Little Loan House, Big Service
By Roland Casamina
President & CEO of House of Finance
In the mid-’90s I saw changes coming as big banks were beginning to make their move, buying out smaller banking institutions.
As vice president of International Savings at the time, which was then bought by Citibank, I knew it was time to branch out and begin my own financial institutional venture. In 1995 operations of House of Finance began, dedicated to processing loans to our public and residents without the long processes that can take place with larger banks.
We established House of Finance as a non-depository financial institution licensed to process personal, car and mortgage loans.
More specifically, the majority of our business specializes in first mortgage residential conforming loans. We work with our clients one-on-one from the moment they step through our doors. As we have never used any traditional means of advertising, our new clients have heard about our services from friends or relatives with whom we have gained a sound relationship.
Many of our customers also come from Realtors who repeatedly bring their clients to House Of Finance. As more Realtors find out about the good service, they, too, come and bring theirs and the referrals keep repeating themselves.
That type of personal reputation has led to continuous influx of interested clients, which can sometimes lead to lines out the door. I like to compare these lines to those you may see outside popular restaurants, where the food is always worth the wait.
Walking into House of Finance, you can feel the energy and buzz. You will be greeted with a smile and positivity.
In the business community our work has not gone unnoticed, as we rank very high compared with larger financial institutions. In 2010, we were 15th in Pacific Business News‘ top residential loan rankings throughout the state, a ranking which remained consistent in 2011. We have the product production of many mid-sized banks, which is unique because before our recent move, we were located in an 800-square-foot office with only seven employees.
I have waited to expand because of the effort and time that it takes from the actual business initiatives of serving our clients’ loan needs. Instead of spending time opening and possibly closing locations, we continue to remain lean and small, continuing to crank out closing and opening loan applications. Because our overhead is so low, we can compete with larger institutions.
After 17 years it was time to expand, and we have recently opened our new location at 2300 N. King St. in Honolulu. As we continue, our focus will be centered on slow controlled growth and increasing our already favorable market share, making the community more aware of us.
For more information, call 847-8493.
