Pennymac is extending its Team USA mortgage strategy into borrower education, using Olympic and Paralympic athletes to explain home financing questions that range from affordability and refinancing to qualifying with nontraditional income.
The lender launched “Welcome Home,” the second season of its “Bring It Home” video series, featuring Team USA athletes who are also Pennymac homeowners. The six-episode series pairs the athletes with Pennymac home loan experts to discuss different stages of homeownership.
Three-time U.S. Olympic medalist freeskier Alex Ferreira, five-time U.S. Paralympic medalist snowboarder Brenna Huckaby, and Olympic gold medalist speedskater Erin Jackson appear in the series.
The first five episodes cover mortgage affordability, preparing to buy a home, refinancing, first-time homeownership, and home equity. The sixth focuses on nontraditional income, a particularly relevant issue for athletes whose earnings may come from sponsorships, competitions, and other variable sources.
“Team USA athletes understand the relentless pursuit of a goal and the importance of coming home to a place of their own,” said Scott Bridges, Pennymac’s chief consumer direct production officer. “Our ‘Welcome Home’ expert-led, athlete-hosted video series was created to simplify and personalize expert mortgage guidance.”
A Broader Qualification Challenge
The athlete connection gives Pennymac a high-profile way to address a familiar challenge for originators: borrowers whose earnings do not fit neatly into a conventional salary structure.
Pennymac told NMP that athletes may have income tied to sponsorships, performance, and competition cycles, along with careers that can be relatively short and unpredictable.
The company said it takes a personalized approach to each athlete’s financial history but did not identify a separate method for documenting or calculating sponsorship, prize, seasonal, or competition income.
Instead, athletes have access to Pennymac’s full range of conventional, government-backed, and Non-QM mortgages. Pennymac said it assesses each participant’s income and financial circumstances to identify the appropriate product.
Pennymac is not presenting Welcome Home as a separate loan with athlete-specific underwriting standards. It is providing an athlete-focused route through its existing mortgage menu, supported by specialized guidance and education.
The approach may offer a broader lesson for originators working with self-employed borrowers, independent contractors, commission earners, and others whose income requires more explanation and documentation than a standard W-2 file.
Building On Athlete Mortgage Program
The series follows Pennymac’s April launch of its Welcome Home: Athlete Mortgage Program, which serves U.S. Olympians, Paralympians, hopefuls, and alumni.
Pennymac describes the program as a comprehensive support system offering dedicated lending specialists, specialized mortgage options, potential savings opportunities, and educational resources through its Home Team Training Center.
Asked by NMP to identify the specific financial benefits, Pennymac did not disclose a defined discount, fee waiver, closing-cost credit, or savings amount.
The program is part of the lender’s broader sponsorship as the official mortgage provider of Team USA and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It supports athletes buying homes, refinancing existing mortgages, or accessing home equity.
“Of all the goals I’ve worked toward, becoming a homeowner ranks as one of my proudest,” Huckaby said. “Getting there came with a lot of questions, which is exactly why I love this series: It answers them with honest, easy-to-understand conversations and makes homebuying feel attainable.”
