About Lantern Financial

Steve began his professional career in 1969 working for a Specialist Broker on the New York Stock Exchange. He quickly became an arbitrage clerk buying and selling convertible bonds on the floor of the Exchange.

In 1972 he left Wall Street for Main Street, going into the real estate business. In 1976 he started his own construction company building single-family homes on Long Island.

He came to California in 1980 and went to work for Home Budget Loans. He received his real estate broker’s license in 1982. During the 13 years, he spent at Home Budget he was consistently the top producing Loan Officer and trained and mentored several other Loan Officers.

After a change in ownership in 1993, Steve left Home Budget to open Lantern Financial Corporation, a private money mortgage company.

Steve served on the Board of Directors of the California Mortgage Association where he was two times president and four times Vice President since its inception in 1999 and was recently awarded the honor of Director Emeritus. He has been the recipient of several Certificates of Appreciation and other awards.

The California Department of Real Estate, as well as private litigators, have retained Steve as an expert witness in the patterns and practices of private money mortgage lending.

Steve is a decorated veteran of the Vietnam Conflict, (1966-1967). He is an active member of the Wounded Warrior Project, Patron Supporter of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Tolerance, Museum of Contemporary Art, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, Food on Foot, the Ovarian Cancer Coalition, The Guardians and several other charitable and cultural organizations.

Kenneth A. Carmona has over 40 years experience in mortgage lending and foreclosure administration. His past employment positions include, Executive Vice President of PacificAmerica Money Center, Executive Vice President of Presidential Mortgage Company, Executive Vice President of Pacific Thrift and Loan Association, President of Consolidated Reconveyance Company (CRC), President of Consolidated Reconveyance Company of Washington (CRCWA), and President of Lenders Posting and Publishing Company (LPPC).

As President of Consolidated Reconveyance Company, he was instrumental with the administration of over 30,000 modifications, workouts, forbearance and foreclosures and the complex issues, that arose from these proceedings. In 1998 he sold the Consolidated Reconveyance Companies (CRC, CRCWA, LPPC) to Chicago Title and Trust Company.

Mr. Carmona received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance with a Real Estate Specialty in 1980 from California State University, Northridge. He is a California Licensed Real Estate Broker. He has been involved with loan workouts, loan sales, and loan purchases and has orchestrated many bulk sale and acquisitions with institutional lenders and the FDIC.

In December 2001, Ken joined Lantern Financial Corporation. Since then, he has led the growth of Lantern Financial becoming the Leader, in Commercial Real Estate Lending in Southern California.

Ken is active in the community and is a member of the Executives. He served on the Dean’s Council of Business Advisors at California State University. He is the past Chairman of the Board and a past Director for the Morrison Ranch Homeowners Association and a past Director of Los Angeles Sephardic Home for the Aging (LASHA).

Other past Director positions included California Trustee Association, California Association of Thrift and Loan Companies and PacificAmerica Money Center.

Lusine Hayrapetyan, Vice President, Investment Services, manages the Lantern Financial Investment and the REO Department. She joined the company in 2003 and learned the business, first as an Insurance Clerk and later advanced to become the Supervisor of Investment Services where she became a Real Estate Licensee.

She and her family immigrated to the United States in 1997, Lusine speaks four languages. Armenian, Russian, English, and Spanish. With the multicultural world that Los Angeles has become, she regularly acts as a translator for many of our customers.

Lusine graduated from California State University, Northridge with an undergraduate degree in Biology and later earned her MBA from California State University, Monterey.

Jake Pelter grew up in Southern California.  He graduated from California State University Northridge in 2006.  Shortly after graduation he obtained his California Real Estate Brokers License and began working in the private money lending business.

In 2010, Jake transitioned into residential real estate sales while continuing to work in private money lending. His 15 years of real estate experience between sales and lending make him a perfect candidate to join Lantern Financial as a seasoned Broker Associate.

Jake will primarily focus on Loan origination and joining our TEAM exhibiting at various trade shows.