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UMortgage West Expands Service to Homebuyers in Utah with Houzd Mortgage Partnership

Published: February 6, 2024

UMortgage West Expands Service to Homebuyers in Utah with Houzd Mortgage Partnership

BOUNTIFUL, UT., January 29, 2024 — UMortgage West — the Utah-based branch of the national mortgage platform, UMortgage — is delighted to announce that it is partnering with Houzd, a mortgage brokerage serving homebuyers throughout Utah since 2006.

UMortgage West Branch Managers — Kyle Koller, Jimmy Hobson, and Adam West — and a team of 59 Loan Originators have made a tremendous impact on their community in 2023; together, they served more than 1,000 families throughout Utah with dutiful homebuying experiences that put the buyers’ needs first.

UMortgage West’s partnership with Houzd — which served 400 families this year — is a mutual effort to continue to create life-changing opportunities through homeownership for more homebuyers across the state.

“We’ve been looking at partnership opportunities with brokerages throughout our state to help boost our ability to best serve homebuyers in Utah,” said Kyle Koller, a Branch Manager at UMortage West. “The team at Houzd really emerged as the group that aligned directly with our vision. We’re excited to combine our talents to give homebuyers in Utah the best experience possible.”

Houzd was founded in 2007 by President, Anthony VanDyke. With more than 17 years serving homebuyers throughout Utah and California, VanDyke built Houzd to become one of the top-producing brokerages throughout the state.

“Anthony Casa and I go way back, and when I finally saw the glittering opportunity with UMortgage, it was like my wife finding the perfect pair of shoes on sale – you just couldn’t pass it up!” said VanDyke on his decision to bring Houzd to UMortgage.

“I was truly impressed by the loan and marketing resources that UMortgage has cultivated. Their capabilities in these areas far exceed anything I could have achieved on my own, elevating what we can offer to a level I had only dreamed of as a small company owner,” continued VanDyke. “UMortgage's impressive scale gives me access to lower interest rates. This translates into tangible advantages for my real estate partners and mortgage clients. Aligning with UMortgage is akin to unlocking a hidden level in a game, revealing new possibilities and opportunities for everyone involved.”

Carter Campbell, a former Houzd Branch Manager, joins VanDyke at UMortgage West with the pair taking roles as Branch Managers for UMortgage West’s new office in Draper, Utah. Campbell is a Utah native with a decade of experience under his belt in the mortgage industry.

“UMortgage’s momentum and growth in the most difficult market I’ve ever seen is a really attractive prospect as someone who wants to help more homebuyers,” said Campbell. “This platform will allow me to easily scale my business to help more buyers throughout Utah. By providing my homebuyers and Realtor partners with value through education, personable service, and a more accessible mortgage experience, the UMortgage platform is really going to help me become a better Loan Originator and manager.”

Following this merger, UMortgage West will have a roster of 73 Loan Originators accessible for homebuyers across the state with offices in Bountiful and Draper. In 2023, UMortgage West funded more than 1,000 units for $350 million in volume. With Houzd’s 2023 production of 400 units for $185 million, UMortgage West aims to become the top brokerage in the state of Utah.

As a whole, UMortgage has seen consecutive years of exponential growth since its founding in 2020. In 2023, it saw a 116% year-over-year funded volume increase with more than 6,000 families served in 48 states across the nation. UMortgage is eager to continue its trend of doubling its production for a third consecutive year in 2024.

If you’re interested in learning more about the ways that UMortgage is helping create strong communities by offering homebuyers a streamlined and stress-free buying experience, please visit umortgage.com.

About UMortgage

UMortgage is a mortgage platform built to help loan originators scale their businesses and create life-changing opportunities through homeownership. With LOs licensed nationwide, UMortgage is providing opportunities to create strong communities through financial literacy, support, and homeownership advocacy.

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NewsSeptember 3, 2024

Joe Cicali, Chief Strategy Officer, Earns 2024 HousingWire Vanguard Honor

UMortgage is proud to announce that Joe Cicali, Chief Strategy Officer, has been named one of this year’s 2024 HousingWire Vanguard awardees. This prestigious recognition honors the top c-suite leaders in the housing industry who are shaping the future of homeownership through innovative strategies and unwavering commitment. Since joining UMortgage, Joe has been a driving force behind our mission to revolutionize the homebuying experience. His forward-thinking approach to mortgage operations and technology integration has empowered our Loan Originators and Operations team to deliver unmatched service, build stronger relationships with clients, and streamline our pipeline of referral business. "It's a huge honor to be named one of this year's HousingWire Vanguard award winners alongside so many great mortgage industry leaders," said Joe. "At UMortgage, we're setting a new standard for the homebuying experience. To get us there, we’re implementing new tech features that will help our Loan Originators and Operations team members gain deeper insights into our client's unique needs that will help us build stronger relationships and streamline our referral pipeline." Joe’s leadership has been pivotal to maintaining the exponential rate of growth seen at UMortgage in 2024. In Q2, UMortgage set a new quarterly record with 2,010 units closed and $704 million in volume after setting company records for monthly volume and units in consecutive months in April and May. UMortgage's commitment to innovation has set it apart as one of the fastest-growing companies in America. In August, UMortgage ranked #88 on the Inc 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies. The list also noted UMortgage as the 3rd-fastest-growing company in Pennsylvania, 4th-fastest-growing in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington region, and 11th-fastest-growing company in the finance sector. These milestones underscore the power of Joe’s vision and the dedication of our entire team to excellence. At UMortgage, we’re not just meeting industry standards; we’re redefining them. Our focus on innovation and client-centric solutions is setting a new benchmark for the mortgage industry, and we’re excited to continue leading the way. Joe joins a growing list of UMortgage leaders recognized by HousingWire this year. Mike Farah, Director of Sales Operations, was named a 2024 HousingWire Insider and Kyle Koller, Branch Manager, earned a 2024 HousingWire Rising Stars honor. As we continue to expand and evolve, UMortgage is looking for passionate professionals to join our team and help us transform the homebuying experience for our clients. If you’re ready to be part of an industry-leading company that’s changing the way that people purchase a home, visit umortgage.com/careers to explore exciting opportunities as a Loan Originator or Operations team member.

NewsAugust 19, 2024

Joe Cicali Named UMortgage Chief Strategy Officer

PHILADELPHIA, PA., August 19, 2024 — UMortgage announced today that Joe Cicali has been named its Chief Strategy Officer. With more than 20 years of experience driving process-driven results for companies in the mortgage and finance industries, Cicali will lead further innovations at UMortgage that help streamline day-to-day tasks to free up bandwidth and manage the increased demand expected in the housing market later this year. With an already innovative tech stack, Cicali will continue to advance UMortgage’s systems ahead of the modern age by integrating artificial intelligence into its software. The use of AI at UMortgage will eliminate repetitive tasks for team members, remove factors of human error, and allow team members to focus on their relationships to create a stronger client experience. “Anthony Casa and I have worked closely together throughout our careers and it’s a privilege to work together again to help make UMortgage the best mortgage company in America,” stated Cicali. “The UMortgage platform is already built to succeed in any market conditions, but I’m excited to use my skillset to advance our tech stack to allow our team members to thrive while they focus on building relationships with the buyers and agents they work with.” Cicali and Casa first connected professionally in 2016 when Cicali joined Casa’s brokerage, Garden State Home Loans, as its Chief Information Officer. Noticing the use of fully manual and paper-based processes, Cicali modernized Garden State through digitalization and the use of automations to eliminate time-consuming data input and human error. The fruits of these new processes earned Cicali a promotion to Executive Vice President. Cicali’s work modernizing the origination processes at Garden State made him a natural fit to serve as CEO of ARIVE—an online all-in-one mortgage origination software that Casa designed to modernize the mortgage process—upon its foundation in 2018. After two years as CEO of ARIVE and a major role leading the sale of the company, Cicali returned to Garden State Home Loans to assume the role of Chief Strategy Officer. As Garden State CSO, Cicali led the local brokerage through the refinance boom of 2020 and 2021. Through implementing a data-driven approach to its sales strategy and using an advanced tech stack to utilize automations that improve brokers’ operational efficiencies, Cicali led Garden State Home Loans to produce an average of 600 loans per month with a small force of just 50 team members. Assuming his role as UMortgage CSO, Cicali will implement similar back-end automations and process improvements to help the platform’s brokers scale their production and allow its operations team members to manage a larger pipeline of loans without increased exertion. These improvements aim to help free UMortgage Loan Originators and Processors from mundane desk work to focus more on the relationships that create a less transactional borrower experience. UMortgage is growing at an unprecedented pace. The innovative platform just smashed its company record for quarterly production and is poised to close out the year with over $3 Billion in funded volume. The platform is on pace for another year of record growth; download our Experience the Difference packet for an overview of the business-boosting benefits that loan officers nationwide can unlock at UMortgage. About UMortgage UMortgage is a national mortgage platform on a mission to create life-changing opportunities through homeownership. With Loan Originators licensed from coast to coast, an expansive suite of lenders to shop from, and a quick, clear, & communicative homebuying process, UMortgage is ushering in a modern mortgage experience catered to all homebuyers.

NewsAugust 13, 2024

UMortgage Ranks #88 on 2024 Inc 5000

PHILADELPHIA, PA., August 13, 2024 — Inc. has announced that UMortgage is ranked the 3rd fastest-growing private company in Pennsylvania on the 2024 Inc. 5000. This list recognizes the most successful independent and entrepreneurial businesses in the U.S. economy in the last 4 years. The prestigious ranking provides a data-driven look at the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent, entrepreneurial businesses. In addition to ranking #4 for revenue growth in Pennsylvania, UMortgage also ranked #4 in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington region, #11 for revenue growth in financial services, and #88 overall. “It’s an honor to be named alongside our country’s leading companies on the Inc. 5000,” stated Anthony Casa, UMortgage President & CEO. “We’ve grown rapidly in a shrinking market and this award truly exemplifies the hard work, team-first mentality, and leadership that have helped us scale exponentially.” UMortgage’s growth can be directly attributed to its unique relationship-driven approach to the mortgage and homebuying process. With Loan Originators licensed in 48 states from coast to coast, UMortgage offers an experience that puts their individual financial needs at the forefront to provide an affordable personalized home loan that enables them to achieve financial freedom for decades. In 2023, it celebrated its third consecutive year with more than 100% year-over-year growth in funded units and loan volume. Its loan volume growth has directly correlated to revenue growth with a 3,636% increase in yearly revenue from 2020 to 2023. This year, UMortgage tallied two record funding months in April and May as well as a record-breaking quarter with more than $700 million in loan volume in Q2. It is currently on pace for yet another record-breaking year with more than $3 billion in projected 2024 loan volume. Its growth in 2024 can be tied to strategic additions to its executive leadership team. Patton Gade, National Director of Military Lending and Scotsman Guide #1 VA Originator, Andrew Chavez, National Director of Sales Development, and Jimmy Hobson, National Sales Leader, have collaborated to provide comprehensive daily coaching opportunities to UMortgage LOs that help them better serve their clients with greater knowledge and innovative sales strategies. In 2024, UMortgage executives have been honored for their excellence in driving the platform forward with numerous recognitions from industry-leading publications. Casa was recognized for his excellence as President & CEO as he was awarded a spot on the 2024 Titan 100 and a 2024 Inman Best of Finance award. Corie Meredith, VP of Marketing, was named a 2024 MPA Elite Woman, Mike Farah, Director of Sales Operations, was honored as a 2024 HousingWire Insiders awardee, and Kyle Koller, Branch Manager, earned a 2024 HousingWire Rising Stars honor. UMortgage is actively blazing a trail within the mortgage industry to offer homebuyers fast, friendly, and flexible home loan solutions. Its innovative tech stack and competitive lender portfolio ensure that homebuyers and agents receive the most affordable mortgage rate possible from an experienced mortgage broker in their community. “As we look ahead to the second half of 2024 and beyond, UMortgage is developing and rolling out AI enhancements that will streamline our sales processes and enable our LOs to connect with more prospective clients,” continued Casa. “We’ve laid a solid foundation to scale through a shrinking market and now that rates are trending lower, our best years are still ahead.” If you’d like to learn more about how you can make a positive impact on your community as a UMortgage Loan Originator, stay up to date with all company updates by following UMortgage on LinkedIn. About UMortgage UMortgage is a national mortgage lender on a mission to create life-changing opportunities through homeownership. With Loan Officers licensed from coast to coast, an expansive suite of mortgage lenders to shop from, and a quick, clear, & communicative homebuying process, UMortgage is ushering in a modern mortgage experience catered to all homebuyers.