MARKET OPPORTUNITIES TRACK: Construction and Adaptive Reuse Lending
Private Lenders are filling a significant void in today’s market for construction and adaptive reuse loans as banks continue to tighten lending standards. A panel of private construction lenders discuss the types of projects being targeted by private lenders, the loan terms being offered, and the rapid rise of CPACE loans as part of the construction capital stack.
Speakers
Moderator
Ms. Dana Jo Martino is a Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Berkadia. Ms. Martino has been in the commercial real estate industry for 33 years and with Berkadia and predecessor companies for 22 years. Her current responsibilities include the leadership and oversight of the Servicing Risk and Compliance, Loan Administration and Cash Management teams as well as training and development across the servicing platform. Additionally, Ms. Martino is Co-Lead for Berkadia’s BeWIN (Berkadia’s Women Impact Network), a part of Berkadia’s DEIB Employee Resource Initiative. Ms. Martino attended Thomas Edison State University with a focus on Financial Institution Management and obtained a Masters Certificate in Real Estate from Monmouth University. She is a member of both the Mortgage Banker Association and CRE Finance Council, achieving the MBA’s CCMS designation, and participating in various committees. She is currently Co-Chair of the MBA Operations Committee and previously served as Chair of the MBA FHA Servicers Subcommittee.
Speakers
Gary Bechtel leads the investment management leadership teams with direct oversight of all portfolios. Gary Bechtel served as President of Money360 and was responsible for developing and executing Money360’s expansion strategy. Gary also served on Money360’s Credit Committee and Board of Directors. Prior to joining the company, he was Chief Lending/Originations Officer of CU Business Partners, LLC, the nation’s largest credit union service organization (CUSO). Previously, Gary held management or production positions with Grubb and Ellis Company, Meridian Capital, Johnson Capital, FINOVA Realty Capital, Pacific Southwest Realty Services, and Hometown Commercial Capital. Gary began his career with the Alison Company and over the past thirty-five years has been involved in all aspects of the commercial real estate finance industry, as a lender and as an intermediary, including the origination, underwriting, structuring, placement, and closing of over $10B in commercial debt transactions, utilizing various debt structures which have included permanent, bridge, equity, mezzanine and construction on transactions of $1M to $250M. These transactions were placed with a variety of capital sources that included life companies, commercial banks, credit unions and equity and mezzanine funds, on property types that included office, retail, industrial, multifamily, hospitality, self-storage and manufactured housing. He is or has been a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, California Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, and International Council of Shopping Centers. Gary has spoken at numerous industry events and written articles and has been regularly quoted in a number of regional and national publications.
J. Christopher Hoeffel is President and Chief Operating Officer of Counterpointe Sustainable Advisors, a leading manager of sustainable commercial real estate debt investments including CPACE, green mortgage and energy project finance. Mr. Hoeffel was most recently Co-Founder and President of CoreVest, the leading private lender to residential investors nationwide. Mr. Hoeffel was previously a Managing Director at Investcorp, where he was Head of Real Estate Debt Investments and Head of Investment Operations and Investor Relations for Real Estate and Corporate Investments in the US and Europe. Mr. Hoeffel joined Investcorp from JP Morgan / Bear Stearns and Co. where he was a Senior Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Commercial Mortgages and founder of a leading Wall Street lending operation in the US, Europe and Japan. He had previous positions at Eastdil Realty, Chemical Bank and the mortgage banking firm Walker and Dunlop. Mr. Hoeffel is a former President of the Commercial Mortgage Securities Association (now CREFC) and serves on its Board of Governors. He has also held leadership positions at the Mortgage Bankers Association and was a member of the Real Estate Roundtable. He holds a BS in Business Administration from Georgetown University and an MBA from the Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.
Chris is a seasoned executive with more than a decade of experience in the C-PACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) industry. As a co-founder of GreenRock, Chris is focused on originating, advising, and leading commercial PACE (C-PACE) financings on a national basis. Through his efforts, Chris has earned a reputation as a reliable and knowledgeable expert in the field. Before embarking on his journey in C-PACE, Chris held prominent positions in several finance and real estate-related firms, notably serving as a principal at Appian Capital for six years. In this role, he spearheaded the firm's capital strategy, business development, and origination efforts. Chris' valuable expertise in C-PACE financing has prompted frequent invitations to serve as a panelist for noteworthy industry organizations and conferences, including the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), Western States CREF Conference, Urban Land Institute (ULI), and Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), among others. In addition to sharing his knowledge, Chris actively contributes to the industry's development through his leadership roles on several councils and boards. He is currently a member of the executive committee of the Northern California Real Estate and Development Council for City of Hope, serves on the Redevelopment and Reuse Council of ULI Americas, and is a board member of PACENation. Chris earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.