Southern Trust Mortgage

What Southern Trust Mortgage does

Southern Trust Mortgage, LLC is a privately held, Virginia Beach-based mortgage lender founded in 1998 (NMLS #2921) that originates purchase and refinance home loans across 9 states plus the District of Columbia, with additional operations in Georgia and New Jersey conducted under the wholly-owned subsidiary Southern Residential Lending. The company has cumulatively funded over $15 billion in home loans for more than 65,000 families, employing 501-1,000 staff, and operates an integrated model with licensed loan officers, in-house processing, in-house underwriting, and in-house closing teams, supported by a digital application portal via SimpleNexus.\n\nThe company's product portfolio spans the full spectrum of agency-eligible and non-conforming loan products: conventional (Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, as low as 3% down), FHA (3.5% down, 580+ credit), VA (0% down for eligible military), USDA (0% down in rural/suburban areas), jumbo (above $832,750 conforming limit), and niche programs for self-employed borrowers (Bank Statement, 1099), real estate investors (DSCR), and relocation scenarios (Equity Boost up to 90% CLTV, DTI Drop). Its key operational differentiator is the Priority Approval program, which delivers a fully underwritten credit decision in 24 hours or less rather than a pre-qualification, enabling borrowers to submit competitive, non-contingent offers. The company also distributes down payment assistance grants (Virginia Housing Community Heroes $10,000, HomeReady/Home Possible $2,500, FHLB up to $20,000).\n\nSouthern Trust Mortgage's business model is sales-led, generating revenue primarily through transaction-based origination fees and secondary market loan sales (as a Fannie Mae approved seller/servicer), supplemented by servicing-related interest income on its originated portfolio. Customer acquisition is conducted through three integrated motions: (1) a branch-based, direct-to-consumer model anchored by licensed loan officers at physical locations (e.g., 16+ officers at the Virginia Beach branch), (2) an inside-sales / digital channel via SimpleNexus where applications are followed up by loan officers, and (3) channel partnerships with real estate agents and Virginia Housing referral programs. Primary customer segments include first-time homebuyers, military/veterans (notably supported by VA loans and PCS relocation), self-employed and gig-economy borrowers, real estate investors, and buyers with credit challenges served through FHA and flexible-credit products.

Name

Southern Trust Mortgage

Legal name

Southern Trust Mortgage, LLC

Website

https://southerntrust.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Southern Trust Mortgage is a Virginia Beach-based private mortgage lender founded in 1998 that originates purchase and refinance loans across 9 states plus DC. It serves 65,000+ families with conventional, government-backed, and niche loan products through licensed loan officers and digital channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Mortgage Lending

SIC

Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Government-Insured Mortgage Origination (FHA/VA/USDA) (FSALAAAI)

Keywords

• Residential mortgage lending
• Home purchase loans
• Mortgage refinance services
• Government-backed mortgages
• Mortgage origination

Headquarters

HQ city

Virginia Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Origination: Primary revenue from originating mortgage loans. Southern Trust Mortgage LLC originates home purchase and refinance loans across multiple states. Revenue generated through origination fees, interest rate margins, and loan servicing. As a Fannie Mae approved lender, they originate loans that meet GSE guidelines for sale into secondary market.
2. Interest Income: Interest earned on originated loans held in portfolio or through loan servicing. The company funds over $15 billion in home loans historically.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Southern Trust Mortgage is a full-service residential mortgage lender that originates home purchase and refinance loans across multiple U.S. states. The company offers conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo, and niche (bank statement, 1099, DSCR) loan products, supported by in-house processing, underwriting, and closing teams and a Priority Approval program that delivers underwritten credit decisions in under 24 hours.

Product overview

Southern Trust Mortgage is a full-service mortgage lender offering a comprehensive portfolio of loan products designed for various borrower profiles. The core offerings include conventional loans, FHA loans, VA loans, USDA loans, and jumbo loans for primary residences and second homes. Niche products address self-employed borrowers (Bank Statement Loans, 1099 Loans) and real estate investors (DSCR Loans). The company also provides specialized programs including the Priority Approval program for fast credit decisions, buy-before-you-sell options (Equity Boost, DTI Drop), and various down payment assistance grants. All loans are processed through in-house underwriting, processing, and funding teams with local closing agents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conventional Loans

Quantifiable outcome

• Fully underwritten credit approval in under 24 hours
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Virginia HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2025Virginia Housing is a self-supporting not-for-profit established in 1972 that finances home loans. Southern Trust Mortgage participates in Virginia Housing programs, with loan officers helping buyers access affordable housing options. Darien Pearce received Virginia Housing's Affordable Housing Finance Hero award for helping 105 families attain homeownership through these programs.
• Fannie MaecoreTechnology or IntegrationSouthern Trust Mortgage is a Fannie Mae Approved Lender, authorized to originate and service loans meeting Fannie Mae guidelines. Loans are sold into the secondary market to Fannie Mae, enabling the company to offer competitive rates and programs.
• Federal Housing Administration (FHA)coreTechnology or IntegrationSouthern Trust Mortgage offers FHA loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration, a government agency within HUD. These loans enable the company to serve borrowers with lower down payments and more flexible credit requirements.
• U.S. Department of Veterans AffairscoreTechnology or IntegrationSouthern Trust Mortgage offers VA loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, serving military members, veterans, and eligible surviving spouses with 0% down payment options and competitive rates.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)coreTechnology or IntegrationSouthern Trust Mortgage offers USDA loans backed by the USDA for buyers in designated rural and suburban areas, providing 0% down payment options for eligible borrowers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group: Mid-Atlantic and Southeast retail mortgage lender headquartered in Moyock, NC, with a similar multi-state branch model serving military and government-loan-heavy markets — directly comparable in product mix and geographic overlap.
• Fairway Independent Mortgage: Large independent retail mortgage lender with broad multi-state branch coverage and similar emphasis on loan officer–driven, relationship-led origination including strong government (FHA/VA/USDA) lending — directly comparable in GTM motion and product breadth.
• Embrace Home Loans: Regional Mid-Atlantic retail mortgage lender with comparable VA/USDA and first-time homebuyer positioning, headquartered in Providence, RI but with overlapping Mid-Atlantic market presence — direct competitor in similar product segments.
• Guild Mortgage: Multi-state independent retail mortgage lender of similar size and similar product breadth (Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, niche products) with comparable loan officer–centric retail model — directly comparable as a public or recently-public peer.
• Cardinal Financial: Multi-channel mortgage lender with retail branches across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast and comparable government loan product mix — competes head-to-head in several overlapping states.
• loanDepot: Large publicly-traded retail and wholesale mortgage lender with comparable product set including conventional, government, and niche programs — useful as a scaled direct peer for benchmarking and competitive overlap.
• Guaranteed Rate: Large independent retail mortgage lender with multi-state branch model and full product set including government lending — comparable in size, retail GTM motion, and product breadth.
• Caliber Home Loans: Multi-channel mortgage lender offering similar retail, government, and niche (Bank Statement, DSCR) products through a comparable branch and loan officer distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM): Largest U.S. wholesale mortgage lender and a major direct competitor in broker and retail channels; broad incumbent whose products compete in every market Southern Trust serves and against whose pricing and tech Southern Trust must compete.
• Rocket Mortgage: Largest U.S. direct-to-consumer mortgage lender; broad incumbent with national brand, technology, and pricing power that compresses retail mortgage economics across all peer companies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/southerntrustmortgage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-trust-mortgage
• Instagraminstagram.com/southerntrust
• Xx.com/southern_trust

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southern Trust Mortgage