6 — June 2026 — Creative Finance — Financial — M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal
www.marej.com
C reative F inance
NGLEWOOD, NJ — Foreign nationals con- tinue to play a major Asset-based lending platform bypasses traditional banking hurdles Kennedy Funding opens doors to U.S. real estate for foreign national investors E
just to get an answer,” Wolfer said. “We evaluate it, decide, and execute. That’s what keeps transactions moving.” That speed has become a defining advantage. The firm regularly closes loans in a mat- ter of days, allowing foreign investors to compete more ef- fectively with domestic buyers. In one recent transaction, Kennedy Funding provided acquisition financing for a foreign national purchasing a 19-unit apartment building in Baltimore, stepping in after traditional options failed to meet the required timeline. “Timing is everything,” said Edwin Urrego , execu- tive loan officer at Kennedy Funding. “Foreign national borrowers aren’t lacking op- portunity—they’re lacking lenders who can move fast. We focus on the asset, the potential occupancy, and the equity. That’s what drives our decisions.”
global track record, but if you don’t fit a domestic lend - ing model, the deal stalls,” he said. “We take a practical view. If the real estate per- forms, we can structure a loan around it.” Kennedy Funding’s platform supports a wide range of com- mercial real estate transac- tions, including land, multi- family, and commercial assets, along with acquisitions, bridge financing, and more complex scenarios such as workouts and time-sensitive closings. Rather than replacing tradi- tional lenders, the firm serves as a critical alternative when conventional financing is not viable—or not fast enough. Key features of the firm’s foreign national lending plat- form include: • No requirement for U.S. credit history • Asset-based underwriting centered on property value • Loans starting at $1 million and scaling upward • Typical leverage up to 75% loan-to-value • Closings in as little as five days Kennedy Funding’s borrower base spans South America, Europe, Canada, and beyond, opportunity and provided the borrower with multiple development options.” Unlike conventional lenders that often focus heavily on bor- rower financial metrics, Ken - nedy Funding’s asset-based lending model emphasizes the underlying value and po- tential of the collateral. This approach allows the company to move quickly and provide financing solutions for bor- rowers facing time-sensitive opportunities or situations that may not fit traditional lending guidelines. “Opportunities like this don’t fit neatly into a con- ventional lending box,” said Kevin Wolfer , president and CEO of Kennedy Funding. “That’s where private lending can make a meaningful dif- ference. By taking a practical approach and understanding the unique characteristics of each transaction, we can provide borrowers with the capital they need when tradi- tional financing sources may not be an option.” The closing further rein- forces Kennedy Funding’s
reflecting the continued global interest in U.S. real estate and the need for lenders who understand how to execute across borders. “There’s a steady flow of international capital looking for opportunities here,” Wolfer said. “Those investors need partners who can act quickly and structure deals properly. That’s where we come in.” The firm has also become a trusted resource for brokers representing foreign national clients, particularly in compet- itive or distressed situations where certainty of execution is critical. At its core, the approach remains straightforward. “If the deal makes sense, we focus on the asset—not where the borrower is from,” Wolfer added. “That’s what keeps deals alive.” With global investment activity continuing and tra- ditional lending standards remaining tight, demand for flexible, asset-based financ - ing is expected to grow—po- sitioning Kennedy Funding as a key player for foreign nationals seeking a direct path to closing. MAREJ position as a leading lender for land loans and develop- ment properties throughout the U.S. and internationally. The company continues to provide bridge loans, ac- quisition financing, working capital loans, construction loans, and other creative lending solutions for borrow- ers seeking speed, flexibility, and certainty of execution. About Kennedy Funding Kennedy Funding is a global direct private lender specializing in bridge loans for commercial property and land acquisition, develop- ment, workouts, bankrupt- cies, and foreclosures. Ken- nedy Funding has closed more than $4 billion in loans to date. Their creative fi- nancing expertise provides funding up to 75% loan- to-value, from $1 million ($3 million international) to more than $50 million in as little as five days. The company has closed loans throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Eu - rope, Canada, and Central and South America. MAREJ
“Foreign national borrowers are often turned away for rea- sons unrelated to the strength of the deal,” said Kevin Wolf- er , CEO and president of Ken - nedy Funding. “We focus on the asset and the equity—not whether someone checks every conventional box.” Instead of relying on conven- tional underwriting criteria, Kennedy Funding evaluates the fundamentals of the transac- tion: property value, equity, and overall deal viability. That shift in perspective has made the firm a consistent financing source for foreign nationals competing in fast-moving U.S. markets. Across the industry, inter- national investors continue to face familiar hurdles—lim- ited access to domestic bank- ing relationships, restrictive guidelines, and approval pro- cesses that stretch for weeks or months. In competitive situations, delays alone can cost borrowers the deal. Kennedy Funding eliminates those barriers by deploying its own resources and making decisions internally—without committees or syndication.
role in the U.S. real es- tate market, yet securing financing re - mains a per- sistent chal- lenge. Even experienced investors
Edwin Urrego
with strong equity often find themselves blocked—not be- cause of the deal, but because they don’t meet the rigid re- quirements of banks and other traditional lenders. Without U.S. credit history or a domestic financial foot - print, foreign national borrow- ers are frequently sidelined. Add in lengthy underwriting timelines and institutional lay- ers, and many time-sensitive opportunities fall apart before they reach the closing table. Kennedy Funding is ad- dressing that gap. As a direct private lender with more than $4 billion in closed loans, the firm takes a different approach—one that centers on the asset rather than the borrower’s geography. ENGLEWOOD, NJ — Medford Oregon, the eighth most populous city in Or - egon, has faced many of the same challenges as other cities around the U.S. have encountered: A challeng- ing economy, increasing unemployment and cooling healthcare jobs. So it’s not surprising that conventional lenders may balk at real estate loans. For Kennedy Funding , opportunities like this are exactly where its asset-based lending approach excels. Kennedy Funding, one of the nation’s leading direct private lenders, has closed a $2.7 million land loan to pro - vide working capital to Haya Enterprises LLC, secured by a 34.61-acre mixed-use de - velopment property located at the southeast corner of North Phoenix Road and Coal Mine Road in Medford. Situated in Jackson Coun - ty, the site offers significant long-term development po- tential due to its strategic lo- cation and favorable zoning. Approximately 10.10 acres
“We’re not sending deals through layers of approvals Urrego added that many international investors bring significant experience and capital but encounter unnec- essary friction when entering the U.S. market. “You can have a strong Kennedy Funding closes $2.7M Oregon land loan for mixed-use development site
34.61-acre mixed-use development property located at the southeast corner of North Phoenix Road and Coal Mine Road in Medford, OR.
are zoned community com- mercial, permitting office, retail, and multifamily devel- opment, while the remaining 24.51 acres are zoned single- family residential. The property’s mixed-use characteristics provide mul- tiple development options and position it to benefit from future growth throughout the Medford market. The property is located across from Centennial Golf Club and enjoys convenient access to Interstate 5, Or -
egon Route 99, downtown Medford, and Rogue Valley International Airport. “This is the type of loan Kennedy Funding special- izes in,” said Jared Lev- itt , loan officer at Kennedy Funding. “When traditional lenders can’t deliver, we can often find a way forward by focusing on the value of the real estate. In this case, the site’s combination of commercial and residen- tial development potential gave us confidence in the
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