Private Mortgage Investing with Reed Myers | Nalu Finance Podcast

In this episode of the Nalu Finance Podcast, Stefan Wagner interviews Reed Kawai Myers, Principal of Myers Capital Hawaii and Myers Investment Group. They discuss private mortgage and bridge loan investing, and examine why Hawaii is a uniquely attractive yet underbanked market.

They explore how private lending operates outside of traditional banks, detailing how investors can access asset-backed mortgage opportunities. The episode covers expected returns, approaches to risk management, liquidity considerations, and the process when borrowers default.

What’s Inside:

●How private mortgage lending works — how it differs from bank lending, why underwriting is asset-focused, and how first-lien real estate collateral protects investors.

●Why Hawaii is a unique private credit market — underbanked, relationship-driven, and shaped by local knowledge, culture, and conservative loan-to-value discipline.

●Risk, returns, and reality — how double-digit yields are generated, what semi-liquidity really means, and how experienced lenders manage defaults when things don’t go as planned.

Why Listen:

This episode is a practical deep dive into private mortgage investing, grounded in real-world experience rather than theory. Reed brings a disciplined, relationship-driven approach to lending that highlights both the opportunities and the responsibilities that come with offering alternative credit solutions.

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Transcript:

Intro: 00:01 Nalu FM Finance Podcast. Insight into the financial markets.

Reed Myers: 00:10 To me, my clients, both my borrowers and my capital investors are everything that determines the health of your company, your credibility, everything. But we want to be aligned as far as our culture and what we can actually provide and what we can't.

Sponsor: 00:22 This podcast is powered by Vestr, the engine behind Active Management. Vesta is a Switzerland-based fintech startup that provides software for issuers of actively managed certificates to automate their value chain fully. Visit Vestr, V-E-S-T-R dot com to schedule a meeting with an expert and to learn more about Vestr.

Stefan Wagner: 00:44 Welcome to the Nalu Finance Podcast. In this episode, we dive into the world of private mortgage and bridge loan investing, a space that blends real estate, lending, and income generations. Our guest is Reed Myers, principal and owner of Myers Capital Hawaii and Myers Investment Group, who has built a reputation for offering investors access to income-generating mortgage opportunities. Reed shares how private lending works, what makes Hawaii real estate market unique, and how investors can participate in these asset-backed strategies.

We'll discuss everything from risk management and default recovery to expected returns, liquidity, and who these opportunities are best suited for. Whether you're an experienced investor or just curious about alternative income streams, this episode will give you a practical insight into how private mortgage investing really works. Reed, you have built Myers Capital into a specialist in private mortgage and real estate lending and Myers Investment Group as an investment management company offering passive mortgage investments. How did you first become involved in this space and what market gap did you identify? 

Reed Myers: 01:53 Great question and thanks for having us on the podcast. I first got started in real estate and finance out of college actually. So I got recruited to work for a small real estate investment trust in the Carolinas. And so that was kind of my first foray into real estate, finance, some development. And then shortly after that, we came on board with my family company, Myers Capital. My father started in 1998. At the time, we were just a very small, still small today for many respects, but commercial mortgage banker, primarily doing commercial lending for small apartment buildings, mixed use, things like that throughout the Carolinas and the Southeast. So I actually started off loan processing, doing some underwriting, the basics.

Stefan Wagner: 02:46 Yeah, but that way you learn what to look for. When it comes your way, you can probably very quickly spot certain patterns that you would have never known if you would have not done that.

Reed Myers: 02:56 Yeah, exactly.

Stefan Wagner: 02:58 So for the listeners less familiar, what exactly is actually private mortgage lending and how does it differ from traditional bank lending?