In the 11th episode of the Private Lending Insights Podcast, I interviewed Andres Saias, Chief Lending Officer at RBI Private Lending, to get some insights about their growth in the past few years, their national expansion, and what’s happening in Florida. Watch the video, listen to the audio, or read the summary below.
Interview Summary – Private Lending Insights Podcast Episode #11
Guest: Andres Saias, Chief Lending Officer of RBI Private Lending
Host: Rocky Butani, Founder & CEO of Direct Lendings
Date Recorded: April 17, 2025
In this episode, I interviewed Andres Saias from RBI Private Lending, a rapidly growing lender based in Miami, Florida. We dive into the current private lending landscape, RBI’s expansion into new markets, borrower trends, construction lending, Florida market challenges, and the company’s overall growth strategy.
Overview of RBI Private Lending
- Founded in 2014 as a family business after relocating from Venezuela
- Originally started with auto loans, then transitioned into real estate private lending
- Rebranded from “RBI Mortgages” to “RBI Private Lending” as they expanded nationwide
- Operates with a team of 20+ salespeople, multiple processors, underwriters, legal, servicing, and draw departments
- Headquartered in Miami (Aventura), with additional offices in Orlando and remote employees in key markets
- Planning to open an office in Austin, Texas and expand further into California and the Northeast.
Lending Activity and Growth
- Grew from 500 loans in 2023 to around 1,000 loans in 2024.
- Focus areas:
- Residential Transition Loans (RTL) are the primary product (~90% of volume).
- Offering DSCR loans for long-term rentals.
- Types of projects:
- 60% Ground-up Construction
- 30% Fix & Flip
- 10% Bridge Loans
- Heavy focus on maintaining quality borrowers and conservative leverage standards.
Lending Programs and Guidelines
- Ground-up Construction Loans:
- Up to 85%-87.5% LTC and 70% ARV depending on borrower experience and FICO scores.
- Special program allows 87.5% LTC for highly experienced borrowers with loan amounts capped at $750K per property.
- Fix and Flip Loans:
- Max 90% LTC / 100% rehab for highly experienced borrowers.
- Standard borrowers need 3+ flips in the last 24 months and strong credit profiles.
- Bridge Loans:
- Used for various needs including cash out, closing new purchases, or stabilizing finished projects.
- Foreign Nationals:
- RBI accepts foreign national borrowers with a US entity, US bank account, and a designated service-of-process agent.
Capital Markets and Strategy
- Mixed capital strategy:
- Operates its own fund.
- Also sells loans into the secondary market to balance risk and liquidity.
- Outlook:
- Monitoring tariffs, material costs, and treasury yields closely.
- Preparing for possible rate cuts in the second half of 2025.
- Remaining consistent in underwriting guidelines despite capital market volatility.
Market Expansion Focus
- Florida remains the largest market, but aggressively expanding into:
- Texas
- California
- Northeast (especially New England)
- Selective approach to states like Maryland and New York due to foreclosure timeline challenges.
Future Outlook and Strategy
- RBI plans to continue expanding ground-up construction lending.
- Growing interest in suburban and affordable markets like Lakeland, Orlando suburbs, and Central Florida.
- More selective in markets like Jacksonville due to appraisal and inventory risks.
- Focused on steady, sustainable growth through borrower quality and market presence.
Visit RBI Private Lending’s profile to see all their guidelines and contact info. They pay us a monthly advertising fee to be listed on our platform.
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