Among the 10 fastest-growing mortgage-related companies are an appraisal management company and the firm founded by the former president of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers.
Each year, Inc. magazine ranks the fastest-growing companies in America. The for-profit entities cannot be subsidiaries of other companies as of Dec. 31, 2010.
This year’s ranking reflects U.S.-based companies with the greatest percentage increase in revenue from 2007 to 2010. To qualify, the privately held organizations had to be generating revenues as of March 31, 2007. Minimum revenues had to be at least $100,000 during 2007 and $2 million in 2010.
The highest-ranked mortgage-related firm this year, and No. 140 on the overall list, was Stonegate Mortgage Corp. Revenues have skyrocketed 2,011 percent over the past three years to $15.4 million in 2010. The 137-employee lender is based in Fishers, Ind.
“Our growth has been hard-won as the result of our determined efforts to focus on superior service, sound lending practices and hiring the best and the brightest in our industry,” Jim Cutillo, chief executive officer of the six-year-old firm, said in an announcement. “These priorities have laid the foundation for what we feel will be our continuing upward trajectory as the housing market recovers.”
Stonegate, which recently named Dan Bettenburg as its president, expects to add more than 300 Indiana jobs during the next four years. The company claims to be “one of the top 25 independently-owned mortgage servicers.”
Close behind was LeaderOne Financial, with revenues rising 1,882 percent to $25.6 million last year. Headcount at the Overland Park, Kan.-based lender is 247. Former National Association of Mortgage Brokers president A.W. Pickel III founded LeaderOne in 1992.
LeaderOne, which was No. 149 on Inc.’s overall ranking, previously reported $0.5 billion in 2010 production, and Inc. said that it “currently underwrites and services more than $100 million.”
After that was nine-year-old Urban Lending Solutions, which came in at No. 205 in the overall ranking. The Pittsburgh-based firm has experienced revenue growth of 1,529 percent and generated $127.3 million in receipts last year.
Urban employs 700 people.
Next was Integrity First Financial Group out of San Diego. Established in 2006, Integrity had 2010 revenues of $5.8 million, soaring 1,446 percent since 2007. The staff size is just 30 employees. Integrity was No. 215 on the overall ranking.
No. 222 on Inc.’s ranking and next among mortgage-related firms was US Appraisal Group in Chicago. The AMC’s revenues were $3 million last year, up 1,432 percent form 2007. Just 10 people are employed at the eight-year-old company.
With 974 percent growth and $4.1 million in revenues last year, Columbia, Mo.-based Flat Branch Home Loans followed. The 35-employee firm was founded in 2005 and had an overall ranking of 345.
No. 7 among mortgage-related companies and No. 347 on the overall ranking was America’s Mortgage Professionals. Revenues at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based America’s Mortgage Professionals shot up 968 percent to $4.4 million in 2010. The company reportedly employs 68 people.
At Kirkland, Wash.-based Fairplay Financial, its 857 percent growth landed the lender in the 398th spot overall. Revenue last year was $3.1 million. Fairplay, which has 73 employees, provides financing for distressed real estate in addition to foreclosure-process and property-management services.
The ninth highest-ranking mortgage firm was Norwell, Mass.-based Radius Financial Group. The 69-employee firm, which was founded in 1999, saw 606 percent in revenue growth and brought in receipts of $16.4 million last year. Radius was No. 554 on Inc. ranking.
No. 691 on the overall ranking and No. 10 among mortgage-related firms was Fearon Financial, where revenues have climbed 462 percent over the past three years to $7 million. Fearon was founded in 2005 and employs 28 people.
