G
uild Mortgage is
among the nation’s
top 10 indepen-
dent
mortgage
lenders. Sixty years
ago an enterprising
man named Martin Gleich founded Guild
Home Builders, and later, Guild Mortgage. He
gained prominence in San Diego and created a
legacy as a visionary businessman and gener-
ous philanthropist.
In 2019, the Morgan Hill branch of Guild
Mortgage earned the distinction of being
numéro uno in South County. Loan Officers
Jayson Stebbins and Janene Towner-Chernoff
share management responsibilities for the
Morgan Hill branch and together they are
the driving force behind its growth and com-
munity involvement. For Jayson and Janene,
those two things go hand in hand.
One day last winter, as Jayson headed into
an all-hands meeting, he wondered why there
was so much commotion. Then he noticed a
few unexpected guests. Something was up.
“I had no idea the Chamber of Commerce
had chosen us as Large Business of the Year
until they showed up on our doorstep. What
a huge honor. It was good to have our entire
team there. They are the reason we received
this recognition.
“Janene and I love this town. When we
chose Morgan Hill as home base for a new
Guild branch office, one of first things we did
was to join the Chamber and look at ways to
get involved in the community.”
According to Janene, “Jayson grew up here
and his dad was a local business owner for a
long time. I raised my kids here. We wanted to
have a presence in our own back yard.”
When a lender has a local focus, the cus-
tomer wins. Guild leverages this as a competi-
tive advantage.
“We’re not proponents of the “push button,
get mortgage” concept,” Jayson explained.
“People may want the speed, access, and
promises of an app-based mortgage environ-
ment and we have the technology to provide
that: but they lose the benefit of sound advice
about the nuances of home financing. It helps
to have face-to-face conversations with people
who understand the local market when mak-
ing significant decisions about buying or sell-
ing.”
Looking ahead, Jayson and Janene say
affordability will continue to be the big chal-
lenge for first-time home buyers and families
outgrowing their current homes.
“If we want to be profitable and contribute
to a strong local economy we’ve got to attract
good customers and help them settle and stay
here rather than watching them move out of
state,” Janene said.
“We’ve always been a preferred lender for
state programs,” Jayson added. “It’s one of our
specialties. There are quite a few county and
state programs that benefit buyers and we’re
approved through those programs.”
When it comes to recruiting talent for their
branch, Janene said, “We’ll take new hires and
train them, even with no background. We’ve
grown some great loan originators that way.”
Do they feel a special obligation or sense
of responsibility as one of Morgan Hill’s large
businesses? According to Jayson, “We’re excit-
ed to BE in the large business category. We
take our presence here seriously and encour-
age our team to be engaged in the community.
Some have gone through Leadership Morgan
Hill, or joined Rotary, or served as Chamber
board members or ambassadors. We often find
ourselves working and enjoying activities side
by side with our clients.
“About ten years ago we got involved with
the Community Solutions Holiday Giving
Program. Since then we’ve adopted an aver-
age of three to five families each year. Giving
back is instilled in our branch culture and our
corporate office pays our staff for 16 hours of
volunteering every year. They often match our
donations to nonprofits.”
According to Janene, “Jayson and I are
both Rotarians (Jayson in Gilroy, Janene in
Morgan Hill), which keeps us in touch with
local needs, from diaper drives to bike dona-
tions to serving as an event emcee. Anything
that focuses on helping women and children
touches our hearts.
“When you create an environment and
opportunities for volunteerism, employees
who have a heart for it just naturally get
involved.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
SPRING 2020
gmhtoday.com
“We all lead busy lives and
don’t always know about all
the good work being done in
our midst. We want people to
know that Guild isn’t just a
sign they drive by, but a part-
ner whose employees embrace
local nonprofits and the needs
of our community.”
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