National mortgage lender Waterstone Mortgage Corp. recently added two new branches to its national direct-lending branch network and also opened its new regional headquarters in Winter Park, Fla.
With the opening of its new branches in Charlottesville, Va., and Tallahassee, Fla., the company now has a total of 64 locations.
‘We continue to seek out opportunities to expand our mortgage operation and have greatly enjoyed the security and returns that bringing on new branches offers us,’ says Eric Egenhoefer, president and CEO for Waterstone Mortgage, in a release. ‘There are many fine mortgage originators in this business that want to become part of a larger network. Reducing compliance costs is just one of the many reasons that owners of mid-tier mortgage companies reach out to us. I'm always pleased when they do.’
The new branch in Tallahassee will be led by Jay Ralstin, who serves as sales manager. Ralstin is a 15-year veteran of the mortgage industry and current president of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Florida. He will be joined at the Tallahassee location by a team of six mortgage professionals, including Pam Keller, senior mortgage advisor.
Earlier this month, Waterstone Mortgage celebrated the opening of its new regional headquarters in Winter Park.
‘The move to our new space marks the beginning of a new chapter in our business,’ says David Holbrook, regional manager for Waterstone Mortgage, in a separate release. ‘Dustin Owen, Mike Smalley and I opened our first Florida branch with only five employees in 2008. Today, we have 13 offices across the state and employ over 120 mortgage professionals. Our Winter Park office is the largest office, which made Winter Park the obvious choice to house the regional headquarters. This new office will give every one of our employees an opportunity to do an even better job of serving Florida homeowners.’
In the seven years since Waterstone first expanded into Florida, the company's operations in the state have grown to contribute 20% of the total Waterstone Mortgage Corp. production. In 2015, the company will extend an estimated $550 million in home financing to homeowners in Florida.