Meet Pat Callaghan, Mortgage Loan Originator with Gulf Coast Bank’s Metairie Branch

Imagine the joy and satisfaction you feel as a Saints fan after a game-winning touchdown in the Superdome.

That’s how Pat Callaghan, who has worked in the mortgage industry for more than 30 years, feels every time he hears the phrase “clear to close” for his clients.

“The mortgage business is like a race to get to the finish line,” he explains. “You’re playing four quarters in a football game and you finally get to the end.”

Winning means a successful closing, happy clients, and home purchase dreams spinning into reality.

Pat, who has worked as mortgage loan originator for 6 years with Gulf Coast Bank – and originating mortgages for much longer – has seen a lot in his 3 decades helping people buy and refinance homes all over Greater New Orleans.

In 2005, he weathered the downturn of the post-Katrina housing market followed by the rebuilding and new construction boom. He survived the Great Recession of 2007 and 2008 and subsequent tightening of mortgage restrictions.

Now, the (surprisingly) bustling pandemic housing market keeps his phone ringing and inbox overflowing – and a steady flow of loan applicants sit before him daily, looking to lock-in historically low rates.

A Heart for Helping Others

It was the spirit of altruism instilled in him by his parents that first attracted Pat to the idea that he could build a career out of helping people.

“My parents were very open, giving, and heartwarming people – and they gave everything they could,” Pat says. “I learned from them and that’s how I live my life.”

Pat earned his college degree in Business Administration from the University of New Orleans and took a job in finance right out of college. After 12 years helping clients finance everything from furniture to real estate, he teamed up with a good friend who helped Pat realize what an impact he could make in his community by joining a mortgage team!.

The opportunity to help clients, especially first-time homebuyers, purchase their dream homes had Pat hooked.

The Spirit of Partnership and a Community Bank to Call Home

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the Great Recession recovery found Pat looking for a new opportunity with the right lender, a smaller and more family-oriented community bank where people, not numbers, are first. He joined Gulf Coast Bank Home Loans.

“I try to approach every type of loan with the idea that this is an opportunity to help somebody,” Pat says. “Some of my customers have never bought a home before and they don’t know the process. They don’t know if they qualify, they don’t know where to start. Others are ready to go.”

In the course of working with clients, Pat becomes a trusted partner and a guide of sorts, leading them through the hurdles of a successful loan pre-qualification, , application, underwriting, approval, closing, and then ultimately becoming homeowners.

He describes his best days on the job as those that end with the win and relief of overcoming a hurdle in the lending process that wasn’t anticipated.

“Mortgages are a puzzle with so much documentation, pieces, and parts needed,” Pat explains. “I have a team of dedicated people – processors, underwriters, assistants, and more – who help me.”

It’s more like series of collaborative efforts all working together with the same end in mind, getting the client to the finish line which is called “closing”!.

“It’s a steady race to the finish line,” he says. “Hearing the all-clear is one of the more satisfying parts of the job”

Outside of the office, Pat has a new coveted title these days: “Papa.”

His grandson Kye, who lives in Texas with his mom (Pat’s daughter, Megan) and dad just turned one. A doting Grandpa, Pat talks with Kye on Facetime frequently in between their visits.

Pat also enjoys spending time with his 22-year-old son, Peyton, is active in his church, and volunteers on Habitat for Humanity builds along with his colleagues at Gulf Coast Bank.

When You’re Ready to Buy or Refinance Anywhere in Greater New Orleans, Pat Can Help!

Pat Callaghan works with all types of clients and loan programs, from first-time homebuyers to Veterans, clients looking to refinance, and those pursuing new construction. He loves partnering with his clients to make homeownership or real estate investment goals a reality. Reach Pat at 504-544-6302 or patcallaghan@gulfbank.com.