HomeFed Bank was an American savings and loan association based in San Diego.[1] It was founded by Charles K. Fletcher as Home Federal Savings and Loan Association in 1934 with $7,500, including $2,000 of his own and $7,500 from friends.[2][3] At the time, new federal legislation in the Home Owners' Loan Corporation Act had created a new industry for mortgage finance.[2][4] Home Federal's assets grew to $4 million within eight years.[2] In 1983, it became a public company.[3] It changed its name from Home Federal Savings and Loan to HomeFed Bank in 1989.[5] That year, HomeFed achieved a company record $115.7 million in earnings.[3]
In November 1990, HomeFed warned federal regulators that its non-performing loans could increase by $250 million in the fourth quarter to a total of about $1 billion if the economy did not improve. At the time, it was the country's fifth-largest savings and loan with $19.1 billion in assets and 215 branches.[6]