When Johnny Smith’s classmates remember him, it’s usually for his record-setting track and field accomplishments. Nowadays, for those in the market for unique real estate, he’s known as the go-to person for floating home loans. As Pacific Crest’s vice president of lending services and residential loan officer, Johnny provides portfolio loans for multifamily and residential properties (including floating homes!) for individuals and investors.
Johnny is a longtime Northwest resident who grew up in nearby, in Everett, Washington. After an injury sidelined his track and field career at Western Washington University, Johnny turned to the community he knew he could depend on and landed a job at Cascade Savings and Loan. Eventually, Johnny moved on to title insurance, the industry where he spent more than 30 years developing relationships with real estate agents, lending officers and mortgage companies. When it was time to try something new, Johnny again turned to his local contacts, and made the connection with Pacific Crest, where he’s been since 2019.
As someone who enjoys working with people and putting together the “puzzle” of aligning an individual’s wants and needs with the market, Johnny found a niche handling floating home loans at Pacific Crest. For Johnny, working on these exclusive properties isn’t the only perk of the job – it’s the people he meets and the relationships he builds.
Whether his clients are looking for second homes or a new way of life living on the water, Johnny is adept at addressing each client’s needs. In fact, Johnny is known for his affable communication style, and is always a phone call away to help wade through the complexities and nuances of each loan.
Back in his youth, when Johnny was visiting friends at the University of Washington, he often passed by the homes on Lake Union, wondering who would choose to live on the water. Now, Johnny not only knows many floating home owners on a first-name basis, he’s also helped make their dreams come true.
Hear more from Johnny about working at Pacific Crest:
“I love the diverse group of people I’ve been able to connect with over the years through the lending business – I’ve met so many interesting families, business owners, and leaders – from doctors and scientists to lawyers. I enjoy helping people feel comfortable making the leap with a new property by taking care of them like family here at Pacific Crest.”
Fun Facts:
What is an interesting fact about your family? My wife and I met in the banking industry and we’ve been married for 40 years. We have two grandkids, and we love spending time together as a family, enjoying the outdoors, especially taking advantage of camping throughout the Pacific Northwest. When I’m not relaxing with my family, you can find me staying active and playing racquet ball.
