JSSmith Mortgage Forms JV

JSSmith Mortgage, a six-month-old mortgage company in Scottsdale, Ariz., is forming a joint venture with West USA real estate offices in the greater Phoenix area.Smith Mortgage and West USA will be partners in the new venture, to be called TLC Mortgage, which will originate loans on behalf of the realty firm's clients. With more than 2,000 agents in Arizona -- and five branches in the Phoenix metro area -- West USA is considered the state's largest brokerage firm and ranked sixth in size nationally. "We chose to team up with JSSmith Mortgage because of that company's deep expertise in creating mortgage joint ventures," said Caly Fouts, president and founder of West USA. Jeffrey Smith, who founded the company bearing his name in January, has helped create more than 100 mortgage joint ventures around the country and is considered a national expert on the matter. "Having a mortgage solution on site will only enhance [the realty firm's] customer service," Smith said.