Homeowners Financial Group (HFG), a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based mortgage company founded in 2004, expanded into seven states in 2017. HFG announced at least three offices will open in California this year. The first of these is in Bakersfield.

The Bakersfield office is run by branch manager Kathryn Mika, who brings more than four decades of experience to Homeowners Financial Group. Her team of 12 includes four licensed mortgage loan professionals – Deby Forsythe, Troy Owen, Carrie Castro and Sandra Legorreta – and plans to hire an additional five.

“Kathryn truly knows the Bakersfield real estate industry,” said Pat Lamb, president of Homeowners Financial Group. “We are proud to add her team to our growing family of more than 50 ‘homies’ in California. We look forward to helping more clients than ever with the most important purchase of their lives.”

Mika’s team has been working with her from between five and 20 years.  Her operations staff has an abundance of experience under the leadership of Becky Deltoro.

“Homeowners Financial Group’s focus on serving the communities in which they work means a lot to me and my team,” said Mika. “We are all excited to not only run a fair business but one that is effective beyond the office. As a group, we are very excited about our new home with Homeowners Financial Group.”

The Bakersfield office hosts an annual holiday bazaar, where it sells decorations, in November. Proceeds from previous bazaars have gone to local Ronald McDonald House and Autism Society chapters.

Mika’s office is the seventh Homeowners Financial Group hub in the state. Two more branches are expected to open in Redding and Murrieta later this year.

Homeowners Financial Group has 40 branches in 14 states and is licensed to do business in 26 states. Last year, HFG funded $1.51 billion of residential mortgages – a 36-percent increase in volume from 2015.