First homes. Complex deals. Rental portfolios. We got you.
Two decades of mortgage banking expertise, proprietary Scout software to find and fund properties, and a team built for buyers who other lenders turn away. First-time homeowners, self-employed and complex-income borrowers, and investors scaling portfolios – all backed by in-house underwriting and 18-day average close times. We’re here to serve you – and your real estate agents, financial advisors, and tax teams.
Chad Baker
Originating in 48 states, with over $2B funded across 5,000+ families and investors since 2003, Chad has built a practice – and the proprietary tech behind it – around one idea: serious homebuyers and investors deserve a lender who already knows how every type of deal pencils before they call.
Chad’s team is known for closing the kinds of files other lenders pass on – self-employed buyers with complex returns, DSCR investors scaling portfolios, foreign nationals, and clients with bank-statement income who keep getting “no” from rigid underwriting elsewhere.
Every year, his team closes deals across every homebuyer and property investor profile, from first home to first rental to multi-property portfolios. The team pre-underwrites every client deal before transactions start, and the team’s proprietary Scout app helps investors easily find and fund properties.
Core Chad Baker Team members below have worked with Chad for at least a decade. As a direct lender, the team approves and funds loans in-house – which means common-sense exceptions, real-time answers, and 18-day average close times on purchase money.
Julian Hebron
Julian began his career in money management at UBS, entered the mortgage industry as a loan officer in 2003 (for a firm that CrossCountry Mortgage acquired), and has built and grown large loan production operations since then. He understands home buying and ownership from Main Street to Wall Street, and is known for explaining complex deal strategies and volatile financial markets in terms anyone can understand.
The team’s deal and market intel is published at The Basis Point, and Julian’s dual perspective – mortgage banker and industry analyst – is the edge clients get when he structures their financing. He sees the deal, the overall client financial strategy, and the macro environment driving it, so his advice holds up as markets play out over time.
Karina Saldarriaga
Karina’s superpowers as your mortgage banker are speed and approachability. For 2+ decades, her signature style is to listen and understand your needs fast, then make precise recommendations based on your goals and profile. She makes it a joy when sorting it all out – and truly gets it, no matter how complex your scenario is.
Karina is a San Diego native, athlete, and mom of three sports kids who loves to cook. She communicates with clarity and warmth in plain English – or Spanish.
Hablamos EspañolMark Linden
When Mark isn’t advising clients and working with their realtors, wealth managers, and CPAs to get deals done, he’s the operational core of the team, helping us keep our fast, precise pace. Which makes sense because he’s also a formidable drummer. And a surfer. And a software development expert.
Mark knows how all of the pieces of our operation must come together to respond to your needs fast, and get your financing deals done right. He keeps our intensity level up to perform for you at the highest level, while also keeping us all loose, friendly, and funny.
Brittani Cooper
On top of being a mortgage banker, Brittani is an entrepreneur who owns a salon and a coffee shop. This hustle-and-win mindset informs how she listens to clients’ goals, and makes the right long-term recommendations based on their financial and career profiles.
Whether it’s helping a first-time buyer learn the ropes or a seasoned investor structure complex buying and selling strategies, Brittani works the numbers, keeps communication clear, and makes sure nothing falls through the cracks.
Elite Credit Analysis & Processing
Led by Megan and Loni, these are the seasoned specialists who keep files moving, underwriting clean, and closings on time.
A tight, fun team who’s got your back.
The Chad Baker Team isn’t a freshly assembled launch. Chad and Julian first partnered in 2016 then formally re-teamed in 2026 – a 10-year operator relationship built on deeply compatible operating philosophies. Both have been independently building proprietary tech as their operational moat for over 20 years.
The current team is the result of two long-tenured operators finally assembling all the parts: 20+ years of origination expertise, team, and partner network; the Scout app to find and fund deals; deep specialization in complex deals and profiles; 18+ years of The Basis Point market intel; and a custom client, transaction, and partner engagement workflow built to ensure our clients win through full market cycles.
Core team members have worked together for at least a decade. As a direct lender through CrossCountry Mortgage, our loans are underwritten in-house – which means common-sense exceptions, real-time answers, and 18-day average close times on purchase money.
