Your stories, our priorities. A category that began with our own experience in the mortgage industry. A realization of all the misguidedness, greed, and overall apathy the industry has become overwhelmed with in recent decades. A growing lack of sincere concern, customer service, and true care for clients and friends for many years.
We decided we wanted to change that. Not only because we would like to be treated in a more respectful, sincere manner as homeowners ourselves, but because we know that hard-working homebuyers and investors deserved to have that same treatment; we all deserve to know that there really is someone out there working for us, with our best interests at heart, with our personal and financial future in mind.
So here are some stories we are elated to share to prove our dedication and the truth behind our promises to you.
March 2005. Roger, an ambitious statistician, living in Berkeley with his supportive wife and newborn daughter, refinanced his home with us. Having been previously guided into accepting a 5 year ARM their loan was about to reset, their monthly payments were about to skyrocket, and though they wouldn't have unable to make their payments, it would have made life very hard to live with little left to do even the bare essentials. We refinanced their house into a 30 year fixed, where his payments were more manageable and it offered them the stability and permanence they so needed at this point in their lives.
February 2006. Roger, having been making his monthly payments on a normal and timely basis, receives a letter from the Alameda Property Tax Assessment board. It informs him that due to a mistake in records the tax department did not realize he had not made a tax payment for his February 2005 installment. He now owed the installment amount plus late fees of almost a year. Roger contacts us to find out whether or not our refinance in 2005 would in any way help him avoid these penalties.
Story continued by Roger's mortgage broker, Ellen:
"I assured him that we would look into it and see what we could possibly do to lighten the pressure of what he was going through. We looked through his records, his loan documents, everything we had on him; we also contacted several third parties that were involved in the loan application and refinance experience including the title company.
I remembered his closing costs being increased during the refinancing process to incorporate paying the property taxes due in February, but had to confirm. So after analyzing his documents, researching the county of Alameda's records, and speaking with the title company, it was confirmed that Roger's closing costs did include that installment. After making a few more phone calls I was able to obtain proof that the installment had been paid and it must have been a mis-recording on the county's part for the lack of payment. Soon enough the late fees were cleared, the installment was updated, and Roger was able to continue with his life without the added harassment and headaches of having to figure out his property tax problems!"
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