The Legacy Group, a Bellevue-based mortgage banker, has announced the opening of a new office in North Bend.

The new office is located in downtown North Bend at 231 Bendigo Blvd N.

“We try and do loans the old-fashioned way—with trust,” said Michele Catoire, a loan originator at the North Bend branch.

Ranked one of the “fastest-growing private companies in Washington” by the Puget Sound Business Journal, The Legacy Group is an independent, employee-owned lender that specializes in home, commercial and construction loans.

“We love beautiful North Bend, and this new office will allow us to better serve the lending needs of a unique community,” said Dan Flitsch, Legacy’s Chief Operations Officer.

While thousands of mortgage companies have struggled through the recession, Legacy has grown to more than 300 employees and 20 offices in four states since 2007.

“We’ve thrived on sound business practices and client relationships,” said Flitsch. “We really do care about our clients and their loans. That has made all the difference in a tough economy.”

Besides conventional home loans, Legacy is unique in that it offers hard-to-find rehab and construction loans, along with refinancing for underwater mortgages.