Looking In

June 14, 2023 by

I lead the quality assurance (QA) team in Lument’s loan servicing and asset management (LSAM) department. Loan servicing refers to the administration of a loan—from the moment money is disbursed to the borrower until the time the loan is paid off.

My team and I ensure that Lument’s loan servicing adheres to all relevant laws and regulations—of which there are many. Within my team, we have two sub-teams. One deals with reporting and analytics. The other focuses on process and controls and data governance. As part of our work, we also serve as a liaison between LSAM and Lender Technology.

I joined Lument in 2020. Over the past three years I’ve had many good experiences. But I think my favorite part of the job is simply getting to help people. It’s what makes me happy and excited to get up in the morning. And I work with some incredible people who are really good at what they do. Being able to make their lives easier, so that they can be more successful and show their skill sets, is awesome.

Like any job, there are plenty of challenges to overcome. The QA team, for example, often faces people on their worst days. We’re going to colleagues and we’re saying, “Hey, here’s some control testing results that may not be flattering.” But once you get past that awkwardness, and you start to build trust with colleagues you can start being truly effective in what you’re doing. To build that trust with the colleagues we work with, you also need very strong communication skills, in addition to excellent technical knowledge of the business.

Working at Lument is both stimulating and rewarding, and I am honored to have won a Lument Excellence Award for Innovation Champion several times. In QA, however, we don’t usually have single, momentous, accomplishments to brag about. Instead, it’s a lot of smaller things here and there and being able to make a positive impact on other teams, little by little.

Another thing I enjoy about Lument is its culture of teamwork: Everyone’s willing to pitch in a hand to help. And they’re most focused on the success of the team, rather than on individual egos. In my industry, every team affects another team downstream—from how a loan is originated, to how the loan is loaded into our system, to how it’s managed by the asset managers or reported by investor reporting. When you have an environment like that, it’s vital that you also have a good working relationship with the teams around you. Without that cultural emphasis on teamwork, we would struggle to be successful.

Away from the office, I’m trying to instill that respect for teamwork in my own children as well. When I have a free moment, I love to pursue my hobby of woodworking, especially with my five-year old son. He enjoys it—and he’s also learning that, together, you can often create something far better than by trying to do it alone.

May 10, 2023 by

I had always been interested in real estate. When I was young, I was fascinated by looking at houses and house plans. When I got to college, I thought there would be an opportunity to make a difference on the financial side of the industry. I joined one of Lument’s predecessor companies in 2010, and I am proud that, thanks to the billions of dollars in loans I’ve helped close during my 12 years here, we’ve made it possible for hundreds of thousands of people to benefit from affordable housing.

My job can be challenging. On any given day, I work on multiple loans that are at different stages in the underwriting process. You have to be really organized, always thinking ahead to what needs to be done next and prioritizing tasks so that we stay on time, meet deadlines, and deliver for our customers.

At the same time, I’ve met many wonderful people here over the years, especially my fellow employees in Affordable. Everyone is always willing to lend a hand or provide knowledge and guidance when needed. I’ve trained a lot of new hires over the years, and they always say our group is so great to work with.

I have also enjoyed being part of the company-wide effort to upgrade and integrate our technology. I am in a number of Lument technology groups, where I am able to provide value because I have direct contact with the customers. I really appreciate getting to speak for people in the trenches, and it’s important to me that Lument listens and tries to implement technology that can help us do our jobs better.

When I first started out, we had just stopped delivering loan files in boxes, but we still did a lot of paperwork. Technology definitely makes life easier internally by streamlining processes and increasing efficiency. And it matters to our customers. Because of our technology, we are able to process loans faster and more seamlessly. For instance, I don’t think any of our competitors come close when it comes to our external due diligence collection site.

My team is spread out across the country—and while I work remotely, I don’t feel in the least disconnected. I’ve known many of my colleagues for years, and our strong culture at Lument unites us.

April 11, 2023 by

I had already interned at two other real estate companies when I came to Lument in the summer after my junior year. I found that I enjoyed looking at deals from the debt side while feeling that my contributions were valued. In fact, I liked Lument so much that at the end of the summer I asked to stay on even though that meant going to the office during the day and going to school at night. When I graduated in January 2019, I started working at Lument full time.

Today, I’m head of the New York City bullpen, a group of analysts supporting originators across the entire company. We are at the front line, helping them screen deals that come in from brokers or clients. We run the models, pull market reports, and reach out to appraisers. If the deal passes muster, chances are very good that when it gets to underwriting, it should be pretty solid.

When I arrived at Lument, I was the only woman in the bullpen, but I never felt at a disadvantage. People here are collegial, collaborative, and supportive. But there’s definitely an ongoing effort to make Lument more diverse. I now have three other women on my team, and I’m always looking for tools and resources that can accelerate their careers.

The opportunity to mentor young women is one of the reasons I enjoy being part of CREW. I originally joined as a college student to find out more about career opportunities in real estate. Now, I see it as a way to give back. I also enjoy meeting women in other parts of the industry. And as a member of the New York Junior League, I get to meet women from all walks of life as we work together to strengthen our communities.

Volunteering is very important to me as a way to step back from my professional life. I have volunteered since I was a teenager at the Holy Apostles soup kitchen — and there is something about giving back through food that I find very satisfying. When you are providing people with hot meals, you see what a difference a small thing can make. It keeps me focused on what’s really important.

December 13, 2022 by

I serve as senior director and senior managing counsel at Lument, helping to advance the company’s business strategy while protecting it from unacceptable risk. On any given day, I may close a seniors housing loan, review an engagement for a broker dealer, or provide advice for Lument Finance Trust. I never really know what the day will bring, but that’s what makes my job challenging and exciting. No matter what the project may be, Lument gives me the opportunity to partner with the business team to brainstorm and find solutions for complex problems.

Serving as an in-house counsel was something I’d always wanted to pursue. I had been in private practice for 11 years when Ryan Farha, now deputy general counsel at Lument’s parent company, ORIX Corporation USA, offered me a job in 2017. There is a great deal of appeal in getting to know one client very well and being an integral part of their business, and it’s been a real pleasure to accomplish that here.

Mentorship has always been important to me. I’m passionate about the professional advancement of women and committed to assisting them to meet their full potential. That’s why this year, I was very proud to receive two prestigious honors for mentoring: a Best Mentor award from Texas Lawyer and a Special Recognition award from the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations for founding Women’s Mentoring Circles, a group dedicated to providing more mentoring opportunities for young women attorneys practicing in Dallas.

I enjoy the culture at Lument. I think the people here are intelligent and focused while also being open and team oriented. I hear my share of good-natured lawyer jokes, but it’s always understood that we’re all committed to working towards the same goal. As a member of the legal team, I feel valued, welcome, and an important part of Lument.

November 30, 2022 by

As a senior director for the Sales and Trading Desk, my work treads a fine line between Lument Securities, the broker/dealer within ORIX USA, and Lument on the mortgage lending side. I’m responsible for trading our direct origination business to Wall Street through Lument Securities. On the Lument agency side, my team and I perform a variety of important functions, such as providing soft quotes for new business. When Lument wins those deals, we work with the deal team to move the loans through the pipeline. Once a deal is cleared to rate lock from an internal perspective—passing all legal, underwriting, and credit requirements—we take it to market for auction.

I’m a very social person so one thing I like about my job is being able to talk with different teams in the organization, as well as investors, on a daily basis. I also love the fast-paced environment of the Trading Desk. I thrive on hectic days, pursuing a specific goal while often facing unexpected challenges that make us adapt quickly. It keeps things interesting and exciting. And there’s no greater feeling than having a banker tell you how happy the borrower was with our execution on note rate. I also enjoy working with everyone on the Desk—both in New York and Columbus. Liking the people you work with is one of the best perks of a job at Lument.

During my time here, I’ve been impressed with Lument’s investment in promoting a diverse workplace. It’s great to see the drive and commitment to DE&I that’s occurring at top levels of corporate leadership across the entire firm. For example, I see Lument CEO Jim Flynn take time out of his day to meet with Project Destined interns. And it’s inspiring to see the firm make meaningful donations, both to causes that support social responsibility and to educating employees on topics like the LGBTQ community, the impact of mental health, and the benefits of meditation. That’s a real and tangible commitment to me, creating a culture that supports employees’ sense of belonging.

Lument’s commitment to diversity affects me on a personal level as well. As a Hispanic woman, I’ve never felt passed over here. I think both Lument and all of ORIX USA have a strong culture of inclusion and recognize the different backgrounds of all employees. Not only do I feel welcomed, but also respected and valued.

One thing not everyone knows about me is that I wasn’t born in the United States. I was born in Colombia, South America. My family moved to the U.S. when I was nine years old. At first, I had a hard time fitting in—I didn’t speak any English and was placed in a classroom where only one other student spoke Spanish. Thankfully, I learned English quickly, but that first year was quite an adjustment.

November 30, 2022 by

I am a managing director for seniors housing and healthcare at Lument. I split my responsibilities with another managing director, Casey Moore, and we basically wear three hats: first, we co-manage originators focused on seniors housing and healthcare in our west region. Second, we co-manage our Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac seniors housing business—working alongside bankers, the agencies, and underwriting. Finally, Casey and I are both bankers ourselves, and we originate new seniors housing business.

I’ve worked in the seniors industry for more than 20 years. I began at RED Capital, eventually joining Lancaster Pollard and finally landing at Lument. What really makes our space unique is that, as big as it might seem, it’s really a small niche business. I truly have enjoyed getting to know and work with our clients, partners, and third parties. In addition, I’ve always felt a connection with seniors, having been very close to my grandparents growing up. It’s wonderful to do business with high-quality owner and operators who are out there doing good work for their residents. I often refer to it as lending with a purpose, given the end benefit to seniors.

Throughout my career, I’ve seen a lot happen in the industry, but I don’t think anything could have prepared us for the pandemic. It was a rollercoaster. We spent a lot of time trying to help our clients and their seniors housing residents, who were top of mind. Casey and I adopted some new strategies, including expanding our responsibilities to co-manage the western region for seniors housing in the Spring of 2020. It was all very difficult, but fortunately, senior living operations have improved.

Throughout it all, Lument has remained a great fit for me for a number of reasons. For one, I’m an extrovert. I enjoy interacting with clients, colleagues, and business partners. Also, I have always enjoyed the rate lock process. The experience feels similar to a sports game, with rate locking being the fourth quarter winning touchdown. When you are finally able to complete the rate lock, it feels like a victory.

You may not know that, in addition to being a teacher, my father owned his own professional cleaning company—and I helped, starting at the age of five. From then until I left high school, I worked as a professional cleaner for numerous businesses in Zanesville, Ohio, including restaurants, doctors’ offices, and even commercial real estate companies. Let’s just say I’m the lead sweeper at my house, which my wife certainly enjoys and likely affords me more weekend time on the golf course.