Who We Are

A Team of Dedicated And Experienced Professionals Focused Solely On Your Success

Why We’re Here

Join us in supporting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Out Of Darkness Community Walks

The industry has given our team a lot, we believe in giving back.

By sharing our expertise and knowledge, you don’t have to invest in building and maintaining the infrastructure and staff it takes to be successful.

Ed Abufaris and Bill Wooten met several years ago while working at CitiMortgage. During their journey there, they always said that if the opportunity ever presented itself, they would join forces. By sharing their experience and industry knowledge, they knew they could help companies with a seemingly simple concept, but one most find difficult to embrace: Always put the customer’s needs first by offering expertise in unparalleled ways to do what is appropriate and right for the customer, no matter what.

Beginning with the thought that there are no secret formulas in successful business practices, just basics that need to be established and executed to the best of everyone’s abilities, they established SupportLink3.

Most get the meaning of Support & Link but here’s what’s significant about the “3” in SupportLink3. Three words that tie directly into any business proposition: past, present, and future. Businesses know what’s happened in the past, kind of know where they are in the present,

…but always want to know what to do and how to spot opportunities in the future.

Businesses are forced to look at margins, efficiencies, and building a contingency for business fluctuations. This includes finding a strategic partner, selling, equity sharing, raising capital, recruiting, and outsourcing both domestically and offshore. Leveraging their combined experience of more than 60 years, Ed and Bill bring lessons learned from the past, present market trends, and a plan for the future.

Ed Abufaris

Co-Founder

Ed Abufaris has been involved in the mortgage lending business since 1977. After receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Florida, Ed began his career working for a Savings and Loan in Florida. After moving to Atlanta in 1982, Ed became head of Secondary Marketing for First Atlanta Mortgage, spent 10 years as Capital Markets Manager with MGIC (Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Company) and from 1993 – January, 2011, was employed by CitiMortgage, Inc. In 2009 and while employed at CitiMortgage, Ed’s job responsibility expanded to Managing Director, Institutional / Correspondent Channel. This assignment included managing the day-to-day channel policy decisions, volume, quality manufacturing and revenue responsibility as well as directing the sales and marketing efforts for the correspondent lending channel throughout the United States. In January of 2011, Ed left CitiMortgage and accepted the position of Executive Vice President – Institutional Lending with AmeriSave. Ed’s responsibilities expanded in 2012 to include all of Sales for Amerisave, and in May, 2014 became President of Amerisave.

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Bill Wooten

Co-founder

Bill Wooten is an accomplished senior executive with an extensive mortgage banking career. The breadth and depth of his experience is derived from more than 30 years on the cutting edge of industry innovation with Citibank in a variety of management roles in Mortgage and Multi-Family Lending. His knowledge base and experience span the front-end of origination (inside/outside sales force management, key account development, client segmentation, marketing communications,) to back office operations (capital markets, profit and loss management, and compensation planning).

In 2009, he joined MCT as Director and National Sales Manager working with the team to develop the company into an industry leader in Hedge Advisory. Prior to joining MCT Mr. Wooten was an independent consultant to banks in the key areas of management execution, technology integration, capital management, executive compensation, and strategic planning.

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Michelle Knoebel

Business Development Executive

Michelle Knoebel represents SupportLink3 partnership companies that provide valuable services and support throughout all aspects of the mortgage industry.

Michelle has been a dedicated mortgage professional for over 20 years with a focus on Secondary Marketing and Sales. She has been recognized for outstanding performance developing new accounts, increasing market share, and improving profitability. She is results-driven and committed to success. Michelle earned her CMB in 2007 and is President of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Florida, Chairman of the MBAF Legislative Committee, and Co-Chair of the Secondary Convention Committee.

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Cherie Rood

Sales Business Manager

Cherie has been a passionate mortgage professional in the business for over 35 years, with a focus on enterprise sales, since 1987. She’s been involved in many facets of the mortgage banking industry at regional and national levels. Most of her career was spent with Radian in the private mortgage insurance industry after receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Kentucky.

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Dave Baer

Business Development Executive

Dave is a Vietnam Era Veteran who enlisted in the Air Force at the age of 17. Subsequent to that service he worked for a few years in the trades before he realized he needed to get his undergraduate degree. So, using the G.I. Bill he finished his 4 years of studies in Business Administration (concentration in Accounting and Finance) in 2 1/2 years. He quickly became a team-oriented self-starter that built, created, developed and managed mortgage lending teams that provided the owners and stock holders superior results in both retail and wholesale channels. He was successful with start ups and established firms. His career ran from 1977-2016. Since he retired, he has devoted himself to a locally DC Area based non-profit, Women Giving Back. He was awarded a Legacy Award in 2021 for his devotion, passion and hard work for this organization. He also is a member of the National Mentoring Partnership, in an effort to assist people in their pursuit of Economic Empowerment. He spends as much time as he can with his four adult children and four grandchildren. He has been able to improve his golf game and is still trying to shoot his age. “He’s willing to wait while he works on his skills”. He joined Support Link 3 as a means to give back to the industry that provided so much to him and allows him to continue to live from the fruits of his past efforts.

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Let’s find solutions

Every day that goes by is a missed opportunity for growth and improvement. Get in touch with us today, and let’s find solutions.

Text SL3 to (972) 970-0753 or book time on our calendar.