FirstStar Lending Solutions

What FirstStar Lending Solutions does

FirstStar Lending Solutions is a privately-held residential mortgage brokerage founded in 2017 and headquartered at 7887 E Belleview Ave, Denver, Colorado. The firm acts as an intermediary between borrowers and lenders, offering ten distinct loan programs including 30-year and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo, FHA 203K renovation, HARP refinance, and HECM reverse mortgages. Target customers are individual consumers and small residential borrowers in Colorado, segmented across first-time home buyers, seasoned investors, veterans, rural home buyers, seniors aged 62+, and renovation-oriented purchasers.

The firm's technology layer is built on the third-party blink.mortgage origination platform, which provides electronic document generation, state- and federal-compliant e-sign capabilities (across phone, desktop, and tablet), automated credit and document evaluation, and a secured client portal for loan status and communication. Borrower acquisition is driven by the company website (firststarlendingsolutions.net), the online application portal, social media profiles tied to the CEO, direct phone and email, and real estate agent referral partnerships including a Home Scouting Report integration.

The revenue model is transactional: as a broker, FirstStar submits complete loan packages to multiple lenders to match borrower criteria and earns origination fees and points on closed loans (priced in part via 30/45/60-day rate lock options). No disclosed funding rounds, institutional investors, or public revenue figures exist; ownership and operating leadership is concentrated in President/CEO Ray Cruz-Solano, who brings over 25 years of experience across business consulting, finance, and real estate. The business operates with a small staff (in the 11-50 employee range) under NMLS IDs #269777 (national) and #394878 (Colorado), serving exclusively the Colorado residential mortgage market.

Name

FirstStar Lending Solutions

Legal name

FirstStar Lending Solutions

Website

https://firststarlendingsolutions.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FirstStar Lending Solutions is a privately-held mortgage broker based in Denver, Colorado, originating residential loans across ten programs for individual borrowers statewide. It serves first-time buyers, investors, veterans, rural buyers, and seniors through electronic loan origination and a secured client portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mortgage Brokerage / Residential Mortgage Lending

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAEAMAA

Mortgage & Loan Introducers (Residential & Commercial)

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Introducers, Finders & Referral Networks

Keywords

• Mortgage brokerage services
• Residential home loans
• Loan origination
• Mortgage refinancing
• Government-backed mortgages

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Origination Fees: FirstStar acts as a mortgage broker bringing borrowers and lenders together. They earn origination fees (points) for processing loan applications. Points are costs paid upfront to lower interest rate, equal to 1% of the mortgage amount.
2. Loan Origination Fee: Fee paid to lender for processing a loan application, stated in the form of points.
3. Broker Services: As a mortgage broker, FirstStar helps borrowers find the best loan by submitting complete loan packages to lenders that best fit the borrower's loan criteria.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FirstStar Lending Solutions is a mortgage broker that matches individual borrowers in Colorado with wholesale lenders across a portfolio of loan programs including conventional (30-year and 15-year fixed, ARM), government-backed (FHA, VA, USDA, 203K, HARP), jumbo, and HECM reverse mortgages. The company supports purchase and refinance transactions with an online application and e-sign platform, automated income and asset verification, same-day loan registration, and personalized loan officer guidance from application through closing.

Product overview

FirstStar Lending Solutions is a mortgage broker offering a comprehensive portfolio of loan programs and technology-enabled services. The core offering consists of ten distinct loan programs: 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage, 15-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage, Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM), FHA Loans, VA Loans, Jumbo Loans, 203K Loans, USDA Loans, HARP Loans, and Reverse Mortgage. These loan products are supported by technology services including a Secured Client Portal for loan tracking and status updates, Electronic Document Signing for compliant e-sign origination, and Same-Day Registration enabling loan setup in under 30 minutes. The company also provides purchase and refinance services to help borrowers select appropriate loan products. The overall architecture is a single integrated service offering where loan programs are complemented by technology tools for document management, communication, and process automation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Traditional fixed-rate mortgage with a constant interest rate and unchanged monthly payments over the 30-year life of the loan, suited to homeowners planning to stay in the home for seven years or longer.
• 15-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Fully amortized 15-year fixed-rate mortgage with constant monthly payments at a lower interest rate than the 30-year option, enabling borrowers to own their home faster.
• Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM) Mortgage with an interest rate that changes periodically based on market conditions, featuring a lower initial rate than fixed-rate mortgages and suited to homeowners planning to own the property for only a few years.
• FHA Loans Mortgage loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to reduce lender risk, requiring as little as a 3.5% down payment and accessible to borrowers with less-than-perfect credit.
• VA Loans Mortgage loans guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for eligible American veterans and their surviving spouses, featuring no down payment required and negotiated interest rates.
• Jumbo Loans Loans exceeding the conforming loan limits set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (over $484,350 for most U.S. areas), with financing available up to $2.5 million in a single loan.
• 203K Loans FHA-insured loans for buyers purchasing damaged or older homes who want to include renovation costs in the mortgage, including contingency reserves up to 20% and up to six months of mortgage payments for living elsewhere during remodeling.
• USDA Loans Rural development loans backed by the United States Department of Agriculture for low-to-moderate income buyers in rural areas, featuring no down payment required and interest rates as low as 1%.
• HARP Loans Home Affordable Refinance Program loans for underwater and near-underwater homeowners, administered by the Federal Housing Finance Agency to help refinance without paying down principal or mortgage insurance.
• Reverse Mortgage (HECM) HECM reverse mortgage loans insured by the FHA for homeowners aged 62 and older, allowing them to convert home equity into cash with no monthly mortgage payments. Payment options include lump sum, line of credit, monthly payments, or a combination.
• Purchase Loan Services Mortgage home purchase loan services including jumbo, FHA, VA, and USDA options with terms from 5 to 30 years, including a pre-approval letter request process to support home offers.
• Refinance Services Home refinance loan services including conforming, jumbo, super jumbo, FHA, VA, and USDA options with terms from 5 to 30 years, encompassing analysis request, rate comparison, and loan selection.

Quantifiable outcome

• Same-day loan registration completed in less than 30 minutes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• loanDepot: Large national mortgage lender offering purchase, refinance, and HELOC products through retail, wholesale, and partner channels. Comparable product suite to FirstStar but operating at much larger scale.
• Rocket Mortgage: Largest U.S. retail mortgage lender with heavy technology investment and brand recognition. Operates in the same loan categories (conventional, FHA, VA, jumbo) but at vastly greater scale across all 50 states.
• United Wholesale Mortgage: Largest U.S. wholesale mortgage lender serving independent broker partners. Comparable indirect business model in that it operates in the broker/lender ecosystem that FirstStar accesses for loan placement.

Direct peers

• PrimeLending: Multi-channel mortgage lender with retail, wholesale, and correspondent channels offering purchase, refinance, and government loan programs comparable to FirstStar's offerings.
• Guaranteed Rate: National retail mortgage lender providing purchase and refinance loans through digital and branch channels across all major loan programs, very comparable in product breadth and target borrower base.
• Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation: Large U.S. mortgage banker and broker with multi-channel retail and joint venture partnerships, very comparable in offering a wide range of loan programs (conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo) similar to FirstStar's product mix.
• Movement Mortgage: National mortgage lender offering purchase and refinance mortgages across conventional and government programs with strong loan officer culture. Closely comparable business model focused on relationship-driven origination similar to FirstStar.
• New American Funding: Direct mortgage lender offering a wide range of conventional, FHA, VA, and USDA loans with a strong focus on first-time homebuyer and minority borrower segments closely mirroring FirstStar's customer focus.

Emerging players

• Better.com: Digital-first mortgage lender focused on tech-enabled, self-serve mortgage origination. Competes with FirstStar for refinance and purchase volume nationally through automation and direct-to-consumer digital marketing.

Regional players

• Bellco Credit Union: Colorado-headquartered credit union offering mortgage loans to Colorado residents across conventional and government programs. Regional competitor serving the same geographic market as FirstStar but through a depository model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RayCSolano
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/ray-cruz-solano-68a0711a

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 FirstStar Lending Solutions