Sue Kohl is President of the Pacific Palisades Community Council and a local realtor serving as Assistant Manager at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services. A top producer since 1989, she’s recognized as one of the best Realtors in Pacific Palisades, and has been effectively representing both sellers and buyers in sales and purchases of single-family homes and condominiums. Sue lost her own home in the January 2025 Palisades Fire. She's now navigating the rebuilding process firsthand while helping her community recover. Sue brings both personal experience and professional insight into what it takes to rebuild LA after the fires.

The abrupt bankruptcy of auto supplier First Brands is shining a light on private credit — one of the biggest businesses in financial services today. Private credit is a major driver of profits for many of Wall Street’s top firms. This industry attempts to deliver attractive yields for investors, together with low volatility and low loan losses. In this article, I provide my take on what the First Brands bankruptcy tells us about private credit today. It is likely that this industry will experience some setbacks in the months and years ahead, even as it grows to occupy an ever-larger role in how private companies are financed.

Leo Marmol, FAIA, is the Founder of the architect-led design-build practice Marmol Radziner, established in 1989 with Ron Radziner, FAIA. With a guiding hand in every project from concept to completion, Leo works closely with studio directors and construction teams to ensure seamless design execution. A passionate advocate for architectural preservation, he frequently lectures on architecture and historic restoration and has led tours showcasing Southern California’s mid-century Modernist treasures. A graduate of California Polytechnic State University with a degree in Architecture and a minor in Philosophy, Leo was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 2007 and inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame in 2009.

Real estate private credit (also known as private lending) has its own terminology. In this article, I break down a dozen or so of the most important terms to know, based on my experience. Understanding the terms can help investors to understand and appreciate an asset class that has a lot of appeal at the moment, since buying and owning real estate today may have more risks than in the past, as long-term interest rates remain “higher for longer.”

Kimberlina Whettam is a seasoned real estate development leader with a proven track record guiding projects from concept through completion. She specializes in due diligence research, entitlement management, public hearings, and development permits, leveraging her strong government and industry relationships to secure timely, cost-effective approvals. Previously, she served as Chief Planning & Environmental Deputy for Los Angeles City Councilmember Jack Weiss, where she launched the city’s Green Building Incentive Program and secured community support for the Van Nuys Airport Masterplan. Kimberlina’s company, Kimberlina Whettam & Associates (KW&A), is managing several projects in the fire zones.

Randy Balik brings over 25 years of expertise in demolition, remediation, and environmental services. Randy is the executive vice president and co-owner of OFRS, an industrial and commercial remedial construction company that is now providing its services to areas affected by the wildfire in the Pacific Palisades. Randy’s work after the fires has been featured in the L.A. Business Journal and the L.A. Times. 

Randy has served on the boards of the Professional Environmental Management Association (PEMA), where he was President, and the Western States Petroleum Association Associates (WSPA Associates), where he is now Chairman Emeritus.

For many years, “alternative investments” referred mainly to private equity or venture capital. Both generally did well over a long period of time, as interest rates trended down. Now, “private credit” has become a major focus of both alternative investment managers and investors seeking yield and something that is less correlated to the public markets. In this article, I explain how my area of expertise–real estate private credit–compares with the larger private credit phenomenon.

In this article I explain why I came back to real estate private credit after taking some time off, and what I love about this business.

Kennedy Zak is an award-winning journalist at the Los Angeles Business Journal, bringing deep expertise in economics, housing, local government, and wildfire recovery—especially her powerful series on the Altadena and Pasadena fires. With bylines across outlets like the Glendale News-Press, Burbank Leader, Dallas Morning News, and Annenberg Media, she blends nimble reporting with thoughtful insight. Zak’s storytelling highlights how financial hardship, policy shifts, and community resilience intersect—a perspective rooted in rigorous reporting and local context. Whether unpacking insurance shortfalls or examining recovery systems in crisis, she brings clarity, compassion, and a sharp lens to the evolving challenges of Southern California.

Salvador Carbajal is the founder of S-AC Design Group and S-AC Builders, leading every stage from concept to construction. Since launching his firm in 2020, he has completed over 200 architectural projects and 40 construction builds, specializing in custom single-family homes, multifamily residences, and ADUs. Beginning his career with one of the nation’s top general contractors, Salvador managed high-rise developments from the ground up—experience that shaped his seamless design–build approach. Through S-AC Design Group, he crafts spaces with a strong design–lifestyle connection, while S-AC Builders ensures flawless execution in-house. His mission is simple: create high-quality, meaningful spaces that bring visions to life.

Jan talks with top Pasadena agent Teresa Fuller, who brings deep market knowledge and personal experience as a fire survivor. They explore how Altadena’s real estate market is evolving post-fire, from pricing shifts and buyer trends to the role of design and community in rebuilding LA.

In this first episode of Rebuilding LA After the Fires, host Jan Brzeski lays the groundwork for the series, sharing what inspired him to start the podcast and what’s at stake as LA begins to recover from wildfires that destroyed over 10,000 structures. You’ll hear what to expect from future episodes—and why trying to get a view to the big picture is so important to the future of LA.

SCIP hosted a property showcase alongside Hylton Daniel design + construction. This showcase featured Hylton Daniel’s Sedgefield St. project, financed by SCIP — two thoughtfully crafted 2-bedroom, 2-bath homes in Durham, NC.

This event was an opportunity to learn, network, and connect with others involved in real estate investment in the Triangle. It was an energizing evening of connection for the community, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A.

Our 2025 annual newsletter reflects on a year of growth and sharper focus. Jan Brzeski examines how the private credit landscape has evolved since the early 2010s, shares results from Sage Credit Income Fund's first full year of operation, and highlights completed loans, community events and thought leadership across California and North Carolina.

Every month or two a student or recent graduate asks me for advice about how to get a job as a real estate professional. My advice is always the same: find someone who is doing what you want to be doing in 5–10 years and try to get a job working for that person, even if the pay is not as much as you would like. It is more important to move directly toward your longer-term goal than it is to get paid more and have to change direction later.