Find out why Hometown Lenders is the best in the Mortgage Industry

1. Introduction
About HomeTown Lenders
HomeTown Lenders is a debt-free, Full Eagle lender who believes in treating all employees
and customers fairly. Since our inception in March of 2000, we have grown to be one of the
leading mortgage lenders in the nation. Our corporate philosophy is: “We Exist To Serve!”
Our growth formula has always been to:
1) Hire the best.
2) Retain the best.
3) Remember Who got us there. Our company exists for a greater cause and that is to “Continually
become more like Christ in all that we do”. Out of this thought we established a 501c3 called Mission
Firefly (www.missonfirefly.org).
We have been able to accomplish this by maintaining an environment where employees feel supported
and appreciated. Our main goal is to help every individual reach their fullest potential, and to provide
them with the best originating platform in the industry.
We realize that our continued growth will be determined by our ability to adapt to changing market
conditions within our industry and we understand that we must continue to maintain an environment
where loan officers and branch managers can maximize their income potential.
We are a family business and we operate from a shared conviction that our people’s success is our
responsibility. We appreciate that there is a family behind each of our employees and that each family is
our responsibility too.
We take pride in being the best in the business, and being honest and
fair in every facet of our operation. We enjoy the small company
agility and atmosphere while we are blessed with the power of
a larger company. Those we serve are our responsibility and our
mission is to support them & empower them.
Our people come first and foremost –
Our people are HomeTown Lenders.
Sincerely,
ERIC TISHAW
Chief Executive Officer
Hometown Lenders
(256) 509-1186
eric@htlenders.com

2. We’ve partnered up with the
leading industry icons…
Barry Habib
and the MBS
Highway
Carl White
Frank Garay
& Brian Stephens
Roberto Monaco
Mortgage
Marketing
Animals
…to make sure you stay on the cutting edge!
HomeTown Lenders has been featured in:
Two Years
in a Row!
We’re In
The List!
www.hometownbranch.com • 888-606-8066

3. “A Better Home For Your Branch”
Our program was designed to be ‘BETTER’.
Better people, better tools, & better products. We believe in long-term relationships with
our partners and that’s what makes us better.
No matter who you compare us to, see for yourself why Hometown Lenders is “BETTER!”
• 24 Hour Underwrites
• Our recruiters place producers
in your branch!
• Get paid every week
• When you call,
we answer!
• Marketing “Maps” that will
TRIPLE your business!!
• Create, customize and optimize
your branch’s compensation plan
• Industry leading branch support
headed by a DE underwriter with
a loan scenario help desk
We are currently looking for high-quality Originators, Branch Managers, and Regional Managers
in AL, CO, FL, GA, KY, OH, SC, TN, TX, LA, NC, MS, MO & IN
Visit www.hometownbranch.com to read our testimonials!
We Help You Grow Your Branch
and Skyrocket Your Income!
CALL US TODAY AT
888-606-8066

4. Our Branches Say it Better
Than We Ever Could!
“I’ve been with
Hometown Lenders
since September 2002.
I couldn’t imagine ever
wanting to be anywhere
else. The company is
“big enough” to support
me and my branches
but “small enough”
that my opinion matters.
What Hometown
does best is support
the “small business
owner” mentality that exists within most of its
entrepreneurial Branch Managers. They even refer
to us as “Partners” and it shows in everything they
do. Whenever I wanted to open a branch and hire
more MLOs, they put a recruiter on it and helped
me staff a brand new office from scratch. They’ve
done this over and over for five locations. They
understand what it takes to grow business. They
know how to market, they know how to recruit,
and most importantly they know how to retain.
Hometown believes their most valuable asset is
their people and my 10+ career here is proof of
that. Year over year, since 2002, my income has
increased. Yes, that includes 2007, 2008, and 2009.
I made more money every, single year. You couldn’t
ask for a better partner in the mortgage business
than Hometown Lenders.”
Conrad T. – Huntsville, AL
“Eric, I wanted to say thank you for bringing us
into the Hometown Lenders Family. We thought we
were very successful before we came to Hometown
and we were. However, by allowing you all to help
us tweak what we were already doing, and adding
a marketing campaign that is proven, we have
grown our business every month since joining.
We are on pace to be doing twice the business we
were doing in less than 9 months after joining!
Our process has been streamlined, our turn times
have been great and the help we have received
has been 2nd to none! There are many companies
out there that promise many things…..you all have
delivered! We joined you all because of your core
values. We flourished because you all take the time
to teach branches how to run smoother, better and
more profitable. Thank you again for all you and
Hometown Lenders have done for us!!!!!”
Scott Moulton – Birmingham, Al
“I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to finally work
for a branch company that follows through on all
of the promises made during recruiting! This is
especially true regarding growing our business –
EVERY branch company says they will help with
this. However, Hometown is the first that has given
us the tools to get us to the next level. Although we
don’t have the largest volume we still have the same
resources available to us – we can request a rush to
impress a client or call the president of the company
up just to ask for advice. We truly feel like we’ve
found our home at Hometown.
Jennifer Conley – Chillicothe, OH
“Whatever level you are currently at, HomeTown
Lenders will boost you to new heights. I have been
with HomeTown Lenders for several years & found
these points to be a must to have, when growing
my business. Most of all HomeTown has delivered
the plan to success. HTL will personally strengthen
your market share with their professional recruiters,
in hiring top quality employees. HTL will strengthen
your marketing game plan or craft a plan to your
specific market, to get results and they back up
what they say with uncompromising RESULTS!
I have felt right at home with from day one with
HomeTown Lenders!”
Dean Marshall – Knoxville, TN

5. Reprinted from The Niche Report magazine, August 2012 www.thenichereport.com
Questions and Answers with HomeTown!
(TheNicheReport) — The Niche Report
asks Eric Tishaw, the Chief Executive Officer
of Hometown Lenders, what it takes to be
successful and grow in a time when most are
closing their doors.
First, tell us a little about Hometown
Lenders.
We started out over 12 years ago as just a small
group of friends who wanted to originate loans
together and have fun doing it. Over the years,
our small company grew, mostly by referrals
from our AE’s and other
employees, and pretty soon
we had branches all over
our state with some really
great people who are still
here with us today. It didn’t
take long before we grew to
be the largest lender in our
state and then to be one of
the largest lenders in the South-East. As we grew,
we invested in our company and in technology,
and we also got very good at supporting all of
our branches that were spread out all over the
South. When we made the decision to become a
retail branching operation, it was a logical growth
progression as well as a natural extension of our
abilities and expertise. We were able to scale our
systems up to meet the requirements of operating
a high number of retail branches in multiple states.
During our growth, we never lost sight of the fact
that we’ve always been a family-oriented business
and that our people are what’s most important to
us, and any of our partners will tell you that. We
know what it’s like to have to generate business
by beating the streets for referrals and watching
marketing costs like a hawk - we work very
hard to provide the best platform possible for
our people to be as successful as they want to be
and we make them look like champions to their
customers and referral partners.
How has Hometown Lenders been able
to thrive in a time when most of its
competitors have closed up shop?
Well, we started out with a unique philosophy that
wasn’t popular or shared by anyone else in the
industry at the time….we were very selective
about who we hired. For most companies, it
was just a big volume grab, and they were
hiring anyone who could bring them additional
production. The problem turned out to be
that a few bad apples spoiled their bunch, so
in order to protect the company they had to
overcompensate by implementing policies
and restrictions which effectively put training
wheels on the good folks. Some major companies
got shut down because of the poor quality of the
loans being produced by some of the bad hires
they made.
We took a different approach, and it paid off. I
personally travelled to meet everyone we hired
(or didn’t hire) in person to see if they were going
to be a good fit with us, and to get a gut feeling
regarding the quality of their loan production
and personal character. Our position was that
we would much rather have a branch doing less
volume but one that fit well within our culture so
that we didn’t lose sleep at night over their loans
rather than to have big shops who might originate

6. questionable loans. The outcome for us was that
we were able to grow at a consistent, measured
pace with both big and small branches and achieve
a level of success that was based on a solid
foundation of top quality branches and producers.
From there we were able to invest and support our
branches and then let them do what they do best –
close loans.
by the recent barriers to entry that have been
put into place, such as licensing regulations,
compliance measures, and higher net worth
requirements. Overall, we are very confident that
the industry is heading in the right direction, and
we feel that Hometown Lenders is well positioned
to emerge as one of the industry’s new leaders in
retail branching.
We’ve noticed your company is growing at
a remarkable rate – what’s your secret to
success?
What else is HomeTown doing that other
companies are not?
We strongly believe that it’s not enough to recruit
good branches and then just hope they work out.
We firmly believe that recruiting AND retaining
is our top mission. This market is way too
competitive to be good at recruiting only. If you
don’t have a strong value proposition, your good
people won’t stick around long, and your turnover
costs will go through the roof. We are good at
recruiting, but we genuinely enjoy developing
and growing great branches. We developed this
strategy years ago, and it has been very successful
for our branches, so naturally we are very proud
of that. We have been able to be a catalyst for
some significant growth, and we have uncovered
some amazing talent. We’ve seen some other
companies trying to copy our approach recently,
but we really enjoy the process and I think that
is the real difference. We don’t do it because it
sells well, we do it because we are good at it
and we enjoy helping our branches grow. We’re
helping them become champions, and they are
helping grow their company to a whole new level.
We have several different models for success in
this industry, and we work with our branches to
apply the one that makes the most sense for them.
We have taken branches that were doing five
loans per month and turned them into production
powerhouses that close over 200 loans a month.
What’s your outlook on the industry?
We are very optimistic about the future and the
continued turnaround of our industry. We would
love to see government regulators take a step back
and let the free market pick the winners and the
losers. We’ve seen a few signs that they may be
easing up a bit, and we are particularly encouraged
Well, I don’t know that no one else is doing this,
but one thing we feel very strongly about is our
company-sponsored mission to help selected
villages in Guatemala. Mission Firefly (www.
missionfirefly.org) is a 501C that we created to
fulfill what we believe is our greater calling in
life. We enjoy giving back, and our people enjoy
the opportunity to be a part of a great mission.
Everyone in our company is welcome to go on
trips with us, and it gives us a chance to break
away from business now and then to focus on
what’s really important in life. That’s probably
not the answer you were looking for, but I think
it ties in with what really sets us apart from our
competitors - we believe that it’s our people that
make us different. It sounds cheesy but its true –
no other company has our people, and they are
what makes Hometown Lenders great.
Eric Tishaw is the Chief Executive
Officer of HomeTown Lenders.
Recognized as a leader in the
mortgage industry, Mr. Tishaw
was recently included in National
Mortgage Professionals “Top 40
under 40” list, and he was named
National Mortgage Professional of the Month.
With over 12 successful years in the business, an
MBA, and a lifetime of working in and around
the mortgage business, Eric understands exactly
what it takes to be successful in this industry.
Eric Tishaw is committed to helping the Loan
Originators and Mortgage Branch Managers at
Hometown Lenders realize their fullest potential
by utilizing and sharing the skills he has learned
and the best practices he has observed throughout
his career.

7. On-Boarding Process
How the On-Boarding Process works
with HomeTown Lenders
1. Application
2. Branch Setup
3. Walk-Through
4. Submit Loans!
APPLICATION
The first step is to apply for our program. You may either fill out the attached Branch Manager
application and email it back to us OR you fill out the application online at www.hometownbranch.
com - whichever you prefer.
Once we have received your completed application, we will perform a background and credit check
and check your references. Once approved, we will send you the rest of the material to fill out to
complete your employment and branch setup. (Initial approval generally takes 24-48 hours)
SETUP ITEMS
Once your application is completely approved, you will be contacted by Chris Fiorello, our VP of
Branch Operations, who will guide you through the rest of the process outlined below. Please plan
to spend 20-30 minutes on the phone with Chris so that all items can be covered and all questions
can be answered.
Branch Licensing - First, and most important, item of business. We have to get you legal.
Accounting Setup - We’ll go over the paperwork that you will need to complete and who to submit
it to.
Technology Access - And finally, we’ll get you setup to access all that HTL has to offer! Please
note that Point and Credit access will revolve around your license approval. Everything else will be
issued at this time.
YOU MAY START PUTTING LOANS IN RIGHT AWAY ONCE YOUR LICENSING IS COMPLETE!
Call us today....
so we can compare what you have now with what you
could be getting with Hometown Lenders – (888) 606-8066
or email us at moreinfo@htlenders.com.

8. NMP MORTGAGE PROFESSIONAL OF THE MONTH
Eric Tishaw, CEO
HomeTown Lenders
B Y D AV I D J . C O S T E R
E
How did HomeTown Lenders come into being?
When the market turned several years ago, our
company was forced to reinvent itself to survive. At
that time, I began growing the company. We already had branches and a branch support platform
in place. Growing our branch network was a natural extension of our abilities and expertise. Today,
we have over 325 employees in branches from
Florida to Colorado.
ric Tishaw, CEO of HomeTown Lenders is
the October 2013 National Mortgage Professional Magazine Mortgage Professional of the Month. HomeTown Lenders is a
37-branch retail lending organization based in
Huntsville, Ala. HomeTown Lenders’ growth,
innovative marketing and commitment to improving the conditions of the communities in
which their employees live and work, as well
as the world at large, makes them worthy of
this selection. I recently had the chance to
speak with Eric and uncover the passion behind the organization.
I understand that working in the mortgage industry was your goal from your time in college.
Tell me about that.
They say that nobody intends to go into the
mortgage business. I’m actually the exception
to that rule. I grew up around the mortgage
business, and was always really intrigued by it.
I had some great friends growing up who were
in the business. I was always really attracted to
it. So my intention while in college was to go
into the mortgage business when I graduated.
What was so appealing about the industry?
I think what appealed to me most is the constant
challenge—there is never a dull day in this business! But more importantly, we help people realize their dreams of owning a home. It’s a very
rewarding career.
How did you first get your start in the business?
After college, I went to work as a loan originator.
I really liked working with borrowers and educating them so they could make a better informed decision. There is a lot of personal
gratification in helping take their nervousness
out of the process. I soon made the move to become a branch manager. As a manager, I loved
helping my employees mature and watching
them sink the winning shot.
What is unique about your organization?
What makes us unique is how we approach the
business, how we view it and our roles in helping
our partners grow. Our main philosophy revolves
around three “R’s”: Recruit the best, Retain the best
and Remember who got us there.
With the first “R”, we are looking to Recruit
the best. We are always looking for top-tier caliber people with integrity. We are very selective of who we hire. We don’t just hire anyone
in order to get bigger.
The second “R” is Retention. We have a
strong focus on retaining the best. A lot of
companies focus solely on recruiting, but we
put a heavy focus on retention. We want to
know what the branches’ goals are and to help
them get there and help support them as they
grow. We put a high priority on support, making sure when people call us that we answer
the phone. That is a big part of who we are.
Some companies make big promises, yet
we frequently hear people say, “They promised
N M P M E D I A C O R P.
1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, New York 11793-2202
516-409-5555 • Fax: 516-409-4600 • E-mail: advertise@NMPMediaCorp.com
NationalMortgageProfessional.com

9. me the moon, but after I started, I never heard
from them.” HomeTown Lenders has dedicated
personnel and processes in place to help our
branches and LOs meet their goals. We help
them with marketing strategies, and we are
partnered up with some of the industries icons
like Frank and Brian from the National Real Estate Post, and Carl White and Scotty Hudspeth
from Mortgage Marketing Animals. We do that
in an effort to help our people realize their full
potential and exceed their goals.
The third “R” is to always Remember why we
are here … we are a Christian company, and we remember that God is the reason for our success. We
have been through some very difficult times that
unfortunately a lot of companies didn’t make it
through. We give that credit to God.
This over-arching philosophy is the primary reason for our success.
You have also employed a unique advertising
campaign that includes comic strips. What is behind that?
It is definitely unique! Frequently, when talking to branches, they would mention, “I was
talking to this company, and they promised me
the moon. They said they would give me recruiting support and they would answer their
phone and give me all these things, but then
when I on board and it was, ‘How much are
you doing this month?’” I guess we heard it so
much that it became comical that other companies were just promising the moon but not
delivering. That’s really where the idea came
from—just to make light of that fact.
As far as marketing is concerned, we just
wanted a campaign that really stood out and was
different. We are always getting feedback from people saying they love it. They appreciate that it’s different, and they understand that we are different
too. We are maybe a little bit unconventional, but
I think the comics are a good window into who we
are. We like to have fun, but we are serious about
business.
You make a special effort to participate in charitable work. Why is that?
We exist for a greater purpose than just closing
loans and making money. Our goal is to leave behind a legacy and to leave the world a better place
than we found it—to make real, positive, measurable impacts on other people’s lives.
We created a company 501c3 organization
called Mission Firefly. It’s a mission organization to
serve a village in Guatemala. We have built 13
houses and seven clean water systems and have really taken the Word to several places. We are starting to do that in other countries as well.
On a local level, there is a local home for boys
where we sponsor events and support them with
clothing, school supplies and tutoring. Most importantly, we spend time with them. That’s the key.
Anybody can throw money at a problem, but it’s
really important for us to develop relationships and
help these young kids grow into responsible adults.
Being in business, making money, closing loans
and helping customers … that’s all great, but we
do it to allow us to serve a greater purpose. We
firmly believe our role in leading or participating
in programs like this is critical and it falls in line
with our beliefs. Our message is quite simply to
show God’s love to others. The needs in the communities are amazing. It’s easy to sit back and say
that somebody else has that covered … they don’t.
There are so many opportunities to be of service,
we try to fill as many as we can.
What are your business goals?
One of our primary goals right now is to continue
our national expansion. We are actively entering
new markets because we believe we have a great
model, and are simply expanding that to a wider
area. The next goal for us is to double our current
level of production.
How would you describe the mortgage professionals you are looking to add?
We are looking for high quality, top tier talent. We
are looking for people that do clean, compliant
business. We have always viewed quality as better
than quantity, sometimes turning down the large
volume branches if we just don’t get a good feeling
about them. One of the things I still do today is
meet people in person before we hire them. I know
that sounds crazy, but the reality is we want to know
who we are working with. It needs to be a good fit.
They are not just a number. The personal visit
weighs very heavily in the branch approval process.
How would you make a pitch to a prospective
branch manager?
There are a bunch of companies out there, and
everybody offers the same basic platform. You do
loans. You have products and programs and prices.
It’s really all the same. What sets a great company
apart in my humble opinion is its people. How willing are they to help? Do they have a genuine desire
to help? We have great people who understand that
our branches are our customers and do whatever it
takes to exceed expectations.
When prospects come through our office we
often hear, “Wow, these people are great. Everybody
is so great. They want to help.” That’s not by accident. We have an experienced team that enjoys
helping. We have been together a long time. Everybody is on the same page about wanting to help
our partners and help them grow and make sure
their questions are answered. The greatest compliment we commonly hear is: “Man, this is night and
day. My previous company wouldn’t even answer
the phone. They’re too busy.”
Our branches have a seat at the table. They have
a voice. We regularly have events where we get together and discuss what’s going on. They all have
my cell phone number. If they see something they
don’t like or they want to discuss an idea, the line
of communication is open. Some of our best ideas
come from our branch managers. We want that to
continue.
David J. Coster is senior editor of National Mortgage Professional Magazine. He may be reached
by phone at (919) 559-2171 or e-mail
davidc@nmpmediacorp.com.
N M P M E D I A C O R P.
1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, New York 11793-2202
516-409-5555 • Fax: 516-409-4600 • E-mail: advertise@NMPMediaCorp.com
NationalMortgageProfessional.com

10. Mission Firefly exists to shine light into the darkness
and to share the love of Christ with “the least of these”
.
Our mission is to take the good news of Jesus Christ to
the poor and needy of our world. Period.
As we prepare to follow God’s command to
go into all the world and make disciples of all
the nations, we focus on three things: spiritual
discipleship, physical needs and economic
stability.
Our steadfast goal is to mobilize and empower various
groups of believers and local churches to do the same.
Our Philosophy:
We will dream big, work tirelessly and persevere no
matter what.
We build, organize, strategize, rejuvenate, transform, train, teach, lead,
facilitate, serve, inspire and assist… We are partners, friends, mentors,
leaders, teachers, servants and more.
Our Strategy:
We will accomplish our mission by creating
solutions and duplicating our efforts in the
local church... and then we will simply GO.
Mission Firefly seeks to help create sustainable solutions
locally and around the world by focusing on five key
areas of need: spiritual, physical, economic, health and
education. We endeavor to duplicate these solutions by
exposing other ministries and concerned individuals to
the plight of those in spiritual and economic need.
Our goal is to help empower and enable local churches
to develop long term relationships through short term
mission trips and also give practical help to those who
have little or no experience in missions.
Then, we will go.
Won’t you join us?
Visit our website: www.missionfirefly.org

11. Application

12. Welcome!
Thank you for applying with HomeTown Lenders - the number one
platform for the top-producing Branch Managers and Loan Originators!
Here at HomeTown Lenders, we strive to provide all of our employees with a
productive, challenging, and compliant working environment that encourages
individual accomplishment through continuous training and support. If selected to join
our team, we will give you the tools and provide you with the support that you need to
help you accomplish your goals.
Application Checklist
Please complete this checklist to ensure the completeness of your application kit prior
to submission for consideration.
Application Kit:
• Employment Application
• Background Check Form
Your submission must also include the following items:
o Copy of your Drivers License
o Copy of your Social Security Card
o Copy of current commercial lease agreements (rent/equipment/etc)
(branch managers only)
o Current pay stub (loan officers and branch managers only)
o Copy of your resume
o Copy of all state licenses held (loan officers and branch managers only)
Please send all items to:
FAX - (256) 261-1984, or
E-mail: chris@htlenders.com
“Home Town Lenders is an Equal Opportunity Employer”

13. HomeTown Lenders, LLC
Employment Application

16. BACKGROUND CHECK AUTHORIZATION AND RELEASE
A background check is required for each new prospective Employee:
1. In connection with my application for employment, I understand that a consumer report or an investigative
consumer report may be requested that will include information as to my character, work habits, performance,
and experience, along with reasons for termination of past employment. I understand that as directed by my
company policy and consistent with the job described, you may be requesting information from public and
private sources about my workers compensation injuries and claims, driving record, court record, education,
references and credit. Also, I am willing to submit to drug testing to detect the use of illegal drugs prior to and
during employment.
2. Medical and workers compensation information will only be requested in compliance with the Federal
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or any other applicable state laws. According to the Fair Credit
Reporting Act, I am entitled to know if employment is denied because of information obtained by my
prospective employer from a consumer-reporting agency. If so, I will be notified and given the name and
address of the agency or the source, which provided the information.
3. I acknowledge that a fax or photocopy shall be as valid as the original.
4. I hereby authorize, without reservation, any law enforcement agency, institution, information service bureau,
school, employer, reference or Insurance Company be contacted by HOMETOWN LENDERS LLC or its agent,
to furnish the information described herein. The following information is required by law enforcement agencies
and other entities for positive identification purposes when checking public records. It is confidential and will
not be used for any other purposes. I hereby release the employer and agents and all persons, agencies,
and entities providing information on reports about me from any and all liability arising out of the requests for
release of any of the above mentioned information or reports.
_________________________________________________________
Print (Last, First, Middle)
_________________________________________________________
Print Prior Name(s) (Last, First, Middle)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Street Address/City/State/Zip
Date of Birth _____________________ Social Security Number: ____________________________________
The following states require sex and race to obtain information: AL, FL, GA
Sex: o Male o Female
Race: o Asian o Black o Hispanic o White
o Other
Drivers License Number ______________________________
State Issuing License __________ Name as it appears on license ________________________________
Signature ______________________________ Date __________________

17. CHAMBLEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
CRIMINAL HISTORY CONSENT FORM
I hereby authorize ______________________________________________________________
to receive any Georgia criminal history record information pertaining to me which may be in the files of any
state or local criminal justice agency in Georgia.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Full Name (print)
_____________________________________________________________________________
Address
_____
Sex
_____
Race
__________________
Date of Birth
_________________________
Social Security Number
___________________________________________________
Signature
__________________
Date
Special employment provisions (check if applicable):
o Employment
with mentally disabled (Purpose code ‘M’)
o Employment with elder care (Purpose code ‘N’)
o Employment with children (Purpose code ‘W’)
One of the following must be checked:
o This
authorization is valid for 90/180/_____ (circle one) days from date of signature.
o I,
_______________________________________________ give consent to the above named to perform
periodic criminal history background checks for the duration of my employment with this company.
CH CLERK:__________________________________________ DATE: ______________