Meet The Team
Zach Smith
Principal & COO
Zach is an experienced private lender committed to helping real estate investors succeed. Before joining Cetan Funds, he built and operated several small businesses in Eugene and Springfield, gaining hands-on insight into every facet of launching, scaling, and managing a business. These experiences shaped his belief in the importance of integrity, loyalty, and exceptional service.
An active real estate investor himself, Zach is passionate about helping Oregon developers, builders, and small businesses achieve strong returns while contributing to the region’s growth. He serves as Principal and COO of Cetan Funds, where he oversees daily operations, business development, loan origination and underwriting, portfolio management, investor relations, and fund operations.
Zach is a licensed mortgage loan originator in Oregon (NMLS #1748167). He earned his B.A. from the University of Oregon, graduating from the Robert D. Clark Honors College with a major in Psychology and minors in Business Administration and Spanish.
Cetan Funds Articles by Zach Smith
7 Keys to Fast Private Financing for Real Estate Investors
If you’re investing in real estate, whether flipping a distressed property, developing land, or building new construction, you already know time is money. In fast-moving markets like Oregon and Southwest Washington, speed matters. The faster you secure financing, the...
Understanding the Construction Draw Process: A Guide to Smarter Funding with Cetan Funds
If you're a real estate investor or builder looking to finance a project from the ground up, a hard money construction loan can be a smart move. These private loans offer fast, flexible terms, giving you the capital to acquire, build, or renovate without the delays...
Hard Money Lending Tools Every Oregon Real Estate Investor Should Know
At Cetan Funds, we're more than just a lender. We're a partner in your success, offering tools and knowledge that help you move faster, work smarter, and close with certainty. Our experienced team understands how important speed, clarity, and dependable financing are...
14 Lending Terms Every Real Estate Investor Should Know
Real estate investing, whether you’re flipping houses or building a fourplex, means learning a new financial language. Private loans can be powerful tools, but acronyms like LTV or ARV often sound like alphabet soup to newcomers. This guide breaks down key terms in...
Understanding Hard Money Rehab and Construction Loans: Accelerate Growth and Maximize Returns in Real Estate
Why Hard Money Loans?Real estate investing is one of the most effective ways to build wealth, but securing the right financing can be a challenge. Traditional bank loans often come with long approval times, rigid requirements, and limited flexibility—none of which are...
How Private Money Lending Really Works
Private money lending can be an integral part of your real estate investments. When it comes to funding your next project, you may be wondering what the best options are and how the loans really work. We’d like to shed light on how private money lending works to help...
What We Do vs. What We Don’t Do
As a private lender for real estate investments in Oregon and SW Washington, we offer hard money loans that apply to a variety of projects. If you’re a real estate investor, developer or builder with a project in our region, we can probably help you with your funding...
How to Leverage Equity in Your Property for New Investments
If you’ve purchased a home or invested in a rental property in the past, you may be familiar with the feeling of pride and achievement that comes with seeing the value of your real estate investment go up. The equity you’ve built can take you even further as you...
Tips for a Successful Fix and Flip Project
If you’re well versed in fix and flip real estate projects, you likely already know what it takes to pull it off successfully and generate a profit. If not, there are a few things that might be helpful to know to get the project off the ground and keep it moving...
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