After graduating from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Accounting, Kevin Stitt began his career in the mortgage business as an originator in 1996 and personally closed over 15 loans per month.  He then founded Gateway Mortgage Group in December 1999 to broker loans in the state of Oklahoma.  By 2002, Kevin had hired loan officers and built up a retail broker shop closing 70 plus loans per month.  At this point, Kevin went to California and lured his college friend and former business partner, Dane Basham, to help him expand Gateway Mortgage Group via branch offices.

 

Also in 2002, Gateway secured a warehouse line, hired a lending manager and began funding it’s own loans.  GMG also kept working towards their full eagle with HUD and completed the test cases and became fully approved with FHA In 2004.  By 2006, Gateway Mortgage Group was closing just under 500 loans per month.  As a result of this

tremendous growth, Gateway was recognized in INC. Magazine’s 500 fastest growing companies in the country.

 

In 2006, Gateway hired Steve Peters away from CitiMortgage in order to start a wholesale lending team.  Steve’s Experience and banking relationships helped Gateway fund over 1500 loans in 2006.

 

2007 proved to be a volatile year in the mortgage industry, however, Gateway Mortgage Group had its best year ever. Gateway rolled out a new origination and compliance software, GMOS, to the branch offices and wholesale customers and hired an in-house legal counsel to beef up the compliance department.