By Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
Laura Smith has left Gibraltar Mortgage to return to Countrywide Home Loans in an upgraded position.
In her new position she will be vice president, regional builder manager of Countrywide Home Loans located out of Clearwater.
“I’m really excited about this move,” said Smith. “I’ll still be very involved in this marketplace. In fact, I’ll still be a member of the board of directors of the Northeast Florida Builders Association’s Sales and Marketing Council and stay involved in those activities.”
Smith had been planning on moving back to her hometown of Clearwater, so she decided to check out her options.
“I had made a decision to move back to Clearwater to be closer to my family,” she said. “Since Gibraltar is not down there, I started talking with Countrywide and they not only wanted me back, but in this upgraded position. It was just such a great opportunity.”
Smith’s territory will cover the north side of Florida minus the Panhandle, but including Jacksonville.
“She came back to Countrywide Home Loans Jan. 16,” said Carolyn McMoran, branch manager. “She will be in and out of Jacksonville. We are happy to have her in that position. She is very good with builder relationships. She’ll be a real asset to all of us. We are real happy to have her back.”
Her new position will require her to introduce herself to several new markets while developing relationships with the builders there.
“I’ll have to do what I did in Jacksonville,” she said. “I look forward to it, because I remember when I walked into my first SMC meeting about four years ago I didn’t know a person in the room. I didn’t even know anyone at Countrywide in the room. That’s what I look forward to doing in the other marketplace.”
Smith will be involved in establishing and maintaining relationships with builders in all those market places as well as training and assisting the loan officers on the variety of builder products Countrywide Home Loan offers.
“I am thrilled,” she said. “This was my favorite part of the job, building relationships with the builders. It seems like every place I work, I am pulled into training loan officers on how to do it, because of my track record of doing it. Even though I’m going to miss working directly with the customers, now my new customers are the builders and loan officers.”
McMoran is very excited to have Smith back.
“Laura has always been very comfortable with Countrywide Home Loans and we happened to have an opportunity that allowed her to be in an area where her family is and an opportunity to spend more time with her son. It was a good fit.”
Another new change at Countrywide Home loans is that Steve Chun has left HomeBanc Mortgage and joined the company as of Feb. 1.
“He is an awesome young man,” said McMoran. “He started with us as a sales manager and home loan consultant. He was a top producer with HomeBanc. He and I have been talking for years and it was a good fit for him since we do everything local.”