CHARLOTTE — The prospect of rising interest rates and inflation is not dampening business at goodmortgtage.com.
CEO Keith Luedeman told Local Tech Wire at Tuesday night’s TechExec that his firm has recently hired five more people. And when business gets too good, he has to “turn off” a web link with LendingTree, one of numerous sites that refer customers to the online mortgage banking site.
While the number five doesn’t sound large, it is to goodmortgage, which now employs 30 folks.
“Concerns about rates don’t appear to be affecting us,” Luedeman said. In fact, he pointed out business continues to grow as more and more people turn to the web to shop for mortgages.
“People don’t use the yellow pages,” he said. “They go to the web and shop.” (The company’s motto is web appropriate: “Where loans click.”)
Business has been so good that goodmortgage.com has climbed into the top 50 of LendingTree’s referral list – in less than a year. “There are more than 180 firms in the network,” Luedeman said, and he has his sights set higher. “We’re aiming for the top 10.”
But Luedeman said the new hires are part of the firm’s efforts to maintain a high-level quality of service. He doesn’t want potential customers turned off by not receiving attention and prompt, accurate service. When the loan flow threatens to push service levels, Luedeman said he will staunch it.
Goodmortgage.com handles its own funding, so home buyers or those seeking refinancing don’t have to deal with a broker. Luedeman said his firm uses paid placements and search engine keywords to advertise its business.
People coming to the site get a lot more information than just rates. Luedeman pointed out goodmortgage.com includes “17,000 pages of information about financing and mortgages. We want to help educate people. We want to take the mystery out of mortgages.
“Everyone has a bad mortgage experience in their lives,” he added. “We want to help people avoid those.”
Recent updates on the site discuss how the Federal Reserve’s increase in its rates could affect mortgages.
Users can apply online for loans or ask to be contacted personally by goodmortgage’s staff.
Networking
Dave Jones, CEO of Peak 10, is one of the most traveled executives around. Every time I try to touch base with him, he seems en route to one of Peak 10’s data centers. On Tuesday, for example, he drove to Raleigh to meet with customers, played golf in the afternoon with them and then drove back to Charlotte to arrive just in time for the TechExec. Jones rotates his schedule among visits to Tampa, Jacksonville and Raleigh along with board meetings at the company’s headquarters in Charlotte. Peak 10’s recent acquisition of Xodiax in Louisville only adds to the travel.
So, Dave, how many business miles do you put in a year on your car? “About 26,000 miles,” he said.
Frances Queen of Queen Associates touched based with Mike McGuire head of Grant Thornton in the Carolinas. “She truly is the queen of female entrepreneurs in Charlotte,” McGuire said as he introduced Frances to a reporter.
McGuire stopped in for a while before heading off to another event. McGuire was all smiles as he talked about strong growth at Grant Thornton. The Carolinas group is rapidly rising toward the top of best-producing practices for the accounting and business financial advisors conglomerate.
Jim Stikeleather, CEO of SANDirect, said his company will be announcing a new series of products for the red-hot storage area network space in a few weeks.
SANDirect also announced it will play host to the next TechExec in Charlotte on March 10.
Robert Van Geons, executive director of the Stanly County Economic Development Commission, was on the prowl, talking up his county’s efforts to raise its business profile.
Rick Smith is managing editor of Local Tech Wire.
