Bank brings in 30-year industry veteran to oversee residential mortgages in Tampa Bay

ST. PETERSBURG —First Home Bank has hired an industry veteran to help oversee its residential mortgage division in Tampa Bay.

Bob Sanders is moving over from Regions Bank where he was a mortgage manager. In 2020, his team produced more than $700 million locally, according to a press release sent out by First Home.

At First Home, he will be the residential mortgage division’s senior vice president and residential area sales manager for Tampa Bay.

CEO Anthony Leo says in the release that “one of the most critical strategic initiatives” for the bank and the residential mortgage division is increasing mortgage originations and volume in the Tampa Bay region and that “the right team leader” can help attract and keep talent that will help that growth.

Sanders, who graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in economics, has in been in banking for more than 30 years in the Southeast. In addition to his work in banking, he sits on the board of Metro Inclusive Health and is a board member and treasurer for the Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber.

First Home Bank’s parent is BayFirst Financial Corp. The company changed its name from First Home Bancorp Inc. in April.

According to the company’s second quarter earnings report, deposits increased by 4.1% — $25.06 million — during the second quarter of 2021 and by 9.7% — $56 million —in the last year to $632.32 million as of June 30.

Assets, however, fell 30.2% — $518.60 million — to $1.20 billion “mainly due to the sale of SBA PPP loans originated during the current year as well as the SBA’s forgiveness of PPP loans originated in 2020.”