OPES ADVISORS

We were first time home buyers and Opes was highly recommended by a real estate agent that we interviewed (but didn't end up using). Our mortgage adviser met with us in person once and did an summary of our overall finances in addition to quoting mortgages (Opes offers investment services as well, but we did use them for this). While we had excellent credit and a large down payment, we were trying to purchase a home during the financial meltdown when mortgage rates were fluctuating wildly for "conforming jumbo" loans. We opted to pay points to get a lower rate and I noticed that the Opes points were 0.25 to 1.0 higher than the lowest advertised internet mortgage companies for the same interest rate (and comparable closing costs). However, while the rates for even the best of the internet mortgage companies were oscillating widely during the crisis, our quote from Opes remained steady. We bid on a short sale with other competitive bids and it was critical to have solid financing and the ability to close fast once the seller's bank agreed to our terms. In the end we did use Opes to fund our mortgage and they were able to close in a lightening fast 5 days with no hiccups which definitely helped us secure the home. Afterward I estimated that we probably paid $2500 to $5000 more in points than we would have if we had been able to get a mortgage from the lowest cost internet mortgage provider. However, these lower cost loans came with 45 day closing and the terms were oscillating wildly (one week they were a better deal than Opes, the next week there might not even be loans offered in our category). So in the end, Opes was a good compromise for us; cost us a bit more in points, but we never had to worry about our financing even in the middle of the banking crisis. Separate from the points, there were a few miscellaneous fees that increased between the good faith estimate and closing, but when I pointed this out to our adviser he reduced them to the original amounts and explained that Opes fees had been increased in the 6 months since we got our estimate but that they would honor the original estimate.

She helped me find the best type of mortgage for me at that time, guided me and kept me informed of the changes that were beneficial to me. All fees are of course subject to the size of the loan. She was a great help. I would recommend her services to anyone who is looking for some one trustworthy.