TheMReport — News and strategies for the evolving mortgage marketplace.
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M R EP O RT | 13 LENDERS SEAN CASEY ED POWELL DREW CHURCH BRIAN MITCHELL Angel Oak Home Loans, a full-service retail mortgage lender, has an- nounced the opening of five new branches across North Carolina, South Carolina, and California. The new San Marcos, California, location will be led by Sean Casey, SVP and Western Regional Sales Manager; the Charleston, South Carolina, location will be led by Ed Powell, SVP of Angel Oak Home Loans' Consumer Direct Division; the Columbia and Cheraw, South Carolina, branches to be led by Drew Church, SVP, Regional Sales Manager; and the Jacksonville, North Carolina, location to be led by Brian Mitchell, Regional Sales Manager. The launch of these branches comes on the heels of several other new Angel Oak office openings across the country, bringing the firm's total number of offices to 52 across 43 states. "Angel Oak is well-equipped to serve borrowers in need of traditional and customized loan products that can help them achieve homeowner- ship," Casey said. "Housing markets across the country have changed over the past several months and adaptive solutions are essential. Angel Oak's diverse products allow us to continue to deliver for home- buyers in different market condi- tions." The California and South Carolina markets remain very competitive, as limited housing supply and higher costs inhibit many potential home- buyers from purchasing a home. On the other hand, new construc- tion in Jacksonville, North Carolina, continues to grow and attract new homebuyers due to the relatively low housing prices and higher inventory. "We're pleased to deepen our roots throughout the Carolinas and provide an array of traditional and in- novative loan products to more quali- fied borrowers across the country," Mitchell said. "We've seen a drastic increase in demand and the pace at which homes are being sold, espe- cially in the Southeast. In response, there has also been a strong appetite for ways to streamline the homebuy- ing process, including options that could enable the entire process to be conducted remotely." Church added, "Angel Oak's unique products and resources de- liver fast results, turning prospective homebuyers into homeowners. It's a privilege to be able to help qualified borrowers achieve their dreams of homeownership. That's what really makes Angel Oak unique in the mar- ketplace, and we'll only continue to enhance those services and abilities going forward." BRIAN AUGUSTINE Nations Lending, a full-service national mortgage lender, has added loan veteran Brian Augustine to serve as Producing Branch Manager- Mortgage Lending in the company's Crystal Lake, Illinois, location. Augustine comes to Nations Lending from Guaranteed Rate, where he most recently worked as the VP of Mortgage Lending. "Our target is to gain massive mar- ket share in our community, provide exceptional service, and grow careers in an environment of giving back," Augustine said. "What drew me to Nations was the company's focus on striving for excellence to best serve its clients but still maintain that family atmosphere that is so important to me." Before entering the mortgage lending industry in 1993, Augustine earned his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Northern Illinois University. "Brian is an incredibly valuable addition to our team, and his experi- ence and drive will help us grow in this area," said Corey Caster, EVP of National Production for Nations Lending. "We're thrilled to welcome him to the team and know he's ca- pable of leading this branch." ROBERT CLAUSEN Planet Home Lending LLC, a national mortgage lender and servicer, has a new team in Minneapolis, which will be led by Branch Managers Robert Clausen and Quan Hargrove, and Mortgage Loan Originator Seethong Yang. Planet Home Lending plans to add 20 Mortgage Loan Officers and a half dozen branches in the Twin Cities area, then expand to additional markets in the Midwest. "Bob is a true professional with proven leadership skills and experi- ence building mortgage companies," Planet Home Lending EVP, National Sales Caleb Mittelstet said. "He at- tracts top talent in the mortgage market and is a highly-respected manager in this industry." Clausen, who has been a wholesale broker and in retail branching, said he was attracted to Planet Home Lending's leadership, company sup- port, and variety of loan products. As interest rates rise and the industry adjusts to a purchase market, origina- tors seek to align themselves with a company with the right corporate structure, access to capital, and finan- cial stability, he said. "Planet's multichannel assets include a $59 billion servicer and asset manager, creating an attractive level of stability in this environment," Clausen said. "It's a great fit for me because it has a culture dedicated to customer experience, backed by the technology and products today's homebuyers and homeowners need." In Minnesota, Planet partners with the state's Housing Finance Agency, which offers down payment and clos- ing cost assistance up to $17,000 for first-time and repeat homebuyers. Clausen said Planet's culture was another attractive feature in making the switch to retail. "You're more than just a number. You're part of something larger. When you ask for support, it comes from a genuine desire to help you grow because that's how Planet runs its business," Clausen said. GIOIA MESSINGER Guild Holdings Company has appointed Gioia Messinger to its Board of Directors, bringing the number of board members to seven. Messinger has more than three decades of executive experience as a Founder, CEO, Board Member, and Venture Capital Advisor. Since 2012, she has served as Founder and Principal of LinkedObjects, a strategic advisory services business focused on digital transformation. From 2004-2012, Messinger served as Founder and CEO of Avaak Inc., now Arlo Technologies, a home security systems company. "Gioia has a proven track record of creating value for companies as a seasoned, independent board mem- ber of public and private companies," said Patrick Duffy, Chairman of the Guild board. "She has experience in finance, audit and risk, nominating and governance, and compensation committees. As we continue to grow nationally, the board, company, and shareholders will benefit from her di- verse perspective as a thought leader and strategic visionary and a proven record in innovation, business devel- opment, strategic planning, M&A, and digital transformation." Messinger is currently an advisor to several startups and serves on the board of One Stop Systems, a provider of high-performance computing used for artificial intelligence (AI); Indyme Solutions LLC, a provider of AI solutions for large retailers; and CARI Health Inc., a developer of personalized healthcare solutions. She is a member of the Dean's Council of Advisors at the University of California San Diego, Jacobs School of Engineering. She is also a member of the Latino Corporate Directors Association. BRUCE MACDONALD Mortgage Network Inc. has appointed Bruce MacDonald Jr. as a Loan Officer at its Danvers, Massachusetts, office, responsible for helping borrowers throughout Massachusetts with their home financing needs. "Properties that are new to the market are selling fast, which is why it is critical to get a pre-approval now MCROWD