ZABE Mortgage Group

Name

ZABE Mortgage Group

Legal name

Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc.

Website

https://zabemortgage.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Mortgage Lending

NAICS

Real Estate Credit (522292)

SIC

Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Bank Branch / Retail Purchase Mortgages (FSALAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Purchase Mortgage Origination (Homebuyer Focused) (FSALAAAD), HELOC Origination (Revolving Lines of Credit) (FSALAGAB), Call Center / Tele-Sales Mortgage Origination (FSALAAAC)

Keywords

• Residential mortgage lending
• Home purchase financing
• Mortgage refinancing
• Home equity loans
• VA FHA loans

Headquarters

HQ city

Corte Madera

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 Fees: Revenue generated from originating mortgage loans including purchase loans and refinances. Types include Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, Jumbo, Non-QM, Home Equity Loans, HELOCs, and New Construction Loans.
2. Refinance Fees: Revenue from cash-out and no cash-out refinance transactions, including Conventional, FHA, and VA refinance options.
3. Home Equity Products: Revenue from HELOAN and HELOC products as second mortgage products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ZABE Mortgage Group is a residential mortgage lender originating purchase loans, refinances, and home equity products for individual homebuyers and homeowners across California. The company delivers a five-stage "Homeownership by Design" advisory process covering Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, Jumbo, Non-QM, HELOAN, HELOC, New Construction, and Down Payment Assistance programs through licensed loan advisors at branches in Madera and Fresno.

Product overview

ZABE Mortgage Group is a mortgage lending company that operates as a branch of Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. (GEM), offering a comprehensive suite of mortgage products organized around two core service areas: home purchase financing and refinancing. Their product portfolio spans conventional, government-backed, and non-qualified mortgage loan programs, home equity solutions, and down payment assistance programs. The company's service is delivered through a network of loan advisors across two California branch locations (Madera and Fresno), with a client-centric philosophy branded as 'Homeownership by Design' that emphasizes financial education and long-term wealth-building guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conventional Loans
• FHA Loans
• VA Loans
• USDA Loans
• Jumbo Loans
• Down Payment Assistance Program
• Home Equity Loan (HELOAN)
• Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)
• Non-QM Loans
• New Construction Loans
• Buying a New Construction Home from a Builder Advisory Service
• Conventional Cash-Out and No Cash-Out Refinance
• FHA Cash-Out and No Cash-Out Refinance
• FHA Streamline Refinance
• VA Cash-Out and No Cash-Out Refinance
• Homeownership by Design Advisory Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.99-star average rating from 2,354 reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. (GEM)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerZABE Mortgage is a branch of Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. (GEM), aligning with a legacy of over 35 years in the mortgage industry. GEM provides a robust platform, loan options, resources, and state-of-the-art technology that empowers ZABE Mortgage advisors to outperform competition.
• Housing Finance AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnerships with Housing Finance Agencies to connect prospective homebuyers with down payment assistance programs and financial resources.
• RealtorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partnerships with real estate agents who refer homebuyers to ZABE Mortgage for financing. Collaboration includes proactive offer advocacy and market updates.
• Home BuildersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnerships with home builders to assist buyers purchasing new construction homes with financing options.
• Down Payment ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships to match qualified buyers with homeownership programs and down payment assistance resources.
• Cal Prime Realty / Hector MedinaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReal estate investor and broker associate who appears on the ZABE Smart Mortgage Podcast discussing home equity strategies and mortgage predictions.
• Village Homes Realty / Jorge CuevasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReal estate professional who partners on podcast episodes discussing the home buying process and current market conditions. Jorge specializes in residential listings and buyers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Paramount Equity: California-based mortgage lender specializing in home equity, refinance, and purchase loans. Comparable to ZABE's California-only footprint and emphasis on home-equity products (HELOC/HELOAN) within the same regional market.

Direct peers

• Cardinal Financial: Retail mortgage lender with branch operations across the western U.S., offering purchase and refinance products. Operates a similar consultative retail model with comparable advisor-driven GTM.
• New American Funding: California-headquartered retail mortgage lender with strong Hispanic-market positioning, similar Non-QM/ITIN capabilities, and an extensive branch network. Closely comparable to ZABE on demographic focus, product suite, and West Coast geographic concentration.
• loanDepot: Large retail and wholesale mortgage lender offering Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, Jumbo, and HELOC products with both branch and digital channels. Closely comparable business model to ZABE's retail purchase/refinance origination through licensed loan officers.
• Fairway Independent Mortgage: Retail mortgage lender with a multi-state branch network and broad product offering including Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, Jumbo, and reverse mortgages. Comparable branch-driven, relationship-based model serving regional U.S. markets.
• Caliber Home Loans: Retail and correspondent mortgage lender with a full suite of purchase and refinance products, including Non-QM. Operates a similar branch-based origination model serving homebuyers in regional U.S. markets.
• Guild Mortgage: Retail-focused mortgage lender with a strong branch network across the western U.S. and comparable product breadth (Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, Jumbo, Non-QM). Operates a similar consultative, branch-led origination model targeting homebuyers in regional markets.
• Academy Mortgage: Retail mortgage lender with a strong branch presence in the western and central U.S., offering Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, and Jumbo products. Comparable consultative, community-oriented origination model targeting regional homebuyers.

Broad incumbents

• Rocket Mortgage: Largest U.S. mortgage lender offering a complete suite of purchase and refinance products primarily through digital channels. Represents the broad incumbent competitive threat to branch-based retail lenders like ZABE in California.
• United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM): Largest U.S. wholesale mortgage lender partnering with independent mortgage brokers. Comparable product breadth and market overlap; represents the dominant wholesale channel pressure on ZABE's realtor-driven retail business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ZabeMortgageGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zabe-mortgage-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/zabe_mortgage
• Xx.com/zabemortgage

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 ZABE Mortgage Group