Legacy Group Capital

About Us

About Us

Since its inception in 2006, Legacy Group Capital (LGC) has distinguished itself as a leading private lender. Our expertise lies in cultivating healthy returns through strategic engagement in real estate investing and lending opportunities.

We take pride in providing a fast and flexible lending platform that empowers builders, real estate investors, and homeowners to achieve their real estate objectives. Our diverse portfolio, encompassing construction loans, rehab financing, and bridge loans, among others, reflects our common-sense approach to lending, offering creative financing solutions that extend beyond standard guidelines.

Beyond lending services, LGC strategically acquires developable real estate properties, seamlessly integrating them into our investment funds or assigning them to local builders. We additionally provide comprehensive real estate services including due diligence, permitting assistance, bookkeeping services, and added support to our local builders. Our distinguished track record speaks volumes, with over 100 deals delivered annually to builders, fostering profitability and success.

LGC’s commitment to excellence extends to our investment funds, maintaining a reputable track record with zero investor losses and a decade-long history of consistently yielding impressive annual returns. Our offering includes a diverse family of funds thoughtfully designed to cater to various accredited investors. Within the portfolio, certain funds prioritize high liquidity, ensuring investors have flexibility and access to their capital when needed. Meanwhile, other funds are strategically crafted to target higher return rates, aligning with the goals of those seeking enhanced profitability over time.

Legacy Group Capital

Senior Leadership

Brent Eley
CCO, NMLS-35795
Ed Messman

COO, NMLS-2449630

Kellie Ramsower

COO, NMLS-2449630

Ed Bachtold

Managing Partner of Finance

Scott Rerucha

CEO

Scott Rerucha is the CEO and co-founder of Legacy Group Capital and has over three decades of indispensable industry experience. As CEO and managing partner, Scott provides leadership for all aspects of the company’s operations with an emphasis on long-term goals, development, profit, and return on investment.

Before Legacy Group Capital, Scott held successful tenures with numerous financial institutions throughout the Puget Sound Region. In 1993, he founded Bay Mortgage, which became one of the largest mortgage banking operations in the state of Washington. After Bay Mortgage was acquired, he founded Sky Bank, a new de novo bank, which was successfully sold in 2003 to First Independent Bank of Vancouver, WA.

In 2006, Scott co-founded Legacy Group Holdings, the parent company to Legacy Group Capital, Legacy Group Lending, and Legacy Group Escrow. The Legacy Group family of companies experienced substantial growth and success, which was recognized with several industry awards, including the Fastest Growing Private Business as well as the Best Companies to Work.

By 2013, Legacy Group’s mortgage company had become one of the top 25 mortgage banking operations in the country and was successfully sold to WJ Bradley of Denver, CO. Legacy’s growth and service level has made them the premier private lender in the PNW.

Scott earned his Bachelor of Arts in Finance and Economics from Seattle University. While attending Seattle University, Scott was a scholarship athlete on Seattle University’s tennis team.

Brent Eley

CCO, NMLS-35795

Brent Eley is the President and co-founder of Legacy Group Capital.

Upon becoming president in 2008, he led the design, structure, and implementation of three Regulation D Funds with offerings totaling over $150 million. He exclusively developed the funds’ underwriting criteria, marketing platforms, and administrative functions. As president and managing partner, he continues to oversee and actively manage the Legacy Northwest Fund and Legacy Opportunity Fund portfolios.

Brent has over two decades of industry experience and has cultivated high-level acuity in commercial, construction, private, and residential lending. He began his career originating loans for Bay Mortgage and soon became a top producer in the industry.

In 2003, he was brought on as President of Pinnacle Mortgage. He then served two years as Senior VP of First Independent Bank, formerly Sky Bank, running all construction and private lending. Brent was an original partner in Legacy Group Holdings and played an integral role in developing it into an industry-leading, billion-dollar mortgage banking operation, serving as President of Legacy Group Capital, its private lending division at the time.

Brent earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Washington State University.

Chris Gurdjian

CSO

Christopher Gurdjian is the President of Real Estate Acquisition as well as a managing partner at Legacy Group Capital.

Chris has been active in real estate since 1999 when he entered the industry as a new loan officer at Bay Mortgage. Soon after, Chris purchased and developed his first real estate project deal with Brent Eley. This experience propelled Chris forward in the Seattle in-fill development arena.

Over the past 17 years, Chris has participated in well over 1,200 residential development transactions and has partnered in the construction of over 700 homes in the Seattle metro region.

Today Chris drives all business development for the real estate team at Legacy Group Capital. Chris and his team work closely with 35 of Seattle’s most successful brokers, identifying 60-100 acquisitions each year. The team completes all feasibility work, maximizes development strategies, and expedites all permitting within the jurisdictions Legacy develops within. The team then places each deal with one of the 65 core builders who partner with Legacy on an ongoing basis.

Chris is active in all aspects of growth and strategy within Legacy Group Capital.

Ed Messman

CIO, NMLS-100527664

Ed Messman is the Chief Investment Officer of Legacy Group Capital and has over two decades of executive leadership experience with venture capital and private equity-sponsored technology companies.

As CIO and partner, Ed provides leadership for all aspects of the company’s investment and capital markets activities. Prior to Legacy Group Capital, Ed served as the CEO of Rook Capital, a venture capital-sponsored fintech company focused on creating innovative financing solutions that address housing accessibility and affordability. In addition, Ed has also led multiple startups as a founder and CEO through institutional financing and ultimately to merger and acquisition exits.

Ed spent the first 13 years of his career in structured finance, working with hundreds of venture capital and private equity-sponsored technology companies on senior, mezzanine debt, and equity financing.

Ed earned his Bachelor of Science in International Finance from Grand Canyon University and his MBA in Finance from the University of Colorado Boulder. While attending Grand Canyon University, Ed was an athlete on Grand Canyon University’s baseball team. Ed currently lives in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife and are parents to three adult children.

Kevin Cawley

CTO

Kevin Cawley serves as the Chief Technology Officer for Legacy Group Capital.

Kevin began his career as a Mechanical Engineer upon graduation from the University of Texas. Soon after, he transitioned to software development and entrepreneurship, receiving his master’s in computer science from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Kevin then developed cutting-edge technologies and applications for several successful startups he co-founded, guiding them from inception to sustainability and exit. Most notably, Kevin co-founded DigniFi, a fintech startup that addresses financing gaps in the automotive industry. At DigniFi, Kevin built the digital platform that enabled them to grow into 5,000 automotive dealerships and close over 10,000 loans a month. Kevin recently took those learnings and shifted to the real estate space with Rook Capital.

In his free time, Kevin enjoys being active with his four kids. He can often be found cycling while wearing a big smile and a colorful spandex suit on one of Colorado’s many mountain roads.

Kellie Ramsower

COO, NMLS-2449630

Kellie Ramsower is the company’s Chief Operating Officer and joined Legacy in 2022.

She is responsible for developing and implementing effective strategies, policies, and procedures for all supervised areas; ensuring the company’s operations are conducted in accordance with all regulations and in line with the company’s growth and expansion plans. This includes overseeing lending operations, loan servicing, IT, HR, data management, and investment operations. In addition, she participates in the organization’s Loan Committee and is the company liaison between the Leadership and Partner Teams.

Before joining Legacy Group Capital, Kellie was the SVP of Underwriting and Risk Operations for a national, publicly traded mortgage insurance firm and held various management positions in the mortgage banking and private mortgage insurance sectors.

Kellie holds a B.A. from the University of South Florida in English, with an emphasis in technical writing.

Heather Tonn

CFO

Heather Tonn joined the senior management team at Legacy Group Capital in 2023 and serves as the company’s Chief Financial Officer.

Heather brings a strong real estate background in the Pacific Northwest, spanning over a decade at John L. Scott Real Estate, and has worked closely with lenders, brokers, office leaders, and senior management. Working with the extraordinary team at Legacy Group Capital, she is honing the company’s financial strategies and policies and leading their efforts for financial reporting, planning and analysis, and implementing financial systems.

Heather holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of North Texas and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business.

Ed Bachtold

Managing Partner of Finance

Ed Bachtold is the Managing Partner of Finance for Legacy Group Capital and is responsible for Legacy’s financial strategy and objectives.

He is a Certified Public Accountant with over two decades of industry experience. He began his career in public accounting, where he spent four years gaining expertise in financial analysis and managing account systems. Ed then transitioned to the mortgage business serving as CFO of Qualfund Lending, which First Independent Bank later acquired; he was instrumental in the acquisition’s success. Following the merger, Ed remained CFO for First Independent Mortgage Company, a subsidiary of First Independent Bank.

In 2006, Ed co-founded Legacy Group Holdings, which owned Legacy Group Capital, Legacy Group Lending, and Legacy Group Escrow. Ed managed all accounting for Legacy Group Holdings which was ranked among the top 30 mortgage lenders in the country.

Ed is a graduate of Washington State University.
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