PULASKI BANK HOME MORTGAGE

So many times, I have been grateful to have Carol Poppe at Pulaski Bank as my loan officer. She's very good at working with first time buyers who know very little about the expenses involved in purchasing and owning a home. She cares about the borrowers and tries not to get them in over their heads. She also works well with the upper bracket buyers. She considers the home loan as part of their future financial plan and asks more questions than many lenders so that the loan is customized to their needs. I know that she has received the five star mortgage professional award for at least five years, which is given to the top 7% for outstanding service. I used her when I got my own mortgage too and she kept me well informed of the process, all the way along. I was very satisfied. Everyone I have sent to her has closed on time and there have been many times she has knocked herself out to get it done.

My husband and I were looking for a new house. I had a relationship with a mortgage broker whom I used to work near, and had gotten pre-approved with her. Then we found the house we wanted, and my realtor suggested I talk to Terrence O'Neill at Pulaski Bank because my broker's closing costs seemed high. The closing costs and interest rate with Pulaski were lower, but I had an ongoing relationship with my original broker. I made it clear to both mortgage people that I was talking with the other. Initially, Pulaski was requiring we have a signed lease for our current house, which we will be renting out, because the only way we would qualify is if we included that rental income. This was not the case with my first broker, so I felt like the decision was made for me (we do not yet have a lease, because we didn't know when we'd find a house and be moving). My realtor then talked with the underwriter and learned that my income wasn't being included, only my husband's, and that's why we needed proof of the rental income. Well, I DO have a professional job, even though I'd only recently started it, and it was part-time. But I could show what my annual income would be. Once they had that info, they no longer needed the proof of rental income and wanted the rest of our financial documents so they could approve us. I found out their current rates, and the current rates of my original broker and waited a few days to decide who to go with, since my understanding (confirmed by my broker) is that agreeing to lock in an interest rate with someone is a good faith committment that you will use them. When I called Terry to let him know I was going to go ahead with my first broker, whom I had an ongoing relationship with, Terry was EXTREMELY rude and condescending. Turns out, Pulaski Bank (whom I'd not even signed a loan application with) not only locked in the interest rate, but had also ordered the $400 appraisal. Because of Terry's insulting behavior on the phone, I hung up on him. I am a female and have female friends who have also used Terry at Pulaski for their mortgage (the realtor we've all used recommends this mortgage officer to all his clients) and have not had good feelings about using him. In one case, even though the wife was the only name on the mortgage, documents were mailed to the husband's name only. In my case, Terry thinks I told him not to put my name on the loan because I had no income (which I never told him to do ... I've had income since before I ever first talked with Terry, and having both of our names on the mortgage is VERY important to me), and that's why my husband was initially the only name on the loan and why stuff was addressed only to him. Because of the initial misunderstandings that felt a little chauvinistic, I never had good feelings about this company, but went along with it because their fees and rates were lower. I'm sorry if they have to eat the fee for the appraisal, but I had been up front with them that I was comparing the two mortgage companies before deciding who to use. They went further down the loan process road without my even agreeing to use them, and then blamed and belittled me when I chose not to use them.

PULASKI MORTGAGE HAS VERY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. THINGS WERE CONDUCTED IN SOMEWHAT OF A TIMELY MANNER. THE STAFF WAS FRIENDLY AND COURTEOUS.