About SureFirst Lending
Built by lenders who missed the relationship part.
Our story, our purpose, the partners we lend alongside, and the people behind every loan.
Our story, our purpose, the partners we lend alongside, and the people behind every loan.
SureFirst Lending was founded by Norm Steeg, a mortgage industry veteran with nearly 27 years of experience — including nearly 16 years helping build loanDepot from the ground up into one of the top 10 lenders in the country. After decades on the inside of the industry, watching it drift further toward automation and further from the people it's supposed to serve, Norm set out to build the kind of mortgage company he always wished existed: one where technology removes the busywork, but real, experienced advisors stay at the center of every decision.
Our purpose is simple: help people navigate one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives with clarity, honesty, and a plan that actually fits their needs — not a one-size-fits-all product pushed through an algorithm. We believe technology should remove friction, not replace relationships, and that every borrower deserves a lender who's actually been in their shoes. That's the whole idea behind you are not just a loan.
We're not a one-size-fits-all lender. Every borrower's situation is different, so instead of pushing a single product, we take the time to match — and tailor — your loan to the lending partner best suited to you. We work with a broad network of top wholesale lending partners so we can find the right fit for every borrower's situation, including:
Norm Steeg is the Founder and Owner of SureFirst Lending, bringing nearly 27 years of hands-on experience in the mortgage industry. Norm's passion is simple: helping people navigate one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives with clarity, honesty, and a plan that actually fits their needs.
Before starting SureFirst Lending, Norm was a founding member of loanDepot, where he helped build the company from the ground up over more than 16 years. LoanDepot is now a public company and one of the top 10 lenders in the country.
Norm's career started long before that, with leadership roles at companies including Seabreeze Financial (where he served as President), LendingTree Loans, and Grander Financial, giving him a well-rounded view of the mortgage business — from credit and compliance to operations, product, and sales.
Norm holds a degree in International Relations from United States International University in San Diego, and he founded SureFirst Lending to bring that same depth of experience directly to homebuyers, with a lender who's been in their shoes for nearly three decades.
With 20 years in the mortgage industry — including 8 years in a leadership role — Tyler has built his career around one thing: genuinely caring about the people he works with. His time at some of the industry's larger lenders taught him a great deal, but it also showed him how easy it can be for the connection with the consumer to get lost — and that realization shaped the kind of company he wanted to be a part of.
Today, as Branch Manager at SureFirst Lending, Tyler is committed to making sure that connection never gets lost — that every client feels heard, guided honestly, and genuinely taken care of from the first conversation through closing day. He holds his team to the same standard he holds a loan file: if it’s not right for the client, it’s not right.
For Tyler, the goal is bigger than any single branch — it’s helping SureFirst grow without losing the thing that makes it different: real people who pick up the phone, tell the truth about the numbers, and treat every client like a neighbor rather than a file.
Donny has built his career in the mortgage industry on more than helping people achieve homeownership — he’s built it on relationships. He believes the strongest ones, whether with clients, partners, or colleagues, come from treating people with respect, honesty, and like family.
As Branch Manager and a member of SureFirst’s leadership, his goal is not only to help build a successful branch, but to contribute to building a successful company — and a culture where people feel valued, supported, and truly part of a family. That means sharing what he’s learned, mentoring and developing the people around him, and leading by example so others have the opportunity to grow and succeed.
As he begins this next chapter, Donny stays grounded and humble in what got him here: listening, learning, growing, and never losing sight of the values behind the work.
Apply Now →Licensed advisors ready to guide you from application to closing.
Daniel has been guiding borrowers through the mortgage process since 2007 — through rising markets, falling markets, and everything in between. Nearly two decades in the business have given him a deep bench of knowledge across purchase, refinance, and home equity lending, and a simple philosophy: know the numbers cold, explain them plainly, and pick up the phone when a client calls.
Whether it’s a first home, a better rate, or putting equity to work, Daniel walks every client through their options until the right path is obvious — no jargon, no pressure, and no surprises at the closing table.
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With a passion for helping people and more than 18 years of mortgage experience — since 2007 — Katherine guides homebuyers, homeowners, and real estate partners through every step of the lending process with knowledge, care, and integrity.
She takes the time to truly understand each client’s goals and provide personalized solutions, whether you’re purchasing your first home, moving up, refinancing, accessing home equity, or exploring options for your next chapter. Her commitment is simple: to make the mortgage experience as smooth, transparent, and stress-free as possible — and to empower you to achieve an even greater quality of life through homeownership.
Apply Now →Roann has earned a reputation for the kind of diligence that makes a mortgage feel effortless from the client’s side of the table. Every document tracked, every deadline met, every detail checked twice — so her clients spend their energy on the move, not the loan.
Purchase transactions are where she shines. From the first pre-approval to the final walkthrough, Roann keeps buyers, agents, and escrow moving in sync — and her clients informed at every step. For Roann, a smooth closing isn’t luck; it’s preparation, communication, and genuinely caring how the story ends.
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Kayden has a gift for making the complicated feel simple. Sharp, highly educated, and just as good with words as he is with numbers, he takes the densest parts of a mortgage — the disclosures, the fine print, the math — and translates them into plain English that actually sticks.
What borrowers remember most, though, is his patience. Kayden never rushes a decision and never makes a question feel small — he’ll walk through the numbers as many times as it takes, because he believes an informed client makes a confident one. From application through closing, his borrowers feel heard, prepared, and never pressured.
Apply Now →We're always looking for experienced loan officers and operations professionals who want to do mortgage lending differently — with better tools, without losing the personal touch.
Regulated by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).
TEXAS RESIDENTS: CONSUMERS WISHING TO FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST A MORTGAGE COMPANY OR RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE LOAN ORIGINATOR LICENSED IN TEXAS SHOULD SEND A COMPLETED COMPLAINT FORM TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SAVINGS AND MORTGAGE LENDING (SML): 2601 N. LAMAR BLVD., SUITE 201, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78705; TEL: 1-877-276-5550. INFORMATION AND FORMS ARE AVAILABLE ON SML'S WEBSITE: SML.TEXAS.GOV.