ADVICE CORNER
PRIVATE LENDING LESSONS The Importance of Networking
By Alex Breshears, Infinite Road Investments and Private Lending Lessons
A
s a military spouse, we have
was the type of property we would
and network with other private
moved a lot - 19 times in 20
want to invest in, this was the type
lenders and offer an educational
years. That makes having
of borrower we would want to work
space for the community to learn
less
with, the due diligence checked out,
more about private lending.
building a career, nearly impossible.
and we decided to take the leap
group grew quickly! It has been a
With a desire to still help provide for
into private lending with our own
joy to talk to so many people either
my family despite these limitations
capital, during a global pandemic!
interested in starting the process of
steady
employment,
much
I turned to investing and remote
The
private lending, or those who have
working, even before Covid-19 made
We closed that deal two weeks later
been lending in shadows for years,
that a worldwide movement.
after establishing the necessary legal
never really finding others to be able
requirements. Once the capital was
to talk about their business model. In
chemistry
deployed, I couldn’t help but think,
a backwards way, I found a purpose
professor left me with time during a
“Now what?” As an extrovert stuck
within the private lending space
normal workday to research various
inside during the pandemic, I was
beyond just the monthly return. It
topics and network with others in my
searching for community; I wanted
gave me a place to learn more and
community. As someone who always
to talk to other private lenders! I
add value to others, regardless of
had an interest in real estate, most of
knew enough to be dangerous, but I
their experience level. I quickly
my research and networking focused
was also acutely aware that I didn’t
found a wealth of information with
on real estate in my own backyard,
know what I didn’t know. There
AAPL and Geraci LLP, both who have
Hampton Roads, VA. When Covid
had to be more of “us” out there!
presented in the weekly events for
shut down most of the world, it also
I found multiple Facebook groups
the group.
shut down many hard money lenders
that had “private lending” or “hard
for a few months as the uncertainty
money” in the title, but it left a little
The great thing about lending in
of the economic outlook during a
to be desired in the form of content
general,
global pandemic was too much for
or networking.
lending, is that you don’t have to go
Working
online
as
a
their risk analysis to handle. At
but
especially
private
it alone. You can help yourself by
that time, a real estate investor in
As someone with an education
building a team. The best advice I
my area was going to lose out on a
background, I thought we as a
can give to someone who is starting
Erica LaCentra,his Chief Marketing Officercommunity at RCN property because funding was could do better.
The
out or wanting to scale is that you
pulled a week before closing. After
group, Private Lending Lessons, was
have to network. Meet with others,
speaking with him, we decided this
started out of that desire to meet
talk to people doing it, reach out to
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