Built from the ground up
Cal Haupt opened the doors of Southeast Mortgage of Georgia, Inc., (SEM) in 1993. Mr. Haupt and Kathy Gyselinck were the first two shareholders of the new Georgia Corporation. Our first client was the Redd Family. The application and 1008 were typed on a manual typewriter and driven to Colonial Bank. In the early days, we thought like a banker and only approved 720+ credit scores with good reserves. Our learning curve was evolving, and process development would build our foundation. We followed a belief and strategy that is still in force today. The plan was to give consumers a choice between Banks and Brokers with great service and the competent advice a client deserves. We are their fiduciary, and that’s a responsibility we take seriously.
We quite literally built our company from the ground up and today, 30 years later, we have grown across 8 of the South East states! But, it was never a goal to grow bigger, just to grow better.
1993
Established
In 1993, Southeast Mortgage was established as a broker in the state of Georgia. During this time we outsourced all of our operation processes.
1998
Began Transition to Direct Lender
In 1998, we began discussing the idea of transitioning into direct lending. We saw a benefit in having control of our own processes and service.
2000
Obtained Mortgage Participation Certificates
In 2000, Southeast Mortgage obtained Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Seller/Servicer certifications. This allowed us to be a direct lender and begin vertically integrating our operations.
We’re Big Enough to Matter but Small Enough to Care
Our success is not only due to the quality of our process; it comes down to passion, our approach and how we treat people. Every client, every partner and every employee is not just a number. We care about each individual relationship, and that means you’re treated like family.