It’s important to give mention to Patty Arvielo’s humble beginnings in order to fully understand her unique business perspective and leadership role in the housing industry. Born into a hard-working Mexican-American family from South Gate in L.A. County, California, Patty’s first exposure to the mortgage industry was as a young girl. At just 16, Patty landed a clerical position for Trans Union Credit. At 19, she was promoted into a sales position. Patty worked tirelessly to build Real Estate Agent and community relationships and doing so, ignited a life-long passion for service and pursuit of self-made, enduring success.
In the years following, Patty assumed a natural, often unofficial, role as orchestrator and champion for her sales teams and colleagues. She challenges her teams to take on new projects with confidence and determination. She gets to know the people she works with, genuinely befriending even competitors unable to resist her approachable demeanor and infectious love for helping others. Patty’s extensive background in mortgage lending includes DE Underwriter and VA LAPP Certifications. Very early on, Patty pursued her own underserved Spanish-speaking markets well before they were a popular and sought after demographic. In 1997 Patty was invited to lead the operations unit of an independent broker shop, and in 2003 she and her husband Rick Arvielo decided to launch their own mortgage company – New American Funding. Over a decade later, Patty has worked to transform New American Funding into a national mortgage lender and servicer that funds more than $1 billion in home loans each month.
Under her guidance, the company has brought the entire loan process in house – origination, processing, underwriting, funding and servicing. She continues to actively contribute to the bottom line, originating and booking millions in home loans each month on her own, all while managing operations and sales for New American Funding’s headquarters, 100+ branches and 2000+ employees. Patty’s community involvement includes serving on the Executive Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) Orange County. Patty has also worked, through her board seat with BBBS, to bring a new mentorship program in house to her company, New American Funding. Patty is deeply involved in the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), whose mission is to increase the rate of sustainable Hispanic homeownership by empowering the real estate professionals that serve the community. She serves as a member of NAHREP’s Corporate Board of Governors and has inspired seven of her New American Funding management level employees to obtain local chapter and board positions with the same group in their areas. In spring of 2013, Patty spearheaded the Latino Focus Committee within her organization, whose mission is to identify and address challenges Hispanic consumers face in their pursuit of homeownership and to enhance the quality of their lending experience.
Patty is also on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the Consumer Affairs Advisory Council for the Mortgage Bankers Association. She is politically involved in the current and future states of mortgage banking, and frequently visits Washington DC to lobby on behalf of the mortgage industry and homeowners. She also serves as a member of the Fannie Mae Affordable Housing Advisory Council. Additionally, Patty resides on the Freddie Mac Community Lender Advisory Board which provides a forum for constructive dialogue between Freddie Mac and its customers. Patty is the recipient of numerous accolades and recognition for her professional achievements. Among them are Ernst and Young honoring her as a winner for the 2016 EY Entrepreneur of The Year ® Orange County, winning a Silver Stevie® Award for the Woman of the Year category, the 2016 Business Award winner by LA Times Latinos de Hoy and NBC Latino’s recent feature highlighting her life. Patty continues to lead by example, shaping both New American Funding and the housing industry overall.