Prospect Mortgage

Prospect Mortgage was a residential retail mortgage lender that offered a range of home loans.[1][2] The company was founded in 2007 and was headquartered in Sherman Oaks, California with retail offices across the United States. The company was backed by the private equity firm, Sullivan Partners.[3] In 2011, Prospect Mortgage was ranked number 2 on Mortgage Executive Magazine's list of the Top 100 Mortgage Companies in America[4] and was a top 10 national home purchase lender in 2012.[5][6]

Prospect Mortgage
TypePrivate
IndustryFinance
Founded2007
Defunct2017
Headquarters
Sherman Oaks, CA
,
U.S.
Area served
United States
Key people
Mike Williams (CEO)
Doug Long (President of National Lending)
ProductsFinancial services
ParentProspect Holding Company, LLC

History

In one of its first moves after being founded, Prospect acquired Metrocities Mortgage, LLC in 2007 via acquisition precipitated by Sterling Partners. Prospect also inherited Metrocities' assets.[7] Prospect also acquired the retail mortgage platform of Opteum Financial Services LLC in 2007.[8] In 2008, Prospect Mortgage acquired the IndyMac Bancorp retail mortgage branches. The purchase gave them 80 new retail offices and made Prospect one of the largest independent retail mortgage firms in the nation.[9][10] The deal helped them expand operations to the Midwest and they opened an operations center in Schaumburg, Illinois.[11] In 2009, Metrocities branches that had still been operating under that name in New York were rebranded "Prospect Lending, LLC."[1]

In 2011, Mortgage Executive Magazine ranked Prospect Mortgage as the second-best mortgage company in America with an estimated volume of $6.9 billion and over 26,000 loans.[4] The following year, the company added former Fannie Mae CEO, Michael Williams, as a chairman[3] of the board. According to the National Mortgage News, Prospect ranked 27th among residential funders nationwide in 2012, with an estimated volume of $8.42 billion in loans.[12]

In 2013, Prospect Mortgage loan officers accounted for 7 of the top 100 and 10 of the top 200 mortgage originators in America in 2013 according to Mortgage Executive Magazine.[13] In January 2014, Prospect acquired the retail mortgage branch operations of Impac Mortgage which added 12 branches to their fold. They also acquired Diamond Mortgage Group in the same month.[14] Prospect would later sell the operating assets of its appraisal management subsidiary, Velocette Resource Group, in April of that year.

Ranked number nine on Mortgage Executive Magazine's list of the “Top 100 Mortgage Companies in America” in 2014, Prospect Mortgage was also named a top-15 national home purchase lender that same year.[15]

On June 18, 2014, the company announced the appointment of Michael Williams as CEO. He took over for Ronald Bergum who transitioned into a new role as managing partner.[16] In early 2015, Prospect (and its parent company, Prospect Holding Company) hired another former Fannie Mae employee, Joseph J. Grassi III, as EVP and general counsel.[17] In December 2014, Prospect Mortgage announced that it will implement the Secure Settlements Inc.’s Closing Guard tool to enhance risk management policies and procedures.[18]

In November 2015, Prospect Mortgage, LLC, acquired certain assets of CapWest Mortgage, a Stilwell, Kansas-based call center operation focused on a consumer direct source of business. Prior to the acquisition, CapWest Mortgage operated as a wholly owned division of Farmers Bank & Trust, headquartered in Great Bend, Kansas.[19][20]

On November 19, 2015, the California Department of Business Oversight announced Prospect Mortgage, LLC will pay $10.1 million in borrower restitution and penalties under a national settlement that resolves allegations the firm violated numerous federal and state laws.[21]

In March 2016, Prospect passed a new milestone, earning the number-1 203(k) lender in the nation title.[22]

Acquisition of the operating assets of Prospect Mortgage, LLC by HomeBridge Financial Services, Inc. was announced on November 1, 2016.[23][24]

In January 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered Prospect Mortgage to pay a $3.5 million fine for improper mortgage referrals. Prospect had agreements with over 100 real estate brokers to deliver payments for referrals of mortgage business. Some of the agreements had the brokers require anyone seeking to purchase a listed property to obtain prequalification with Prospect, even if they had already prequalified with another lender. Prospect and Planet Home Lending had an agreement under which Planet would identify and persuade consumers to refinance with Prospect, for which the two companies would split the proceeds of the sale of such loans.[25][26]

On February 2, 2017, HomeBridge Financial Services completed the acquisition of the operating assets of Prospect Mortgage. Prospect Mortgage associates transitioned to HomeBridge.[27]

References
  1. "Metrocities Mortgage Branches in New York Changing Name to Prospect Lending, LLC". PR Newswire. 30 October 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  2. Swanson, Brena (25 June 2014). "Prospect Correspondent Lending scales back footprint". HousingWire. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  3. Muolo, Paul (29 November 2012). "Private Equity Fund Hires Ex-Fannie Chief to Chair Mortgage Unit". National Mortgage News. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  4. "Top 100 Mortgage Companies in America 2011" (PDF). Mortgage Executive Magazine. 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  5. "National Mortgage Professional Magazine Presents Top Mortgage Employers". National Mortgage Professional Magazine. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  6. "California Department of Business Oversight". www.dbo.ca.gov. Archived from the original on 2016-10-01.
  7. "Metrocities Mortgage, LLC Completes Strategic Investment". Business Wire. 7 June 2007. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  8. Finkelstein, Brad (9 July 2007). "Opteum Inc. Completes Sale of its Retail Mortgage Platform". National Mortgage News. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  9. "Prospect Mortgage to Acquire IndyMac Bancorp Mortgage Retail Branches". Business Wire. 8 July 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  10. Robertson, Colin (21 July 2008). "Prospect Mortgage to Acquire 80 Indymac Offices, 750 Employees". The Truth About Mortgage. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  11. Kilgore, Austin (21 August 2009). "Prospect Mortgage Extending Originations to the Midwest". HousingWire. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  12. Sussman, Anna Louie (4 February 2013). "Analysis: Small lenders ride U.S. mortgage wave as big banks cut back". Fox Business Network. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  13. "Top 200 Mortgage Originators in America 2013" (PDF). Mortgage Executive Magazine. 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  14. Crowe, Deborah (6 January 2014). "Prospect Mortgage Acquires Connecticut Firm". Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  15. "Top 100 Mortgage Companies In America 2014" (PDF). Mortgage Executive Magazine. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-02-03. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
  16. Swanson, Brena (18 June 2014). "Former Fannie Mae CEO takes over Prospect". HousingWire. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  17. "People Movers of the Week: Jan. 9". National Mortgage News. 9 January 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  18. "Prospect Mortgage Selects SSI's Closing Guard to Manage Closing Agent Risk". National Mortgage Professional Magazine. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  19. "CapWest Mortgage sells to huge national mortgage operation - Kansas City Business Journal". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
  20. "Prospect Mortgage Announces Acquisition of the CapWest Mortgage Division of". Newsunited.com. Retrieved 2016-06-06.
  21. JAN LYNN, OWEN (November 19, 2015). "DBO Announces $10.1 Million Settlement with Sherman Oaks-Based Prospect Mortgage". dbo.ca.gov.
  22. "203(k) Endorsement Summary Reports - HUD". www.hud.gov. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
  23. "HomeBridge to Purchase Operating Assets of Prospect Mortgage, Becoming One of the Largest Mortgage Lenders in the United States". Retrieved 2016-11-01.
  24. "HomeBridge to Purchase Operating Assets of Prospect Mortgage - HomeBridge Retail". HomeBridge Retail. 2016-11-01. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
  25. Ramírez, Kelsey (31 January 2017). "CFPB orders Prospect Mortgage to pay $3.5 million for improper mortgage referrals". Housing Wire. HW Media, LLC. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  26. "CFPB Orders Prospect Mortgage to Pay $3.5 Million Fine for Illegal Kickback Scheme". Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  27. Ethun, Abbie (2 February 2017). "HomeBridge Purchases Operating Assets of Prospect Mortgage". Homebridge. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  • Prospect Mortgage Official Consumer Site (Defunct; redirects)
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