Senior Private Lending Underwriter & Closing Lead- South Orange County, CA

This is a confidential search conducted on behalf of our client. A well-established well-capitalized private lending firm is scaling up average loan sizes are growing from $1.2M$1.5M into the $2.5M$5M range and they need a proven private-lending professional ready to grow with them.

This is a single integrated role not a split between underwriting and closing. Youll own each deal from first call to funded loan: sophisticated borrowers complex ownership structures premium California real estate with the authority to make the credit calls and the trust to be right about them.

If youve built your career on judgment speed and getting deals done right this is where that reputation finally pays what its worth.

What Youll Own

Underwriting & credit judgment Analyze borrower/sponsor/guarantor strength ownership structure liquidity source and use of proceeds repayment ability and exit strategy. Evaluate collateral LTV/LTC lien priority and cash flow/DSCR. Review appraisals critically never at face value. Recommend approve revise or decline with clear rationale.

Borrower diligence & deal structuring Lead borrower/guarantor interviews. Spot the complex stuff (trusts multiple guarantors subordinate financing cross-collateralization) and structure amount pricing term reserves and covenants to match the risk.

Documentation & closing Issue commitments applications and disclosures. Coordinate appraisal title escrow insurance and legal review. Confirm every funding condition before funds release.

Pipeline leadership & relationships Lead daily origination meetings. Build real trust with brokers borrowers and investors. Serve as a senior resource and mentor to newer team members.

Compliance Confirm business-purpose classification on every file and stay sharp on federal and California lending requirements.

57 years of progressively responsible experience in private money hard money bridge commercial or business-purpose mortgage lending with real hands-on underwriting and closing responsibility on loans of $2.5M.

Sharp command of borrower/guarantor and collateral analysis cash-flow and liquidity review sources and uses and exit analysis.

Deep fluency in loan credit and entity documents title escrow insurance appraisals promissory notes deeds of trust guaranties and closing procedures.

Working knowledge of income-property analysis (NOI DSCR cap rates rent rolls) and sophisticated ownership structures (LLCs LPs trusts syndications).

You operate with precision deals close clean and follow-through is never in question.

Bachelors degree in finance real estate accounting business or equivalent hands-on lending experience.

Bonus points: committee presentation experience established California title/escrow/appraisal/legal relationships bridge/value-add/construction lending background or experience mentoring a team.