AMEERA AMEERULLAH; CEO/ FOUNDER CANADA MORTGAGE & FINANCIAL GROUP: "Creating A Better Fut
AMEERA AMEERULLAH; CEO/ FOUNDER CANADA MORTGAGE & FINANCIAL GROUP
Ameera Ameerullah is the CEO and Founder of Canada Mortgage & Financial Group (CMFG), a private lending and mortgage brokerage firm with zero client complaints and no claims on its Errors & Omissions Insurance. Ameera has been active in the mortgage industry since 2001.
In May 2017 she was recognized with The Home Trust Company Award for Best Alternative Lending Broker of the Year. This award of excellence recognizes the current year’s standout performer in the alternative lending sector (including alternative and/or private deals).
Ameera is also one of CMP’s 2016 Women of Influence. Some of the country’s most highly regarded and trusted female mortgage brokers are included on the 2016 list.
Ameera’s company offers a wide range of financial services including real estate development and investment, asset management, mortgage financing, private mortgages, and joint venture opportunities.
CMFG has access to private capital, institutional and pension funds as well as a number of alternative products that are not offered by banks or subprime lenders. The depth and breadth of these fi nancial solutions make it possible for the company to fund local and international deals of any size.
Ameera’s company has arranged mortgages for major commercial and private projects (from modest starters to palatial estates) in Canada, the U.S.A, Costa Rica, Barbados and Africa. According to Ameera, “We care about people. We work just as hard to get a mortgage for a new immigrant with no credit history as we do for an established developer that wants to bring a significant commercial development to market.”
CMFG staff has over fi fty years of combined lending experience and a one hundred percent (100%) closing ratio. These accomplishments reflect staff knowledge and experience, and their unique ability to present alternative deal structures to lenders with whom the company has forged strong working relationships.
The staff ’s unwavering commitment to customer service exemplifies Ameera’s heart-centred brand. The company has many written testimonials praising staff dedication and attention to detail,and ability to exceed expectations, and to connect with clients on a personal level. “We recognize that we have people’s lives in our hands and we take this responsibility very seriously. At CMFG,clients are valued as human beings. We never treat anyone like a number or a pay cheque. We never give up or take NO for an answer. If the lender says NO the only thing we hear is NOT YET and keep working on the file until we get to a YES,” she says.
The lending division of CMFG manages its own fund, which gives the company ready access to capital. To date, there have been no defaults on loans made through the private fund. In fact, all advanced funds have been repaid in full. “I started the fund to help clients struggling to get back on track. I don’t need the extra money and don’t draw a salary from the private lending side of the business. After I pay the expenses, I direct the salary I would have taken to my many charitable projects,” the heart-centred leader says.
In emergency situations, access to private capital is vital. For example, one day before closing, Ameera received a telephone call from realtor Summit Sud of Tri Capital Realty Inc. His client’s mortgage financing had fallen through and he was going to lose his deposit. “I knew I had to do something or five children and their parents would be homeless. We allocated funds from our lending division, placed Summit’s client in a mortgage with a six-month term and closed the deal in a day. At maturity, CMFG restructured and transferred the mortgage to a recognized lender, and saved our client more than $500 / month in the process. We continue to help our client rebuild his credit, which only suffered because of multiple queries on his bureau. This is only one of many examples of the people I have been proud to help,” she says.
Ameera and her team care about maintaining respectful and mutually profitable relationships with everyone. In the mortgage industry, it is standard operating procedure to ‘shop’ the mortgage deal to many lenders. As you can see from the previous example, when a variety of lenders pull credit reports, this can (and often does), adversely affect the client’s credit rating. “The CMFG team prides itself on our good working relationships with all of our lenders. We continuously stay on top of lenders’ guidelines and changes. Our impeccable attention to details helps us to match the structure of the deal to the appropriate lender. And, for the record,we only indulge in ‘shopping expeditions’ on our personal time,”she says with a smile.
The company has earned a reputation for its integrity, transparency and clarity. Elliot Zeitoune, Director of Caruda Holdings, a repeat client, describes Ameera as an individual with outstanding character, and who is also diligent, easy to work with, and most importantly, a subject matter expert. Ameera says, “We have a small but mighty team. We never put off looking at the file even if the funds are not required right away. And, because we are always analyzing the market, we can credibly offer educated suggestions to our clients and our investors.”
An experienced team of passionate financial professionals support Ameera’s efforts.
Michael Hyman is responsible for identifying residential and commercial investment opportunities in North America and the Caribbean. He is also responsible for negotiating commercial real estate joint-venture partnerships.
David McMillan evaluates hotel and resort projects ( typically in the $50 MM to $1.6B range) for financing, concept development, brand selection and financial architecture.
Maroun Khalil wears two hats at CMFG. He is a financial analyst in charge of identifying good joint venture prospects as well as the company’s VP of Investor Relations.
Syed Bokhari is the company’s business development manager. He is a hotel expert and has brokered many deals including the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan and the Scribe Hotel in Paris.
Julian Fitsalovich specializes in the automotive industry,subprime lending, and investment banking. Small and large organizations appreciate his expertise in strategic business planning and debt consolidation.
Douglas Fowles is a specialist in real estate acquisition, project management and commercial financing. His experience includes developing a REIT that is traded on the TSX. Doug is the VP of Commercial Lending.
Linda Gibson has worked for a variety of A and B lenders and the largest private residential mortgage insurer in Canada. She also wears two hats at CMFG – as Team Lead, Underwriting and as Operations Manager.
Shaunese Lawrence a licensed mortgage agent and CMFG’s Office Administrator and oversees the daily internal processes of the company including client renewals.
Ameera’s team is also committed to educating clients on how to leverage real estate so that they too can build personal wealth. Sharing knowledge is a big part of CMFG’s heart-centred brand. “We have quarterly training sessions. External financial professionals are always invited to join us – sometimes as speakers and other times as guests. We believe in the value of collaboration and are not threatened by sharing our knowledge with other professionals,” the CMFG Founder says.
Ameera balances her business activities with her charitable work and she has earned her reputation as a philanthropist, social worker, and a strong advocate for human rights. Her actions demonstrate her commitment to creating a better future for all.They are also evidence of her heart-centred philosophy is in action. Ameera is the Founder of the David Ann Foundation for HIV Aids & Cancer, Restore Humanity and The Homeless & Orphan Foundation of Canada. She is also a proud supporter and volunteer member (when required) at Casey House in Toronto, North York Women’s Shelter, Covenant House, Providence Healthcare, Sick Kids Hospital, Children’s Aid Society, Red Cross, International Development and Relief Foundation, and the Centre of Addictions and Mental Health.
She is also passionate about the empowerment of women, children and the elderly. In her spare time Ameera works with youth in the criminal justice system, survivors of sexual and physical abuse and individuals suffering from addictions and mental illness. “I have no children of my own which allows me to be a mother to many. I have no husband because I am married to my job. As to pets, I once had a fish, which I killed – not by neglect, but by overfeeding it,” Ameera laughingly says.
Suzen Fromstein is the author of Suits and Ladders, Ten Proven Ways to Keep Your Job Safe - with a few jokes thrown in. Suits and Ladders was an Amazon Best Selling Book in the Career Guides Category
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