LEGEND MORTGAGE CORP

I first researched Bankrate, found the lowest advertised rate at that time and tried American Interbanc, who I would highly NOT recommend. I had a bad experience with American Interbanc. http://www.americaninterbanc.com/2007/index.shtml As I was ending my relationship with American Interbanc, I was searching for other sources and I found Legend Mortgage through Angie's List. I sent Mitch a generic email asking about rates; with other companies that I have sent these kinds of emails, I either don't get a reply or it would take many days. Mitch called me within a few minutes of my email. He was able to answer some questions about the mortgage company (American Interbanc) I was already dealing with and how I could address my issues. Without signing on with him, he was already more responsive than the other company had been. He told me that he could not guarantee what rate I would get but told me what his expectations of the rates were and gave me some other useful information. We ended the call. At that time I was also in contact with another broker that came recommended by a friend so I felt a little bit of an obligation to use them. That broker told me they would hold my application as a full package (with all the documentation and appraisal) and when the rates would reach a point that we agreed upon, they would be lock in for a shorter period and therefore a better rate. Their fees would be about $4500. I emailed Mitch after 5pm to see if he could beat their fees and to thank him for his time. He replied to me within 15 minutes and said that he we would be doing the same thing with the full package but he could do it for $3500 in fees. I decided to go with Mitch and the next day his associate Claudia contacted me. I had to resubmit all my financial information to Legend (which as many of you know is no easy process) but they were able to use the appraisal that I had recently had done within the last month, although I did have to get the appraisal changed to their name and pay an add'l fee to have that done. It was a particular busy time for refis but whenever I emailed Claudia, she would respond later that day. There is also an Angie List coupon, which Legend honored and reduced my final fees further. If you've been through a refi before then you know the drill: you submit your application, you get an appraisal and then you wait and wait. A couple times during the wait, I would email Claudia and get status replies from her. When it came time to finalize the details, I spoke with Mitch and we agreed on the rate. Overall, it was a fairly straightforward experience. The rate came in at .10 higher than what I originally hoped for but well within what I was willing to accept. I would definitely use them again and would highly recommend them.

The process took just over three months, which was aggravating and frustrating, but Legend did their best to keep us informed as the process moved forward. At times when they were busy we didn't hear much from them, but all in all they did a really good job and in the end it worked out. They were persistent and seemed to have our best interests in mind. I would recommend them to anyone looking for mortgage broker services in this market--they really do seem to be on your side. Mitch even gave us some his own profit to cover some unexpected extension fees from the lender.

Mitch Ohlbaum and the staff at Legend Mortgage did an outstanding job in helping me to buy my first home. I was a typical, nervous first-time buyer with a thousand questions and Mitch and his staff patiently and professionally walked me though the entire process, from pre-qualifying for a loan to closing. They handled everything and kept me informed every step of the way. At the various decision-making points - when there were options for me to consider such as buying points to reduce my interest rate - Mitch explained everything clearly and in common-sense language so that I could make informed decisions. Also, I had a 30-day escrow (which is a very short timeframe in which to close the sale) and Mitch and everyone at Legend kept up with all of the deadlines and made it happen - on time and on budget. Finally, it's worth noting that I am a very particular person with high expectations when it comes to trusting others about my finances and investments, so for me to recommend Mitch and Legend Mortgage so highly means that they truly did an excellent and outstanding job.

My wife and I were looking to refinance. Unfortunately with market conditions as they are we weren't able to find any rates better than our existing fixed rate mortgage, but Mitch was very thorough and honest over email about our options and his advice for how to proceed. We won't hesitate to call him again when market conditions improve or interest rates drop.

With the current state of the economy, real estate market and instability of the lending institutions, our desire to purchase a home proved to be challenging. We had secured the services of another broker and found he was too conservative for us. Once Mitch had the facts, he clearly understood our needs and jumped on it. He was very creative and came back to us with great options. We admit that our situation is not standard but this was not a deterrent for Mitch. He put us at ease and his confidence gave us renewed hope that we could put a loan together. We highly recommend Mitch and will use him again for future loans.

The president, Mitch Ohlbaum, is personally involved with every phase of the transaction and walked me through every step of the process both times. He got me the best possible rate and also explained different financing options, types of mortgages, etc. I could tell that he was treating my money as if it were his own. Numbers are not my strong suit, but he made sure I understood everything so I could make informed decisions.