FIRST RATE FINANCIAL GROUP

My husband and I purchased our first home in Thousand Oaks and were referred to First Rate Financial, Baumann & Gruber through our real estate agent. We shopped around and met with a few different brokers and mortgage companies. We selected First Rate Financial Group because they were professional and very responsive. While a different lender we were considering gave us somewhat misleading information and took days to return an email or phone call, Fred Gruber returned my messages quickly, typically within a day, and gave very straightforward answers in layman terms. Buying a first home is complicated and there's so much to absorb and learn. First Rate does a good job of giving you the information you need with the peace of mind that the work will be handled on their end. I was extremely impressed with how competitive they were willing to be, matching a rate that a large mortgage company offered us, item-for-item (from the appraisal charges to lender fees). All along the way, even when the paperwork became complicated, they assured me that I would be credited for any charges that a typical transaction without our agreement would incur. We completed most of our paperwork via fax and mail. First Rate would send me weekly if not daily updates on the status of my loan via email or phone. We closed escrow right on time (a relief considering the nightmare stories I heard.) A few weeks later I received a very substantial check in the mail from First Rate Financial with a letter from Fred informing me that after reviewing the closing paperwork, they realized that the lender charged me more than what we agreed to. My husband and I were blown away by the integrity that Fred and First Rate showed us. Buying a first home is the biggest decision and purchase we ever made. We were careful to select a company we trusted to do the right thing and would be there when we needed them. I wholeheartedly recommend First Rate Financial.