In ReDeal Episode 08, Solomon Soleman of WeLend joins Leo Jacobs to explore how the one-to-four family market is thriving amid chaos — and why the lender-borrower relationship makes or breaks the deal.

From Distress to Opportunity: How Lenders Are Reshaping the One-to-Four Market

While commercial and multifamily markets struggle to find their bottom, one unlikely segment is thriving: the one-to-four family asset class.

In this episode of Confronting the Impossible, Leo Jacobs sits down with Solomon Soleman of WeLend to break down how creative financing, smarter borrowers, and better underwriting have created a rare bright spot — and why the right lender relationship is now more important than ever.

This is not just a market update. It’s a blueprint for what’s working when everything else is falling apart.

What’s behind the surprising rise of 1–4 unit deals?

✅ Stronger Underwriting — Today’s borrowers are better qualified, better capitalized, and better prepared.
✅ Built-In Demand — Over 7 million homes are still needed in the U.S.
✅ Creative Value-Add Plays — Investors are converting rowhouses and townhomes into condos — and multiplying their returns.

"These guys are buying for $1.5M, investing $800K, and selling each condo for $2M. That’s the new playbook." — Solomon Soleman.

The Relationship That Determines the Outcome

Deals don’t fall apart because of numbers — they fall apart because of people.

Solomon shares how borrowers get trapped by aggressive, deceptive lenders… and how WeLend steps in to refinance deals that were never meant to be fair in the first place.

🛠️ Construction draw games
⚖️ Retroactive default interest
🧱 Loan-to-own traps

"We go above and beyond. Sometimes that means working relationships, sometimes it means fighting in court — but we get it done." — Solomon Soleman.

Borrower Bill of Rights — and the Fight to Enforce It

Leo introduces the Borrower’s Bill of Rights, calling for:

Oversight of abusive private lending practices

"Some lenders believe your signature in 2015 gives them the right to destroy you in 2025. That’s not just wrong — it’s abusive." — Leo Jacobs.

Regulation, Relationships & Restructuring

This episode doesn’t shy away from systemic problems. It digs in:

✅ Why regulation must balance fairness and function
✅ How private lenders can stay competitive without being predatory
✅ Why borrowers must think long-term — and pay the premium for partners who’ll stand by them

"I’d rather pay a higher rate and know I’ll be treated right, than go cheap and get crushed." — Solomon Soleman.

Some markets thrive in chaos — but only when backed by people who know how to navigate it.

Solomon’s message is clear: the 1–4 unit market is alive, but survival comes down to relationships, transparency, and the willingness to fight for your borrowers.

🎧 Watch ReDeal Episode 08 Now
See how lenders like WeLend are flipping the script — and helping investors win, even in the most distressed situations.

PODCAST - Confronting the Impossible with Leo Jacobs.

Known for finding creative, expedient solutions to complex and high-profile cases, Leo excels in matters including distressed investment and asset management, real estate law, corporate law, dispute resolution, business divorces, negotiation, and more. Leo’s extensive expertise in debt and equity structures enables him to employ a full spectrum of legal tools to achieve swift, optimal results for clients. His practice, Jacobs P.C., bridges commercial litigation, corporate transactions, and financial rehabilitation, handling cases across federal, state, and bankruptcy courts, as well as administrative tribunals.

If you would like to join the podcast email requests to pr@jacobspc.com 

Facing challenges? Reach out to experienced professionals early, prepare for the unexpected, and always approach negotiations with clarity and strength.

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In ReDeal Episode, Leo Jacobs breaks down how borrowers, GPs, and LPs can navigate bankruptcy, lender pressure, and internal disputes — without going to war.

How to Handle Distress Without Losing the Deal - or Your Name

It’s Not Just About Value. It’s About Trust.

When you’ve got 20 properties and 2 are sinking — what do you do?

Leo Jacobs answers live questions from developers, investors, and syndicators facing the harsh realities of today’s market. From cross-collateralized portfolios to general partners who refuse to fold, this episode brings the real talk that’s rarely said out loud.

What do you do when bankruptcy seems inevitable?

Leo shares the strategy:
Don’t file. Prepare.

In many cases, simply presenting the petition — or even just the first page — can open a new line of dialogue with your lender and save your entire position.

You Don’t Start With Leverage. You Earn It.

Leverage works best when it comes last, not first.
Start with the asset value. See if the deal’s worth saving. Then renegotiate terms.
Only if those fail do you introduce your legal position — and even then, sparingly.

“Just because you have a winning argument doesn’t mean you have a winning case.”

Talking to LPs Is a Skill — Not a Crisis

One of the hardest questions came from a GP in the audience:

How do I tell my LPs the deal is failing — without burning bridges forever?

Leo’s advice?
Transparency from Day One.
Lay out the risks before they materialize. Share what might go wrong, and how you’re working to prevent it.

If they lose money, they’ll remember how you handled it. That’s how you get a second chance.

This episode is packed with practical frameworks for:

Letting go of toxic assets without litigation

Standing in front of a lender — without flinching

Preserving LP relationships through trust, not excuses

Leo reminds us that real estate is emotional, relational, and often irrational — especially in distress.

But there is a path through the chaos.
And it starts with leadership, honesty, and strategic calm.

If you’re facing tough calls - bankruptcy, default, or partner disputes - this episode is a must-watch.

🎧 Watch ReDeal Episode 05 now
See what it really takes to navigate distress - and come out stronger..

Leo Jacobs reveals how to use time, bankruptcy, and measured leverage to survive even after signing away your rights — and why fighting smart beats fighting loud.

When the Fight Begins After You’ve Lost: Real Estate Distress Without the Drama

Fight the Right Way — or Lose the Long Game

You’ve accepted a receiver.
Signed the deed.
Watched the value collapse.
Now what?

Leo Jacobs returns to the stage with a new kind of battle plan — one built not on ego, but on timing, team, and temperance.

This isn’t about bravado.
It’s about being strategic when you have nothing left to give — and everything to lose.

Distressed borrowers often believe that a strong legal defense will save them.

This episode takes you inside real scenarios where:

A signed-away property still created leverage

Bankruptcy bought time — not because of courts, but because of strategy

And a family office buying the note changed everything — simply because they saw value differently.

Time Is a Weapon — If You Know How to Use It

From Chapter 11 reorganization windows to noteholder turnover, Leo explains how time can reshape even the worst-case scenarios — but only when paired with the right actions.

When to save your legal defense as leverage (not lead with it)

Why lenders sometimes change their tune — and how to be ready

What “borrowing from your future self” means in a distressed portfolio

And why the fog of emotion is your worst enemy in crisis.

Decisions Without Emotion, Strategy Without Noise

Leo’s war stories don’t glorify lawsuits or court battles.
They emphasize clarity.

“You don’t need to scream. You need to think.”

In this episode, you’ll walk away with real-world insights on:

Engaging the right advisors at the right moment

Using measured tone, not threats, to build lender trust

And recognizing when to fight — and when to wait.

This is a must-watch for borrowers dealing with portfolio decline, aggressive lenders, or the question of “Should I file bankruptcy?”

🎧 Watch ReDeal Episode 04 now — and discover how to protect your position, even when it looks like you’ve already lost.

Leo Jacobs opens ReDeal with a $5B survival playbook — from lender leverage to letting go of the toxic assets weighing down your portfolio.

Surviving Distress: How to Talk to Your Lender and Appraise Your Ego

The First Move: Survival Starts with Letting Go

What do you do when your lender won’t answer — and your project’s worth less than half what you promised?

Leo Jacobs opens the ReDeal series with a fire-tested blueprint for survival in distressed markets.

This isn’t a panel.
This is a stage talk from the trenches of $5B+ in real debt and equity restructurings — shared live with borrowers, developers, and attorneys facing the fallout of broken deals and massive guarantees.

The first rule? Stop thinking like a borrower.
Start thinking like your lender.

❌ “What do I think it’s worth?”
✅ “What does my lender think it’s worth?”

Because if they see your $100M condo as a $35M liability — your opinion is just noise.

Leo breaks down a case study involving Starwood, where ego nearly cost the client everything.
What changed the outcome?

Evaluating the portfolio instead of fighting for one sinking project

Entering a structured communication campaign — not litigation

“Holding on for tomorrow’s value can destroy today’s viability.”

Leo outlines three ways to create leverage in distress:

Time – Extend the runway and let the market improve

New Note Buyers – Replace aggression with alignment

Be a Resource – Help the lender recover, not just yourself

And most importantly — know when to turn the tables without burning the bridge.

This episode isn't about theory. It’s about:

Why letting go is sometimes the strongest move

How to shift posture from reactive to proactive

And how ego — unchecked — is the silent killer of distressed deals

If you’re facing capital calls, underwater assets, or partner exits, this is the episode to start with.

🎧 Watch ReDeal Episode 3 now — and learn how real survival starts with the hard truth.

In ReDeal Episode 02, developer Eli Karp shares how he’s re-entering the market with patience, AI, and a whole new strategy.

How Eli Karp Is Rebuilding Smarter After Collapse - and Why Now Is the Time

The Second Time Is Harder. That’s Why It Matters More.

Eli Karp isn’t just making a comeback. He’s doing it differently.

In this Episode of Confronting the Impossible, Leo Jacobs sits down with the former $500M developer to unpack what happens after the collapse — and how to re-enter the market with purpose, patience, and precision.

This isn’t a redemption arc.
It’s a blueprint for what comes next.

The first time around, Eli scaled fast — sometimes too fast.

Now, every deal is slower. Every risk is calculated. And every conversation starts with deeper due diligence, more legal review, and a new tech stack that includes AI as a research assistant.

“I’m not trigger-happy anymore.
Now I double everything — due diligence, legal review, planning. But I’m getting back in.”

When Everyone Else Is Hesitant, He’s Watching Closely

As the market levels out, Eli sees something others don’t:
A chance to re-enter when most are still on the sidelines.

New tactics (zoning changes, land parcels, repositioning plays)

New discipline (no deal done without clarity, control, and upside)

“Now that everyone thinks it’s a bad time — that’s when I see opportunity.”

The Deal May Be Different. But the Dream Isn’t.

Why restarting is harder — and why that’s the point

What it means to apply old lessons in new ways

Why he’s building outside his comfort zone (again)

And how using AI, a rebuilt team, and sharper instincts are guiding the path forward

The goal hasn’t changed — but the operator has.

When Your Story Inspires Others, You Keep Going

Leo closes this episode with a powerful message:

“You impacted people who didn’t even know they needed to hear your story. And they’re now making moves — because of what you shared.”

Eli’s first podcast struck a chord.
This one sets a new tone — for anyone ready to rise, but wisely.

This episode is for the developers and investors standing at the edge — wondering when to jump back in.

🎧 Watch Episode 02 now — and learn how to come back smarter, stronger, and more strategic.

Ira Zlotwitz joins Leo Jacobs to reveal how he's disrupting the mortgage world with GPARANCY - a flat-fee, no-commission model that guarantees the best financing. No gimmicks. No bias. Just results.

The Mortgage Broker Who Guarantees the Best Deal - Or Your Money Back

95% of borrowers walk away from the closing table thinking:
"I probably could’ve gotten a better deal."

In this market, that uncertainty has a cost. And Ira Zlotwitz is betting everything on solving it — with transparency, tech, and one radical promise:

“Pay me $4,500. I guarantee you the best financing. Or your money back.”

In Episode 7 of Confronting the Impossible, Leo Jacobs sits down with Ira, the founder of GParency, who’s built a platform that keeps brokers honest, eliminates commission bias, and guarantees the best deal — without replacing your existing team.

Mortgage Assurance in a Commission-Driven World

80–90% of owners now go direct to lenders

Traditional brokers can’t compete unless they “color outside the lines”

Commissioned brokers are often incentivized to close fast — not optimize

That’s why Ira built GParency. And he didn’t stop at eliminating commissions — he rebuilt the process:

Competition — Your broker stays, but works harder because he knows Ira’s watching.

Full Market Scan — GParency checks across 3,400+ banks with an AI-backed pricing engine.

Unbiased Advice — No commissions, no ulterior motives — just the best deal on the table.

✅ Guaranteed best financing terms
✅ Strategic advice to negotiate better deals
✅ A market check to spot missed opportunities
✅ A team that doesn’t care how big the loan is — only how well it performs

“It’s not magic - it’s competition, transparency, and aligned incentives.”

Even better? Ira’s team is placing $250M/month, pricing over $1B - and just rolled out a free viral underwriting app that overlays Google Maps with real-time lending data.

Whether it’s a $300K USDA loan in Chicago or a $300M refinance, distressed owners want certainty. But that certainty usually costs them money - or worse, the wrong advice.

You can keep your broker — but not overpay

You finally have someone on your side, with nothing to sell.

This isn’t about rates.
It’s about misaligned incentives, bad actors, and information asymmetry.

🎧 Watch the full episode now and find out how one mortgage broker is rewriting the rules — and guaranteeing results.

In ReDeal Episode 01, Leo Jacobs shares real war stories and a survival framework for developers, GPs, and investors facing real estate distress.

Leo Jacobs on the Art of Restructuring in Real Estate

When the Market Turns: Survival Isn’t Optional. It’s a Strategy.

In the opening keynote of the ReDeal Forum, Leo Jacobs didn’t just talk about distress — he confronted it.

In Episode 01 of ReDeal, the founder of Jacobs PC takes the stage to unpack the mindset, mechanics, and mistakes that define real estate survival when the music stops and the fog sets in.

No fluff. Just war stories, real numbers, and the raw truth behind what it means to navigate bankruptcy, protect equity, and preserve credibility — when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

Distress Doesn’t Just Happen. It Builds.

From his beginnings in Bushwick to restructuring $5B+ in debt and equity, Leo built Jacobs PC to serve a very specific type of client:
Those who need to make high-stakes decisions — in the worst of times.

Because surviving isn’t about getting lucky. It’s about making decisions through uncertainty, with a different team and a different mindset.

“When the fog sets in, you don’t need more opinions. You need a restructuring strategy.”

What Happens When the $100M Deal Goes Sideways?

Leo walks through real-life examples of stalled projects, sinking portfolios, and general partners under immense pressure — and the tactical steps they must take to:

Talk to lenders without triggering litigation

Evaluate when to fight… and when to let go

Renegotiate personal guarantees and escape liability

Protect future deals by protecting your name

He also shares the rule — and the exception — to letting go:

“If it’s just another project, walk.
If it’s your family’s legacy, fight — but do it with a plan.”

The Framework for Surviving Real Estate Distress

In today’s contracting market, these aren't hypotheticals. They’re happening every day.

Leo outlines a clear survival framework built on:

Time: Buying enough of it to negotiate better outcomes

Team: Having the right legal, financial, and brokerage experts

Temperament: Making rational decisions under emotional weight

Transparency: With lenders, with partners, with yourself

This isn’t about ego. It’s about execution.

Sometimes, the best decision is to walk away from a losing asset and protect what’s left.

But sometimes, the fight is worth it — when you have the right note buyer, the right judge, and the right team at your side.

From Fifth Avenue condos to massive LP disputes, Leo shows exactly how his firm navigates the unspoken — and unwritten — rules of real estate bankruptcy.

“You don’t win by yelling. You win by knowing what to say — and when to say it.”

This Episode Is a Masterclass in Distress

If you're a developer, GP, LP, or advisor operating in today's market, this episode is more than a keynote — it’s a playbook.

🎧 Watch Episode 01 — and hear how seasoned professionals actually survive, restructure, and come back stronger.

Amir Korangy Joins Leo Jacobs to Break Down the Real Deal Behind the Optimism

The Equity Dismay No One Talks About — Until It’s Too Late

In this market, emotional delay is costing LPs, GPs, and syndicators everything — but they won’t feel it for another 90 days.

In Episode 5 of Confronting the Impossible, Leo sits down with Amir Korangy live from The Real Deal, for a real talk about sentiment vs. reality, and why the market’s current “vibrancy” is masking the start of an equity collapse.

Amir brings a sharp perspective: everyone’s watching foreclosures — but few are paying attention to what causes them.

“What’s not being reported is the equity transfers happening behind closed doors — among families, friends, and partnerships falling apart. That’s where the distress starts.”

This is the quiet phase before the lawsuits, the buyouts, and the full collapse.

Forget about lenders for a moment. The real distress is internal:

Investors asking “Where’s the money?”

Unfiled lawsuits quietly building in the background

Leo calls it equity dismay — and if you’re not seeing it yet, you will.

The market is in the synapse — between cause and effect. Leo predicts the pain will hit by Q3 as interest resets, debt maturities, and emotional fractures converge.

“This isn’t about math. It’s about trust breaking, fear building, and delayed response.

From Mayweather to Mayor Adams — and the Truth in Between

Amir shares insider updates from Steve Witkoff, Mayor Eric Adams, and Floyd Mayweather — from Brooklyn’s second-tallest tower to a Trump-linked crypto project. But beneath the buzz, the pressure is building.

Even the people smiling on stage are prepping behind the scenes..

This episode is your early warning system — the unspoken phase of distress that most investors never prepare for. Until it’s too late.

Jacobs P.C. Lawyers

Meet the team

Distress Is Strategy: Leo Jacobs Live at the ReDeal Forum 2025

The Distressed Game You’re Not Playing — But Should Be

The Personal Poison Pill: Asset Protection in the Age of Distress

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