If I were to describe a lender's perfect client, it would be an individual that receives a W2 every year from a single employer with a low DTI (Debt to Income) Ratio. They are a slam dunk for Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac loan approvals. On the other side of that spectrum, there is me. Self employed with a high DTI and revenue streams that aren't classified under W2 income. There are numerous challenges with clients like me as we don't fit nicely into the boxes that determine lending eligibility. I knew this prior to shopping for lenders as I had a previous home purchase that took approximately 6 months from the date of application to close. A brutally, exhausting process. This time around, I blasted out applications to numerous lenders throughout SD County trying to provide as much transparency and preparation upfront so that each company would know the challenges they faced with my particular scenario. Especially in the current market where houses are selling quickly, lenders have a large pool of buyers to accept as clients further making my application much less appetizing. One of the companies that came highly recommended even took a look at my financials and said that she couldn't see a possibility in which I would get approved for any loan amount. Reflecting on my experience this time around with my home purchase, I felt inspired to write up a review for Sean Greene and the company he's employed by, Advantage First. After I was rejected flat out by that lender and a handful of halfhearted responses from others, Sean took on the challenge of my application immediately while knowing the difficulties he would face upfront. He invested a level of dedication and expertise that would make even Elon Musk appear lazy. Knowing that I had someone like Sean, whom I had never met previously, give me the level of attention that every client or consumer can only wish for spoke volumes. As each hurdle arose, and there were numerous, he would tackle it going above and beyond what's typically expected of his position. Morning or evening, weekday or weekend, Sean was available and willing to work on my file. While he did this, he of course had multiple, other clients that he is required to process as well. He exhibited a high level of professional and personable qualities as he juggled these responsibilities. Personally, I've always felt that as long as a lender is able to get my loan approved then I am satisfied with their performance. Sean has redefined that role for me now by setting the bar so high that not only would I recommend everyone seek him for loan applications, they should seek him just to experience what it feels like to be a top priority. For any future home purchases, investments, etc, I will always go to Sean to close the deal. If I were his employer, I would pay him as much as it took to keep him satisfied and if I were a competing company then I would try to pay him as much as it took to get to him to work for me. I can't say enough positive words to emphasize how pleasant Sean made this buying experience. Do yourself a favor, save Sean's contact info for the next time you need a lender. You will have no need to shop anywhere else. read more

I had a deeply troubling experience with Advantage First Lending that I feel compelled to share. I was convinced by one of their agents to refinance my mortgage, and it turned out to be a disastrous decision. What seemed like a simple solution quickly turned into an emotional and financial trap. The agent, Lawrence Mikesell, whom I now realize was more focused on making a sale than actually helping me, preyed upon my lack of experience and knowledge about the refinancing process. He repeatedly told me things like, "I believe this is in your best interest," and made me feel as though I was making a smart, responsible choice. I was led to believe that this was the best option for me, but in reality, it was the worst thing I could have done. The terms of the new loan were outrageous -- my interest rate was more than double the previous one, which I never would have agreed to if I had known better. Lawrence downplayed the significance of this increase, focusing instead on emotional appeals and assurances that I was making the right choice. Looking back, I realize how manipulative his approach was. Lawrence took full advantage of my lack of financial knowledge, encouraging me to make a rushed decision without fully explaining the long-term consequences. Instead of offering genuine guidance, they used emotional pressure to push me into a decision that would cost me far more in the years to come. It's worth noting that this occurred after I tried to stop this process. Now, I'm stuck with a mortgage I can barely afford, and the financial strain is overwhelming. Lawrence has no regard for the well-being of his clients. He seemed more interested in closing deals and making a profit than helping people in a real and ethical way. I urge anyone considering refinancing or taking a loan with Advantage First Lending to be extremely cautious. If you don't fully understand the terms of the loan or are feeling pressured to make a quick decision, take a step back and seek out advice from someone you trust. Don't let emotional appeals cloud your judgment like I did. Definitely not a company I would recommend. read more

After a series of events left us financially extended, my spouse and I began looking into taking some of the equity out of our home through a refinance a year ago (November 2021). We decided to go with AdvantageFirst and after a little initial miscommunication, we were put in touch with Tommy Feldner, Director of Sales, who then put us in touch with Jessica Sanders, VP of Loan Performance. Tommy is a clear, direct, professional, and helpful communicator who does exactly what he says he will do, and Jessica is the genuine hero of our story. Our previous lender, through an unbelievable series of errors, incompetence, and bad actions, needlessly complicated the refinance process for months. Just after the Fed's initial interest rate hike and before subsequent increases, Jessica ensured that our initially promised rate was locked in. If it ended there, we'd be grateful. Our previous lender failed to document, misreported, and caused multiple problems which nearly shut the process down several times. Jessica extended our locked in offer at least twice - maybe three times. I lost count in the chaos. More than that, and ultimately far more importantly, Jessica spent hours and hours over days and days from July 2022 until today - the end of November 2022 - working with us and our previous lender to see this process through. Jessica guided us and fought for us every step of the way. It would have been entirely reasonable for Jessica to give up on us and our deal any number of times. She communicated, supported, and encouraged. If not for Jessica's skills and experience coupled with her tenacity and genuine compassion, there is no way we would be in our current solidly sustainable financial situation. AdvantageFirst and Tommy Feldner - thank you so very much. Jessica Sanders - I am truly and forever grateful. read more

I had a terrific challenge that slowly but surely was handled by Ashley and her team. There were lots of hurdles, but over time, I carved them out and made them into just bumps in the road. Mike Moreno started the process hours before even scheduled to be at work. He used his charm and skills to get the deal rolling. Then, when the situation escalated beyond his expertise, he passed it on to Mama. Ashley is a Queen and takes care of everyone in her domain. It's terrific to work with, even in the not-so-fun moments. She gives us her best even when we are at our worst. She must be a great mother and bring that outlook to her business dealings. Sweet but on top of her game, as a great mother should be. She earned the right to be in charge; you will gather that once your loan gets her to her scope of the process. Also, when she gets busy saving the day, she has an excellent support team. Tommy was such an excellent call by Ashley, he took an after-hours signing in the Carolinas, 3 hrs time change(east vs west coast), and spent an hour getting things smoothed over, as if it were seamless. It's nice to know in the bottom of the 9th, when the bases are loaded, the winning run on 3rd, that there was a relief pitcher like Tommy to save the game/deal. It's a great group of people and, awesome team. Delivered as promised, bank with confidence, Ashley Adam's and her back up Tommy make stuff happen, after Mike sets the hook, feel confident once Ashley starts bringing you in, all will be good and delivered as promised. No scammers on their crew. I hate refinance rate, but with J/B in office, they do the best they can, given the economy sucks. Don't look at me or them, I didn't vote for him, and they probably didn't either. Ha ha, all good when you with Advantage 1st Ashley Adam's Team. read more

Andrew Kayes and his team of professionals were an absolute pleasure to work with. The entire process was quick and easy. From the get go, there was a trust established, and that trust continued throughout the entire process. From the moment I submitted an online inquiry about the possibility of refinancing with cash-out options, I was bombarded with calls and texts from every lender out there. I had no clue who to call or where to start. But Andrew reached out to me acknowledging that I was likely being bombarded with calls, and he quickly established my trust by showing an earnest interest in my situation and just overall respect for me as a veteran. He was actually the only person I responded to. Andrew welcomed my questions and never made me feel stupid with the endless amount I had. He attentively responded to each and every question in a manner that really helped me understand the process. This communication continued until the very end of my loan process, and I cannot stress how important this type of follow-through is. In my experience, there are many lenders that can begin with this attitude, but once they have solidified the relationship, the responsiveness wanes. Definitely NOT the case with this highly professional group. Andrew worked diligently to ensure nothing was overlooked, and my loan closed in a very short amount of time. In the end, everything was just as he told me it would be in the beginning. No surprises. I will confidently refer anyone I know who needs this type of service to Andrew and his team at Advantage First Lending. read more

we bought a house in the san francisco bay area, a crazy market where to get an offer accepted it'll likely need to be without any loan contingency. I approached several mortgage providers, wells fargo, quicken and guaranteed rate. I was going to go with guaranteed rate initially as that was the provider my real estate agent usually works with but i was not satisfied with the way in which they were communicating with me. They seemed a bit annoyed, for a lack of a better term, at my questions and their response time was not as quick as i would expect. Then i got a call from Sean at advantage 1st, initially i said, another call, then he told me to read the reviews and i did that. Quite a few and pretty good, hopefully they were not fake, i thought. I decided to give it a try. I have to say that what i read in his reviews is actually true, he is very responsive and knows his job very well. Our loan was on the difficult side as it was a jumbo loan and having recently moved to the area we did not have a clear 2 years work history. He and others at advantage 1st helped us chip away a problem after another and we got our mortgage on time (less than 25 days) with a no contingency offer. I highly recommend you give advantage 1st a try. All mortgage providers will offer very similar rates, what makes the difference is how they respond to your questions and how much they know of the mortgage business. Sean is really good in both. Thank you. read more

I started looked into refinancing around the end of January. I was inundated with verbal and sparse quotes with estimates. I talked to Eric Sheikh at Advantage First and within about 20 minutes I had a detailed estimate that looked like an escrow document. Everything was laid out. Throughout the process he kept me informed of where we were at and was always available to answer questions. We went on vacation to Kauai for two weeks and he kept us informed during that time. One time he was almost boarding a plane, another he was getting a haircut. He never sounded put out with my calls or questions. Advantage First had the best monthly payment and escrow costs of all the companies that gave me "quotes". I closed today, taking about a month and a half ( gone for two weeks so not bad, since some paperwork had to wait till we got back). Eric called me with congratulations and told me that if I had any other additional questions, give him a call or email. I have refinanced a few times over the years and he gave the best customer service by far. Best price, great customer service. You can't ask for more. I have recommended the company and Eric to some of my friends. I rarely recommend businesses, but felt comfortable in this case. One friend is looking into refinancing and has spoken with Eric. My friend will probably go with Advantage First and Eric. Thanks again Eric. read more

Andrew Kayes, Sr. Loan Originator at Advantage First Lending, bent over backwards to take care of this DV! I reached out to 12 different lenders for a VA Cash Out Loan. A lot of the lenders had similar interest rates, but Andrew worked hard (and efficiently) to get me the best interest rate with the most credit from the lender. We compared all types of options to include buying different discount points in order to lower the overall interest rate and analyzed long-term ratios. Not only did I get the lowest 'out-of-pocket' cost through him, but he truly desires to ensure that all your questions and concerns are answered. He is not a pressure seller, and he was always quick to reply to my phone calls, texts, and emails. Not only do you get to work with an exceptional and experienced Loan Originator, but he is backed by a whole slew of professionals at the office that provides supports and takes your case personally to overcome any hurdles that may arise. If you are in the market for a VA Cash-Out or VA Streamline Refinance, give Andrew a call. Compare him to other lenders. I promise you that he will take care of you! You won't be disappointed! read more

As a first time homebuyer, the process of making the biggest investment of my life seemed daunting to say the least even though I work in the industry. One cannot comprehend the amount of work that goes into the actual loan process until you embark on the journey. Fortunately for my wife and me, Kurt was there to lead the way. He is a consummate professional who made the purchase of our home as seamless, smooth, and efficient as any first time homebuyer could hope for. His ability to manage expectations, provide constant updates, and secure the lender/pricing with our best interests in mind was a breath of fresh air. He exceeded our expectations in every aspect of the transaction from our initial application, to ensuring the process was stress free as he handled all of the tedious minutiae behind the scenes with passion and efficiency. Without Kurt's finance prowess and acumen, we wouldn't be as happy with our new home as we are today. I can't recommend Kurt enough. I hope someone reading this is fortunate enough to have the pleasure of working with him because I can assure you, from experience, that you will not be disappointed. read more

Kory, Jennifer and their team at Advantage First Lending made this home purchase so stress free for us. As first time buyers we heard stories of lost funds and loans falling through and we were so scared to begin this process, so we did our research and spoke to many different companies before we chose Kory at Advantage First. Kory was the only one we felt did NOT push us to stick with his company. He even encouraged us to shop around and do what we were comfortable with and that was what really pulled us in, in addition to his amazing work ethic. Kory was ready and waiting for our call/email/text at all hours and would always get back to us within good time! Everything was smooth, no promises were made that couldn't be kept and all estimates were conservative, so that when actual numbers came around they were either spot on our less than what was anticipated, leaving us a nice cushion. I truly don't believe we would have felt safer with any other company and that is what this is about. You can trust Kory and his team, they WILL take care of you. We are so proud that we had them on our team! Thanks Kory! read more

I've worked with Kurt refinancing my previous home to get a more attractive mortgage which was absolutely amazing. Kurt and his team are committed to informing their clients on the processes of buying or refinancing homes and gets them the most competitive rates available to ensure their clients are put first. Because of my experience with Kurt and AdvantageFirst Lending, I've referred 2 of my neighbors who've utilized AdvantageFirst Lending and absolutely loved the whole process. Our family recently relocated and we were looking to buy a new home. Kurt and Nick worked diligently to get everything in order and all of a sudden we viewed a house that we HAD TO HAVE. Anything that came up they were right there to ensure a smooth process. We just closed escrow today and got the keys to an amazing house we get to call home in 29 days, a week and a half a head of our close date!! There's a multitude of positive ratings (and for good reason). All I can say is that, if you're in the market to buy or refinance a home and you're not using Kurt and his team... you're doing it wrong. read more

We have just completed our loan with AdvantageFirst Lending. This entire process took less than a month. Tuan Tran completed the application and his interactions with us were exceptionable. He let us know exactly what was needed. Tuan was always available when we had a question or concern. During the process Tuan let us know April Waller would be taking over, but he would still be available if needed. Ms. Waller did a phenomenal job working with us. She emailed all information we would need from start to finish. We had several questions and she patiently explained and answered each and every one of them. Whenever I had yet another question I would always begin with "sorry to bother you again". Ms Waller always assured me it was okay, she was here for us. After I would upload the information requested, she would always let me know it was received. From beginning to end it was a smooth, stress free process. Tuan Tran and April Waller are the BEST!! You will not regret working with these two, they'll definitely work hard on your behalf. Herbert and Nicole C. read more

Cornelia, Was there for the whole process from start to finally, signature. Every step along the way if there seemed to be a problem she was right on it to give us a call to let us know what is being asked for now as well as where we were in the process. She also was able to answer any and all questions that we had even though she might have already answered them. At the end of the whole process she said even though we were finished she would still be there if any other questions came up we could call and she would help us through the process. We have a few repairs that were requested to be done, this did not stop the process of closing on time, when we get the work done she will be willing to help us get paperwork done so we can receive the money set aside to complete the work. If we did not get a licensed contractor we could do the work ourselves and still be compensated for it, which was a relief thinking we would have to hire someone. The company she works for has the attitude from the beginning to be their for the client not how much can we get from them. read more

We had a great experience working with Ante Zlomislic and Jennifer Skinner at Advantage First!!! Great team, both of them were very professional, very true to their words! The whole loan process was fast and smooth- it was done in less than a month hassle free and no empty promises! Excellent job Ante and Jennifer! I'm a first time home buyer who at that time was very concern and I had so many questions but after talking to Ante, I was at ease, my questions were answered and I gained more valuable information to help me with my credit scores. Ante is straight forward, from the get go he will tell you what he can do as long as you provide him with accurate information. He explained the whole process to us from beginning to end very clearly and everything he said was true. Jennifer is so knowledgeable with her craft and so supportive! She helped us and guide us through the process of getting all the necessary documents ready for our loan. If we have to do it again, we will with Advantage First Lending and especially with Jennifer Skinner and Ante Zlomislic!!! read more

Let us just say, we entered the process of purchasing our first home not knowing a single thing about loans or real estate. We didn't know what to expect, nor were we certain that we were even qualified to do it at all. Then a family member referred us to Kurt and his company. After our first meeting with him, his welcoming staff, and his wife Randi (the absolute BEST realtor we could have ever imagined), there was no doubt in our minds that our wish would come true! The process could not have been more smooth! Kurt managed to effectively process our loan in a timely manner, communicate with us via multiple means, coordinate important meetings around our busy work schedules, and all the while made us feel at ease and secure about this enormous financial decision. We've received the keys to our first home and could not be more excited about our future! We are forever grateful to Kurt and his staff for making this happen! We look forward to making many referrals to our friends and family here in LA County =) Thanks again for everything! - D&A. read more

Mr Chris Connolly was a dream to work with!! He provided me with timely e-mails as to where I was in the processing, which I was very excited to hear each and every time. Advantage First was FANTASTIC to work with. As a person who has dealt with many other companies, I felt that Advantage First did NOT "push" me into a higher amount and % from what I wanted. I explained to Chris the first time we talked what I wanted. Chris turned around and gave me 3 options within 24 hrs and let me decide which one I wanted! This was of IMMEASURABLE help to me. Chris did not try to "guide" me into something I was not interested in. The way Chris helped me is why I will certainly come back to Advantage First if or when I do this again & I will certainly recommend him to all my friends who might want to refi or buy a new home! It's a GREAT thing that Advantage First hired him to work for them. If Chris ever leaves, I w/follow him to his new job!!! GREAT JOB CHRIS!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, it was refreshing to deal with you. Cindy King read more

I Drake Poole, Write this review for Kory Bennion. I have been a home owner coming up on 1 year now. Kory did not help close the original loan and title but assisted in the refinance process. As you all know buying a home and or refinancing are great steps and unless you studied real estate I'm sure their are many questions and concerns one may have. What stood out to me about Kory was his great life values and similiar back grounds that we had in common. To add more about Kory on a more business perspective was his professionalism. Kory was very professional which is very important in conducting business. He almost always answered the phone and if he did not he would text and call back in a matter of minutes. He answered any and every question or concern i had. He worked hard to get me the best rates possible and Me and my family will be forever thankful for Kory. It was truly a blessing to work with Kory and i would recommend Kory to handle your personal needs in these processes. Thank you Kory read more

The team from Advantage First Lending were a Top Class from beginning to end. Specific characteristics that made them stand out were: Honesty and Integrity - in responding to questions and in all information that they provide verbally and in writing Promptness- in responding to questions and providing information Reliability - true to their word, they get back to you when they say they will and make themselves available at times that are convenient to me (within reason) Teamwork - I worked with different team members at various stages of the loan negotiations but led by Tommy Feldner, they all worked together as a cohesive team Supportive - As this was my first home loan the Advantage First Lending team took pains to make sure that all terminologies used in discussions and in documentations were clearly understood so that well informed decisions can be made Advantage Lending was one of four lenders I dealt with and they mostly led in all aspects from the beginning till loan finalization. read more

This has not been my first experience going through the refinancing of a mortgage however this has been without doubt the least painful and smoothest completion of a mortgage loan process I have ever completed. Since the very first day I was contacted by Tommy Feldner I felt comfortable embarking in such a daunting business transaction. I had gone in recent years through a very bad experience with the financial institution I have been making business with for years and was hesitant to start all over again. Tommy stayed on top of things making sure that things got moving along. I could tell he was there for me, the customer. He gained my trust and respect when he went above and beyond responding to my questions and concerns on weekends and/or even past business hours. He was there for me along the way and that definitely made the difference. Keep up the good work AFL and keep working with Veterans. It was a real pleasure working with you guys!!! read more