Mike Mell has been named Senior Vice President of Freedom Mortgage’s Wholesale Division, the company announced in a press release. Mell will oversee Freedom’s national sales team, including regional sales managers and account executives throughout the U.S. “I’m thrilled to be leading Freedom Mortgage’s Wholesale Division. We’re already one of the nation’s top wholesale lenders with expertise in helping mortgage brokers close loans, especially VA and FHA products. In fact, our government lending experience is unmatched,” he said. “I look forward to expanding our wholesale business and helping our sales partners thrive by providing their clients with the financing to achieve their homeownership dreams.” Mell brings nearly three decades of mortgage industry experience to the company. He joined Freedom Mortgage…
Tennessee-based First Community Mortgage is expanding its retail business into the Midwest, the company announced in a press release. The expansion comes as FCM celebrates its 20th anniversary. New team members have largely signed on since September 1. “We are excited to add these talented professionals to the First Community Mortgage family,” Keith Canter, CEO and one of the founders of FCM, said. New hires include Bret Head, who comes from Prime Lending where he served as SVP and Regional Director of Retail Sales. He joins FCM as EVP and National Director of Sales. The majority of new team members are based out of branches in Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Indianapolis. They include Branch Managers Ryan Kiefer and…
Freddie Mac Multifamily has promoted two new underwriting vice presidents, the GSE announced in a press release. Caitlin Myhre has been promoted to vice president, Risk Distribution & Credit, where she will also oversee underwriting for structured offerings. She has worked for Freddie Mac since 2010, serving in multiple underwriting positions. In 2018, she left to work for Redwood Trust, a mortgage REIT, where she focused on its multifamily investment portfolio. In 2020, she came back to Freddie Mac as senior director of Underwriting & Credit for structured products. Myhre holds a Bachelor of Science in Real Estate from DePaul University. Adam Monti will now serve as vice president, Conventional Underwriting. He will oversee underwriting and credit for conventional loans…
Leaders at the Mortgage Bankers Association have announced a series of high-level promotions. Justin Wiseman has been promoted to Vice President, Managing Regulatory Counsel. Heather Messam has been promoted to Vice President and Controller. Finally, Joel Kan has been promoted to Vice President, Deputy Chief Economist. Wiseman first joined MBA in 2012 and has held positions including Associate Regulatory Counsel and Director of Loan Administration Policy. He was promoted to Associate VP, Managing Regulatory Counsel in 2017. “Justin has been a tremendous asset to MBA and an invaluable resource to our members, providing strategic direction and strong legal intellect on a plethora of regulatory compliance and policy issues during his decade-plus tenure,” said Pete Mills, MBA’s Senior Vice President of…
Jason Scott is returning to Regions Bank and its subsidiary Sabal Capital Partners as managing director and head of Conventional Loan Production, the companies announced in a press release. Scott previously worked with Regions as director of originations for its Real Estate Capital Markets Group, where he originated permanent commercial real estate loans. In that role, he closed more than $1 billion in Fannie Mae, HUD, and CMBS transactions, among others. “The Regions Bank and Sabal Capital Partners family is a recognized leader in multifamily and commercial real estate finance, having grown considerably in the last few years,” he said. “I am excited to return to this incredible team and begin this new role to further expand the Real Estate…
Joseph O’Doherty is joining Mizuho Americas as Managing Director, Head of Residential Mortgage Finance, the company announced in a press release. O’Doherty will launch and lead Mizuho’s Mortgage Finance business. It will include the “full suite of Agency and non-Agency mortgage products,” the company says. As Managing Director, he will work with Mizuho’s MBS Trading and Sales teams to He reports to Head of Fixed Income Division Thomas Hartnett and is based in New York. “Securitized Products is a core pillar of our overall markets business in the Americas, where we continue to expand the perimeter of our offering and the depth of talent on our team,” said Hartnett. “Joe’s outstanding record of business development and leadership with clients, places…
Carol Crawford is joining fintech data and workflow solutions provider FirstClose as its Chief Marketing Officer, the company announced in a press release. Crawford will lead strategy and execution for brand development, integrated marketing, and multi-channel communications. She brings more than two decades of experience in mortgage and financial services marketing and leadership to the position. Her most recent position was Senior Director at ICE Mortgage Technology. She has also served as Chief Marketing Officer of ClosingCorp, which was acquired by CoreLogic during her tenure, as well as positions at First American and CoreLogic. “Carol is a highly accomplished and visionary leader in data and technology marketing and sales with a proven track record of creating effective campaigns that drive…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS As interest rates climb towards seven percent and loan applications fall to their slowest pace since 1997, leaders at Rocket Mortgage say they have a solution and it has a name: Inflation Buster. Rocket’s new Inflation Buster program was announced on Sept. 16. It gives homebuyers a reprieve by reducing their monthly mortgage payment by one percentage point for the first year of their loan, according to a press release. Bill Banfield, EVP of Capital Markets at Rocket Mortgage, sat down for an interview with The Mortgage Note to explain how the program is the result of leaders at the company listening to the needs of their clients. “You, me, everybody is talking about inflation. You can’t…
Anchor Loans has hired Brad Chmura as Chief Revenue Officer, the company announced in a press release. Chmura will be responsible for revenue growth, company sales, loan fulfillment, and customer service, as well as boosting Anchor’s brand. The company specializes in large loans for experienced real estate investors. He has more than two decades of experience in business-to-business sales and operational leadership. Prior to joining Anchor, Chmura served as CEO at CoreVest Finance, a national lender for real estate investors. He has also served as Vice President of Sales at First American Mortgage Solutions and Director of Global Mortgage Sales for CoreLogic. “Brad is a highly accomplished, recognized leader in sales and operations, with a proven track record of driving…
Pennymac has appointed fintech exec Jerry Halbrook as its Chief Mortgage Innovation Officer, the company announced in a press release. Halbrook brings four decades of experience to the company. He will be responsible for developing and launching new tech solutions and preparing for future innovations. “Pennymac welcomes Jerry and his extensive expertise as we continue to make significant strides towards building the future of technology in the mortgage banking industry,” said Doug Jones, President and Chief Mortgage Banking Officer at Pennymac. “Jerry is a proven leader who will accelerate Pennymac’s growth in sectors where our industry is moving – especially in today’s competitive and volatile market.” His previous experience includes roles in the top 10 mortgage lenders, plus boutique firms…
