Lending a Hand
Jason Kenny Has Found His Niche in Business and Community
Writer / Renee Larr
Photographer / Brian Brosmer
Falling in love with your new, adopted hometown isnt always easy, especially when moving from a big city to a smaller city. Jason Kenny grew up in New Jersey and moved to Noblesville in 2008. Since then hes made a name for himself locally in the mortgage industry. Kenny is a branch manager for Bailey & Wood Mortgage Lender.
I was working in the media industry for HBO and CBS Sports when I was working in New York, Kenny says. I had a friend that I worked with at HBO make a career change to the mortgage industry. At the time my wife was going back to school to get her MBA at Purdue. I took a chance, moved out to Lafayette and got into the mortgage industry.
Mortgages are obtained through brokerages, banks or a direct lender. Since 2006 Kenny has worked in each type of business model.
I started as a broker, who is a type of middle man between the lender and the client, Kenny says. It was challenging to build a network when you move to a city like Lafayette and youre the guy from New Jersey. It was a bit of culture shock. I didnt know these people and they didnt know me.
He managed to make it work during his time there, but moving to a new city led to a new job.
Then when I moved to Noblesville, I worked in a bank, Kenny says. With banks youre given a small salary and commission. Its helpful because its all about building your network. I could live on the salary while building my network and commission.
Kenny spent time building his local relationships, but always longed to move into the direct-lending side of the industry. He started at Bailey & Wood in 2018.
Ive worked as a referral-only loan officer for 10-plus years, Kenny says. Most of my business is locally in Noblesville. My referrals come from real estate agents and consumers who are in need of loans such as a loan with high acceptance rates.
Kenny has a team working alongside him to ensure the home-buying process goes smoothly from start to finish.
I have Amber Pryor and Sharon Medcalf on my team, Kenny says. Theyre both licensed originators, but their primary function is to help me gather documentation and facilitate a smooth transaction for the client.
Kenny is starting to see repeat business, meaning an existing client will use him to purchase a different home.
The market has been crazy the last year and a half, Kenny says. The housing market is going gangbusters, and we have seen historically low interest rates. It was the perfect storm for someone in my position. About 40% of my business has been repeat business, not to mention that many people were looking to refinance their loans.
Bailey & Wood was founded in 2007 by Owner D. Mike Wood in Whiteland. Their niche is local communities. The company has donated more than one million dollars to local charities, schools and families.
Were very invested in the local community, Kenny says. We sponsor all kinds of things like golf outings, ice skating, carriage rides, Food Truck Friday, Fueled for School, and the Back to School BASH every year. Our competitors are more nationally focused, and they spend a lot of money on advertising, whereas were an Indiana-only company who puts money back into the local community.
Kenny loves Noblesville because it reminds him of his roots growing up in the northeast.
Its always reminded me a little bit of New Jersey, Kenny says. Its a slower way of living. I think sometimes people forget about Noblesville a little bit. Its a great place to build relationships. I work closely with several great real estate groups in town.
In the little spare time he has during a peak housing crunch, Kenny enjoys spending time in Noblesville with his wife Jennifer, and children Kara and Kiley. He lost his parents at a young age, so he knows how important family is in life.
He is also frequently seen working out in the mornings at Three Kings Athletics Noblesville doing Cross-Fit.
We frequently boat up at Morse Reservoir with the kids tubing and paddleboarding, Kenny says. I have a daddy-daughters date almost every Sunday at the Uptown Cafe for breakfast.
In his short time with the company, hes made a big impression on Wood.
Ever since Jason joined Bailey & Wood, he has come right in and fit our family culture while growing his business, Wood says. His fantastic work ethic, drive and professionalism is something that has earned him ranking among the best 1% in the nation. He is a true asset to the company and someone we are beyond proud to have here with us.
Kennys office is located at 1592 Conner Street in Noblesville. For more information, visit bawfg.com/jkenny
