INDEPENDENCE, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nations Lending, a leading full-service national mortgage lender, today announced 29-year industry veteran Jon Whittington, CMB will oversee its expansion to the Hawaiian Islands. As Regional Manager, Whittington will focus primarily on growing Nations’ retail footprint and production volume. He’ll report to West Divisional Sales Manager Nino Saso.
Whittington, the only Certified Mortgage Banker in Hawaii, came to the state in the late ‘80s and has been a fixture in the lending industry ever since. He previously served as President at Compass Home Loans (Compass Hawaii), a joint venture launched in 2014 between Stearns Lending and Locations, a major Hawaii real estate firm. The JV funded $370 million in 2021. His past joint venture experience and ability to quickly scale productive teams will complement Nations Lending’s growth plans; it has been strategically expanding across the U.S., adding a substantial number of branches in 2021 and, more recently, announcing a joint venture of its own.
“It was the culture and the size of the organization that attracted me most,” Whittington said. “Nations is well capitalized and large enough to sell exclusively to the agencies on all agency product. It also retains 98 percent of servicing of the total volume it originates. Add to that the entrepreneurial spirit of its leadership team and, as one of my former colleagues now working at Nations put it, you get the ‘unicorn’ of mortgage banking firms.’”
Nations’ first location will be in the Kaka’ako neighborhood of Honolulu in what will be a newly opened office upon local licensing approval. From there, Whittington plans to add branch offices in strategic locations as opportunities dictate.
“I think adding someone like Jon is a testament to how far we’ve come as an organization,” Saso said. “We’ve created an environment that first and foremost is attractive to the best talent in this industry.”
Vice President of Strategic Growth John Owens played an integral role in Whittington’s arrival at Nations.
“I’ve known Jon for years, and they don’t make them any better – personally and professionally,” Owens said. “He understands the nuances of the industry, but more importantly he understands people.”
For more information, please visit www.nationslending.com.
About Nations Lending
Nations Lending Corporation™ is one of the fastest-growing mortgage lenders in the U.S. Headquartered in the Cleveland, Ohio area, it is licensed to lend in all 50 states and employs more than 1,200 at its corporate headquarters and throughout 120 branches across the U.S. The company makes its mission of "home loans. made human.™" an integral part of its mortgage experience, offering tailored customer service and a variety of programs to suit any home buyer's needs: FHA, VA, Conventional, Jumbo, USDA, and more. Nations is an agency-direct lender with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae and retains mortgage servicing rights on 96 percent of the loans it originates. The company is a two-time Inc. 5000 winner, which lists the fastest-growing privately held companies in the country. Nations was named a top-100 lender by National Mortgage Professional Magazine; a six-time winner of Scotsman Guide's Top Mortgage Lenders; and a Top Workplaces for Millennials winner by Fortune Magazine. Nations consistently ranks as a top IMB at National Mortgage Professional and Mortgage Executive Magazine. For more information, visit www.NationsLending.com.
