From Centex to “NationStar”

The Need

Centex Home Equity was being sold to a private investment firm, so a new name and brand identity was needed. The current lead name candidate at the time was Amstead Mortgage, derived from American + Homestead. It tested well with consumers and cleared trademark hurdles, but perhaps was too close to Amistad, the slave ship and movie. Centex reached out to NameStormers for help. After working together to understand the scope of work and target market, the NameStorming team worked on new names that aligned with these objectives: 
  1. Conservative & traditional
  2. Safe, familiar, and trustworthy
  3. Easy to say and remember
  4. Convey “national in scope”

The Name

The Centex team decided upon “Nationstar” as it fit all the name objectives and suggested an established, trustworthy, and cross-country presence. 

The Result

 From 2006 until 2018 when it merged with Mr. Cooper, NationStar was one of the most successful home equity lenders, helping American homeowners live their American dream.