Change the Landscape of Mortgage Lending Forever!

Orion Home Loans

Orion Home Loans is a mortgage brokerage that caters to it's loan officers (employees/independent contractors) by providing them with the tools, relationships and resources they need in order to close loans. The owner and primary Loan Officer, Jason van den Brand (me), is located in San Francisco, California.
While most mortgage brokerages are B2C (Business to Consumer), creating their companies around marketing directly to the consumer, Orion Home Loans is primarily interested in B2B (Business to Business), marketing directly to Loan Originators (self-employed) to attract and recruit them to our platform. These Loan Originators are self-sufficient and do not need training, are sales stars, have their own book of business, and receive referrals constantly.
Our loan officers need a site their clients can visit to earn trust and confirm legitimacy. This is our first official website.

The main goal of the site is to convince potential and existing clients and LO's that they should work with us because we are reputable, clean-cut and easy to work with.

There are two targets: Clients (Borrower's, Purchaser's, Refinancer's, etc.) and Loan Officers (the recruitment of)

Loan Officers: Tech-savvy sales stars that are money-hungry individuals but put ethics over all other rewards. They do the right thing. Age range varies though we've found that the 25-40 age range is typical. They are well connected in the industry, have many contacts and their own book of business. Time is typically their most valuable currency. Entrepreneurial.

Our Loan Originator's Clients: First-time homebuyers, Second-home or Investment-property buyers, Refinancer's, Commercial Real Estate Gurus, friends and family members. In terms of wealth, their clients are anywhere from "just-getting-by" to "which lear jet should I buy?" It all depends on their network. The Loan Originators are the center of the hub for the following people in each transaction: Title and Escrow Agents, Appraisers, Real Estate Agents, Loan Processors, the Borrower/Client, and the Bank (which includes Wholesale Reps, Underwriters, Funders), all of which will visit the site.

All persons listed above are considered to have above-average internet-based computer skills.

The deliverables for this contest are as follows (in well-organized PSDs):

-I would like to see treatments for h1, h2, h3, and list elements so that I have a system I can work with (a style guide)

Technical Requirements:
-I do NOT expect you to deliver code (HTML, CSS, and Javascript. But your design should be able to be implemented using HTML, CSS and Javascript (leaving hero areas that can be Flash elements later is OK)

-Fixed-width (fluid layout not needed)

Style Guidelines:
-clean
-simple
-clear
-no nonsense
-precise

3

Color Palettes I like:

http://www.colourlovers.com/palette…5401/Orion

http://www.colourlovers.com/palette…ion_Nebula

Go to this site to see our sitemap: NOTE: this is only a 3-page design
http://writemaps.com/sitemaps/share…428nm02tta

AND HERE FOR A MOCK WIREFRAME:
https://gomockingbird.com/mockingbi…ct=87e8jwy

NOTE: I am not a designer so in no way, shape or form should this wireframe be considered a template for you to design around, in fact it is near identical to zipcar.com

Pages:
1) Homepage (For B2C, get a loan)
-Hero area, a large rotating picture or flash-capable area that captures the eye (see http://www.urbanescapesusa.com for a great example) with image/illustration
-These pages need the most creative inspiration
-Should have a right (or possibly left) column that can be used for navigation or other contextual info

2) Homepage 2 (B2B, work with Orion)
-Hero area, a large rotating picture or flash-capable area that captures the eye (see http://www.urbanescapesusa.com for a great example) with image/illustration
-These pages need the most creative inspiration
-Should have a right (or possibly left) column that can be used for navigation or other contextual info

3) Secondary Page
-Will be used for miscellaneous content on the site (about, contact, sitemap, etc)
-Should be versatile
-Should have a right (or possibly left) column that can be used for navigation or other contextual info

N/A. No current website but url will be http://www.OrionLoans.com

Sites I like and why:
http://www.zipcar.com (B2C)
functionality, stylish, clean and to the point. trigger points to get you to join/apply. never feel lost on the site and it tempts you to continue navigating. hero with flash capability. NOTE: I do not want flash but would like the ability to upgrade at a later date in the hero(s).

http://www.reverseit.com (B2B)
very clean and very simple. professional and uncluttered. to the point.

http://www.barklogo.com (B2B)
extremely simple and to the point. uncluttered and a cool design that matches the company's feel.

Sites I do not like and why:

http://www.bayburgwholesale.com (B2B)
I like: The homepage. Friendly, informational, nice layout and trigger points for data capture.
Do not like: All secondary pages. Only way to navigate back is by clicking back or on menu pages. Could use right-bar (see zipcar.com) to help users move throughout site and achieve end result.