Planet Home Lending Adds Long Island Team

Planet Home Lending, a national mortgage lender and servicer, has added a new team in Woodbury, New York, as part of its growing presence in the Tristate area and continued expansion across the U.S.  

Led by Regional Vice Presidents Jason Morano (NMLS #1068120) and Chris Wubbenhorst (NMLS #121645), who have two decades of mortgage experience, the team of more than 20 mortgage professionals speaks multiple languages as members of the diverse New York Metro community.  

Morano joined Planet Home Lending to gain resources to help modern homebuyers and homeowners. “A good number of first-time buyers fall outside the traditional credit box because they are self-employed or bolstering their income with a second job in the gig economy,” Morano said. “While their income streams may not be standard, they are excellent candidates for homeownership. Planet has the resources we need to help these borrowers purchase a home.” 

The company also participates in down payment and closing costs assistance programs to make it easier to buy a home.  

“Many of today’s homebuyers see real estate as an investment that can help build wealth,” said Morano. “That’s why we offer home loans for two-, three- or four-unit properties. You can live in one unit and apply the rent from the other units toward your mortgage payment.”  

On the home seller side, Planet’s offers interest rate buydowns that temporarily lower the interest rate for a home’s buyers. “It’s a seller concession that can make the property stand out from competing listings and it may cost less than reducing the selling price,” Morano said. 

“The New York metro area is enriched by people from many different cultures and backgrounds,” said Michael Dubeck, CEO and President of Planet Financial Group, parent of Planet Home Lending. “The Woodbury team is impressive in the fact that together they speak a variety of languages, enabling them to better connect with borrowers, understand their goals, and deliver the solutions, resources and support they need.” 

Woodbury is the second office Planet has opened in New York in recent months and just one of several that have opened this year. Its opening follows news of the company’s third-quarter earnings, which revealed a 14.1% increase in home loan volume from the previous quarter. Morano plans to expand in 2023 by adding an additional 20 loan originators in Queens and North Jersey. 

Part of Planet’s success can be attributed to its numerous offerings designed specifically to help homebuyers and homeowners achieve their goals.  

Among the tools available to Long Island borrowers are Planet Home Lending’s personal digital mortgage assistant, Skymore by Planet Home Lending™, which enables consumers to apply for a home loan from anywhere via their mobile device. Using Skymore, borrowers and real estate agents (with the borrower’s permission) can track loan progress 24/7, reach out to ask their loan officer questions and submit paperwork electronically. 

Through its Planet With a Purpose social responsibility platform, the company gives back to the planet, people, and local communities. In the past four years, Planet has funded the planting of nearly a quarter million trees in our National Forests, moved 70 million pounds of food to hungry families and endowed a scholarship for military service members.