosure in their 10-year history. Scott discussed his background as a banker, investor, and private lender and how that has affected his ideas about the firm’s growth, the Legacy team, and values as a company.
From Soup to Nuts, Industry Passion from the Ground Up | Jason Gilbert at Armanino LLP
A partner at Armanino who leads the Real Estate Investment Fund practice, Jason Gilbert and Kevin go way back. Listen in to learn more about Jason’s story coming up at Armanino, serving the private lending industry, and becoming partner.
Journey to the Top | Melissa Martorella, Geraci LLP
In this episode, Kevin sat down with Melissa Martorella, Geraci LLP’s newest partner. As the department head for Geraci’s banking & finance team, Melissa shared the journey that brought her to embrace her new role. Listen in to learn more about Melissa as a person and her role at the firm.
The Sleeping Giant | Curt Altig, Builders Capital
For episode 6, Kevin interviewed Curt Altig, founding principal of Builders Capital, a national private lender focused on construction lending. Listen in to learn how Curt started Builders Capital and grew the company with the help of his world-class leadership team.
Blazing into 2021 with Lessons from the Past | Greg Hebner, Arixa Capital
In this episode, Kevin sat down with Greg Hebner, the managing director and portfolio manager at Arixa Capital. With over 20 years of experience in real estate, Greg has been on all sides of the private lending business from origination, loss mitigation, accounting, and asset management. Listen in to learn more about Greg as a person, professional, and industry leader.
Ask a Private Lending Leader: Navigating Company Culture | Kevin Werner & Greg Hebner
Step into the Lender Lounge as Kevin Kim leads a conversation between two of the private lending industry’s best: Kevin Werner, CEO of Renovo Financial, and Greg Hebner, Managing Director at Arixa Capital. From building a reputation for their companies as desirable workplaces to the intricacies of hiring top-notch talent and truly understanding client needs, these leaders delve into the core elements that define success for their companies. They offer valuable lessons on fostering a positive work environment, attracting and retaining employees, and ultimately using these tools to become a leader in the space. It’s a dialogue filled with insights that translate to practical strategies for growth and excellence and is a rare opportunity to gain a behind-the-scenes view of what makes these lending giants thrive.
Special Summer Edition: A Conversation with a Lending Titan | Arvind Mohan, Kiavi
Join Arvind Mohan, CEO of Kiavi (formerly LendingHome), as he peels back the curtain for a glimpse into the lending giant and delves into the industry. Discover Kiavi’s ambitious plans for rehab projects and urban construction, their dedication to data-driven customer service, and their strategies for building a stronger lending portfolio. Hear from Arvind on the broader, ever-changing lending landscape, from the challenges posed by the Federal Reserve’s unpredictability to the importance of technology in enhancing the customer experience. This episode wraps up by exploring issues such as pricing capital markets and housing affordability. Don’t miss this captivating conversation with Arvind Mohan, a true lending industry titan, on Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim.
Resiliency Through Diversification | Ben Fertig, Constructive Loans
In the season 3 finale of Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim, Kevin interviewed Ben Fertig, the President and Co-Founder of Constructive Capital – a leading name in the private lending space and a reputable provider of DSCR loans. Ben shared about the genesis of Constructive and delved into his unique perspective on the private lending industry. With the current market experiencing significant volatility, Ben also provided valuable insights on how Constructive has managed to navigate and thrive in such turbulent times.
Secret Sauce | Jeff Tesch, RCN Capital
In this episode, Kevin sat down with Jeff Tesch, founder and CEO of RCN Capital, to discuss his professional journey and the growth of his company. From a local operation to a national lender, RCN has seen tremendous success over the years. Listen in to learn more about Jeff’s story and the meaning behind the name “RCN.”
Swapping War Stories | Tom and Steve, Geraci LLP
In this special episode, we are joined by two of Geraci Law Firm’s esteemed attorneys, Tom Hajda and Steven Ernest. Both men wear many hats (literally) in their roles as private lending attorneys and bring a wealth of experience and unique perspectives to the table. Tune in to hear their insights and advice.
Leading By Example | Tricia Mitchell, Archwest
For this episode, Kevin interviewed Tricia Mitchell, Archwest Capital’s President and COO. Tricia dove into how she started as an intern fresh out of law school and worked her way up to becoming the President and COO of Archwest. She discussed the company’s strategy of starting out small and focusing on methodical growth over the years and emphasized that Archwest’s success stems from listening to its client’s needs above all.
Diversification is Key | Mark Jury, Sortis Holdings
For this episode, Kevin interviewed Mark Jury with Sortis Holdings. Mark discussed the details of Sortis’ business and how they are servicing private lenders as an advisor. He also gave perspective on the current market conditions and his take on institutional investors in private lending.
Profitable Business Verticals | Keith Lind, Acra Lending
For this episode, Kevin interviewed Keith Lind, CEO of Acra Lending. Keith talked about working at Bear Stearns and his journey to becoming Acra’s CEO. Keith also discussed his perspective on the private lending industry and how he views the housing market at large.
