Photo Courtesy of: Vladimir Isperov

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- California's real estate market generates a category of deal that conventional lenders are structurally unable to serve. The timelines are too short, the property types too varied, and the income documentation too complex. Hard money lending exists to fill that gap, and professionals with the experience and infrastructure to serve it reliably are central to how the state's real estate economy functions.

A conventional mortgage from a bank or credit union can take 30 to 60 days or more to close. For a borrower trying to acquire a fix-and-flip property, close a bridge loan before a construction deadline, or finance a non-standard asset that does not fit agency guidelines, that timeline is not workable. Hard money lenders operate on a different clock. LBC Capital Income Fund, the California-based private debt fund where Vladimir Isperov serves as Co-Fund Manager, states the ability to close deals in as few as three business days. Isperov brings more than 20 years of hard money lending experience to the role, with expertise spanning residential and all major types of commercial real estate. Throughout his career, he and his team have funded $6 billion in loans.

The speed difference between hard money and conventional lending is not a matter of effort or willingness on the part of banks. It is structural. Conventional lenders underwrite to federal guidelines that require specific documentation, appraisal timelines, and compliance reviews. Those processes exist for good reasons, but they make conventional lenders categorically unsuitable for time-sensitive transactions.

Hard money lenders underwrite primarily to the asset. The central question is not whether the borrower's tax returns show sufficient income over the past two years. It is whether the property being used as collateral justifies the loan amount and whether the borrower has a credible exit strategy. That asset-focused underwriting is faster because it is simpler, and it opens the market to borrowers who have real estate expertise and capital but do not fit the documentation profile that banks require.

In California specifically, the demand for this kind of lending is substantial. The state has a large population of self-employed borrowers, real estate investors operating through LLCs, and non-US residents with California property holdings, all of whom regularly encounter the limits of conventional underwriting. LBC Mortgage, the affiliated mortgage brokerage, offers loan programs specifically designed for these borrowers, including Non-QM loans, ITIN loans, investor cash flow loans, and products for non-US residents. The LBC entities collectively address multiple points of market failure in California's lending environment.

LBC Capital funds its hard money lending activity through a private debt fund structured around trust deeds. A trust deed is a legal instrument that secures a loan against real property, giving the lender a recorded interest in the asset. If the borrower defaults, the lender has a defined legal claim against the property. That security structure is what makes trust deed investing attractive to the accredited investors who fund the pool.

The fund does not take equity positions in properties and does not engage in development or flipping. Its exposure is to the loan, not the property itself. That distinction matters for risk management. Real estate values can fluctuate, but a well-underwritten loan at a conservative loan-to-value ratio can preserve capital even in a declining market. LBC Capital states that its strategy involves spreading investment across different loan types, including residential, commercial, purchase, and refinance transactions, which reduces concentration risk within the portfolio.

Isperov's role in this structure is to maintain the deal flow. His more than 20 years in California hard money lending have produced a network of relationships with borrowers, brokers, and real estate professionals who bring transactions to the fund. That long-established network is what determines the quality of the assets the fund holds, and it is the foundation of the fund's reputation as a fast, reliable, and solutions-oriented lender.

The conditions that create demand for hard money lending in California are not going away. Interest rate volatility makes conventional financing harder to plan around. Regulatory complexity continues to expand the documentation requirements that institutional lenders must meet. And the pace of California real estate, particularly in competitive urban and suburban markets, continues to outrun what conventional timelines can accommodate.

Hard money lending is not a workaround for borrowers who cannot qualify for real financing. For a significant portion of California's real estate activity, it is the appropriate financing tool for the transaction type. Lenders with the experience, relationships, and operational discipline to serve it reliably are not filling a gap that will eventually close. They are serving a permanent feature of the market.

LBC Capital's 15-year track record, independently audited financials, and the depth of Isperov's 20-year professional network position the fund to remain a consistent and trusted participant in that market for the foreseeable future.

About LBC Capital Income Fund

LBC Capital Income Fund is a California-based private debt fund co-founded by Vladimir Isperov and Boris Dorfman. The fund invests in trust deeds secured by real property, targets annual returns above 8 percent, requires a $250,000 minimum investment, and distributes income monthly. Dorfman serves as President and Fund Manager, while Isperov serves as Co-Fund Manager. For more information, visit lbcmortgage.com.

Name: Sofiia Kovalchuk
Company: LBC Capital Income Fund, LLC
Website: https://lbccapital.com/
Email: sofiia@lbcmortgage.com 

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c5909194-7ca4-4391-94fb-5ecdcc8461da