Model running in rstanarm but errors out in brms

Modeling
1

Hello,

I am able to run my model in rstanarm, but once I attempt the same model with the exact same data in brms I get the below errors:

> fit_guassian <- brm(ln_value_pc ~ ln_gdp_pc + (1|c_num) + (1|sha_hc_num) + (1|sha_hp_num), data = data_15nha, chains = 2, iter = 4000, warmup = 2000, seed = 1022018)
Compiling the C++ model
Start sampling

SAMPLING FOR MODEL '2fb37b8fb1e97eb1f07eb2745cb38fd1' NOW (CHAIN 1).
Chain 1: Initialization between (-2, 2) failed after 100 attempts. 
[1] "Error in sampler$call_sampler(args_list[[i]]) : Initialization failed." "In addition: Warning message:"                                         
[3] "Rows containing NAs were excluded from the model. "                    
[1] "error occurred during calling the sampler; sampling not done"```

Even a very simple model format gives me the same error.

> fit_guassian <- brm(ln_value_pc ~ ln_gdp_pc, data = data_15nha, chains = 2, iter = 4000, warmup = 2000, seed = 1022018)
Compiling the C++ model
Start sampling

SAMPLING FOR MODEL 'b723d5a63bfcc6cf3674d2efd40f7cfb' NOW (CHAIN 1).
Chain 1: Initialization between (-2, 2) failed after 100 attempts. 
[1] "Error in sampler$call_sampler(args_list[[i]]) : Initialization failed." "In addition: Warning message:"                                         
[3] "Rows containing NAs were excluded from the model. "                    
[1] "error occurred during calling the sampler; sampling not done"

I was able to run one of the vignette examples (fit_zinb1 <- brm(count ~ persons + child + camper, data = zinb), so I think my compiler is formatted correctly. The ‘brms’ package is (version 2.6.3) on Rstudio using R version 3.5.1.

Any suggestions or thoughts are greatly appreciated.

2

In case anyone else runs into this issue. The cause was that when logging my dependent variable, some values went to -Inf. Once I fixed this brms produces the results I was finding in rstanarm.