RIHousing Recognizes Top-Performing Lender Partners of 2024

PROVIDENCE, RI – RIHousing has announced its top lending partners for 2024. Despite the challenging housing market Rhode Islanders faced, RIHousing programs assisted 1,611 homebuyers in their homeownership journey last year, largely thanks to the hard work and dedication of the agency’s Participating Lenders. This resulted in the origination of $646 million in RIHousing mortgages.

“We are very proud to work with and recognize the top-performing Participating Lender and the highest-producing mortgage professionals for RIHousing,” said Peter Pagonis, Director of Homeownership at RIHousing. “They consistently deliver high-quality advice and service to Rhode Island’s first-time homebuyers.”

RIHousing ended 2024 with 68 Participating Lender partners who worked with the agency to spread awareness and information about its programs, including the popular Statewide Down Payment Assistance Grant, which closed in 2024 after helping 1,672 Rhode Islanders. The agency also offers ongoing programs to assist first-time homebuyers with the down payment and closing costs: 15kDPA and Extra Assistance. RIHousing lender partners are at the forefront of connecting homebuyers with these opportunities that can help qualified individuals and families secure a home.

For the fifth year in a row, Main Street Home Loans secured the spot as RIHousing’s Participating Lender of the Year. In 2024, their team helped 266 families achieve homeownership with our programs, originating more than $110 million in first mortgages, representing a year over year increase in volume. Main Street Home Loans is headquartered in Warwick, with offices in Wakefield, South Kingstown and Attleboro, MA.

“It feels absolutely amazing to be number one again. We are truly honored to hold [top lender] for five years,” said David Travers, Area Manager of Main Street Home Loans. “It’s not easy and we take pride in it. We don’t take it for granted… The goal is to do it another five years. It’s the mission we share and comparing RIHousing to every other bond agency, the level of service and communication is totally different, it’s lightyears ahead of everyone else.”

Top Producing Loan Officers
RIHousing also recognized its top producing Participating Loan Officers, who set themselves apart and clearly demonstrated their commitment to an affordable housing path for Rhode Islanders. The number of mortgage loan originators able to offer RIHousing programs rose to more than 700 in 2024 – these top individuals are the leading consultants for homebuyers seeking homeownership with RIHousing programs:

• Gold Partner: Mauricio Garces, Senior Loan Officer, Primary Residential Mortgage
• Silver Partner: Wendy Posada, Senior Home Loan Consultant, Main Street Home Loans
• Bronze Partner: Eric Maluk, Director/Branch Manager, Semper Home Loans

Our Gold Partner, Mauricio Garces, is no stranger to the winner’s circle: he’s been RIHousing’s Silver Partner three times (2023, 2022, 2020). In 2024 Mauricio assisted 54 families and originated $27 million in RIHousing first mortgages, an increase of $10 million in volume from his 2023 production. Mauricio can often be found in his Cranston office, assisting Spanish-speaking clients.

“I’m competitive and it has always been [my] goal to be number one,” said Mauricio. “I accomplished something as a personal goal, and I helped out even more people… Today I [had] a person come in that got a preapproval and they said they met me at the RIHousing homebuyer class last year [that] I taught. Not only did I get the customer [but] now it opens up new possible relationships with realtors and that is extremely beneficial to my business.”

Silver Partner Wendy Posada tied in 2023 for Gold Partner. In 2024 she originated more than $24 million in first mortgages with RIHousing, helping 53 families find a home in Rhode Island. Wendy focuses on assisting Spanish-speaking borrowers and splits her time meeting clients between the Main Street Home Loans headquarters in Warwick and her office in Attleboro, MA.

“RIHousing has been a great way to build my business and it’s been very organic. I’ve only been in the business for 6 years and I feel that this is quite an accomplishment for me,” said Wendy. “It gives me more motivation to keep going and to continue working with first-time homebuyers. Being from Columbia and coming from another country as a Latina to reach the American goal to get a house, just being able to be that person to help someone else to accomplish that goal is very rewarding. To be able to help people and they are very thankful, it becomes a very meaningful job.”

Eric Maluk, our Bronze Partner, originated more than $19 million in loans in 2024, helping 51 families achieve homeownership. Eric was also RIHousing’s Bronze Partner in 2021. In addition to helping first-time buyers, Eric spends his time managing Semper Home Loans’ Providence office and their extensive sales team.

“It adds value… whether a client that reaches out to us goes and looks at the website or I can tell a client I’m one of the top [lenders] for RIHousing,” said Eric. “The largest portion of my business is first-time homebuyers…The first time, they have no idea what they are doing from application to preapproval all the way through… I always tell them to ask all the questions because I rather you be fully informed and feel comfortable. I think you build a better bond with first time homebuyers – you get more referrals. Now you can work together, and they appreciate what you’ve done for them.”

Clear to Close Champion
Getting a Clear to Close is one of the most sought-after milestones for any mortgage loan transaction. Reaching the finish line with accuracy and timeliness requires a special skill that comes naturally to our 2024 Clear to Close Champion, James Kee of Semper Home Loans.

For the second year in a row, James submitted the highest number of loans that were cleared to close upon arrival at RIHousing. James is a long-time mortgage processor expert and works at the Semper headquarters in Providence.

“Getting this award is great and it just means that my team is doing well… I have a great relationship with [the] underwriters at RIHousing,” said James. “They work with me, they give me pointers… they are very helpful, and it makes a difference.”

In addition to 15kDPA and Extra Assistance, RIHousing also offers FirstGenHomeRI through its Loan Center, a program for qualified first-generation homebuyers. The agency also hosts free monthly virtual Homebuyer Education classes to inform customers and potential clients about the homebuying process.