Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim
The podcast that gives an exclusive look beyond the title of private lending industry leaders.
Latest Episode
“Cultivating Success Through Connection” with Kendra Rommel
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, vulnerability, and mindset required to build a private lending business from the ground up.
“Cultivating Success Through Connection” with Kendra Rommel
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, vulnerability, and mindset required to build a private lending business from the ground up.
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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
Facilitating Deal Flow | Eric Abramovich, Roc360
Eric Abramovich, Co-Founder and CCO of Roc360, takes a trip down memory lane with Kevin, discussing the private lending industry’s evolution from Eric’s perspective and how Roc has grown right alongside it. oc’s holistic approach and drive to be a full-service capital provider to the space has led them to become one of the top lenders in the industry. Kevin and Eric also discussed the challenges in operating a business during COVID in New York.
See a Need, Fill a Need | Steven Trowern, Temple View Capital
Maintaining a startup mentality can work wonders for business growth. Steven Trowern, CEO and Founder of Temple View Capital and MCM Capital, discussed Temple View’s focus on just that, including their history and growth over the years. Kevin and Steve also spent some time comparing the pandemic crisis to the global financial crisis of 2008 – and had some laughs around the TARP program of 2009.
Filling a Void in Private Lending | Rocky Butani, PrivateLenderLink.com
If you’re in the private lending industry, you probably know Rocky Butani with Private Lender Link! Rocky visited Kevin in his office before the California Mortgage Association summer seminar where they discussed the evolution of PLL and where it’s headed. Rocky lives and breathes the private lending space and, in this episode, gives a glimpse into his deep understanding of its dynamics.
True Independent Lender | Renee Lewis, Bloomfield Capital
Renee Lewis, a three-time “Women of Influence” awardee by Real Estate New York, has a wealth of knowledge about private lending. A disciplined partner at Bloomfield Capital, she discusses their view on real estate finance and how they grew their business. Learn about Bloomfield Capital’s strong underwriting, utilization of data, and focused approach to capital used to build their national lending business.
Ahead of the Curve | Chris Hanson, Hanson Capital Group
Chris Hanson’s inspiring 2008 bootstrap story is a true testament to adapting to the market. He shares how he built Hanson Capital’s real estate investment business, the data that drives his decision-making, and how the company built their flat, attitude-focused culture.
Adapting to Industry Changes | Michael Ramin, Sharestates
What’s better than a podcast on the fly? Kevin enjoyed catching up with Michael Ramin – a long-time friend and much-loved industry leader – when they sat down for an impromptu interview during sponsor set-up at Geraci’s Captivate event. Learn about Michael’s journey in private lending as well as Sharestates’ history as a crowdfunding business and multi-disciplined lender.
Act with Honor | William Tessar and Whit McCarthy, CIVIC Financial Services
“Act with Honor” is more than a catchphrase for the team at Civic Financial Services. In this episode, William Tessar and Whit McCarthy discuss the lending giant’s history, the backstory behind their recent merger, and how their unwavering dedication to company culture positively impacts their business.
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.
Passionate Visionary | Trixy Castro, Aureus Finance Group
*NOTE: This episode was recorded in May 2022.*
We are kicking off Season 3 with none other than Trixy Castro, founder and CEO of Aureus Finance Group. We were honored to sit down with this industry legend in person and learn more about Trixy and her history as an entrepreneur founding Genesis Capital and Hudson Marshall in the early days of private lending. We learned all about her new vision for Aureus, including how she approached her re-entry into the market after taking a few years off. Trixy has achieved so much in the industry yet maintains a level of entrepreneurialism and excitement about private lending and what it stands for.
Special LIVE Episode | Mid-Year Outlook with Daren Blomquist & Rick Sharga
The Lender Lounge with Kevin Kim podcast hosted a special livestream featuring industry legends Daren Blomquist, VP of Market Economics at Auction.com and Rick Sharga, Executive Vice President at ATTOM.
Watch the recording of May 18th LIVE episode and hear these industry leaders’ thoughts on housing demand, build to rent, interest rates, inflation, and everyone’s favorite doomsday question: is a recession coming?
Renaissance Man | Dennis Baranowski, Geraci LLP
Dennis Baranowski, renowned as The Beard and The Wise One, brings his multi-faceted expertise to the forefront on Season 2’s Finale. A powerhouse in banking and finance, the Geraci LLP Partner reveals his mastery in litigation, foreclosure, TCPA, and bankruptcy. As a special treat, Kevin poses questions from some of Dennis’ cherished clients. Don’t miss this episode filled with insights, laughter, and a touch of wisdom to conclude Season 2 on a high note!
The Importance of Data | Sharon Koh, 1839 Asset Management LLC
Ever wondered about the industry’s evolution towards DSCR? Industry veteran, Sharon Koh, co-founder of 1839 Asset Management, shares her insights both on the industry as a whole and 1839’s history in the space. Born in Singapore, Sharon brings over 20 years of project finance, corporate finance and treasury experience ranging from services and manufacturing industries to large scale multi-billion-dollar utility scale energy project finance to the table, making this episode a must-listen.
Deliberate Decisions | Michael Schumacher and Chris Meinhardt, Enact Partners
Michael Schumacher, President and Founder of Enact Partners, is in a league of his own. Having executed over $1 billion in commercial real estate development and investments, Michael offers invaluable perspectives on market trends and loan underwriting. This episode, filmed in Geraci’s Irvine office, focuses on the diverse backgrounds and industry wisdom that Michael and Chris Meinhardt, former U.S. Marine Corps communications officer, bring to Enact Partners.
A True Family Office | Huy Do, PrideCo Capital
While Huy Do is a widely recognized figure in the industry, this episode unveils the compelling narrative behind PrideCo and Huy’s remarkable journey. Dive into the strategic decisions that led PrideCo into the private lending sector, fueled by Huy’s infectious enthusiasm for the industry and a distinctive philosophy intertwining networking, family, and business dynamics. This episode provides a nuanced glimpse into Huy Do’s strategic insights and industry passion, making it a must-listen for those navigating the landscape of private capital.
Competitive Advantage | Dalton Elliott, Lima One Capital
Dalton Elliott, the former driving force behind Lima One Capital’s Sales and Customer Experience, joined Kevin for a rapid-fire chat in this episode. Dalton unveils Lima One’s whirlwind journey—from inception to a recent game-changing acquisition by MFA. Discover their success trifecta: a fierce “Training, Culture, and Growth” mindset. Dalton’s narrative, combined with insights from his Real Estate of Things podcast, offers a compact yet dynamic exploration into Lima One Capital’s high-speed trajectory—a strategic blend of dedication, culture, and an unquenchable thirst for growth in the competitive world of real estate financing.
Private Lending OG | Beth O’Brien, CoreVest Finance
A “Burgers, Fries, and Shakes” mentality has been the key to scaling national private lender CoreVest Finance to great heights. Beth O’Brien, Founder of CoreVest, has been obsessed with offering true cradle-to-grave lending since the company’s founding in 2011 to catapult it through periods of significant growth. In this episode, Beth discusses this consistent focus and how it continues to help the business grow.
