Tom Draper Named BAAR Affiliate of the Year

The Bay Area Association of Realtors has named First Home Mortgage’s own Tom Draper as the 2019 Affiliate of the Year! This association represents Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Caroline counties.

Tracy Cohee Hodges, First Home Mortgage VP/Area Manager, Eastern Shore Lending, stated “Affiliate of the Year is achieved by serving the real estate community above and beyond all affiliates of the board in every industry, not just mortgage banking.” This means Tom was chosen not only above other loan officers and mortgage companies, but was competing with affiliates from title companies, home inspection companies, attorneys, environmental labs, appraisal companies, builders, and more!

Tracy also shared that he is the youngest ever recipient of this award, and added, “to master relationships and garner trust in this short time is remarkable.”

Tom received his award on Wednesday, November 13th, during a BAAR event held at Bridges Restaurant in Chester, MD. When we asked his thoughts on this stellar achievement, Tom responded “I was honored to have been nominated, and to win the award is something I am very proud of. If you would have told me two years ago when I joined the association that I would be affiliate of the year, I would have called you a liar!”

Tracy speaks for all of us at First Home when she says “Thank you for all that you’ve done to earn this and for representing us all here at FHMC so well! Congratulations! Keep up the outstanding work!”

Find more information on Tom Draper at www.firsthome.com/tom-draper, or find a First Home Loan Officer in your area.

Scotsman Guide Names First Home Mortgage Top Mortgage Lender 2018

Bothell, WashingtonScotsman Guide congratulates First Home Mortgage for ranking on Scotsman Guide’s seventh annual Top Mortgage Lenders rankings. First Home was ranked #37 for Top Overall Volume.

This is the seventh year that Scotsman Guide has compiled rankings for Top Mortgage Lenders, and the seventh year First Home has made the Top Lenders list. These rankings complement Scotsman Guide’s 10th annual Top Originators rankings. The list will appear in print in June’s Residential Edition. All rankings are online at scotsmanguide.com/rankings and in Scotsman Guide’s digital edition at sg-resdigital.com.

This is the industry’s most comprehensive verified rankings of the nation’s top-producing mortgage companies. To ensure that we publish the most accurate data possible, all submitted data undergoes an extensive verification and auditing process prior to the publication of the rankings.

Scotsman Guide Top Originators of 2018

The Scotsman Guide has released its tenth annual Top Originator rankings for 2018. This guide provides the most comprehensive, intensely verified list of the top-producing mortgage professionals in the nation.

The rankings include not only the originators who are closing the most dollar volume and the most loans but also the leaders in niche areas, like the Federal Housing Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and U.S. Department of Agriculture loans.

We are excited to announce that First Home Mortgage Corporation had a total of 7 Loan Officers represented in this year’s rankings! Check out the list below to see which categories were represented by our branches:

Top Dollar Volume (Crofton, Bethesda)
Most Loan Closed (Crofton)
Top FHA Volume (Annapolis)
Top USDA Volume (Hollywood, Dunkirk)
Top Women Originators (Annapolis, McLean)

For the entire list of the Scotsman Guide Top Originators of 2018, click here.

Congratulations to all our Loan Officers on this outstanding achievement!

Top Loan Originators in the Country 2018- Mortgage Executive Magazine

Once again, Mortgage Executive Magazine compiled a list of the nation’s Top 1% of Mortgage Originators. To be eligible for such an achievement, each Loan Originator was required to produce a minimum of $30 million in 2018. These leading mortgage professionals continually dedicated their time and energy and worked extremely hard to make sure their clients received the utmost service throughout the 2018 year.

For the 2018 year, 20 Loan Officers from First Home Mortgage were included in the list!

CONGRATULATIONS  to:

Mike Archer, Anne Borghesani, Heather Devoto, Ann Flaherty, Alex Jaffe, Tammi Lewis, Rob Mercer, Jim Moran, Mike Nadeau, Jason Nader, Matt Nader, Ryan Paquin, Todd Pede, Ayaz Rahemanji, Jake Ryon, Kari Story, Scott Story, Mike Taylor, David Toaff and Gabe Tuvek

Mortgage Executive Magazine also recognized the Top 200 Originators In America 2018. These Loan Officers were ranked by their total yearly mortgage volume. Congratulations to Ryan Paquin and David Toaff on this fine achievement!

Wire Fraud on the Rise

E-mail hacking and wire fraud schemes are on the rise in the mortgage industry. In the past few years, homebuyers have been schemed into losing thousands of their hard-earned dollars, and unfortunately, a lot of that money has not been recovered.

So what exactly is wire fraud? It’s a crime in which a person (hacker) creates a scheme to defraud or steal money based on fabricated information. It is common for hackers to gain access to e-mail addresses, whether they are from a settlement agent, title company, realtor or mortgage lender, and impersonate them. The hacker will send an authentic looking e-mail to the borrower with a new set of wire instructions. These wire instructions route the money to a fraudulent bank account rather than the settlement agent’s account. Once the money is out of the borrower’s account, it is very difficult to trace where it was sent, making it tough to recover.

While this is a widespread problem, there are ways borrowers can prevent being schemed into wire fraud.

  • Carefully verify all e-mail addresses on every e-mail received and sent. Hackers will slightly adjust the appearance of an e-mail address to make it seem like an original copy. Even if the signature line and logos are exactly the same, pay attention to the actual e-mail address.
  • Always call the settlement agent to confirm the wire instructions before sending any money. Use a previously known or verified phone number.
  • Instead of wiring money, ask if a certified check or cashier’s check can be brought to closing.
  • If you receive an e-mail changing the wire instructions, call the settlement agent immediately! Wire instructions seldom change. Again, use a previously known or verified number. DO NOT use the phone number in the e-mail with the revised wire instructions, this could be a number directed to the hacker.
  • After wire instructions and have confirmed and money wired, call the settlement agent to confirm the money was received.
  • Instead of having wire instructions sent through e-mail, pick them up from the settlement agent’s office.

If you suspect you have been targeted for wire fraud or something seems out of the ordinary, don’t hesitate to reach out to your loan officer or settlement agent. Raising concern and asking a few extra questions is a lot better than losing thousands of dollars, and most likely losing the house you worked so hard to get.

Ocean City Has Been Awarded the “Best Of”

Coastal Style Magazine, a publication that celebrates the luxury lifestyle of the Mid-Atlantic region, just announced the winners of their annual “Best Of” Awards, and our Ocean City branch has taken top honors this year!

This was the 6th Annual “Best Of” Awards, and the winners were chosen exclusively by Coastal Style readers through an online ballot. Over 10 categories were created, such as Fitness and Recreation, Food and Beverage, and Entertainment, to showcase the best of the best in the mid-Atlantic region. From May 1-31, readers were able to vote on their top choice for each category.

Being contenders in the Professional category, First Home Mortgage has been awarded Best Mortgage Company in Worcester County. The entire Ocean City branch has been named Best Mortgage Team for 2018 and loan officer, Kari Story, has been crowned Best Mortgage Specialist for the 6th year running! Congratulations to Kari and the entire team for these outstanding achievements!

Be sure to pick up a copy of the September/October issue of Coastal Style Magazine or visit their website to check out the entire list of winners.  Coastal Style Magazine is distributed to audiences along the beaches of Delaware, Ocean City and throughout Salisbury.

First Home Named Top Mortgage Lender

Scotsman Guide, the leading resource for Mortgage Originators, has released its 6th annual Top Mortgage Lenders. First Home Mortgage has been ranked 44th in Top Overall Volume in the nation.

Since 2012, Scotsman Guide has been a platform for the nation’s best performing mortgage companies to showcase their success. The publication releases rankings based on data provided by top lenders interested in being recognized for their outstanding performance. All the companies named as a “Top” lender follow a thorough and comprehensive verification process, which makes their achievement accurate and reliable.

To be eligible for such an achievement, First Home Mortgage needed to have the top loan volume from mortgages on one- to four-unit residential properties within the United States. First Home has exceeded these qualifications to be one of the top-producing, best lenders in the country.

Scotsman Guide will display their list of the country’s Top Mortgage Lending Companies in their June 2018 residential edition.

Congratulations First Home Mortgage Corporation and its phenomenal employees who made this achievement happen!

First Home Mortgage Recognized as the Best for 2018

The results are in! Ask a Lender recently released their most comprehensive rankings of the Best Mortgage Lenders in the nation in several categories, including Best Mortgage Lenders, Best First-Time Homebuyer Lenders, Best FHA Mortgage Lenders, among several other categories.  Many of First Home Mortgage’s Loan Officers have been recognized as the best in each of these categories, per state.  This incredible achievement reflects the dedication of our Loan Officers to their borrowers throughout the entire mortgage process and their continued support long after a loan has closed.  Each member of the FHMC team is focused on delivering customer service that not only fulfills goals, but exceeds expectations.

Ask a Lender was created by Scotsman Guide Media Inc., a national business-to-business magazine that provides lender-search resources nationwide.  As a client, Ask a Lender gives access to an online platform that will connect you with the top lenders in your area, giving you the opportunity to contact your matches and compare offers.

Ask a Lender’s Best of the Best lists for 2018:

BEST MORTGAGE LENDERS BEST FHA MORTGAGE LENDERS
Neil Bourdelaise-Florida
Ryan Paquin-Maryland
Kari Story-Maryland
David Toaff-Maryland
Alex Jaffe-Maryland
Michael Taylor-Maryland
Tammi Lewis-Maryland
Pete O’Donnell-Maryland
Scott Story-Maryland
Robert O’Connell-Maryland
James Moran-Maryland
Ayaz Rahemanji-Maryland
David Strassner-Maryland
Eric Short-Maryland
Samuel Kotzur-Maryland
Darren Rickwood-Maryland
Tom Cumpston-Maryland
Jeffrey Halbert-Maryland
Tony Olmert-Maryland
Tim Reinhart-Maryland
Derek Schwarz-Maryland
Anne Borghesani-Massachusetts
Michael Nadeau-Massachusetts
David Licciardi-Massachusetts
Karen Dulmage-North Carolina
Sal Savastano-Rhode Island
John Savastano-Rhode Island
Gabe Tuvek-South Carolina
Bill Payne-South Carolina
Derek Evans-Virginia
Carolyn Flitcroft-Virginia
Marc Aymard-Virginia
Heather Devoto-Virginia
Jake Ryon-DC
Neil Bourdelaise-Florida
Tammi Lewis-Maryland
Ryan Paquin-Maryland
Michael Taylor-Maryland
Tom Cumpston-Maryland
Pete O’Donnell-Maryland
Jeff Halbert-Maryland
Robert O’Connell-Maryland
Ayaz Rahemanji-Maryland
Derek Schwarz-Maryland
Olu Ajayi-Maryland
Alex Jaffe-Maryland
Scott Story-Maryland
David Toaff-Maryland
Tim Milauskas-Maryland
David Strassner-Maryland
Brian Foss-Maryland
Brian McDermott-Maryland
Jeffrey St. Clair-Maryland
Cathy Ocharzak-Maryland
Eric Short-Maryland
Marshall Feldman-Maryland
Tim Reinhart-Maryland
James Moran-Maryland
Darren Rickwood-Maryland
Ann Palrang-Maryland
Chris Sittig-Maryland
Annaliese Baamonde-Maryland
Brian Coleman-Maryland
Hillary Cochin-Maryland
David Licciardi-Massachusetts
Michael Nadeau-Massachusetts
Anne Borghesani-Massachusetts
John Dolbec-Massachusetts
Nathan Hartseil-Massachusetts
Karen Dulmage-North Carolina
Sal Savastano-Rhode Island
Patricia Vargas-Rhode Island
John Savastano-Rhode Island
David Travers-Rhode Island
Gabe Tuvek-South Carolina
Derek Evans-Virginia
Jeff Richards-Virginia
David Black-Virginia
Clay Carroll-Virginia
Bruce Rosenberger-Virginia
Marc Aymard-Virginia
Heather Devoto-Virginia
Licela Rojas de Barriga-Virginia
Ingrid Rapavy-DC
Jake Ryon-DC
BEST VA MORTGAGE LENDERS BEST LOW-CREDIT MORTGAGE LENDERS
Neil Bourdelaise-Florida
Pete O’Donnell-Maryland
Marshall Feldman-Maryland
James Moran-Maryland
Ryan Paquin-Maryland
Tim Milauskas-Maryland
David Toaff-Maryland
Darren Rickwood-Maryland
Michael Taylor-Maryland
Scott Story-Maryland
Jeff Halbert-Maryland
Brian Foss-Maryland
Tammi Lewis-Maryland
Tony Olmert-Maryland
Ayaz Rahemanji-Maryland
Chris Sittig-Maryland
Brian McDermott-Maryland
Eric Short-Maryland
Jeff St. Clair-Maryland
Alex Jaffe-Maryland
Robert O’Connell-Maryland
Anne Borghesani-Massachusetts
Karen Dulmage-North Carolina
John Savastano-Rhode Island
Gabe Tuvek-South Carolina
Bill Payne-South Carolina
Heather Devoto-Virginia
Marc Aymard-Virginia
Carolyn Flitcroft-Virginia
Derek Evans-Virginia
Ann Flaherty-Virginia
David Black-Virginia
Bruce Rosenberger-Virginia
Jeff Richards-Virginia
Paul Nagel-Virginia
Jake Ryon-DC
Neil Bourdelaise-Florida
Ryan Paquin-Maryland
Kari Story-Maryland
David Toaff-Maryland
Alex Jaffe-Maryland
Michael Taylor-Maryland
Tammi Lewis-Maryland
Pete O’Donnell-Maryland
Scott Story-Maryland
Robert O’Connell-Maryland
James Moran-Maryland
Ayaz Rahemanji-Maryland
David Strassner-Maryland
Eric Short-Maryland
Samuel Kotzur-Maryland
Darren Rickwood-Maryland
Tom Cumpston-Maryland
Jeff Halbert-Maryland
Tony Olmert-Maryland
Tim Reinhart-Maryland
Derek Schwarz-Maryland
Todd Pede-Maryland
Tim Milauskas-Maryland
Brian Foss-Maryland
Cathy Ocharzak-Maryland
Rob Mercer-Maryland
Marshall Feldman-Maryland
Brian Coleman-Maryland
Chris Sittig-Maryland
Brian McDermott-Maryland
Travis Vollmerhausen-Maryland
Hillary Cochin-Maryland
Jeff St. Clair-Maryland
Olu Ajayi-Maryland
Anne Borghesani-Massachusetts
Michael Nadeau-Massachusetts
David Licciardi-Massachusetts
John Dolbec-Massachusetts
Nathan Hartseil-Massachusetts
Karen Dulmage-North Carolina
Sal Savastano-Rhode Island

John Savastano-Rhode Island
Patricia Vargas-Rhode Island
David Travers-Rhode Island
Gabe Tuvek-South Carolina
Bill Payne-South Carolina
Derek Evans-Virginia
Carolyn Flitcroft-Virginia
Marc Aymard-Virginia
Heather Devoto-Virginia
Bruce Rosenberger-Virginia
Jeff Richards-Virginia
Clay Carroll-Virginia
David Black-Virginia
Ann Flaherty-Virginia
Paul Nagel-Virginia
Jake Ryon-DC

Ingrid Rapavy-DC
BEST USDA HOME LENDERS BEST LOW DOWN PAYMENT LENDERS
James Moran-Maryland
Darren Rickwood-Maryland
Eric Short-Maryland
Ryan Paquin-Maryland
Jeff Halbert-Maryland
Brian Foss-Maryland

Cathy Ocharzak-Maryland
Anne Borghesani-Massachusetts
Neil Bourdelaise-Florida
Ryan Paquin-Maryland
Kari Story-Maryland
David Toaff-Maryland
Alex Jaffe-Maryland
Michael Taylor-Maryland
Tammi Lewis-Maryland
Pete O’Donnell-Maryland
Scott Story-Maryland
Robert O’Connell-Maryland
James Moran-Maryland
Ayaz Rahemanji-Maryland
David Strassner-Maryland
Eric Short-Maryland
Samuel Kotzur-Maryland
Darren Rickwood-Maryland
Tom Cumpston-Maryland
Jeff Halbert-Maryland
Tony Olmert-Maryland
Tim Reinhart-Maryland
Derek Schwarz-Maryland
Todd Pede-Maryland
Tim Milauskas-Maryland
Brian Foss-Maryland
Cathy Ocharzak-Maryland
Rob Mercer-Maryland
Marshall Feldman-Maryland
Brian Coleman-Maryland
Chris Sittig-Maryland
Brian McDermott-Maryland
Travis Vollmerhausen-Maryland
Hillary Cochin-Maryland
Jeff St. Clair-Maryland
Olu Ajayi-Maryland
Anne Borghesani-Massachusetts
Michael Nadeau-Massachusetts
David Licciardi-Massachusetts
John Dolbec-Massachusetts
Nathan Hartseil-Massachusetts
Karen Dulmage-North Carolina
Sal Savastano-Rhode Island
John Savastano-Rhode Island
Patricia Vargas-Rhode Island
David Travers-Rhode Island
Gabe Tuvek-South Carolina
Bill Payne-South Carolina
Derek Evans-Virginia
Carolyn Flitcroft-Virginia
Marc Aymard-Virginia
Heather Devoto-Virginia
Bruce Rosenberger-Virginia
Jeff Richards-Virginia
Clay Carroll-Virginia
David Black-Virginia
Ann Flaherty-Virginia
Paul Nagel-Virginia
Jake Ryon-DC
Ingrid Rapavy-DC
BEST MORTGAGE REFINANCE LENDERS BEST FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER LENDERS
Ryan Paquin-Maryland
Pete O’Donnell-Maryland
Scott Story-Maryland
Jeff Halbert-Maryland
David Strassner-Maryland
Anne Borghesani-Massachusetts
David Licciardi-Massachusetts
Michael Nadeau-Massachusetts
Sal Savastano-Rhode Island
John Savastano-Rhode Island
Neil Bourdelaise-Florida
Ryan Paquin-Maryland
Kari Story-Maryland

David Toaff-Maryland
Alex Jaffe-Maryland
Tammi Lewis-Maryland
Michael Taylor-Maryland
Robert O’Connell-Maryland
Ayaz Rahemanji-Maryland
Pete O’Donnell-Maryland
James Moran-Maryland
Scott Story-Maryland
Rob Mercer-Maryland
Eric Short-Maryland
Darren Rickwood-Maryland
Samuel Kotzur-Maryland
David Strassner-Maryland
Tom Cumpston-Maryland
Derek Schwarz-Maryland
Tim Reinhart-Maryland
Tony Olmert-Maryland
Todd Pede-Maryland
Brian Foss-Maryland
Jeff Halbert-Maryland
Cathy Ocharzak-Maryland Tim Milauskas-Maryland
Marshall Feldman-Maryland
Brian Coleman-Maryland
Hillary Cochin-Maryland
Jeff St. Clair-Maryland
Chris Sittig-Maryland
Anne Borghesani-Massachusetts
Michael Nadeau-Massachusetts
David Licciardi-Massachusetts
John Dolbec-Massachusetts
Karen Dulmage-North Carolina
Sal Savastano-Rhode Island
John Savastano-Rhode Island
Patricia Vargas-Rhode Island

Gabe Tuvek-South Carolina
Bill Payne-South Carolina
Derek Evans-Virginia
Carolyn Flitcroft-Virginia
Heather Devoto-Virginia
Marc Aymard-Virginia
Clay Carroll-Virginia
Bruce Rosenberger-Virginia
David Black-Virginia
Jeff Richards-Virginia
Ann Flaherty-Virginia
Jake Ryon-DC
Ingrid Rapavy-DC

 

 

The loan officer’s in bold are ranked in the top ten of their state.

For more information on the rankings, visit Ask a Lender, or contact one of our Loan Officer’s, today.

National Mortgage News Top Producers of 2018

National Mortgage News is a digital information resource providing news analysis and perspective on regulation, compliance, technology and loss mitigation for the entire mortgage industry.  Each year, this resource ranks the country’s top producing loan officers and mortgage brokers.  2018 marks the 20th anniversary of this Top Producers program which highlights those who pursued new market opportunities and progressed from industry challenges.

According to National Mortgage News, these Top Producers are “embracing the digital tools and marketing techniques in an effort to enhance referral relationships and increase their operating efficiency.”  With the refinance market weakened, these loan officers and mortgage brokers were prepared for the change and continued to come out on top.

Among the list of these Top Producers are First Home’s very own.  A BIG CONGRATULATIONS goes to:

  • David Toaff
  • Alex Jaffe
  • Scott Story
  • Neil Bourdelaise
  • Gabe Tuvek
  • Carolyn Flitcroft
  • James Moran
  • Anne Borghesani
  • Bob O’Connell
  • David Strassner
  • Karen Dulmage
  • Bill Payne

To read more about this amazing achievement and who made the list, click here.

Learn more about the home buying process from one of our award-winning loan officers, today!

The Scotsman Guide Top Originators of 2017

The Scotsman Guide has released their ninth annual Top Originator rankings for 2017.  This Guide provides the most comprehensive, intensely verified list of the top-producing mortgage professionals of the nation.  With more than 3,000 entrants, only 641 originators made it with 500 of them contributing to the total of 146,155 loans closed with a group volume of $50 billion.  What an achievement!

With the inevitable rise of rates in 2017, these mortgage originators were able to “tweak their marketing strategies to target the thriving purchase market,” according to Rania Efthemes, director of content strategy for the Scotsman Guide Media.  Despite this rise, these best performers were able to pull through showing their continued dedication of helping people achieve homeownership.

With that said, I am pleased to announce that First Home Mortgage Corporation’s Ryan Paquin and David Toaff were among the 500 Loan Originators named for Top Dollar Volume of 2017.  Congratulations Ryan and David!

In addition, James Moran was listed as one of the top 25 Loan Originators in USDA volume (niche category).  Niches are rankings of Originators based on dollar volumes of loans financed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  These top 25 Loan Originators of the 2017 USDA volume list closed a total of $217 million in mortgages.  Congratulations James!

For the entire list of the Scotsman Guide Top Originators of 2017, click here.

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