Rocky Butani interviews Melissa Martorella, Esq., Partner at Fortra Law, for a deep dive into wholesale capital structures in private lending.

Melissa breaks down the legal and compliance considerations behind wholesale lending, white labeling, table funding, and correspondent lending, with a focus on residential transition loans (aka hard money). The conversation covers state licensing requirements, borrower disclosures, liability risks, and how lenders and brokers can structure their businesses correctly while scaling nationwide.

This episode is essential listening for private lenders, brokers, capital providers and others navigating wholesale lending models.

Visit Fortra Law's profile on PrivateLenderLink.com to learn more and to contact them: https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/fortra-law/?utm_source=lender-link-podcast

This interview is Episode #25 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/.

Rocky Butani talks with Bryan Ziegenfuse and Chris Tereo, Co-Founders of i Fund Cities, a national private lender based in Philadelphia. They discuss the company’s impressive 2025 growth, funding close to $900 million in private loans, their boots-on-the-ground expansion strategy, and trends in construction, fix & flip, and DSCR lending. The conversation also covers market forecasts for 2026, delinquency trends, loan program details, and i Fund Cities’ approach to capital markets and customer experience.

Visit iFC's profile on PrivateLenderLink.com to learn more and to contact them: https://privatelenderlink.com/profile/ifundcities/?utm_source=lender-link-podcast

This interview is Episode #24 of the Private Lending Insights Podcast: https://podcast.privatelenderlink.com/.

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

02:44 Firm Split

05:40 Market Trends

07:08 Lending Shift

08:45 Beyond Real Estate

09:31 Legal Landscape

11:14 Strategy Advice

12:55 Client Growth

15:09 Balance vs. Securitize

17:27 DSCR Loans

20:43 CRE Outlook

22:25 Resi Shift

23:53 Defaults & Foreclosure

25:05 New Firm Build

27:23 Competing Firms

29:25 New Conference

32:10 Starting Out

34:35 Founding AAPL

39:02 Conference Boom

46:08 AAPL Role

49:33 Other Ventures

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/

00:00 Intro

01:14 Market Trends

02:56 Loan Extensions

04:00 Bridge Loan Demand

06:19 First Republic Loans

10:50 Defaults & Foreclosures

12:17 Loan Volume

14:34 Portfolio Mix

17:20 Property Types

19:45 Gas Stations & Hospitality

21:52 Lending Regions

27:46 Guidelines & Terms

33:46 Valuation Process

39:29 Deposits

41:12 Rehab & Construction

42:30 Broker vs Borrower

43:19 Loan Examples

49:16 Team & Operations

50:49 Mortgage Fund

55:33 Closing