HomeStreet Expands Westward Into California Market

HomeStreet Bank has announced that it has expanded its mortgage operations into California, opening its first mortgage lending office in Pasadena (Los Angeles County). The new lending center will be managed by Rob Levy. Levy comes to HomeStreet from Wells Fargo, where he was ranked the company’s number one producer in the nation for home purchase loans in 2011 and the top producer for purchase and overall production volume in Southern California from 2008 to 2012. Levy will initially lead a staff of six mortgage originators and assistants. “We believe the Pasadena area offers a strong housing market and economy and provides HomeStreet with a significant opportunity to expand our purchase business,” said Rich Bennion, executive vice president and residential lending director for HomeStreet Bank. “We have a very solid and talented team in place to launch this expansion and represent HomeStreet’s brand of expertise, service and reliability in a new and exciting market.”