Justchoice Lending

What Justchoice Lending does

JustChoice Lending is a non-profit mortgage lender and a division of Fahe (Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises, Inc.), headquartered in Berea, Kentucky. The company originates residential mortgages across nine states — primarily Kentucky, Tennessee, and Michigan — with a product portfolio spanning USDA Guaranteed, FHA, VA, Conventional, and Specialty loans, plus the Home Sweet Home 0% Fixed Rate Deferred Mortgage and an Inspire 100 product offering 100% financing. Its core customer segments are first-time homebuyers, rural and suburban buyers seeking zero-down-payment options, military veterans, low-to-moderate-income households, and nonprofit organizations requiring USDA 502 Direct Loan packaging support.

The business operates on a non-commission basis: loan officers are not paid per transaction, aligning incentives with borrower fit rather than loan volume. Distribution is hybrid — a website-driven application portal (hosted on ByteSoftware), phone-based consultation, real estate professional referrals, and a broker portal for partner submissions. Beyond direct retail origination, JustChoice serves as the leading national Intermediary for the USDA SFH RD 502 Direct Loan Packaging Program, packaging loans for other nonprofits that lack internal USDA expertise. The technology stack is non-proprietary and consists of standard third-party mortgage lending software; no AI, machine learning, or proprietary platform capabilities are referenced.

Revenue mechanics come from origination fees, interest rate spreads, and processing/packaging fees across USDA, FHA, VA, and Conventional products. With a headcount of 11-50 employees and no disclosed financials, the company is small relative to for-profit national mortgage lenders but occupies a defensible niche in Central Appalachia and rural America. It holds NMLS License #52473, is an Equal Housing Lender, and operates under Fair Housing Act and Equal Credit Opportunity Act compliance. Leadership includes Executive Vice President of Lending Laura Meadows (joined 2007), SVP of Single Family Lending Janel Lawson, Director of Mortgage Operations James Davis, and Mortgage Loan Production Manager Jamie Puckett, who oversees the national 502 Direct packaging franchise.

Name

Justchoice Lending

Legal name

Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises, Inc.

Website

https://justchoicelending.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

JustChoice Lending is a non-profit mortgage lender and division of Fahe, originating USDA, FHA, VA, and Conventional loans for first-time and rural homebuyers across nine states, with a national USDA 502 Direct Loan packaging service for other nonprofits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Mortgage Lending

NAICS

Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222), Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)

SIC

Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Government Wholesale Lending (FHA/VA/USDA) (FSALACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

HELOC & Second-Lien Wholesale Lending (FSALACAG)

Keywords

• Residential mortgage lending
• USDA rural loans
• VA home loans
• First-time homebuyer financing
• Nonprofit mortgage services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berea

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Origination Revenue: JustChoice Lending generates revenue through origination fees charged on mortgage loans, interest rate spreads, and processing fees associated with USDA, FHA, VA, and conventional loan products. As a non-profit division of Fahe, revenue supports their community lending mission rather than profit distribution.
2. USDA 502 Direct Loan Packaging: The company serves as an Intermediary for USDA 502 Direct Loan Packaging Program, earning fees for packaging and processing services for other nonprofits and directly to borrowers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

JustChoice Lending is a non-profit mortgage lender operating as a division of Fahe (Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises), offering government-backed and conventional home loans including USDA Guaranteed Loans, FHA Loans, VA Loans, Conventional Loans, Specialty Programs, and the Home Sweet Home 0% interest deferred second mortgage. The company also serves as the nation's leading USDA 502 Direct Loan Packaging intermediary, providing loan packaging services to nonprofit partners.

Product overview

JustChoice Lending operates as a non-profit mortgage lender offering a comprehensive suite of government-backed and conventional loan products. The core product portfolio includes USDA Guaranteed Loans, FHA Loans, Conventional Loans, VA Loans, Specialty Programs, and Inspire 100 (a 100% financing option). The company also offers the Home Sweet Home Loan, a unique 0% Fixed Rate Deferred Mortgage product designed as a second mortgage to complement their first mortgage offerings. Supporting services include USDA 502 Direct Loan Packaging, mortgage calculators, and a broker portal for partner loan submissions. As a division of Fahe (Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises), the company focuses on serving communities throughout Central Appalachia and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Home Sweet Home Loan: A 0% Fixed Rate Deferred Mortgage product offering 0% interest and 100% financing for qualified borrowers, with a $9,000 second mortgage loan due at 35 years (balloon).

Products and services

• USDA Guaranteed Loans Government-backed mortgage loans for rural home buyers with moderate income, featuring zero down payment options and competitive interest rates.
• FHA Loans Federal Housing Administration insured loans designed for first-time homebuyers with lower down payment requirements and more lenient credit score standards.
• Conventional Loans Conforming mortgages that meet Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac requirements for purchasing single-family homes, condos, or townhomes.
• VA Loans U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs backed loans offering zero down payment options and competitive rates for eligible military service members and veterans.
• Specialty Programs Flexible loan programs designed to accommodate unique borrower situations and financing needs outside standard loan categories.
• Inspire 100 Loan program offering 100% financing with no down payment requirement for qualified borrowers.
• Refinance Mortgage refinance options allowing existing homeowners to potentially lower their interest rates or access home equity.
• Home Sweet Home Loan (0% Fixed Rate Deferred Mortgage) A 0% interest second mortgage loan program with deferred payments, designed to complement the first mortgage with no income restrictions for eligible borrowers. $9,000 second mortgage due as balloon payment at 35 years.
• USDA 502 Direct Loan Packaging USDA SFH RD 502 Direct Loan Packaging Program that assists low-income borrowers in rural areas, with Fahe serving as the leading Intermediary in the nation, providing packaging services to nonprofit organizations and borrowers.

Quantifiable outcome

• USDA 502 Direct Loan packaging leadership position in the nation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fahe (Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises, Inc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJustChoice Lending is A Division of Fahe. Fahe (Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises, Inc.) operates as DBA (Doing Business As) JustChoice Lending. This parent organization affiliation provides access to down payment assistance programs, community networks in Central Appalachia, and the organizational infrastructure supporting their nonprofit mission of uplifting communities through homeownership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Paramount Residential Mortgage Group (PRMG): Full-service retail and government loan (FHA/VA/USDA) originator with a multi-state retail branch footprint. Comparable in product mix and customer base though materially larger.
• NewRez: Large retail and wholesale mortgage lender (formerly New Penn Financial) offering a full agency product suite including FHA, VA, and USDA. Direct overlap on government-backed retail origination.
• NewDay USA: Specialty VA loan lender focused on military veterans with a similar mission-driven positioning. Overlaps on VA product depth and veteran customer segment.
• Guild Mortgage: Mid-to-large full-service retail mortgage lender offering FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional products. Closely aligned business model (retail origination, multi-state footprint) but with broader product mix and significantly larger scale.
• Movement Mortgage: Large retail mortgage lender known for community-focused culture and a nonprofit foundation arm, offering FHA/VA/USDA products. Similar mission-driven, community-oriented positioning at much larger scale.
• Veterans United Home Loans: The largest VA-focused mortgage lender in the U.S., with similar specialization in government-backed (VA/USDA) zero-down financing and a mission-aligned emphasis on veteran and rural borrowers. Directly comparable in product focus and customer segment.

Broad incumbents

• Rocket Mortgage: Largest U.S. mortgage originator, with a fully proprietary digital platform and broad agency product set. Sets the digital origination benchmark that smaller community lenders like JustChoice must compete against.
• loanDepot: Top-5 national retail mortgage lender offering a full suite including FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional products. Competes for the same rural and first-time buyer segments but at vastly greater scale and brand recognition.
• United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM): Largest U.S. wholesale mortgage lender providing FHA/VA/USDA products to brokers and correspondents. A broad incumbent shaping competitive dynamics and broker channel economics relevant to JustChoice's operations.

Emerging players

• Self-Help Credit Union / Center for Community Self-Help: Mission-driven CDFI and credit union offering affordable mortgages to low-income and rural borrowers, with deep community development focus. Closely comparable to JustChoice on nonprofit mission and underserved customer segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/justchoice-lending

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 Justchoice Lending