Tulsa, OK, Feb., 25, 2021 – Gateway Mortgage, a division of Gateway First Bank, announced the opening of a new mortgage center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This new center, located in the Shoppes on Peoria at 1717 North Peoria, will be the only full-service mortgage center of its kind focused on the housing finance needs of residents in the area.
For the past 20 years, Gateway has been living the core mission of “Strengthening Families and Communities.” The Mortgage Center will provide expanded outreach to a traditionally underserved market and will be the model Gateway uses to further its community-centric focus in other markets.
“Over a year ago, we developed a plan to expand our outreach efforts to Tulsa’s underserved markets” said Scott Gesell, CEO of Gateway. “We believe that seeking partnerships with the North Tulsa community leadership is critical to the success of our efforts. We have been having community conversations with legislators, city representatives, community leaders and residents since 2019 to gain feedback on the housing and financing needs of the North Tulsa residents. This mortgage center is a partnership with the community to provide a presence and access for residents to learn more about affordable home ownership and obtain financial services.”
The mortgage center will be managed by Tina Johnson, Mortgage Sales Manager, and lifetime resident of North Tulsa. Johnson has received her education from schools in the community. She attended Hawthorne Elementary, Anderson Middle School and Booker T. Washington High School. Johnson chose to stay in Tulsa for college as well and received a BSBA from the University of Tulsa. Her continuing education at the University of Tulsa included studies in Business Law. Johnson worked for Gateway from 1995 to 2006 and returned in 2019 to coordinate the new center's opening. She has more than 26 years of experience in new business startup, real estate and long-term planning; and specializes in mortgage products, market analysis, demographic studies, data analysis, strategic planning, recruiting and business developments.
“The Community Mortgage Center’s mission is to be a local resource for those who want to become successful homeowners,” said Johnson. “We know that the process of becoming a homeowner can be overwhelming, and we want to help community residents who are interested in exploring their options. We plan to offer in person and virtual financial education classes, which we believe will provide consumers direction as they explore homeownership.
“We want to raise awareness of the many products Gateway offers as well as the benefits of homeownership and to assist borrowers with overcoming down payment challenges. For those who are not able to obtain a mortgage loan today, we want to help them set attainable goals and work with them to achieve them and complete the homebuying process,” Johnson added.
Gateway has built a record of providing mortgage credit to low- and moderate-income consumers across the country. As such, Gateway continuously works to develop strategic products with its secondary market partners to provide affordable market interest rates and assistance for families struggling to meet the challenge of making a down payment.
About Gateway First Bank
Gateway First Bank is a leading financial institution that provides banking and mortgage services for consumers and commercial customers. Headquartered in Jenks, Oklahoma, Gateway is a $1.9 billion asset sized bank with a strong mortgage operation. Gateway is one of the largest banking and mortgage operations in the United States with six bank branches in Oklahoma, over 160 mortgage centers in 42 states, and almost 1,600 employees. Learn more at www.GatewayFirst.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender (NMLS 7233)
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