Our Story
Valor Home Loans was founded in 2023, thanks to the vision and dedication of Todd Crane and Rob Sylvia. However, their path to this venture was paved over several years. Todd's journey in the mortgage industry began in 1998, following a 4-year baseball career with the Philadelphia Phillies. Meanwhile, in 2001, Rob transitioned into mortgage after a successful stint in commercial lending at US Bank. It wasn't until 2012 that these two industry veterans joined forces, igniting a partnership that would ultimately lead to the creation of Valor Home Loans.
Now, the story below is Todd and Rob’s journey, but we’d be remiss not to mention the two main reasons for their success and what ultimately led to Valor. The first and foremost is their faith. The very first conversation they had that led to their partnership in 2012 was about their faith, which served as the bedrock for everything they did moving forward. The second is their team. Rob and Todd have been extremely blessed to surround themselves with incredible people. It’s the family environment and culture that has served as the cornerstone of their success!
2012
Rob recruited Todd to join his team at Envoy Mortgage.
2014
Rob and Todd moved their team from Envoy Mortgage to Heritage Bank of the South as Colorado Regional Managers, joining forces with Mark Milam, Patrick Huefner, and the Heritage Mortgage Team out of Georgia.
2015
Heritage Bank of the South sold to Renasant Bank.
2016
Rob, Todd, Mark, and Patrick vetted numerous banks and mortgage companies together and found a new home at Northpointe Bank. Rob and Todd ran the Mountain West Region, while Mark and Patrick ran the Southeast Region.
2019
Mark and Patrick left Northpointe Bank to start Highland Mortgage, a dba of Boxcar Mortgage LLC.
2023
Rob and Todd left Northpointe Bank to partner with Mark and Patrick under a separate dba of Boxcar Mortgage LLC called Valor Homes Loans.
Why the move?
Mark and Patrick founded Boxcar/Highland with a vision to take control of their own destiny and create something remarkable. Similarly, Rob and Todd, who achieved significant success at Northpointe having closed over $8B in loan production, shared the same desire to chart their own path and build something extraordinary. Given their long-standing relationship and the deep trust and confidence they had in each other, it was a natural decision to reunite and combine forces.
Patrick is renowned as a Capital Markets expert and skilled relationship builder. He built a platform offering a wide array of loan options at extremely competitive rates. On the other hand, Mark stands out as one of the most talented Mortgage Bankers in the business. His dedication to people and efficient processes, coupled with his commitment to the most cutting-edge technology, laid the essential groundwork for their venture.
Pooling the collective experience and expertise of both teams again was a logical step, resulting in the creation of something truly exceptional.