Bellevue, Wash.-based Axia Financial LLC, which does business as Axia Home Loans and operates a small office in Liberty Lake, says it has opened a Spokane Valley office recently and is looking to open additional branches in the Inland Northwest.

The Valley office is located in 3,000 square feet of leased space on second floor of a two-story building at 11917 E. Broadway, says Don Walker, the manager of the new operation.

Axia Home Loans plans to employ 14 people, including nine loan officers, at the Spokane Valley office, and also plans to open a small office in North Idaho, he says.

"We're negotiating lease space in Coeur d'Alene, and we have two people hired there already," says Walker.

Walker has been in the mortgage business in the Spokane area since 1988 and previously held executive positions with Horizon Northwest Home Mortgage and Cherry Creek Mortgage Co.

Axia also will continue to operate its smaller Liberty Lake office, which opened two years ago at 23129 E. Mission, he says.

Walker says Axia anticipates continued expansion here to serve a growing demand for mortgage refinancing as well as growth in loans for home purchases.

"We're seeing refinancing activity with low interest rates, and good pricing has spurred on the purchase market," he says.

Axia operates a total of 25 branches in six states: Washington, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, California, and Hawaii, Walker says.

"Most of the branches outside of Washington were added recently," he says.

Walker says Axia services some of the mortgages it originates, although it sells most of them on the secondary market.

Spokane commercial real estate agents Bill Tibbits, of Cornerstone Property Adivsors LLC, and Joel Crosby, of Coldwell Banker Tomlinson, handled the Spokane Valley lease.