Jim Hettinger

Jim Hettinger heads up a number of Rate departments that are involved in multiple aspects related to a borrower’s loan file. From closing to post-closing quality control, Jim oversees it all. He is constantly striving to improve efficiencies, quality, and personnel. Among the specific departments under his watch are Closing, Post-Closing, Servicing, Shipping, Final/Trailing Docs, Government Insuring, Escrow Release, and Quality Control. Jim is a self-reliant soul, a proud father, and Chicagoan, a fan of cooking, Cubs, and college football, well-suited for the challenges that greet him every day.

“There are a ton of moving parts in our loan process, and it’s all very customer-focused,” says Jim. “Most of my departments are focused on the process and borrower experience after the Clear to Close from Underwriting. It’s a lot of stuff people may take for granted but are critical functions. Even after a loan is funded, we still need to ensure it is delivered, sold to the investor, servicing transferred, and that everything is appropriately communicated to the borrower.”

Jim loves developing people and takes an active role in new employee interviews. “I love the Rate culture and I want to preserve that, so I try to take an active role in hiring at all levels. I sit in on interviews to ensure we’re finding aggressive, smart people that demand as much of themselves as we do ourselves. I truly enjoy seeing people I started in entry-level roles, who are now managing departments or are top producers. There are a lot of companies out there who don’t put the same emphasis on quality staffing that we do. I’m proud of this company, and we constantly strive to be the best. We always want to do the right thing for the borrower, and a big part of that means hiring the right people.”