ONTARIO – The real estate market continues to grow in Richland County with the official ribbon cutting of Gateway Mortgage Group on Wednesday.
Located at 2021 Park Ave. West in Suite 101, the company has been around for just a few months in Ontario but is already looking to expand. Branch Manager Stephen Pfizenmayer said right now the goal is to spread their positive reputation amongst the community.
“There are a lot of lenders shying away from the smaller markets, but if we can come in here and get name recognition and the platform we have out there, they’ll be coming back,” he said.
A native of Lexington, Pfizenmayer said he has been in lending in this area for almost 20 years now. The level of accountability throughout the levels of Gateway is what draws Pfizenmayer to the company.
“In this business there are so many things involved in a mortgage loan,” he said. “What we do is we look for solutions, as soon as we find a problem we get everybody involved and we make it work.”
Pfizenmayer explained the variety of services offered at Gateway, including first mortgage loans, conventional loans with as little as three percent down, standard FHA loans, and VA loans to help veterans. In addition, Gateway offers no-money down loans and less-money down loans based on income.
“We offer a wide array of products with very competitive pricing,” Pfizenmayer said. “Right now, interest rates are as low as they’ve ever been.”
Regional Manager Mark Richardson noted Gateway also handles construction loans, with a one-time close and a locked-in interest rate.
“I know inventories are a little bit low as far as existing home sales go, so sometimes construction might be the way to go,” Richardson said. “We welcome the opportunity to help you through the process.”
According to Richardson, Gateway also has branches in Cincinnati and Columbus, and is looking to expand into this area even further.
“We definitely are hiring people, we want to grow this branch,” he said.
Currently Pfizenmayer and Loan Originator Sharon Rawls are holding the fort down at Gateway’s new location. Ontario Mayor Randy Hutchinson mentioned on Wednesday that he first met Rawls obtaining a loan with her a number of years ago.
“I can say positively she is a great person to work with,” Hutchinson said. “We really enjoy having businesses come here, and it’s nice you’re investing in Ontario.”
