HACKENSACK, N.J., January 10 — Nearly everyone who’s been there loves Hawaii. It doesn’t matter which islands you visit — Ni’ihau, Maui, Moloka’i, Kaua’i, O’ahu, Lana’i, Kaho’olawe, or the Big Island — there’s something beautiful and appealing about each one. Even people who haven’t yet visited would like to some day, and experience firsthand the lush vegetation, the ideal climate, the extraordinary beaches, the verdant heights, and the indescribable waterfalls for themselves. And many people would like nothing better than to live there year-round, especially after retiring, when they would have more time to enjoy the experience.

Henry Amado, Principal of White Sands Estates, LLC, was counting on exactly that. He also knew exactly what to do about it.

Amado had his eye on a 42-acre tract of land on the Big Island at the Disappearing Sands Beach in Kona, about 10 miles south of Kona International Airport. He wanted to develop the property into residential multifamily and single-family lots, known as the White Sands Project. The landscape, as might be expected, is appealing — gently undulating, relatively flat and slightly above sea level in parts, then rising sharply to an elevation of over 400 feet with a slope of over 15%. The property is covered with natural vegetation, and the views are striking. So all Amado needed was a loan with which to purchase the property and begin development — and he knew just where to go: Kennedy Funding.

Kennedy Funding, headquartered in Hackensack, New Jersey, is one of the leading direct private lenders in the industry, for a couple of very good reasons: speed and flexibility. Since their inception, Kennedy has specialized in offering both to borrowers who can’t get either from the traditional lending establishment. Kennedy can provide commitments in just 24 hours, and multimillion-dollar loans in less than one week.

“Henry’s deal admittedly had some issues we had to contend with,” said Jeffrey Wolfer, President and Co-CEO of Kennedy Funding. “There’s a decline in the market, and there were some contingencies that had to fall in place in order to make the whole project work. Also, there were some zoning, planning, and political considerations that had to be handled. And, to top it off, his equity partner dropped out during the transaction, so another partner had to be found.” In addition, the land had been granted an SMA Permit, so there was a higher loan-to-cost element to be factored into the equation.”

But, according to Wolfer, Kennedy has always been able to realize value beyond the purchase price, and has been able to fund even the toughest deals, which is one of the reasons behind their continuing track record of successful land loans. “Fortunately, we have been involved in many similar situations in the past,” continued Wolfer, “and were familiar with what needed to be done. In the end, we were able to close the deal successfully and hand Henry a check for $7 million. It was good doing business with him, especially in Hawaii.”

“It was a complicated process,” confirmed Henry Amado. “There were obstacles that came up even in the middle of things that made it more difficult than it might otherwise have been. But we really wanted this deal to work, as the property is the last significant undeveloped piece of land in the area around Kona. Kennedy, true to their word, worked through all of the difficulties and closed the deal. Especially helpful were Jeff, Matt Cole, and Jonathan Weiner. Every step of the way, they worked long and hard and made it happen.”

Kennedy Funding can issue loan commitments in as little as 24 hours, which often leads to closings in as little as five days and, in some cases when time is of the essence, even faster. Available financing ranges from $1 million to over $100 million, with rates as low as 9% and 3 points. The staff at Kennedy Funding is skilled in a wide range of business sectors beyond financing, and they focus a great deal of collective expertise and dedication upon each loan application.

While Kennedy specializes in commercial real estate bridge loans, their flexibility and diversity has also resulted in loans for a wide range of enterprises, including amusement parks, high-profile golf courses, TV and radio stations, airlines, and sports complexes. Across the country and around the world, Kennedy has produced funds for conventional and unconventional projects, often succeeding when other financial institutions cannot. They can fund up to 75% loan-to-value for commercial land development, acquisitions, workouts, refinancing, bankruptcies, and foreclosures.