# First Cal

> First Cal, formally First California Mortgage Company, was a privately held mortgage lender with roots in 1977. Based in Petaluma, California, it served homebuyers, refinancing homeowners, builders and mortgage brokers through retail and wholesale channels. It combined conventional and jumbo lending with government-backed programs, expedited closings and digital applications. Lending operations ended by 2018.

- **Founded:** 1977
- **Headquarters:** Petaluma, United States
- **Founders:** Dennis Hart (Founder; later chairman)
- **Products:** Purchase and refinance mortgages, FHA and VA loans, Diamond Lane, Roostify-powered applications, FirstREX / Unison homebuyer financing
- **Notable:** Roostify’s April 2015 announcement reported more than $6 billion in residential lending since 2010; this is loan volume, not revenue., A 2015 landlord announcement described operations in more than 20 states and a Mortgage Executive Magazine Top 100 lender ranking., Finovate reported in August 2017 that First Cal credited Roostify with reducing average loan timeframes to 15 days; the figure is a reported company claim.

## Products & services

- **Purchase and refinance mortgages** — Residential lending through retail, wholesale and consumer-direct channels, including conventional and jumbo loans.
- **FHA and VA loans** — Government-backed mortgage programs offered before closure, subject to program and underwriting requirements.
- **Diamond Lane** — Expedited closing service for qualified borrowers; a 2015 announcement described 21-to-25-day closings.
- **Roostify-powered applications** — Mobile-friendly applications with document uploads, electronic signatures and shared transaction updates.
- **FirstREX / Unison homebuyer financing** — Eligible buyers could supplement their down payment with a home ownership investment in exchange for sharing changes in the property’s value.
- **Builder financing** — Builder and retail financing were part of the original business established in 1977.

## Achievements

- Roostify’s April 2015 announcement reported more than $6 billion in residential lending since 2010; this is loan volume, not revenue.
- A 2015 landlord announcement described operations in more than 20 states and a Mortgage Executive Magazine Top 100 lender ranking.
- Finovate reported in August 2017 that First Cal credited Roostify with reducing average loan timeframes to 15 days; the figure is a reported company claim.

## Latest updates

- **2017-07** — A release promoted a 15-day loan process using Roostify and a Salesforce integration.
- **2018-05** — MBA Newslink relayed Mortgage Daily’s report that First California Mortgage had laid off its employees and ended lending operations.

## Links

- Website: http://www.firstcal.net
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-california-mortgage-company
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/FirstCal
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FirstCal/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/first-cal
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-27