Peter Norden - CEO, Homebridge Mortgage

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Homebridge is one of the largest independent mortgage lenders in the country, licensed nationwide, with more than 200 branches across the U.S. They offer some mortgages others do not, including "fixer upper" loans (HomeStyle and 203K) that bundle home improvements - minor and major, including pools and room additions - into the loan for an easy payment process.

In the last 30 years, Homebridge has grown to include approximately 2,300 Associates throughout its corporate offices, more than 200 retail branches and two wholesale divisions, Homebridge Wholesale, and REMN Wholesale. Homebridge holds FNMA, GNMA, FHLMC, FHA and VA approvals, and funded more than $17.3 billion in home loans at the close of 2019.

Journalist friends: Depending on your needs, you may be better off speaking with a specialist for a particular type of loan, or another executive more familiar with the particular questions you will be asking.

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About Peter Norden:
Peter Norden has been CEO of HomeBridge Financial Services, Inc. since early 2012. He has more than 35 years of experience in the residential mortgage lending industry and has held executive leadership positions at several organizations over the past three decades.

Prior Executive Leadership Experience:
Before joining HomeBridge, Mr. Norden held other leadership positions in the residential mortgage lending industry, most recently as CEO and president of Opteum Financial Services, Inc. (OFS), which he founded in 1999. His prior experience in the residential lending sector served him well at OFS: By 2005, when Mr. Norden sold the company to Bimini Capital Management, Inc. (formerly Opteum, Inc.), the company was operating in 47 states with a loan origination capacity in excess of $8 billion per year. Mr. Norden was responsible for three main business units: real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs), retail mortgage loan origination, and wholesale mortgage loan origination.

In a 2013 interview with trade magazine National Mortgage Professional, Mr. Norden discussed his leadership philosophy at OFS and underscored the importance of his time at the helm. He explained that his experience at OFS instilled in him a commitment to channel diversity in high-risk macro environments. Further, his time at OFS reinforced the importance of geographic diversity in a national real estate environment characterized by unique, changeable local markets.

“My model is diversity, both from a channel perspective, as well as a geographical perspective,” he told the magazine.

Following OFS’s sale to Bimini Capital Management, Mr. Norden stepped down from day-to-day operations and his title as CEO and president, though he remained on board as executive vice president for another two years.

Prior to launching OFS, Mr. Norden purchased Olde Towne Mortgage Company, where he served as president and CEO. Under his leadership, the company changed its name to First Town Mortgage Corporation and was eventually purchased by Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corporation in early 1999.

Peter Norden in the Community
Mr. Norden is active in the residential mortgage lending community at both the state and national levels. He is currently on the board of directors for the Mortgage Bankers Association and a member of the Fannie Mae Customer Advisory Board. Previous board memberships include the Fannie Mae CEO Advisory Board, FHLMC Advisory Board and the GMAC/RFC National Advisory Board. Mr. Norden is also a past president of the Mortgage Bankers Association of New Jersey and remains an active member.

At the national Mortgage Bankers Association, Mr. Norden serves on the residential board of governors (RESBOG), which oversees MBA’s single-family residential membership and establishes the organization’s positions on issues of importance to residential lenders and mortgage professionals.

As a seasoned residential mortgage lending executive, Peter Norden has contributed to and been interviewed for several industry publications, including National Mortgage Professional Magazine and Mortgage Professional America. He is committed to building the industry’s bench for the coming decades, devoting time to mentorship and professional development work with rising professionals in the field.