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Inside Simplending Financial with Janine Cascio · Private Lending Insights

• [00:00:00] Rocky Butani: Welcome to Private Lending Insights. I'm your host, Rocky Butani. In this episode, I interviewed Janine Cascio, founder and CEO of Simplending Financial. Simplending is a private lending company based in Houston, Texas. They offer a variety of loan solutions for real estate investors in most states throughout the country. [00:00:18] We start off talking about Jeanine's journey in private lending, and then we talked about private lending trends, uh, the real estate market in Texas and Houston. Uh, we talked, uh, about Jeanine's other initiatives outside of private lending, including her book, her She Funds Academy podcast, and events. I hope you find this episode to be insightful. [00:00:40] Here's my interview with Jeanine Casio All right, Janine. Thanks for joining me for this episode of Private Lending Insights. Let's jump right into it. [00:00:49] Tell our audience a little bit about yourself, your history in private lending, and how you started Simplending Finance. [00:00:57] Janine Cascio: Yeah. So, um, my name is Janine Casio. [00:01:00] I am the CEO and founder of Simplending Financial. Graduated with an accounting and finance major w- from Philadelphia University back in 2014. Um, and then from there I moved to New York City. I got my first, you know, big girl job working at, uh, an investment firm there, pretty much doing exactly what I do now. [00:01:23] Um, so I was luckily, like, worked very closely with the CEO, um, and it was a small-knit, you know, company, and it was like a family office. And, uh, I got to really learn the ropes of the business through and through. I got to meet a lot of where they get their capital, their attorneys, et cetera, and I really just started building and cultivating relationships for myself. [00:01:49] Um, and then come 2020, you know, the big COVID happened, a lot of change happened, and for me, that made me relocate to Houston, Texas. Um, and then, you know, I kinda rode out COVID in Texas, and then come 2022, they were asking me to move back to New York. Um, and I just felt like, you know, I was major value-add for them, and, uh, that kind of gave me kind of the, um, just the confidence to bet on myself and try and re- replicate exactly that same kind of business model but for myself within, uh, my new home, which, which has been Texas. [00:02:31] I'm still in Texas. Um, so since 2022, uh, you know, I've kind of taken the name Simplending Financial and ran with it. We've scaled up to 10 employees now, um, so providing real estate tran- financing for fix and flips, DSCR loans, ground-up construction, and bridge loans, and that's what I'm doing now. [00:02:52] Rocky Butani: And, uh, [00:02:53] tell us a little bit about, uh, how you've, you've seen private lending over the last six or seven years. [00:02:59] Uh, obviously in 2022 it was a tough time that you started. Um, how, how have, have you managed to deal with all the challenges with all the, the changes happening in our industry? [00:03:11] Janine Cascio: Yeah, for sure. I mean, wow, the mortgage industry and in the whole is, like, so chaotic. Um, I feel like it's been more of a spiritual journey, if anything, to try and be the eye of the, the storm no matter what gets thrown your way, right? [00:03:28] Um, so I try and kind of detach from all the market trends. But since 2022, I mean, the rates have been volatile of, like, going up, down. The rates are on the rise right now, as you may know. So, um, it's, it's hard to kind of detach from that and just know that people are successful no matter where the market is. [00:03:48] Um, and, you know, some people became super successful during the real estate crash. And yes, on the alternative, people lost millions of dollars. Um, but it's kind of just staying humble. Um, I've seen a lot of companies grow very rapidly but also have a very strong downfall. Um, so I'm trying to build a company that is long-lasting, um, and just really, like, just s-stick to our foundation, stick to what fits the box. [00:04:19] Don't get too aggressive on leverage. Don't get too aggressive on rates. Don't, don't, like, set yourself up where it could come back around and, and bite you later kind of thing. And don't get c-too greedy. Um, so i-it just in the realm of, like, kind of what the market has been doing, always finding, you know, back to our roots of what we like, the boxes we like to lend in. [00:04:43] The one to four families are bread and butter, um, and just sticking to that [00:04:50] Rocky Butani: How have you navigated the capital markets side of the business from when you started up? Um, you know, obviously that's, that's a big process to, to start off, uh, with raising capital or getting capital partners. Um, how have you seen that change from when you first started till now? [00:05:07] Janine Cascio: For sure. I, I feel like, um, a lot of companies are opening the, the door for table funding. Um, so it's kind of easy to get partners like that. I think the trickier part is finding your select partners, the people that have a, your, a relationship and your best interests at, in heart, because at the end of the day, everyone wants volume, everyone wants business. [00:05:31] But, um, I think it's truly about who I could pick up the phone and call when I need something. Um, so I value relationship over, you know, even better rate or, or, you know, cut on originations and things like that. Um, as far as building up my own fund, I feel like that's something that is another thing that I'm slow and steady on. [00:05:54] Um, we've just surpassed 3 million in asset holdings within my own fund that I manage internally. Um, so that's been exciting, but it's something that I'm not, like, aggressively pushing. I'm not, like, out there asking people to, you know, f- come into my fund and raising capital full force. We're very a hybrid model, meaning, yes, if I have money to allocate, I'm pushing it out. [00:06:18] Um, otherwise, I have capital partners that I push my volume to, and we, you know, pick and choose who's the best for our clients and making sure, you know, we're staying customer-obsessed and staying on top of what our clients needs. Um, but in general, those capital partners are the ones that I have a deep re- relationship to. [00:06:40] I feel like they have our best interests at heart with growing Simplending Financial and having that alongside us as well. [00:06:48] Rocky Butani: And tell us a little bit more about your operation. You said there's, uh, 10 of you in the company. How did you start off? Like, what was the first hire that you, that you made and, and, uh, how big is the sales team and operations at this time? [00:07:01] Janine Cascio: So at first, when I first started Simplending, I really didn't have, like, this ultimate vision for it. It was really just how can I create a job for myself because I was overworking for other people. Um, so, you know, within, you know, the first month or two, um, I was closing a lot of volume and, you know, I was a sales originator at heart, so I love being top of mind. [00:07:22] Even when I delegate and grow and scale as a, as a CEO now, like, I love doing deals. So, like, I find myself in the sales seat often, and I enjoy being there. Um, but the first hire I made was my executive assistant, um, which, you know, the industry is very familiar with is, uh, Sydney Payne, who's now my chief operating officer. [00:07:45] Um, but yeah, it was finding an assistant to kind of handle my deal volume that I've, I have been b- bringing in, and I have a lot of repeat clients and, and a book of business that I hold dear and near to my heart. And I, I've, you know, learned from a very early stance, if you do well to the people, they do well back to you. [00:08:04] So, uh, building on repeat business has been everything for me. Um, but from there, you know, we've grown and, uh, we have about four people in our account manager seats right now, which is our sales team. Um, we have two processors. Um, I have a director of marketing as well, and he kind of oversees a lot of our social media, LinkedIn, social pages. [00:08:28] So we have the podcast. We have She Funds Academy. Um, so he's pretty spread thin as he keeps reminding me. Um, so um, from there, uh, you know, Sydney is overseeing the operations of the business as well, and me. And, uh, we're bringing on another account rep right now, and we're just constantly, like, you know, building people up and, uh, seeing who's the right fit for the right seat. [00:08:54] It's, it's an ongoing, ongoing journey, but, uh, it is fun hiring and scaling and, uh, seeing kind of where this can go. [00:09:04] Rocky Butani: Mm. Speaking of scaling and, and growing, um, you know, we're, [00:09:08] we're in a tough period in private lending right now in 2026. Uh, how are you navigating the current market? Are you still growing or has, has business slowed down or has it been steady the past nine months? [00:09:20] Janine Cascio: Yeah. It's funny that you say that. I actually haven't been in a lot of conferences this past year, and I'm a big conference person and wanting to know, like, what's everyone saying? What's the current market? What's this and that? Like, I literally had a baby and got married this year. So, um, I, I, I have, like, a different perspective just because I am very internal focused always of, like, how can I get better? [00:09:44] What's my growing points? Where's my pains? And, um, this is the first year since 2022, we've always been on a rapid scale of growth percentage around 30 to 35% as far as our deal volume on an annual basis. This is the first year that we're exactly where we were last year. Um, but the w- a little bit of internal nuance that I see with that is that I removed the best salesperson, which was me, um, because I have taken a lot of time off this month and compared to the deal volume I brought to the, to the team last year, um, it's kind of our, our fall period. [00:10:21] But I think also I've seen some account managers within my company, like, 10X what they did last year in volume. So it's been nice to see the company actually kind of working and the system working, and it has definitely not failed without me. It's, it's up and running and it's doing really well. Um, so it's actually exciting year for me being able to see from a bird's-eye view that I'm actually at a point where I can be removed, but the system is still working. [00:10:50] So it's, it's nice to see with that. Um, as opposed to where market is right now, yeah, it, the market is tough, I'm not gonna lie. There's on- a lot of competition out there. There's a lot of people giving, like, these rates that I'm just like, "How are you making money on this?" Like, I'm so confused. Um, but you know, at the same time, like, I still am a big believer in repeat business and the clients are gonna keep coming back to you as long as you, um, serve them properly. [00:11:21] Um, so that's something that we'll fall back on. Um, and yeah, keeping it simple. That's our theme and our reminder that if we keep it simple for the clients and they're able to focus their attention on doing deals, flipping homes, building new construction homes, um, and we're helping them along the route with all the, you know, dock collection and making sure their entity is active and making sure their, you know, deal flow of financing is, is streamlined for them, then, uh, we'll be up and running for a long time. [00:11:52] Rocky Butani: Love it. And, uh, [00:11:53] tell us a little bit about, um, uh, the states that you're most active in, or where do you see the most lending activity at this time for your business? [00:12:02] Janine Cascio: Yeah, we're boots on the ground in Texas. So, um, at first, you know, when we first opened the doors, it was still a lot of New York, New Jersey, and Florida, just because that's where my book of business has been. [00:12:12] But it's nice to see, um, you know, the events we're hosting. We do a lot of in-person events. So, um, if anyone's listening on this podcast that is in Houston, Texas, or even Austin, Dallas, surrounding areas, um, we have some awesome events. Last August, we threw our four-year anniversary party, um, which was definitely the best event we've had thus far. [00:12:34] Um, it just brings in a lot of different people within the industry, and I'm telling you, like, business is to be had in all forms. And it's nice to host these events and see people connecting and seeing people doing business with each other, uh, that we've been able to connect. And, um, I'm, I was always a party girl at heart, so I love, I love bringing people together and, like, seeing them, you know, just enjoy, have some drinks, be able to make awesome connections within, in the industry. [00:13:05] And, uh, I think our 2027 plan is to actually ramp it up more. Um, so Texas has definitely been our bread and butter for deal volume, but Florida has been very active. There are some pockets that, um, get a little tricky right now. Um, but the Carolinas in general, and then Georgia too. Georgia, like Atlanta, um, I don't know, maybe I have a great referral or someone, someone calling up AltSimplending in that state. [00:13:34] But, uh, we're seeing a lot of volume right now [00:13:38] Rocky Butani: Right. And, uh, but [00:13:39] within Texas, which markets are you most active in? Is it Houston just 'cause that's where you're based? [00:13:46] Janine Cascio: Yeah, Houston actually is a little tricky. A lot of, like, things are sitting on the market right now. Um, but yeah, a lot of my balance sheet is here, so, you know, if, if something institutional is kind of cracking their door down on, um, I'm actually getting really aggressive here and lending on it. [00:14:04] Um, but as far as, like, Dallas and San Antonio, you know, the city areas, the metro, like, we, we love. Um, Dallas, I think is just overall, just not even with us, in general is, is a very hot market for most capital. Um, but yeah, fix and flips, ground up, DSCR. Um, even if it's, like, borderline rural, like some of the capital providers, um, may see as, like, kind of risk areas, but I, being boots on the ground, know about it, um, know the areas, and know that, you know, Houston and Texas in general, um, has some pockets that are very rapidly developing. [00:14:46] Um, so yeah, we're, we're kind of lending on it all over. [00:14:51] Rocky Butani: And what are some of those rural-ish pockets that, that you're referring to? Maybe give us some examples that are close to Houston or between Houston and Dallas. [00:15:00] Janine Cascio: Yeah. So there's a city called Montgomery. Um, I think when, you know, capital's seeing it from a census perspective, it comes up as rural, but, um, just being boots on the ground here, it's very, it's very developed. [00:15:14] Like, um, people are moving out there all over, um, and the homes are a million plus. Like, every- I want a home there. Like I, I want a home right on the lake in Conroe. So, um, I've been looking and even, you know, investing and, uh, lending out my own money there. Um, and then there's a place right outside San Antonio called La Vernia, and we just lent on a 350 ground-up construction note, um, for an investor here. [00:15:43] Um, and that's something that, yeah, I think most capital would have passed on just because it comes up as rural. [00:15:51] Rocky Butani: Tell us a little bit more about the market in, in Texas as, as a whole. Are, are values sort of on the downward trend or, or is it, is it very, uh, micro-market specific? [00:16:03] Janine Cascio: Houston is a little tricky. [00:16:06] Um, and I, I believe it's just because homes are tending to just sit a little bit longer. Um, so if you are an investor within the Houston metro, like, I just see things coming to more experienced investors just because things are tight. But I think that's, that's also across the nation as well. It's just not just Houston, but you gotta get sharper on being an operator, operator. [00:16:35] And I think that's always been a tricky thing within our industry too because some people will come to us, they'll be GCs, they've done all the work and they're always stating like, "I know how to build homes. Like, just lend me the money." But it's like there's a whole nother side of the business, right? We want the business people. [00:16:52] We want the people that can pencil. We know you... We want you to know that you're gonna be viable even if something takes a wrong turn, um, and be h- be able to have that operator business mindset. Um, so I, I do see, you know, us leaning towards more of the operator and strength and experience and being on the investor side of things. [00:17:14] Um, but Yeah. It, it's just a tighter box in general. You, you wanna make sure you know your numbers. You wanna leave yourself contingency if you're building homes. This way, if you run into an issue, um, you have that back pocket kind of profitability you could tap into. Um, if you're flipping homes, kind of be prepared for if you turn down a wall that, you know, there could be bigger issues that lie there. [00:17:38] So, um, you wanna kinda stay boots on the ground and knowing your market very well, um, especially in some of these markets that homes tend to sit longer because, um, you know, that's another, you know, great thing about coming to Simplending is that we're your one-stop shop lender for any type of product. [00:17:59] We don't just do fix and flip and then say, "Hey, pay us off." Like, we, we also do DSCR takeout. So, um, there's been many times we've helped clients come in as a fix and flip, get them a bridge loan, and then also, you know, pay our own note off by putting in them into that long-term hold. Um, so you wanna be able to have flexibility. [00:18:21] Um, that's another thing as an operator, to be able to run numbers as a fix and flip or a new construction product, and be able to run your numbers with the potential of the ARV off of a DSCR loan. Like, know your takeouts, right? So know what your exit strategy is. Know your exit plan if you're gonna sell, and how long that hold carry c- costs will be in play if you're not able to sell it within the first 90 days. [00:18:46] Um, so just have all those numbers and know the, the worst case scenario as well as the best case scenario, because I l- think real estate investors love best case scenario. Like, I had this guy in my office the other day and he's like, "Oh, this deal has 90K profit." But then I showed him the same deal and I'm like, "Hmm, you could have 10K profit if that, break even." [00:19:07] Um, and then he was just like, "Whoa, I wasn't thinking about A, B, C, and D." So run your numbers as best case scenario, but don't get too excited. Also run them as the worst case scenario. [00:19:20] Rocky Butani: Yeah. And, uh, [00:19:21] what types of, uh, loans are you doing the most of? Or let, let's break down maybe, um, flip versus vertical construction versus DSCR loans at this time. [00:19:30] Janine Cascio: Yeah. I was looking at this recently, and we're really 50/50 through bridge and DSCR. DSCR is a bulk of our business. I would say 50% of the overall, uh, deal volume. Um, but then when it comes to bridge loans, um, we were always fix and flip until, like even last year and this year, a lot of new construction. [00:19:52] Um, I love new construction. I pitch new construction all day, every day. Um, and I think once someone has done two or three flips, I encourage them to go off and do a new construction build. Um, I think the margins are there. I think, you know, being able to stick to your plan and be able to build a home from the ground up, um, it just goes smoothly. [00:20:14] Um, and yeah, I lend on, you know, new construction all day, so [00:20:21] Rocky Butani: And, uh, w- so most lenders don't consider investors or builders that, that don't have experience. So if, if someone has done three f- successful flips and they wanna do a, a new construction, is that something you can help with? [00:20:35] Janine Cascio: Yes, for sure. I mean, we have gone as far as GC permits and verifying that they've pulled p- permits. [00:20:41] Um, but like I said earlier, you know, even though you're the GC and you've done a lot of homes and you've built homes, we do really wanna see that investor experience. But I've got people approved with just GC experience as well. Um, it just, it really depends on the market. So if it's a strong market, I get pretty aggressive with even no experience as, you know, a fix and flip or ground-up. [00:21:06] Um, just with GC license alone can probably get you qualified if you p- pulled permits in your name. Um, that, that's the, that's the bread and butter is being able to really show things on paper is so important. Um, for instance, like a lot of people will have JV agreements and things like that, but if it's like if you weren't on title or if you weren't on the HUD or if you actually haven't pulled those permits in the na- in your own LLC name, then how do I tie you to that? [00:21:35] Um, so you always wanna make sure that you're doing things, and when you're wanting credit for what you've built, uh, make sure that you're pulling things in your name and you're taking that risk, because that's what we kind of bank on is being able to see you've put risk into a deal, you've borrowed money before, you've been able to repay people. [00:21:53] Um, that's what I kind of get encouraged, uh, our new investors to make sure they're protecting their assets and their interests and their track record. [00:22:02] Rocky Butani: And are you doing any bridge loans that don't include, uh, a rehab or a construction budget? [00:22:09] Janine Cascio: Uh, yeah. So, uh, that's our Simple Bridge program. Um, Simplending Financial has their own creative, cute names to everything. [00:22:16] We have our Simple Build, Simple Rent, Simple Flip, and Simple Bridge. Simple Bridge is just what you said, said it is. I have a deal in the pipeline right now. I have a guy in the Hamptons, um, purchasing a $4 million, uh, home, home in South Hampton, and he just wants a bridge note. So, um, it's just a bridge to gap. [00:22:35] Like he has a home right now selling for 20 million, uh, a Hamptons home he built. Um, he's a very luxury builder. Um, so he's just pending that sale. He thinks it'll take about six more months. So we're giving him that extra cash to purchase this lot, um, that I think he'll eventually build on as well. Um, but yeah, it's just a bridge, bridge until he, uh, is gonna sell that one home and pay off, pay us off on this one [00:23:04] Rocky Butani: Nice. [00:23:04] So you're using the collateral of the, um... Or do you have col- both properties as collateral in that [00:23:10] Janine Cascio: case? No, just the- Okay ... just the one that he's purchased. Okay. Purchasing. [00:23:15] Rocky Butani: Got it. But the, but the, the cash out came from the, the property that, that, uh, he's building? Right. [00:23:23] Janine Cascio: Yes. [00:23:23] Rocky Butani: Okay. [00:23:24] Janine Cascio: Yeah. [00:23:25] Rocky Butani: Okay. Got it. All right. [00:23:26] Excellent. Um, so purchase bridge loans, cash out or equity cash out, uh, and then we already talked about rehab, construction, DSCR. Uh, how about property types? [00:23:37] Do you, uh, consider non-residential property types like multifamily or retail and industrial? [00:23:44] Janine Cascio: Yeah. So we're, we're pretty creative. Um, we have some programs that, you know, some lenders don't touch, such as like self-storage, warehouse, office space, um, re- retail like you mentioned. [00:23:56] And, um, those are just stabilized bridge loans that we'll lend on. Um, so we can get pretty aggressive with our terms with that. Um, and then, yeah, those are just thing... Those are just stabilized assets. So, um, ideally they're rent occupied and have leases in place and bringing in that cash flow as an investment pur- purpose loan. [00:24:17] Um, and then we also have our Simple 50 loan, and that Simple 50 loan is pretty much on any asset. It could be office, retail, self-storage. It could be one to four multifamily. This is for people with derogatory credit or maybe they have had a bankruptcy. Um, you know, some, some, some, uh, l- lenders with bankruptcies, there's a seasoning period. [00:24:41] So, um, even with a mortgage late. So sometimes they wanna see 12 months seasoning or 24 months seasoning. This program, which is Simple 50, is zero seasoning and, um, you could have bankruptcy, lates and all of that, and we're, we're just giving you 50% LTV on the asset itself. Um, so that's something that has been very aggressive. [00:25:02] I mean, we close a few a month. It, it's just something that, you know, will help investors get their back on their feet, work on their credit, get a little cash out, especially on an asset maybe they have, you know, free and clear, no debt on and, um, they're just having a credit issue at the moment. So they'll pull cash out, work on their credit report, um, and, you know, get back on their feet with that. [00:25:28] Um, so Simple 50 has been great. Um, and then multifamily. Um, multifamily has been a little tricky within the, the market, but it's something that we're still aggressively lending on. Uh, we close a few a month as well. And we'll do rehab. Um, we'll do ground-up on, you know, one to eight units. Um, w- when it comes to a fix and flip, we'll go up to 20 units. [00:25:51] Uh, ideally that's, you know, 50K per door. So, um, uh, new construction one to eight. DSCR one to 10 units. Um, and we'll even do some mixed-use for fix and flip and DSCR as well. [00:26:07] Rocky Butani: Going back to the Simple 50, uh, program, what's the loan term on those? [00:26:13] Janine Cascio: Um, so it's, it is like a DSCR loan, so it's a set 30 fixed rate mortgage with a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 buydown with a prepayment penalty. [00:26:24] Um, but, um, it is something great for, you know, long-term investors that are holding, holding properties and, um, are, are having issues with any bankruptcies, mortgage lates, or any derogatory reasons, um, just because that one has no credit minimum. [00:26:43] Rocky Butani: Interesting. Okay. Uh, I don't think we have any lenders on our platform that, that offer DSCR loans for those situations. [00:26:50] We, we always tell people that you need a 660, uh, FICO score or higher. Yeah. Yeah Okay. Awesome. Good to know. Um, we'll be sure to spread the word on that. Yeah. Um, yeah. And then, so for, uh, commercial assets like retail, industrial, you said those are just standard short-term bridge loans that you offer for those, right? [00:27:12] Like, if it's a purchase or a refinance or a cash-out. [00:27:15] Janine Cascio: Yeah. So it's actually structured as 30-year fixed rate mortgage, but we could go down to one-year prepayment penalty. Um, so sometime, sometimes a lot of people just wanna hold it for one year, or they hold them long-term. Uh, but we'll go up to 75% loan-to-value on the purchase, the cash-out, refinance. [00:27:34] Um, but yeah, like I mentioned, we do just look at that, at DSCRs, so we make sure that a debt-service coverage ra- uh, ratio is in check with the leases in place. [00:27:45] Rocky Butani: Okay. Nice. And, uh, [00:27:47] tell us a little bit about pricing at this time. What are you seeing for interest rates for your short-term loans and, and then maybe after that, talk about DSCR. [00:27:57] Janine Cascio: Rates, as far as bridge loans, I have been getting more aggressive. Um, we actually just been marketing 8.99 on our bridge loans. So, um, it's getting a bit aggressive, and I'm just seeing other people get more aggressive on rates. So we're trying to get, you know, our deal volume up. So we're hoping that helps, you know, get aggressive with getting the clients in. [00:28:21] Um, to get that 8.99, we do need 10 or more. Um, so they're what we call our institutional, uh, investors. They're our top tier, um, 700-plus credit score as well. Um, other than that, you know, in the nines is, is very, like 9.5, 9.75 is kinda where our average is for fix and flip and new construction and bridge notes. [00:28:45] As far as DSCR, the, it is getting a little... Uh, has taken a little hike recently. Uh, I would say some, some people I could probably be in the sixes, depending if it's, like, one to four clean deal. Um, otherwise, the majority of the average, I would say, is in the low sevens right now. Um, and then of course in the multifamily, it could go up to the eights, eight and a half, uh, was recent on a eight and, eight unit that we just funded. [00:29:13] Um, so it, it, it really, uh, depends. When you- your people are more rate conscious, we could buy down to the low sixes still. So, uh, we could get aggressive as well with that. [00:29:25] Rocky Butani: And when you say buy down, you mean that they would pay a higher, uh, fee up front, uh, in order- Yeah ... to get the interest rate down, right? [00:29:32] Janine Cascio: So we allow up to three buy-down points, that they could pay those points in advance and, uh, get the lower rate that they're desiring. Um, so it just depends if they're rate conscious or not, because those are extra points they'd pay at closing. [00:29:47] Rocky Butani: So for real estate investors out there who are, were not familiar with the, um, the language here, it, it's basically a point is a percentage, so they would pay up to 3% of the total loan amount up front when the loan closes, and that would help them get the lower interest rate f- which will benefit them for the long term. [00:30:04] Janine Cascio: Correct. [00:30:05] Rocky Butani: Yeah. Okay, good. All right. Um, okay. And, uh, how about, um, uh, you're, uh, working with brokers. Is, are, [00:30:15] are most of your deals directly with borrowers? Do you work with a lot of mortgage brokers as well? [00:30:20] Janine Cascio: Yeah, we love brokers. Um, we have kind of our go-to brokers that are giving repeat business, so, um, just like we love building relationships with our capital partners, we love having that strong relationship with our broker because ideally, like, yes, there's a lot of lender- lenders out there, but ideally we're not working with brokers that are CC'ing us and mass emailing a deal to 20 other lenders. [00:30:46] Um, ideally our brokers are choosing Simplending Financial and not shopping every deal around. Um, so we work strongly to develop that relationship with brokers. Um, we actually just launched Simple Software. Simple Software is something I've been working on for years. Um, I used to formerly be on Liquid Logic and other things. [00:31:06] Um, but um, to have our own proprietary software has been so important to me. Keeps our data safe, it keeps our clients safe, and it keeps everything within our own house. So, um, brokers have access to that. Um, and it's something that I'm ongoing. It's not, like, complete, ready yet. Um, it's definitely just right now, like, a client portal, but right now it's gonna be something that we're able to have offer pricing to our brokers. [00:31:31] They're able to c- come in and manage their entire deal pi- pipeline of deals they have in with Simple Soft- Simplending Financial. Um, so that's been an ongoing journey, um, of just having our software up and ready to access, um, and be a good resource for our brokers. Um, so for instance, if they need any documents, like our guidelines, um, tear sheets, marketing materials, they could just go into the client portal, um, and then access all of that as well. [00:32:02] Rocky Butani: And, uh, [00:32:03] are you making a huge investment in technology at this time with, with all the changes with AI and, and all the, the new software tools that are out there? [00:32:13] Janine Cascio: Yeah, for sure. I love AI. I love tech. Um, I was always interested in tech and being a tech-forward company, so we definitely want to, um, be on the forefront of it. [00:32:25] Um, you know, I, I wanna stay relevant. I wanna be able to incorporate what's going on with the changes in the market and AI in general, as a buzzword it may be. Um, sometimes I'm all like, "Hmm, not all cut out what it says it does." I don't think it's really replacing jobs or doing anything like that. Um, but that's a bigger conversation to be had. [00:32:46] But at the same time, like, we wanna be tech-forward. We d- we don't wanna be caught in the dust with not implementing anything tech-forward. Um, so simple software has been that. It's kind of, you know, keeping us in the forefront with having our own portal login and people able to see every deal they have in with our company and seeing what deal stage it is. [00:33:08] If, for instance, like everyone wants a secure place, they upload their bank statements and things like that. So this is that. It's, it really encrypted to have, um, everything safe, secure. We're able to pull credit checks, background checks, um, store all documents. Um, and then, you know, really push out AI component would be, you know, making, having our processing be able to be even faster with doc collection and do- doc checking and approving. [00:33:39] Um, rather than having every human kind of go through and check every document that's there, um, AI can kind of help scan things for us. So that's something we're actively been working on. [00:33:51] Rocky Butani: Right. With that, why don't we take a quick break and we'll be right back. [00:33:55] Lenders, vendors, brokers, and even real estate investment firms, everyone needs help navigating this whole world of AI in terms of technology with automation and also marketing. [00:34:10] We have a few companies listed on the services directory of privatelenderlink.com that help with AI visibility for marketing and AI automation, and there's also our loan origination software page that has a bunch of companies that provide turnkey solutions to lenders, and there are some new ones on there that are worth checking out. [00:34:32] There are no shortage of consulting firms out there that help with AI automation and optimization, but not too many have experience in private lending. So use our website as a resource to discover these companies and reach out to us if you need any other resources. On our website, click Services in the main menu and then browse all the different categories on that page. [00:34:54] When you reach out, please mention that you heard about them from Lender Link and the Private Lending Insights podcast. And by the way, Lender Link offers a service for AI visibility to lenders and industry vendors. Because our site has been around for so long and we get a lot of traffic and we have a lot of content and it's well-structured for AI visibility, large language models tend to cite our website a lot in AI conversations. [00:35:20] Even if the large language model is referencing the lender's website directly, having a profile on privatelenderlink.com is beneficial as being an additional reference, and it just improves the company's AI visibility. If you're interested, click Get Listed in the main menu. You'll find a lot of information on that page about pricing. [00:35:42] You can see our real-time analytics, you can see some testimonials from our current customers, qualifications to get listed, and you could fill out a form to sign up. Reach out if you have any further questions or if you'd like to schedule a call or web meeting, and we look forward to hearing from you Okay. [00:35:59] And we're back with Janine Casio. Um, so Janine, [00:36:02] I wanna talk about some of the exciting stuff that you're doing at Simplending. Um, you know, you're keeping really busy. You're, you're busy closing loans, but you've got a few cool things that you're doing, like you wrote a book. You've got the She Funds Academy that, uh, I wanna ask you about. [00:36:18] Uh, you run a podcast and, and you run events. Um, so let's go, go through some of these. Let's first talk about your book, uh, She Believes, She Receives. Um, I got my own copy here. Love it. Um, yeah, so, uh, so tell our audience a little bit about this book and, uh, why people should read it. [00:36:37] Janine Cascio: She Believes, She Receives. [00:36:39] Um, so this has been something I've been working on since I've started my company. Um, and it's really just about manifesting what you want and your desires. Um, being, you know, strong in the sense of being able to ask for what you want, knowing what you want, living a life that's intentional. Um, and for me, through, you know, creating Simplending and She Funds Academy and writing a book, it's really just about putting, you know, my self-belief within myself and letting that kind of mirror out for the reality that I create for myself. [00:37:13] So it's that. It's really creating your reality and being able to, you know, have self-belief, have habits of believing in yourself, then taking action on those habits. Because you can't just write down like, you know, "I'm a millionaire. I own 10 properties and I wrote a book," without the action, right? So it's not too woo-woo, but you need the action and reality. [00:37:36] Um, but really being able to then also receive it is like a whole nother level of spirituality, is being able to be like, you know, "I am capable and I'm worthy of receiving things." Um, because a lot of people have, you know, different struggles with actually receiving. Like, even when someone says a compliment, sometimes people get uncomfortable receiving compliments. [00:38:00] Um, so I think it's, it's important. It's powerful to be able to go out in the world and know that you're valued, know that you're worthy of all of your desires, and that's really what the book was for. The book was for, to create that for other people. And even maybe write to my younger self, um, reminding myself of how valuable and worthy I am to, you know, be able to dominate in a male-oriented industry. [00:38:25] Being able to- Write a book and be a best-selling author. Being able to put your foot in rooms that some people would look at you and be like, "Mm, I don't know if you belong." And then you being able to be like, "Yes, I do belong. Sorry, hi. Here I am." Um, and it's just powerful, like, you know? But it does take a lot of rewiring your brain, especially if society tells you you're not. [00:38:48] Like, you know, society doesn't show, you know, all woman on the NPLA panel. Did see Marsha got on there, so good job, Marsha, paving the way. Um, but in general, like, you don't always, like, see, as a woman in this space, like, woman embo- bodying as much as if I was a, you know, white male. So it is a lot of rewiring what society kind of puts on us and being able to pave the way anyway [00:39:20] Rocky Butani: Love it. [00:39:20] And is, is there, um, uh, is there a lot of emphasis in this book, um, for, for women in finance specifically, or does it, does it apply to any other industry? [00:39:31] Janine Cascio: Yeah. It's really for any industry because, um, when it comes down to it, it's more on, like, self-belief and rewiring your brain for being able to achieve anything you wanna set out to achieve. [00:39:46] Um, like, with ... Not that I wanna run for president, I kinda don't want to, you know, otherwise I would be doing it, but, like, that's the ultimate ver- vision of this book, is to be able to have people have so much self-belief and empowerment that they would be like, "Oh, I'll run for president." Sometimes I joke about it, I should run for president, but, uh, politics is n- not my thing. [00:40:10] Um, but really I want people to be able to read this book and be like, "Yeah, I'm gonna go run for president now." But any industry. It, uh, it's not just finance, so you don't need to be in the finance industry. It's more of, like, if you're a woman building a business, or any business, or not even in business, you just have, like, you know, um, kind of like the s- self-imposed restrictions that you put on yourself of, like, oh [00:40:38] And it could be applied to anything. Like, "Oh, am I worthy, like, to go on that date?" Or, like, be able to go to this dinner. Like, yes, you are worthy. So it's for anyone. [00:40:51] Rocky Butani: Yeah. And our industry is definitely male dominant. Um, if you attend any of our industry conferences it's, it's, it's, uh, it, it's, it, probably no more than 20% are, are women. [00:41:02] Um, so, so that, that's great that you're, you're able to, uh, you know, uh, you know, uh, spread your, um, your knowledge and experience and encouragement for, for women in, in our industry and others. And then so [00:41:16] the next thing, besides the book, is you have this She Funds Academy. So tell us more about your academy. [00:41:23] Janine Cascio: Yeah. She Funds Academy is kinda more centered around the financial industry. I try to incorporate other industries as well, and just people that are kind of like business coaches or mentors or mindset coaches. I'm a very big mindset person, so when it comes to people that are, you know, um, mindset-focused, I love having those, uh, people kind of lead our webinars. [00:41:48] But- She Funds Academy is really just centered around women that wanna grow together, wanna be in community together, because I think it's important, the community aspect, and, uh, realizing that you're not in this alone. Like, yes, maybe you work in an office and you're one woman out of 50 men, but, like, when it comes to our community, we're able to really just encourage each other and share lifelike experiences with each other and grow together and take tips and, and just to feel like you're, you're not alone. [00:42:20] Um, so She Funds Academy is what is a nonprofit. It's something that I, uh, gladly give my time to, and other strong women that have partnered and been a part of it have committed their time to it as well. Um, it's something, too, that, you know, we have a WhatsApp group community, and if people are like, "Oh, I need title," or, "I need a appraisal," or, "I need an attorney," we literally have all of that in, in this one community. [00:42:49] So, like, you could be like, "Oh, I'm a wholesaler, I'm a real estate agent. I'm wanting to broker deals, but I don't know how." There's a ton of lenders in there. It's not just me. It's more collab, uh, focused community that you could find everything you want amongst each other and learn from each other, and a room that it's, like, not intimidating to ask questions, and no question's stupid. [00:43:13] So, um, you know, it, it's a room that we're really creating that, once again, like, I wish I had when I first started in this industry. There's a lot of things, like, I, you know, was in this industry and I like the industry, but I was like, "Oh, I wish this, I wish that, I wish this, I wish that," and I'm like, one day I woke up, I'm like, "What the fuck?" [00:43:32] Like, sorry, shouldn't curse- That's okay ... on a podcast. No, that's [00:43:34] Rocky Butani: okay. [00:43:35] Janine Cascio: No, you can. But it's like- [00:43:35] Rocky Butani: No problem. [00:43:37] Janine Cascio: It's like, I'm going to start creating everything that I want, and I will. And I've been, just been on this ongoing journey of, like, you know, creating what I want the industry to be. So it's like, less focused on, like, what it is, and more of, like, what I want it to be for myself and for my community and for my office and for my employees. [00:44:01] And it's just been, it's just been that, been, be- being in this creative space of, like, you know, I'm going to have a community of powerful women, and that's what She Funds Academy has, has created. [00:44:14] Rocky Butani: So you... It's called She Funds. Does... So is it, is it, is it training w- people to, to lend or become a lender or a broker? [00:44:24] Janine Cascio: Yeah. So at first, it was more of a mindset of, how can we educate women to become, you know, top brokers or even, even if they wanna be lenders. Um, so it, it was mostly centered around that, but it kind of branched off to, um, a lot of di- different things. Um, I've had a webinar- I've taught on raising capital. [00:44:50] I've had a webinar taught on just developing a mindset and a strong mindset, and then yes, we've also talked about, you know, DSCR loans and what that looks like, and educating women on that space. Um, so it kind of ventures into a lot of different realms. I do have an ultimate vision for SheFunds, and that would be to have, you know, an in-person conference, and it'd be really a wellness event as well. [00:45:16] Um, I'm a big, like, yogi with, like, sound bath and, like, all of these, like, you know, holistic living with, like, you know, juices and things like that. So I would love to throw an event that is, like, a lot of different panels on mindset, on the market, and, uh, the real estate industry, but as well as, like, just wellness in general, um, with developing, you know, the best version of yourself. [00:45:45] Rocky Butani: And so if someone, if a woman's in private lending or, or let's say they're, they're a broker, um, would they, would they join SheFunds Academy w- while they're, while they're already established and practicing? Or is this for, uh, for women that are, are brand new to the industry? [00:46:03] Janine Cascio: Yeah, that's a really good question, 'cause I actually haven't thought of, of, like, that perspective of, like, someone being like, "Oh, academy, that must be someone that's new." [00:46:13] So, like, yes, let's, like, erase that narrative because it's not about that. It's, like, literally inclusive for, like, everyone to join. Um, I've gone to NPLAs or AAPL, and I've had women join, um, the academy that's very well-established. Like, you know, most brokers that are at those kind of conferences, um, have some depth to, to them. [00:46:35] So, um, also me bringing in industry experts is, like, more resourceful for the people that are just starting out. Um, so it's really a walk of all nature of, like, just starting to experts to, uh, well-established brokers, people that, uh, are growing and scaling companies like me, um, things like that. It's really everyone [00:46:57] Rocky Butani: Right. [00:46:57] And, uh, and, and so how can people learn a bit more, um, uh, is there a website that we can send people to? [00:47:04] Janine Cascio: So there is a landing page that is on my website for SheFunds specifically. We always have our next webinar on there. But, um, it has its own Instagram and LinkedIn page, and we're always posting our next events. [00:47:16] As I mentioned, we're having them monthly, and it's free to join. I'm a very big, like, I want everything to be free just because, um, there's so many, like, different organizations you could be a part of, and they're very knowledgeable, but a lot of times they come with, like, heavy cost. Heavy cost to the point that even I'm like, "Wait, what? [00:47:37] Like, why, what, why is it this much money?" Um, because I think things are valuable, but sometimes, like, the ticket price is just, like, outrageous, and I just feel like that type of price kind of excludes a lot of people. And I want something that is accessible. I don't want it to feel like, you know, I, oh, I don't want anyone here that's, like, new or... [00:48:01] Like, no, that's the opposite of what I wanna create. I wanna create something that, you know, you could just be starting out, but guess what? You're gonna be in the circle, and you're gonna learn everything, and w- I'm gonna be a r- r- free resource, and I'm gonna tell you everything I've learned over the last 10 years. [00:48:16] And, like, I don't want there to be, you know, a hierarchy, um, that some other communities I just feel like have. So, um, that's what it's be- meant to create, is just, just really a level even playing field for women, for men, for, for new, new in the industry to experts. I want everyone to, you know, feel accessible to everything. [00:48:40] Rocky Butani: Thank you for clarifying that. I forgot to, to ask you about, um, about if there were any costs associated with it. Um, you know. Yeah. So this, this takes up a lot of your time and resources, the book as well. What, what made you, uh, start the academy and, and, and, and write the book, um, you know, just, just to help so many other women in our space? [00:49:01] Janine Cascio: Don't get me wrong. Sometimes I have days where I'm like, "Am I helping people, or am I just, like, in my own world?" Um, but at the same time, like, I have chosen to be on this path. Like, there hit a point in my life that it's like there's no money, there's no, there's no, like, dollar amount on my pure happiness. [00:49:24] It's, it's more of like- Janine, just find your passions and do your passions on a daily basis, and that's what's gonna make you happy. Um, so that's kind of been the venture that, the adventure I have been on, um, is really going all in on helping women and providing resources and, um, you know, spending time on writing a book and putting it out there in the world. [00:49:48] Um, because if I could just help one person, I- I've done, you know, my good, and I feel like this has been my passion. Um, you know, I say it a, a lot, but, um, I would do what I'm doing right now if money wasn't a object, and it's not for me. I've already kind of... You know, I have everything I want in life with, you know, my family, um, raising my daughter. [00:50:12] Um, so this is, this is... And don't get me wrong, it pays very well, too. But at the same time, like, I would do it with no money involved of, you know, growing my company, scaling my company, helping women, putting my book out there, having She Funds Academy. Like, it, it's just really a passion project [00:50:34] Rocky Butani: Love it. [00:50:35] That's inspiring. And, uh, and [00:50:36] tell us a little bit about the podcast. Um, I haven't, honestly, I haven't listened to any of the episodes yet, but I, I just, uh- [00:50:43] Janine Cascio: Rocky ... [00:50:44] Rocky Butani: saved it on my list, so, [00:50:45] Janine Cascio: um, so- You need to be on the podcast. Actually. Sure. [00:50:49] Rocky Butani: I'd be honored. Um, but yeah, tell us a little bit about the podcast and, um, how people can find it. [00:50:55] Janine Cascio: Yeah. I'm a very big organic marketing person. Like, um, I think, you know, there, there's just, like, a lot of different, like, lead generation tools and things out there. Um, Lender Link is amazing, by the way. [00:51:09] Rocky Butani: Thank [00:51:09] Janine Cascio: you. I love Lender Link. Um, so I think having SimpleChat and our own podcast where we're able to provide more value to our clients, like for instance, if I have, like, a realtor that's referred me business, and then I'm able to give back and be like, "Do you wanna be on my podcast and come and be seen in front of my audience?" [00:51:31] It's kind of like a give and take situation, right? Because I'm able to s- show them, like, provide value to them and letting them be seen. Um, and some of our clients absolutely love it, by the way. They're like, "Can I be on the podcast? Can I be on your podcast? Can I be on your podcast?" So it's really just one of those things that we wanna give value and we wanna help our clients. [00:51:51] And, um, having a podcast really puts them in front of more people, then th- definitely, let's do it, you know? So it's just been one of those. And, and we actually are able to get on other people's audience too. It's like, uh, give and take as well. So it, it's n- it's been a nice little organic marketing thing that we've been doing internally. [00:52:12] Rocky Butani: Right. All right. Well, I will start listening to those episodes and we'll, uh, go back to the beginning. Um- Perfect ... okay. And then, and [00:52:19] let's talk about your events lastly as, um, uh, you mentioned that you host a few events per year, right? Um, that are just in Texas. Uh, tell us a little bit- Mm-hmm ... about those and, uh, and about the, the next one coming up. [00:52:32] Janine Cascio: Yeah. So we have an awesome office, um, that is in North Galleria for those familiar in the Houston Metro. Um, but it's a little over 3,000, uh, square feet. So we have a big open, like, conference room. Um, and we have a monthly event that we host on the second Tuesday of every month just called the Morning Grind. [00:52:54] There's really no objection to it besides that people come, we have free breakfast and free coffee, and they come and network. And there's some times that it's usually just 10:00 to 12:00, but I kid you not, a lot of people end up coming, bringing their laptop, and they're working in our office from 9:00 to 5:00. [00:53:12] Um, so it's, it's that. It's, it's really just come meet people, come see our office, know that we're real people, uh, with a real office, and it's a fun little hangout, uh, Morning Grind. Um, and then we have a builder's brunch. We host that probably once a quarter. Um, but we usually will have established builders that come and they're on a panel. [00:53:36] Um, and then, uh, we host brunch and, and drinks and, um, that is always our best turn-turnout event. People love that event. Um, and then we also have Simple Sips. If we're doing, like, a happy hour type thing, that is our next event on November 12th. We are doing Simple Sips at The Rustic, which is also on Post Oak, so it's just down the block from our, um, office. [00:54:03] Um, and then our anniversary party every year is always a big hit. Um, and then we also do a December holiday party as well. [00:54:14] Rocky Butani: Wow, that's a lot. [00:54:16] Janine Cascio: I know. [00:54:16] Rocky Butani: Do you have one person- I know ... at the company that just manages events for you? [00:54:21] Janine Cascio: Yeah. So it's actually funny- Yeah ... because my marketing director loves events, and then he was telling me at one point... [00:54:27] 'Cause usually we're doing, like, one, one a month right now. But a lot of things come from events. A lot of people know our company from our events, and he's like, "Yeah, I think we should do two events a month." I go, "Jesus, we already do so many events." But, uh, you know, I love the idea, so we'll see how that goes. [00:54:46] Rocky Butani: Nice. Nice. And then, uh, who attends the events? Or, or is it just everyone in, in the real estate industry? [00:54:52] Janine Cascio: Yeah, it's everyone. It's, you know, um, real estate, uh, investors, and then we have, like, title companies, insurance companies. We're very big with co-sponsoring, so if someone like a title company wants to come in and co-sponsor our events with us, they've been growing rapidly. [00:55:13] Um, but then we have all walks of nature, real estate agents, brokers, people, other lenders love popping up at the events. Um, so it's really all walks of, of people, and I have a very collaborative mindset, so the more the merrier. [00:55:30] Rocky Butani: Love it. All right. Well, we'll be sure to spread the word on those. Um, all right. [00:55:35] Jeannine, that's all I had on my list for today. Anything you wanna add to wrap us up? [00:55:42] Janine Cascio: No, just that we're your one-stop shop, and we love to keep it simple. So hopefully you guys, uh, give us a call. [00:55:50] Rocky Butani: Right. Excellent. All right, Janine, thanks so much for your time. Really appreciate you joining me. [00:55:54] Janine Cascio: Thank you, Rocky. [00:55:57] Rocky Butani: Simplending Financial is listed on PrivateLenderLink.com. I'll put a link to their profile in the description. When you reach out, please mention that you heard about them from Lender Link and the Private Lending Insights podcast. For any women out there that are interested in Janine's book, She Believes, She Receives, you can find that on Amazon, and be sure to visit Simplending Financial's website, where you can learn more about the She Funds Academy and their podcast and their local events in Houston. [00:56:25] I hope you found this episode to be insightful. Thank you for tuning in and listening all the way to the end