With no U.S. credit and limited access to traditional financing, foreign nationals are turning to new funding solutions for U.S. real estate opportunities.
ICSC Las Vegas 2026 is set to bring together some of the biggest names in commercial real estate—and Kennedy Funding will be there meeting with borrowers, investors, brokers, and industry professionals from across the country.
Kennedy Funding is heading to the National Private Lender Expo® on April 23 in Freeport, NY with a clear focus—real conversations that move deals forward. No panels. No presentations. Just direct access to capital and the people behind it.
Kennedy Funding is heading to the ReFinance Summit, taking place March 11 at The Hudson Grand in Tarrytown, New York. The event brings together lenders, mortgage brokers, and real estate professionals from across the industry with the opportunity to connect and discuss upcoming projects.
Let’s start with the basics.
A private lender is a broad term. It refers to any non-bank entity that provides financing outside traditional institutional channels. That could mean a family office, a fund, a group of individual investors, a crowdfunding platform, or a capital broker that connects borrowers with lenders.
Land development involves not just architectural plans and financial strategies but also a deep understanding of the land’s environmental condition. This aspect is vital not only for legal compliance, but is essential when looking to secure funding for your project.
Navigating the financial landscape can be an arduous task, especially when faced with the pressing need for funding. With numerous lending options available, the choice between traditional lenders like banks and private lenders can often leave borrowers in a quandary.
Step inside almost any suburban mall or aging strip center and you’ll likely find the same story: a few national chains hanging on, a shuttered anchor store, and rows of darkened storefronts that once held local tenants. Once the heart of commerce and community, these properties now sit half-empty—reminders of changing consumer habits and a retail landscape that’s evolved faster than the buildings themselves.
Across the country, hotels, lodges and inns that once bustled with guests are now sitting quiet. Some were hit hard by changing travel patterns, others by oversupply, and many simply haven’t bounced back from the pandemic era.
ICSC Las Vegas 2025 is where the future of retail takes shape—and Kennedy Funding will be right in the mix, ready to fund what’s next.
“The revolution of retail will be here soon,” proclaims Executive Loan Officer Edwin Urrego announcing Kennedy Funding’s participation in the ICSC New York 2023 event.
As we near the end of 2023, the landscape of commercial real estate is witnessing a frenzied pace, with borrowers eager to finalize deals before the new year. Particularly for those seeking to close land deals in a market where credit is becoming increasingly scarce.
One of the most anticipated events of the year is almost upon us. AAPL 2023! Chief Operating Officer, Gregg Wolfer and Executive Loan Officer, Edwin Urrego will be representing Kennedy at the 14th annual American Association of Private Lenders (AAPL) Annual Conference.
Saint Barthélemy, known as St. Barths is not just a getaway for the ultra-wealthy—it has become a major draw for real estate investors looking for lucrative opportunities. Housing some of the world’s most expensive real estate, on this small island of just over 10,000 people, villas can cost up to 5 million euros.
Hard money. A term coined in the 1950s during the overhaul of the credit industry in the U.S. and Canada. These loans have been seen as a lifesaver for property investors seeking capital against the equity in their real estate holdings.
It’s back! The powerhouse of dealmaking, ICSC 2023! Kennedy Funding is excited to announce that Edwin Urrego, Gregg Wolfer, Mark Falzone and Chase Wolfer are heading to the ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) event at the Las Vegas Convention Center from May 21-23, 2023.
ICSC—it’s been way too long.
Can you believe it has been almost two years since we were able to make this announcement? Yep. It’s happening for sure. Kennedy Funding will be heading back to ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers). From May 22-24, the Las Vegas Convention Center will be playing host to their 2022 event.
It’s only a few weeks until the end of this tumultuous and uncertain year, but there are still interesting and even lucrative real estate opportunities on the table. Typically, you’d submit your application to a financial institution and wait it out, but this opportunity won’t be available for long.
The traditional lending market was already tightening its belt before COVID-19 took hold in the U.S. and around the world. With interest rates plummeting and eventually hitting zero percent, there was simply no appetite – or motivation – for banks to fund loans.
Traditional lenders are notoriously risk-averse. While a tendency toward playing it safe may seem reasonable to some lenders, this makes getting a loan much harder if you’re a borrower who doesn’t meet the strict requirements.
Hard money lending presents a viable alternative loan option for people struggling to borrow from traditional lenders. Whereas traditional lenders such as banks may decline loans to a prospective borrower based on a very specific set of criteria, hard money lenders – also known as direct private lenders – are not limited by these types of policies.
As the 2010s came to a close, the national demand for office space at the beginning of the next decade was predicted to increase, just as it has every year since 2011. These forecasts couldn’t have anticipated the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic uncertainty it has caused since March 2020.
When someone is in need of a loan to finance a commercial real estate acquisition or project, they typically turn to a traditional lender such as a bank. Not every opportunity, however, is going to be the best fit for a bank.
Traditional lenders and many private lenders are likely to reject all applications for international real estate projects. However, once you locate the rare direct private lender willing to work with you, that agency still may not be a good fit.
Investing in real estate abroad can be exciting, nerve-wracking, and highly profitable. However, in order to reap the benefits of international real estate investments, it’s important to know the proper way to go about it. Otherwise, purchasing property abroad could become a quagmire of epic proportions.
Apartments are hot commodities, as Americans are increasingly in search of apartment-style living – and they’re willing to pay more for them. The high demand for apartments shows no signs of slowing, compounded by a tight housing supply causing elevated home prices that dissuade would-be buyers. With interest rates rising and home purchases out of reach for many people, there is little sign that the need for apartments is going to slow down. Developing or acquiring an apartment complex amidst the high demand for units, then, could prove a profitable venture for those who act quickly.
Every year, thousands of brokers and borrowers descend upon Las Vegas for RECon: The Global Retail Real Estate Convention.
It’s no secret the American shopping mall is an endangered species. While the nostalgia of the shopping mall might lead some to mourn its loss, savvy commercial real estate investors should keep in mind that it’s a massive redevelopment opportunity in the making.
When you invest in commercial real estate it’s important to think big, even globally! There are plenty of great opportunities for investment here at home, but if you remain focused only on the domestic market you could be missing out on huge returns abroad.
Nothing is more nerve-wracking than a stalled commercial development project. Whether due to cost overruns, budgetary errors, or other unforeseen circumstances, it’s a heart-stopping moment when the realization sets in that work must be suspended.
Tariffs often have a ripple effect throughout the wider economy, impacting more than just the commodities they target.
The words “commercial real estate investment” might not immediately conjure images of South America, but many nations on that continent harbor immense opportunity for investors and developers alike. What is the crucial piece of the puzzle to tap into these promising markets? Access to capital.
Acquiring a new property is exciting no matter your plans. Acquisition represents the beginning of a journey, one that will hopefully culminate with a new asset and the revenue stream to match. It can also…
Picture this: you’ve got your eye set on a piece of commercial real estate in a developing, foreign market. The timing is perfect, demand for your planned project is high, and you expect a huge…
The convenience and ubiquity of ecommerce have been a game-changing force for brick and mortar retail locations, forcing household names like Toys R’ Us and Kmart to downsize or shut their doors completely in recent…
So you’ve finally found that perfect piece of real estate – but unfortunately, the bank doesn’t seem to agree because it’s not located near a population center.
For U.S.-based conventional lenders, and even for many private lenders, lending for real estate acquisition or development in Jamaica is an automatic non-starter. However, the region is an untapped opportunity in serious need of capital investment, and developers are eager to expand in the region.
Visit us at Booth F18 in Las Vegas May 20-23
In just a few short days, thousands of real estate and financial professionals will descend upon Las Vegas for RECon The Global Retail Real Estate Convention, presented by ICSC, the International Council of Shopping Centers.
Investing in real estate is attractive for many reasons: properties tend to appreciate in value, they bolster existing portfolios, and they offer a strong hedge on your riskier investments.
While it’s an excellent way to shore up your portfolio, real estate can be difficult to acquire. Property deals are often multifaceted, complex, and lengthy, and financing can be difficult to obtain from risk-averse lenders.
So, you’re ready to acquire raw land and you need a loan. The only problem is funding. Obtaining a bank loan to finance your purchase has been impossible because traditional financing institutions consider your acquisition to be too risky to invest in – too much can go wrong during the construction process. That’s when direct private lending steps in to supply the funding you need.
Retail is one of the industries hardest hit by the digital revolution. Traditional storefronts have taken a big hit in recent years, creating a pool of eager landlords who have become more flexible in their leasing terms to accommodate for the hit. In many cases, this has led to more bargaining power for retailers looking to sign a lease, but it has also created a buyers’ market; if you’ve ever wanted to own commercial retail space, there has never been a better time.
Traditional private loans, also known as “hard money” loans, generally need some sort of collateral to claim in the event of nonpayment. The amount a borrower receives is likely tied to the value of the proposed collateral.
Many potential borrowers may first turn to a bank to secure a loan, but some learn very quickly just how difficult it can be to seal the deal. Banks often have strict qualifications as to who can borrow money, the type of project they will fund, the personal financial history of the applicant, and so on.
Hard money loans used to evoke negative connotations. But in reality, a hard money loan is nothing to be afraid of as long as you understand how it works and how to move the process along so that your loan does not fall through at the last minute.
Borrowers and lenders alike want their real estate closing to go smoothly. A snag in the application process can cost precious time and money and cause a great deal of stress, so it’s imperative that the basics about the property are established and clear to all parties involved.
Borrowers should expect to fill out a lot of paperwork when applying for a loan, and for good reason. The in-depth inquiries and requests for documentation are an important part of the process. Questions about your income, assets, down payment and more provide a private investor with a good snapshot of financial history and what the borrower intends to do with the loan.
No lending institution will grant a loan to finance an environmentally-risky property — and for good reason.
Private lenders are typically willing to take on some risk where more traditional funding avenues don’t and won’t. So it’s more likely that you will find one willing to finance a property with environmental risks.
It’s every borrower’s worst nightmare: it’s 10 days before closing and the primary lender suddenly and unexpectedly reverses its decision to fund a loan. In a moment’s notice, months of hard work just disappears, with the borrower left scrambling to find a way to keep this deal afloat.
It goes without saying that time equals money, and the commercial real estate industry is acutely aware of this truism. Land or property sitting idle doesn’t generate revenue for its owners, so real estate developers work tirelessly to prepare buildings for occupancy and/or sale as quickly as possible.
While most traditional real estate lenders in the United States are fixated on domestic projects, there are significant development opportunities abroad in foreign real estate, and many developers are looking to U.S-based lenders for funding.
Despite the demand for single-family homes, many remain out of the price range of the average buyer, including potential first-time buyers, which means that renters are continuing to rent in this economy. On the flip side, these trends have ushered in a boom in the multi-family real estate market.
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