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Hasen Construction LLC, led by Brandon Chasen, rose quickly in Baltimore’s adaptive-reuse market by converting aging offices into housing, including the $11 million One Calvert Plaza project. But rapid expansion built on high leverage and short-term debt unraveled as rates rose and liquidity dried up, leading to defaults and bankruptcy. Weak governance and minimal reserves exposed deeper structural flaws, showing that in real estate, vision without structure is risky.

The Holiday Inn Port of Miami-Downtown, purchased for $65M in 2015, is headed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy auction this December with a $175M listing price. Its owners defaulted on a $70M floating-rate loan as rising interest costs strained finances. Despite valuable air rights and redevelopment potential, the project’s timing and structure proved vulnerable, underscoring that resilience, not entitlement, defines real estate success.

When Moshe Silber’s $1.3B real estate empire collapsed, it wasn’t just a story of overleverage and market timing. It was a failure of governance. From hidden debt stacks to strategic bankruptcies and phantom guarantees, the fallout exposed deep structural flaws. This post breaks down what went wrong and how true bankruptcy remoteness requires more than just boilerplate documents. It requires real fiduciary architecture.

Bankruptcy offers a financial reset for those overwhelmed by debt. The two main types, Chapter 7 and Chapter 11, serve different needs. Chapter 7 liquidates non-exempt assets to clear most debts quickly, while Chapter 11 allows businesses to reorganize and continue operating under court oversight. Knowing which fits your situation is key to regaining financial stability.