Meet JPAL Mortgage
Your best friend in home finance!
Jeremy Prins
PARTNER/CO-FOUNDER
NMLS # 503816
jeremy.prins@jpalmortgage.com
Jeremy Prins is a child of God, husband to a wonderful wife, and father of three amazing children.
Jeremy began his career in banking after graduating from Calvin University. He spent his early years navigating the retail side of banking where he learned the true meaning of service – how to take care of a client from a warm greeting on the way in to a smile to a “thank you” on the way out. After eight years in retail banking, he joined a credit union and spent another eight years as a commercial lender. Serving passionate small business owners was so contagious that he started to dream about operating his own business. Life as a commercial lender was a doctorate in entrepreneurialism. He built amazing relationships with individuals who ran great companies (including his wife, a dynamite retail business owner). Asking genuine questions, setting the right expectations, and following through, led to success as lender and built the foundation for JPAL Mortgage.
Jeremy loves to play guitar and write music. He enjoys it so much that he jokingly refers to it as his "day job" while owning a company is a "side hustle." He also has a passion for men’s league ice hockey, where he’s managed to stay on the same team for 15 years. In his words, “They keep asking me back despite years of mediocrity.”
Jeremy has extensive experience in commercial real estate loans, investment real estate loans, SBA lending, and personal financial management (Financial Peace University leader). He serves on the finance committee for the Land Conservancy of West Michigan because he loves the outdoors and believes God has called us to steward the earth. He also serves on a loan committee for Great Lakes Commercial Finance to stay in touch with the local commercial lending economy.
Adam Leavesley
PARTNER/CO-FOUNDER
NMLS # 425897
adam.leavesley@jpalmortgage.com
Adam was born and raised in Northern Michigan. At a young age, he realized he had a passion for helping others. This led him to Central Michigan University where he got his degree in Family Psychology. More importantly, CMU was where he met his wonderful wife, Shelby. Today they have two beautiful children, Addison and Wyatt. They keep them on their toes! After leaving college, Adam's career began in the human services field but was interrupted by the 2008 financial crisis. While most ran from the financial industry, Adam saw an opportunity to use his love for business and helping others. Over the past 13 years he's built several teams and established the Grand Rapids market for a local credit union. This also spurred his passion to build a business. With a lot of support and a great partner, he launched JPAL Mortgage. His goal is to build the greatest stadium ever for lenders and passionately impact the financial lives of all those he serves.
Adam loves traveling, spending time with family and friends. Visiting family in Northern Michigan is one of his favorite ways to unwind. He also will never turn down an all-inclusive vacation. As an avid sports fan, Adam loves collecting rare sports cards.
Adam has spent the last ten years of his career building dynamic and innovative teams. His passion for developing and leading others was the biggest driver in his desire to build the culture of a company. It is through our passion and belief that we will shape the foundation of what one day will become our home.
Ryan Brunner
MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER
NMLS # 1478060
ryan.brunner@jpalmortgage.com
Ryan Brunner hails from Kalamazoo, MI and graduated from Spring Arbor University. Ryan has extensive experience in the banking and mortgage industries. His passion to take a major life decision (a home purchase) and help craft a smooth outcome led him to become a mortgage loan officer. He loves what he does! Clients come to him from all over the state of Michigan. When he's not financing homes, he's likely hanging out with his two amazing daughters or watching anything involving the Chicago Bears!
Travis Hunt
MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER
NMLS # 1401008
travis.hunt@jpalmortgage.com
Born and raised in West Michigan, Travis has called Grand Rapids home since attending Aquinas College for his undergraduate studies where he earned a degree in Business Administration and Communication. Not only did Travis discover a passion for finance while at Aquinas, he also met the love of his life – his wife Julee.
Shortly after graduating, Travis worked for a local credit union to earn some money while he “figured out what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.” Over the next decade he would hold a few different positions at the credit union but eventually found his calling as a Mortgage Loan Officer. He spent the last six years helping homeowners of all kinds, from first-time buyers to seasoned homebuying veterans. The greatest lesson he’s learned so far in his career is that each customer’s situation is unique. Seeking a complete understanding of his client’s needs upfront is the best step to craft the right solution for them.
Outside of work Travis is a loving husband and an adoring father to two beautiful girls, Gabriella and Natalie. His hobbies are plentiful! He is willing to try almost anything once, and if it’s fun, he’ll try it again. One of his favorite ways to spend summers is by taking camping trips with his family to explore new towns throughout Michigan. He is an avid bowler, boasting a high score of 300! Some of his other interests include golf, photography, and mountain biking.
Austin Engerson
MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER
NMLS # 2457588
austin.engerson@jpalmortgage.com
Austin is a West Michigan native and attended Grand Valley State University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Austin put his degree to use for 8 years while he worked for the Holland Department of Public Safety as a Police Officer. Austin fulfilled many roles during his time in law enforcement including patrol officer, evidence technician, Crisis Intervention Team officer, and SWAT Sniper!
Austin’s goal as a mortgage loan officer is to continue to serve his community by helping guide others while they make the most important financial transaction of their lives. He is passionate about financial literacy education and the opportunity that real estate brings to build generational wealth. Those who work closely with Austin will notice his compassion, communication abilities, and attention to detail.
Austin loves to travel with his wife Bridgette. They have ventured as far as Thailand together and hope to go back someday soon! When they aren’t jet-setting across the globe, Bridgette and Austin like to spend time with friends and family as well as their dog, Jax, and their cat, Kylo.
The Company - JPAL Mortgage
NMLS # 2189752
JPAL Mortgage was founded in 2021 by Jeremy Prins and Adam Leavesley. Jeremy and Adam have worked together for over 10 years in various roles. Initially, they "competed" as branch managers in separate markets for a local bank. Ultimately, their respect for the other's work sparked a close friendship. Jeremy left the bank in 2014 and joined a local credit union. Tasked with building a brand-new market from scratch, he knew it would take lots of help! Jeremy and Adam stayed in touch and with the right amount of convincing, Adam joined Jeremy at the credit union. From there they had a wonderful time building, creating, and fostering a market of seven offices and over $250M in assets in Grand Rapids. Adam led the retail offices while Jeremy led the commercial lending effort. As Adam described it, “I brought in the deposits, and Jeremy lent them out.”
They always knew a business partnership was in the future. Spending day-in and day-out with passionate small business owners was too contagious. A consistent theme emerged as the years went by – companies that invest in people are successful. Businesses that create an environment where servant-hearted employees can thrive and enjoy life is the greatest foundation to take care of others. It was this deeply held belief that led to the formation of JPAL.
Adam and Jeremy believe the home financing process should be consultative, process-driven, and led by passionate people! They spent over a decade leading servant-based men/women and are blessed to continue this mission through JPAL Mortgage.
Our Mission and Values
Our mission is to glorify God by providing sound home-buying advice and the greatest workplace culture for our team.
Servant-Based: We strive to passionately impact the financial lives of everyone we encounter.
An Entrepreneurial Spirit: We create and foster an entrepreneur's mentality for every team member.
Honesty Wins: We set the right expectations every time. Our intention is deliver for our clients with each and every interaction.
Family Matters: Personal and work families will always be our top priority.
It never stops being fun! The moment it stops being fun, we lose.