Experience that drives
unequaled success.

David Hansel has a diverse and successful background spanning over two decades as a real estate investor that includes acquisition, construction, development, management, capital raising and lending. In 2016, David co-founded Lucern Capital Partners with Mark Callazzo and Frank Forte. As a managing member, David heads up all the company's capital management and capital raising efforts. Additionally, he is an integral part of the company's overall management and the acquisition and underwriting team.

David began his real estate career in 2001 as a broker and began investing in value-add residential and commercial projects for his personal portfolio. David parlayed this experience and success by co-founding Alpha Funding in 2007 with Callazzo. Under David’s leadership, the company quickly grew to one of the largest and most respected brands in the private lending space on the East Coast and remains a market leader today. This company has deployed over $600 million in short-term debt to real estate builders, developers and investors. Here, David and his team architected and implemented a robust, proprietary origination and underwriting system focused on providing strong, risk-adjusted returns for the company and its broad base of high-net-worth, retail and institutional investors.

David graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in hotel and restaurant management and was local chapter president of the National Honors Society Eta Sigma Delta. He has been actively involved with dozens of industry organizations and regularly speaks and provides education to others in various aspects of the real estate industry.

Frank is an experienced real estate investor, banker and asset manager. Currently, Frank serves as the Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner of Lucern Capital Partners. The firm has focused on value-add multifamily transactions primarily in New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Charlotte MSAs. Frank oversees and leads all acquisitions, asset management and financing activities for the firm. Frank's deep network and institutional experience have allowed him to lead the firm into a number of markets in a relatively short period, capitalizing on inefficient and distressed opportunities to provide investors strong risk-adjusted returns.

Prior to Lucern Capital Partners, Frank arranged and structured debt and equity at Berkadia, a Berkshire Hathaway company, and the largest agency mortgage lender in the United States. Frank's experience on over $2 billion of transactions, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, CMBS and other varied products, has allowed him to deftly navigate financing options while structuring the capital stack of every transaction. Frank also spent time working in distressed asset management to reposition the largest CMBS default in history (PCVST, 11,000+ units, Blackrock/Tishman Speyer). In private equity, he managed a portfolio of high leverage loans and investments in the senior housing space. Frank started his career repairing failing banks directly after the financial crisis.

Frank graduated with high honors from Seton Hall University with a B.S. in Business Administration & Finance. Frank has also attended the Masters in Real Estate program at New York University. Frank has spent time as an elected board member and advisory member of several corporations, organizations and a 501(c)(3) charity. Frank is an active industry panelist and speaker and was named in the “Top 30 Under 30 Real Estate Professionals” by the Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Journal in 2018.

Mark is the definition of an entrepreneur. Mark founded and led multiple real estate companies over the past three decades that still thrive today and serve as a model for other companies. Mark continued his entrepreneurial path and parlayed his success into Lucern Capital Partners.

In the early 1990s, Mark obtained his real estate appraisal license and fast became one of N.J.'s foremost property valuation experts. He co-founded RMS Statewide Title and Appraisal Services and grew it into one of the state's largest appraisal businesses.

In 2007, Mark expanded his successful footprint to launch Alpha Funding Solutions with his partner David Hansel. Mark oversaw underwriting and risk management for the company. This business has deployed nearly $600 million in mostly short-term debt and equity capital.

Mark received his B.A. in Economics from Kean University and, his M.B.A. — with a concentration in Finance — from Monmouth University and has been an influential figure in the revitalization of Atlantic City.

Mark's philanthropy is unparalleled as he shares his success — donating time and money — to various charities through the years, including The Schultz-Hill Foundation and the Atlantic City Arts Foundation. Mark sits on the Board of the Levenson Institute of Gaming and Hospitality for Stockton University, The Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce and the Chelsea Economic Development Corporation.