Meet our founder and executive team.
Brad Waite founded LHFS in 1988 and still leads it today. The executive team behind him collectively brings over 200 years of combined mortgage industry experience across origination, capital markets, technology, compliance, and operations. None of these roles are ceremonial — each leader is reachable through standard company channels.
What brings you here today?
Six leaders, one mission.
Each member of the executive team is responsible for a specific function. None of them are ceremonial. All are reachable through standard channels — we don't hide our leadership behind PR walls.
Founded LHFS in 1988. Still leads day-to-day operations. The longest-tenured CEO at any independent California mortgage lender of comparable size.
Oversees lending operations, processing, underwriting, and closing across all 50 states LHFS lends in. Responsible for turn times, pipeline integrity, and branch operations.
Leads finance, capital markets, and secondary marketing. Manages relationships with FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, GNMA, and the VA.
Responsible for state and federal compliance, licensing, and regulatory affairs across the LHFS footprint. Owns the relationship with state regulators and CFPB matters.
Leads loan-origination systems, customer-facing technology, and data infrastructure. Owns the borrower portal, LO toolset, and integrations with our investor partners.
Heads the company's ~50 loan-officer partner relationships and recruiting. Responsible for the LO experience, training, and retention.
Independent. Direct. Long-tenured.
Independent since 1988
LHFS has never been acquired and is not private-equity-backed. The same person who founded the company in 1988 still runs it. That continuity is the reason the program mix and underwriting culture have stayed consistent across four decades.
Compliance reports to the President
Compliance and risk do not report to sales. The CCO reports directly to Brad. This is a deliberate structural choice— it removes the pressure that drives quality issues at lenders where compliance answers to the volume side of the house.
Long average tenure at every level
Many of our LOs, processors, and underwriters have been with LHFS for 10-20+ years. That institutional memory is what makes complex files (manufactured, USDA, jumbo specialty) move while bigger shops decline them on the first overlay hit.
Keep looking around.
About LHFS
Our story since 1988 — what we do, who we serve, and how we're structured.
Read about us →Why LHFS
The five reasons borrowers and partners choose LHFS over bigger or cheaper-rate lenders.
See the case →Our branches
Where we operate, who runs each branch, and how to reach the team near you.
Find a branch →Careers at LHFS
Open roles in operations, technology, compliance, and the loan-officer network.
See open roles →For media, partnerships, or escalations — email leadership@lhfs.com.
For loan questions, our LOs and processors are the right first contact. 800.672.9470 or short app.