Fast Funding for California Commercial Real Estate

Rubicon Mortgage Fund, LLC has funded private commercial loans in California since its inception in 2008. We are a direct private lender that specializes in short-term loans for commercial and residential acquisitions, refinancing and equity cash out for business purposes, new commercial construction loans (SF Bay Area only) and hard money for rehab fix & flip. We understand that occasionally loans do not fit into the standard model of traditional commercial lenders; therefore, we focus on funding non-conventional commercial loans.

Meet our Team

Executive Team

General Counsel & Chief Financial Officer

Loan Origination's Team

Senior Director – Producer
Se Habla Español

Senior Loan Officer

Senior Loan Officer / Assistant Underwriter

Senior Loan Officer

Loan Officer

Operations Team

Operations Manager

Loan Documentation Specialist

Administrative Assistant
(Fluent in Cantonese)

Marketing Communications Specialist

Loan Services Team

Head of Loan Servicing, Staff Accountant

Investor Relations

VANCE
Vance Hillstrom
CEO, Rubicon Mortgage Fund
Phone: (925) 788-8964

Vance is the CEO and sole managing partner of Rubicon. Vance is involved in all operations of the company and does the underwriting for Rubicon. Vance was one of the three founding partners of Rubicon and has been part of mortgage banking since 2005. Prior to Rubicon, Vance was an independent 30-year bond futures Trader at the Chicago Board of Trade and thereafter worked as the Lead Market Maker for Microsoft at the Pacific Options Exchange. Vance graduated from DePauw University with a degree in Economics and captained the DePauw baseball team. He has both his California Lenders Finance License as well as his California Department of Real Estate Brokerage License.  DRE # 01908390 CFL # 6053885

Maureen
Maureen Kelly
General Counsel & Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (925) 283-8919

Maureen is General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer for Rubicon Mortgage Fund LLC. Prior to co-founding Rubicon Mortgage Fund LLC in 2007, Maureen served as legal counsel and CFO for several hedge funds and options market makers on the Pacific Options Exchange.  Maureen was also in private practice with Plageman & Lund LLP where she advised clients on real estate transactions and estate matters.  She began her career with Arthur Andersen in their Family Wealth Planning practice.  She currently lives in San Francisco with her family.


Professional:
Member, California State Bar
Certified Public Accountant, California (currently inactive)

Education:
University of California, College of Law, San Francisco (formerly Hastings) J.D.
U.C. Davis (B.A. Economics / History)

CESAR IMAGE copy
Cesar Peña
Senior Director – Producer
Phone: (925) 239-6609

As Senior Director – Producer at Rubicon Mortgage Fund, LLC, Cesar is responsible for overseeing the sales team and originating loans throughout California.

With over a decade of industry experience, Cesar has a proven track record of closing over $150 million in transactions covering Multi-Family, Industrial, Hospitality, Gas stations, and other C.R.E. and non-owner-occupied 1-4 S.F.R properties—private hard money loans, in the San Francisco Bay Area, Northern California Capital Market.

Cesar’s extensive network and industry involvement—BAMA, CCIM, CMA, CREF, and Globe Street—have been instrumental to his success.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Cesar holds a Finance and Real Estate Management degree from Cal State East Bay and is fluent in Spanish. He resides in Danville with his wife, Fabiola, and daughter, Alana.

Affiliations:
President of Bay Area Mortgage Association, 2018-2023.

(“CCIM”). CA BRE #01984871.

CASEY
Casey Hopkins
Senior Loan Officer
Phone: (530) 228-3790
Casey Hopkins has been active in the real estate industry since 2008 having worked as a Commercial Real Estate Appraiser, and most recently as a Business Development Officer for an environmental due diligence company. Casey joined Rubicon Mortgage Fund in the spring of 2017 and is currently focusing on expanding awareness of Rubicon and its services to Commercial Real Estate Companies throughout the state of California. Casey graduated from California State University, Chico with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Finance. CA BRE #02040604.
JAKE
Jake Berry
Senior Loan Officer – Assistant Underwriter
Phone: (925) 899-3091

Jake Berry is a loan originator at Rubicon Mortgage Fund, LLC. He focuses on providing short-term financing on commercial and residential properties throughout the state of California. Jake has extensive knowledge in originating and underwriting a multitude of properties including industrial, retail, multifamily, office, hospitality, etc. He also aids in determining the status of Rubicon’s current loan portfolio through underwriting various loan scenarios and property types. 

Jake serves on the board of committee of Bay Area Mortgage Association (BAMA) and HIF Building Leaders Initiative. He earned a degree in Hospitality Management at Utah Valley University and played on the Division 1 Baseball team. He currently resides in San Francisco.

 CA BRE#02136134

TAIT
Tait Wessel
Senior Loan Officer
Phone: (415) 361-9600

Tait is a Senior Originator in the Rubicon Realty Advisors Inc. where he focusses on structuring direct lending solutions for sponsors and developers of real estate assets.

Before joining Rubicon, Tait was a Key Account Manager for a Fortune 50 company, specializing in new construction lending. Prior experience includes turnkey real estate development, commercial investment sales and leasing.

Tait holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Law degree and is a Stanford Certified Project Manager (SCPM).

CAL DRE #01835662

Will Rembac
Will Rembac
Loan Officer
Phone: (925) 282-0188

Will was born and raised in Lafayette and attended the University of Oregon. He received a B.A. degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance. During his time in college, and worked as a Sales Intern at Rubicon during the summer of 2019.

After graduation, Will worked in Software Sales in San Francisco for just under three years. In his free time Will enjoys playing golf and traveling with friends and family.

DRE# 02247072

CHERYL
Cheryl Duncan
Operations Manager
Phone: (925) 283-8919
email: cheryl@rubiconfund.net

Cheryl is the Operations Manager for Rubicon.  Cheryl has over 30 years in real estate related industries and over 3 years in the financial services industry. In addition to 18 years with a national title company, Cheryl has worked in Operations for a real estate auction company and a commercial property management company.  Cheryl was a licensed Financial Advisor for Waddell and Reed. Cheryl graduated from California State University at Sacramento with a BS in Business with a Finance concentration.

CHRISTIE
 Christie Elwood
Analyst / Sales Associate
Phone: (925) 283-8919
email: christie@rubiconfund.net

Christie is the Loan Documentation Specialist at Rubicon.  She began her career in corporate accounting and residential escrow and gained further invaluable experience as a small business owner.   Her title and escrow experience along with in-depth knowledge of non-profit event planning is invaluable. These skills she now uses to process loans from due diligence through funding and ultimately close of escrow.  In her spare time, Christie enjoys spending time with her husband and two teenage children.

MAY
May Sieng
Administrative Assistant
Phone: (925) 283-8919
Email: May@rubiconfund.net

May is the Administrative Assistant at Rubicon. She enjoys working with people and has over 10 years of customer service and administrative experience in the food and financial service industries. She can speak three languages including Chinese Cantonese & Vietnamese and enjoys outdoor activities, travel, and live music.

NEHA
Omneha Amujala
Marketing Communications Specialist
Phone: (925) 283-8919
Omneha (Neha) blends statistics with our company brand voice to generate innovative strategies that drive results. With career exposure to B2B, B2C, and B2B2C business models, an array of business and consumer products and brands, and a passion for tactical and strategic marketing, she is our motivated marketer who thinks outside the box. Omneha graduated from California Polytechnic School, Pomona with a degree in Business Administration. She enjoys spending time listening to live music and hiking with her husky.
MEGHAN
Meghan Sims
Staff Accountant, Investor
Relations Manager, and Loan Servicing
Phone: (925) 283-8919
email: meghan@rubiconfund.net
Meghan has been with Rubicon since 2014. She is responsible for in house accounting, loan servicing and is the Investor Relations Manager for the Fund. Meghan graduated from Cal State East Bay with a BS in Business Administration with concentrations in Accounting and Information Technology Management. She currently resides with her husband and daughter in Concord, California.
Brooke Casillas
 Brooke Casillas
Investor Relations
Phone: (925) 283-8919
email: brooke@rubiconfund.net
Brooke is the Investor Relations for Rubicon. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she started her accounting career working in skilled nursing and has over 5 years of experience in customer service and administrative functions. She enjoys thrifting and spending time with her family and friends. She currently resides in Bethel Island with her fiancé, family, and pets.

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Private Money Lender in San Francisco
Vance Hillstrom
Phone: (925) 788-8964
Cesar Peña
Phone: (925) 239-6609
Casey Hopkins
Phone: (530) 228-3790
Jake Berry
Phone: (925) 899-3091
Tait Wessel
Phone: 415-361-9600

Will Rembac
Phone: (925) 282-0188
Omneha Amujala
Phone: (925) 283-8919