Finance

THE SIGNAL . SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017 . F1

SCV Community Pride ★ FINANCE

SCV

Community

PRIDE Finance

Santa Clarita’s Finance Professionals Provide Guidance and Insight

Dan Watson/The Signal

American Family Funding.

F2 . SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017 . THE SIGNAL

SCV Community Pride ★ FINANCE

Finance

Fred Arnold’s belief is that if you help enough people get what they want out of life, then you will always achieve your goals and dreams. He was born and raised in the Santa Clarita Valley. He began his career in 1991 after graduating from California State University Northridge. Fred’s business is 100% referral based. He has helped his clients obtain over a billion dollars in mortgage loans over the past two decades.

Fred often speaks to business and consumer groups regarding the economy, the state of the housing market and how to get the best investment when buying real estate. Fred hosts a TV show, “Out of the Rough”, on SCVTV and hosts the radio show, “The SCV Business Chamber Spotlight”, on AM 1220 KHTS. Fred currently serves on the OLPH school board as president, COC Foundation Board, SCVTV Advisory Board, Child and Family Board, and Santa Clarity Valley Disaster Coalition Board. He most recently served as the Chairman for the SCV Chamber of Commerce (2013). Fred is licensed by the California Department of Real Estate (01173600) and the NMLS (214841).

Fred lives in the Santa Clarita Valley with his four children, Alex, Katie, Jack and Amy.

Fernando has 22 years of lending experience. He works with credit unions and referral partners lending in Colorado as well as here in Santa Clarita. Fernando’s philosophy is simple: treat the client with fairness and integrity, while working hard to give the client the best mortgage experience every time. He always educates his clients throughout the entire mortgage process, while making sure that he puts his clients in the proper mortgage loan that will best suit them. He is fluent in Spanish and has specialized in serving the Hispanic Community over the course of his lending career. On top of balancing his career, Fernando is proud of his two boys who are attending college in Colorado; one graduating this year and one a sophomore.

Fred Arnold

NMLS# 1850/214841 Certified Mortgage Consultant (661) 505-4300 • fred.arnold@affloans.com BRE License# 01215943/01173600

Fernando Gauna NMLS # 1850/243454 Mortgage Advisor (661) 505-4306 fernando@affloans.com

With over 40 years’ experience in the lending industry, Rhona’s goal is to make the loan process as simple as possible. Rhona is always available to answer any question but more importantly, she walks her clients through the home loan process to ensure that they are well informed and works hard to find the right loan to meet each client’s individual financial needs.

Rhona is very active in the community and with non-profits. She has been a resident of Santa Clarita for the past 34 years.

Rhona Jukes

NMLS # 1850/299978 Mortgage Advisor (661) 505-4335 • Rhona@affloans.com BRE License #01215943/01436506

Fred began his career with American Pacific Mortgage (APM) in 2008 where he served as a Branch Manager for American Family Funding, an APM Enterprise branch. He led not only the day-to-day operations of the branch, but also the Credit Union and Reverse Mortgage Divisions.

In Fred’s current position as Vice President of Enterprise Production, Fred oversees and drives production strategy for all of the Enterprise Branches for American Pacific Mortgage, including managing origination, processing, member care, credit union and financial portfolio reviews.

With over 30 years of experience in operations and customer service, he trains loan officers and credit unions in customer service and sales skills Fred is very involved in the community, having served on the Board of Directors for the MS Golf Classic for the National MS Society and annually volunteers for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. He has also served on the governing board of VIA (Valley Industry Association), which represents business interests throughout the Santa Clarita Valley, providing members the opportunity to network and collaborate on a broad range of business issues.

“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” This quote by Abraham Lincoln perfectly describes long time loan officer Jake Young. Jake is a lifelong resident of Santa Clarita.

He and his wife Vanessa, and their two children are proud to call this valley home. Jake is heavily involved in the local community volunteering as a youth sports coach, working with the Boy Scouts of America and serving on the Valley Industry Association (VIA) Education Foundation board.

With over 12 years’ experience as a licensed mortgage professional, Jake takes pride in educating and helping his clients achieve their financial goals and the dream of homeownership.

He works hard to be an advocate for his clients and does so with integrity, diligence and his expert knowledge of the lending industry and different loan programs.

Steve has a broad background. For many years he worked in TV broadcasting and then transitioned into non-profit corporate fundraising. He met Fred Arnold at a Santa Clarita leadership lunch several years ago. Fred was looking for a reverse mortgage specialist and thought Steve would be a great fit. Coming from the non-profit world, one of Steve’s main focuses has always been on helping others and the idea of assisting those heading towards retirement was appealing to him. He joined American Family Funding in 2012 as Reverse Mortgage Specialist. Steve is a licensed mortgage professional committed to helping fellow Baby Boomers and retirees secure their golden years. He understands that retirement can be a financial challenge and he is happy to show older homeowners how to strategically use the equity in their homes to better build a solid retirement plan.

Fred Kreger

NMLS# 1850/214640 Certified Mortgage Consultant (661) 505-4311 • fred.kreger@affloans.com BRE License# 01215943/01371184

Jake Young

NMLS # 1850/226964 Mortgage Advisor (661) 505-4303 • jake@affloans.com BRE License# 01215943/01727469

Steve Schaefer NMLS # 1850/950999 Reverse Mortgage Advisor (661) 505-4308 steve@affloans.com

Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act

28368 CONSTELLATION ROAD, STE 398, SAN

SCV Community Pride ★ FINANCE

Finance

THE SIGNAL . SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017 . F3

WHO WE ARE • We Provide Solutions to Those with Financial Challenges • We are a Resource to You • We Offer Advice on Purchase and Refinance Mortgages • We Are Community Leaders • We Help to Strategize Your Long and Short Term Real Estate Goals

David has been in the financial industry for 25 years, working at some of the largest investment firms in the country, such as UBS and Raymond James. David puts such a high value on integrity and his clients take notice as they have repeatedly been happy with his business style and skill. David now brings this same integrity and acumen to the mortgage lending industry. He is confident that his considerable business experience and straightforward approach will continue to produce happy customers on either side of the lending transaction.

He has been married to his wife Lori, for 23 years and they have two children together. Lexy is a full time student at Moorpark Community College while their son Logan is a student athlete at California State University Northridge. When David isn’t working on deals or helping Lori at their frozen yogurt shop in Northridge, he spends his time coaching the West Ranch High School pole vault team.

Jilyn helps people find great mortgage financing for their situation and needs.

She works with all types of buyers, including first time home buyers, active military, veterans, as well as seasoned buyers, sellers and investors. As a long time Real Estate Agent who switched to mortgage lending, Jilyn understands the needs of Real Estate Agents and works with Real Estate Professionals to help them grow their business, and assist their clients when selling or purchasing a new home or investment property. Jilyn has appeared on radio and TV shows speaking on home financing. She also conducts First Time Home Buyer Seminars and speaks to Realtor groups on mortgage financing.

Tom has worked at American Family Funding since 2003 and is a licensed Real Estate Broker by the State of California, a State Certified Notary Public. He has been married 30 years to his wife Terrie, with two wonderful daughters, Shannon and Breanna, and has lived in Moorpark, California since 1986. Tom has been very involved in the Moorpark community currently serving his sixth term as a Commissioner of Parks & Recreation, Knights of Columbus, Relay for Life, and many different positions in youth sports including AYSO and Moorpark Girls Softball. In addition, Tom was recently appointed to UCLA Neurosurgery Patient and Family Advisory Council, and has orchestrated numerous blood drives for UCLA Blood center and United Blood Services.

David Cantrell

NMLS # 1850/1427091 Mortgage Advisor (661) 505-4368 • david@affloans.com

Jilyn Crawford NMLS # 1850/272879 Mortgage Advisor (760) 220-4543 jilyn@affloans.com

Tom Pflaumer

NMLS # 1850/214857 Mortgage Advisor (661) 505-4319 • tom@affloans.com BRE License # 01215943/01398908

Dave worked as a medic/EMT for 11 years. While taking a break from work he fell into this career by happenstance. He shadowed a friend who was a branch manager and he realized he could help people financially as well. He liked the challenge of finding the right loan for individuals and setting them up in a great way, maybe even better than they expected. His motto is “when you have peace of mind in finances you have peace of mind in the other areas of your life.” He returned to Denver and became licensed right away. After working as a loan officer assistant for seven months he decided he wanted to go full-time. A friend recommended American Pacific Mortgage, which landed him at American Family Funding’s Colorado branch. He really enjoys building relationships with his clients.

Patti’s expertise in mortgage finance comes from over 30 years working with banks and mortgage banking firms, large and small.

Patti is also committed to educating young adults about financial responsibility. Her newly released book, “Money Rules 101 – Master Your Money Before it Masters You” inspires and empowers young adults and parents with the money skills necessary to lead a prosperous and peaceful life. Patti’s core belief is to always give back and she does so by being extremely active in the community. She considers the beach to be her happy place, chocolate as her favorite food group, and her family and friends to be her greatest blessing.

After graduating from Michigan State University, Vytas began his career as a mortgage loan servicer for a national mortgage lender located in the Metropolitan Detroit area. After five years in loan servicing, Vytas transitioned to mortgage lending as a loan officer. In 1989 Vytas moved to the Southern California area and continued his career as a licensed mortgage professional. He has entered his third decade of matching homebuyers and homeowners with the home loan that best meets their financial needs. From C.E.O.s to assembly line workers, from condominiums to castles, Vytas’ knowledge of mortgage products, underwriting guidelines and his appreciation for the value and satisfaction that homeownership brings to a family, drives his desire to match the best mortgage program for each buyer and homeowner.

NTA CLARITA, CA 91355 | 661-284-1150

Dave Lawrence

NMLS # 3398/1404820 Mortgage Advisor (303) 290-7495 • davidl@affloans.com DORA # 100500972

Patti Handy

NMLS # 1850/248480 Mortgage Advisor (661) 505-4310 • patti@affloans.com BRE License # 01215943/00872257

Vytas Keblys

NLMS # 1850/224292 Mortgage Advisor (661) 505-4350 • vytas@affloans.com BRE License# 01215943/01487603

EQUAL HOUSING

OPPORTUNITY

NMLS #1850 BRE #01215943

F4 . SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017 . THE SIGNAL

SCV Community Pride ★ FINANCE

Finance

American Family Funding Makes Personal Connection with Customers, Community

Dan Watson/The Signal

From left, C.J. Burto, Nicole Gardner, Tami Gearhart, Danielle Griffin, Araceli DeAnda, David Cantrell, and Fred Arnold during a client experience meeting at American Family Funding in Santa Clarita.

By Kateri Wozny

A

merican Family Funding (AFF) has a strong belief system that has been the heart of their success for the past 23 years.

“Whether you use us or not, we want to be a resource for the biggest purchase of your life,” said Fred Arnold, mortgage advisor and Santa Clarita branch manager.

AFF, a division of American Pacific Mortgage, has been operational since 1994. With a dedicated staff of 20 originator and processors, the company offers a variety of mortgage solutions, including Federal Housing Administration, Jumbo, United States Department of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs and Conventional loans.

“We are a purchase focus company where we enjoy working with perspective buyers or those looking to buy their first homes,” said Jake Young, AFF mortgage advisor. “We also help with refinancing current mortgages and reverse mortgages.”

AFF currently funds $7.5 billion in residential mortgages each year alone.

“When you own a business, these days everyone wants a quick buck or instant success, but we built a company one loan at a time, one relationship at a time and one pre-approval at a time,” said Fred Arnold, AFF mortgage advisor and branch manager. “It’s allowed us to build a foundation where we built an anchor with the homeowners and the community.”

When applying for a home loan, the application process can take between 30 to 45 days, according to Young.

“We also have a program called “Keys on Time” where we can get a customer pre-approved before they even write an offer on a house,” Young said.

“Once a customer gets a pre-approved letter, they can close in 15 to 18 days.”

Tami Gearhart, AFF office manager of 16 years, says that AFF has a unique processing team that helps the homebuyer get a loan approved quicker.

“We have a team of five processors and an opener who opens the files, gets the discloser out to the client and when the files come back, we run the reports and get the file to the submitter and an underwriter,” she said. “Once it’s approved, we work on the conditions. It’s a much smoother process.”

AFF also offers special programs such as the Star program, where fees are cut to help police officers, teachers, firefighters and first responders with their down payments and closing costs. The AFF Veterans Affairs program helps veterans purchase a home with zero money down.

“A lot of times veterans don’t know what they have, so we try and be a knowledge source so we get out into the community with the realtors and let the veterans know that there are resources [available for them],” said David Cantrell, AFF operations manager.

Arnold says that the housing outlook for this year

is currently a buyer’s market and that sales are at risk. He also noted that prices have gone up 1 percent since the election and that the economy will eventually become more active and more consumer and business focused.

“We need to be on top of our game so that [the loan] is pre-approved and when [a potential homebuyer] makes the offer that it’s more accepted because the seller that’s making the offer can know that it will close on time,” Arnold said.

Arnold also says that he sees an even mix of singles and families that are millennials, first time buyers and baby boomers buying homes in today’s market.

“We’re seeing more millennials purchasing after they secure a good job and the traditional first time buyers starting families that are seeing interest rate rise,” Arnold said. “We’re seeing both dynamics that I never saw in the 1990’s and 2000’s.

We’re also seeing baby boomers that are contemplating moving into a new location with offered lifestyles or down scaling by a 1,000-square-feet.”

AFF is also a strong supporter of giving back to the community, such as donating and sponsoring for local high school sports teams and fundraisers for the Valley Industry Association Education Foundation and the Child and Family Center.

“We encourage all of our team members to be involved [in the community],” Arnold said. “If you want a company that’s built to last, you have to be involved.”

At the end of the day, Young says AFF is all about the interaction with the customer and satisfaction.

“We have a lot of repeat and referral customers and we all take pride on building personal relationships with them,” he said.

“We encourage all of our team members to be involved in the community.”

Dan Watson/The Signal

American Family funding Loan Processor Tami Gearhart, left, and Certified Mortgage Consultant Fred Arnold at American Family Funding in Santa Clarita.