Building the Foundation Behind Every Homeownership Journey
At Homeowners Financial Group, there are people who work on the front lines helping families achieve the dream of homeownership every single day. Then there are the people behind the curtain making sure the systems, technology, and infrastructure supporting those dreams never skip a beat. Robert Petersen lives firmly in that second category, and the company would not function the same without him.
As Senior Software Engineer based out of our Scottsdale, AZ corporate office, Rob’s role centers around Encompass LOS system administration, overseeing and administering the loan manufacturing platform that powers Homeowners nationwide. Being a Homie since January 2019, Rob has become one of the key architects behind the systems that help drive successful homeownership opportunities across the organization. While many people see the mortgage process from the outside looking in, Rob is one of the people behind the scenes ensuring every moving piece connects together exactly the way it should.
And if you ask Brandon Durham, Director of Training & Business Technology and Rob’s leader within the organization, he’ll tell you the best way to describe Rob’s work is through the lens of homebuilding itself. “You can’t build a modern dream home on a weak foundation. Technology works the same way. The structure underneath has to be solid enough to support what exists today while being flexible enough to evolve for tomorrow. The key is building forward without compromising the strength of what everything stands on.”
That mindset describes Rob perfectly. Because being behind the scenes often means your work is recognized without necessarily being recognized. When a mortgage operating system works well, it simply does exactly what it’s supposed to do. It becomes expected. Seamless. Reliable. Almost invisible. That level of consistency is not accidental; it’s the result of someone taking deep ownership over the experience of every single user interacting with the system.
And Rob takes that responsibility with genuine joy. One of the things that makes him uniquely valuable is the fact that before becoming the software engineer he is today, Rob spent over a decade working as a mortgage underwriter. That perspective is rare. He doesn’t just understand the technology — he understands the people using it. In many ways, Rob is the unicorn combination of software engineer and mortgage operator. He knows what it feels like to live in the day-to-day realities of production, underwriting, and loan flow. That insight allows him to approach system design and development with empathy for the frontline teams who rely on the platform every day.
It’s the homebuilding equivalent of someone who can design the blueprint and has personally worn the tool belt and swung the hammer. That experience shows up constantly in how he develops solutions, improves workflows, and supports the organization as technology continues evolving. And lately, that evolution has accelerated in a big way.
Rob has recently taken on additional system administration responsibilities as Homeowners moves toward implementation of our new clients facing Point of Sale system. Fully integrated and bi-directional with Encompass, the combined technologies position Homeowners with best-in-class origination software built to support both today’s needs and the future of lending. Which feels very on-brand for Rob. Because if you know Rob, you know he genuinely loves technology — not just how it works, but how it impacts people. Whether that’s simplifying a complex workflow for an operations team or creating a smoother experience for families pursuing homeownership, he sees technology as something that should make life easier, better, and maybe even a little more fun.
Case in point: yes, Rob absolutely purchased a car through Carvana and yes… he absolutely dropped the big coin to have the vehicle delivered through the giant vending machine. Because of course he did. That balance of deep technical knowledge and lighthearted humor is part of what makes him such a great presence around the organization. Rob is married to his wife Rose and is one of the rare true Arizona natives, having raised his family right here in the Valley. Around coworkers, he’s known equally for his expertise and his perfectly timed dad jokes. Even in the middle of high-pressure situations, there’s a strong chance Rob will break tension with an unexpected Austin Powers reference that somehow lands exactly when everyone needed it most. And that’s probably what stands out most about him. “Rob is fun loving and easy going and has a way of keeping stressful situations lighthearted,” says Meghan Kiarsis, Mortgage Support Team Lead and teammate of Rob. She continues, “Everything is always an ‘easy fix’, but in reality, we all know it takes major brains to do what he does. Thanks for everything you do for the team and HFG as a whole, it’s immense!”
Rob builds systems designed to support people. He builds foundations meant to last. He builds for today while thinking about tomorrow. And somehow, while doing all of that, he still finds ways to keep things light, human, and fun.
At Homeowners Financial Group, we talk often about helping people achieve the dream of homeownership. Rob may work behind the scenes, but the systems he architects help make those dreams possible every single day.
And that foundation matters more than most people will ever realize.
3 words that best describe Rob: Dependable. Knowledgeable. Fun-Loving.
We are always looking for experienced professionals who are committed to serving the needs of borrowers while maintaining our corporate culture focused on family. If this is you, please contact us at homeownersfg.com/careers for more information on becoming a Homie.
