Awards

2020 HW Woman of Influence: Laura LaRaia

First Guaranty Mortgage Corp., Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel

Laura LaRaia

Laura LaRaia is a force to be reckoned with as chief legal officer and general counsel at First Guaranty Mortgage Corp.

Most recently, LaRaia was instrumental in providing counsel to the firm as it sought to navigate through the COVID-19 crisis. She worked tirelessly to delve into the components of the CARES Act that affect mortgage lending, investigated the implications of the legislation and provided legal and risk guidance to FGMC’s leadership teams. She spent her time during the first months of COVID-19 advocating with the Mortgage Bankers Association and investors through the Mortgage Action Alliance. LaRaia also assisted her teams in rolling out the plan for implementation of the revised Uniform Residential Loan Application and oversaw the completion of multiple successful state and agency audits for her firm. With over 20 years in the industry, LaRaia serves as a member of several MBA committees, including the MBA state legislative and regulatory committee, MBA litigation task force, and as both an advocate for and a member of the MBA’s Mortgage Action Alliance. LaRaia is also involved in mPower, NEXT, and volunteered with Interfaith Housing Coalition and Jesuit Volunteer Corps, as well as Habitat for Humanity. She lives by the philosophy that she would never ask any of her team members to do something she wouldn’t do herself.

Most Popular Articles

Smith Douglas Homes Doubles Down On Pace And Growth

While many homebuilders, such as D.R. Horton and Tri Pointe Homes, significantly reduced the number of new home starts over the last quarter amid sluggish homebuyer demand, Smith Douglas Homes Corp. is taking a different approach, akin to that of Lennar. Pace over price.  The builder’s strategy reflects a commitment to affordability and serving the […]

Mar 18, 2026 By

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HousingWire Mortgage Rankings have arrived, bringing data-driven benchmark to originator performance

HousingWire on Tuesday announced the launch of the HousingWire Mortgage Rankings, a new performance intelligence product designed to provide a clear, data-driven view of mortgage origination activity across the U.S. The rankings benchmark mortgage originators based on observed production, offering a standardized view of performance across geographies, loan types and channels. Historically, the mortgage industry has lacked […]

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