On any given Saturday, you will find Alexandra Lee returning from volunteering at a local food pantry to her home in North Tustin where her husband, Abraham, and their two children are collecting eggs from their backyard chicken coop (a preschool science project turned family pet project). Abraham and Alexandra Lee are the ultimate family people. They’ve made a life out of growing their own family, their business family, and their community family. Their philosophy about their business, Nakoma Mortgage Company, is about as down-to-earth and unexpected as a chicken coop in the middle of suburban North Tustin: focusing on the customer and not just the bottom line. They’ve made business personal and their clients are reaping the benefits of their “family treatment.”

The seeds of the Nakoma philosophy have been germinating for years. A decade in the mortgage industry revealed to Abraham that, as a rule, the customer’s interests were not being considered first. It was clear that values like trustworthiness and common sense were no longer guiding standards in the operation of most mortgage companies. “It was frustrating and it didn’t take long to realize we could do better,” says Abraham. “From the beginning, our entire mission was to treat every homeowner with their family’s best interest at heart. Our company was built on a relationship-based business model, not a transaction-based one.” This kind of personalized business approach is what has allowed Nakoma to thrive even in a downturn in the industry. Throughout the years, Nakoma has held to the time-tested principle that an educated homeowner is a satisfied and responsible homeowner. When dealing with something as important as your family’s home, who better to work with than a family-oriented business whose name itself is a dedication to business responsibility and customer satisfaction? In the Chippewa language Nakoma means, “I do as I promise.” It doesn’t get better than that.

Nakoma Mortgage Company is a bona fide family operation. They might not all be related by blood, but the web of support and accountability the owners have established and maintain between themselves, their staff, and their customers is as close to a family unit as it gets. “In one word, I would describe it as ‘appreciation’,” explains Jamie Presser of the Nakoma work vibe. A UCLA grad with over 13 years of experience in the mortgage industry, Presser is explaining a quality he and his co-workers exhibit everyday: appreciation for their clients; appreciation for the business ethics and honest accountability that make for a good long-term decision; and appreciation for the Nakoma family that works as a team to do good business with a good attitude.

[The Nakoma Mortgage Family. Check out member bios to your left on the sidebar.]

“We’ve been very fortunate,” says Alexandra. “We get to work with an incredible group of people that make up the Nakoma family. Most of our team members were born and raised here and are now raising their own families here–” “Go Friars!” Abraham chimes in his Servite High shout out as we talk in their office building off of Main Street in Tustin.

Alexandra laughs. “But seriously, our ties to this area and community run deep. We want to take care of the families in our community like we would our own.”

The easygoing and straightforward style of the Nakoma team is a breath of fresh air in an industry full of high stakes, muddy jargon and seemingly inscrutable fine print.

“We are experienced, down-to-earth people that are around to genuinely help homeowners,” says Nakoma Mortgage Specialist James L. Stopani.

“We have simple philosophies and we don’t deviate from them,” adds Alexan- dra; and she means it. The most essential of these are Say what you mean, then do what you say, and An educated client is a satisfied client. “The success that has come from showing our clients all the facts and letting them make an educated choice is something we are very proud of,” says Alexandra.

The Nakoma philosophy recognizes something that much of the mortgage industry had forgot- ten until recent events: the importance of borrowers understanding the mortgage process and feeling comfortable in their decisions. Nakoma offers one-on-one consultations and group seminars on a variety of mortgage topics, such as understanding credit scores or how to read a HUD-1 and a Good Faith Estimate. “Individually, our mortgage professionals show our clients each step of the loan process, the benefits of each mortgage option they have, and how to understand all the costs involved. On a group level, we offer free seminars for compa- nies, unions, organizations, churches, and the like.” This focus on education and transparency sets Nakoma apart from its competitors. “Once someone knows the ins and outs of a mortgage, it is clear to see if they are getting the best mortgage and it’s easy to compare what’s out there,” says Abraham. Once clients have been educated, they don’t have to go far to get the best option available. Abraham proudly states that Nakoma offers the best rates around. “When they compare apples to apples, Nakoma Mortgage is an easy decision.”

It’s the accountability, efficiency, and reliability of the Nakoma business method that has drawn

a loyal client base to the company. In a matter so pivotal in life – home – it’s no wonder that Nakoma’s clients are spreading the word and bringing in their own family and friends to experience the same Nakoma family treatment.

The family focus of Nakoma doesn’t stop within the walls of their Tustin office or even at the doorsteps of their satisfied clients. Their network extends out to their local community and all the way into the corners of the world. Nakoma’s community and charity involvement includes support and participation with local Orange County American Cancer Society Relays For Life, a partnership with Habitat For Humanity, contributions to Graceworks Kenya’s efforts to improve the lives of children in Africa who are impacted by HIV/AIDS, and weekly volunteering distributing food for homeless and needy families. This business team isn’t just a group of living, breathing interest rate calculators; they are real commu- nity members, locally and globally, with a real appreciation for the relationships that make life worth living.

“We’ve built our business on friendship, not leads, and the philosophy has worked,” says Abraham. “Ralph Waldo Emerson said ‘the only way to have a friend is to be one.’ And that’s how we’re doing business.”