I've worked with Cynthia, my loan officer, for about 10 years after being referred to her by a…read morefamily member who she also helped get into a home. Throughout that entire time, she has consistently been incredibly helpful, responsive, and generous with her time. She always answers my calls, takes the time to thoroughly explain the home buying process, and breaks down everything I need to understand so I feel confident moving forward. She is constantly running numbers and making sure I understand my options so I feel comfortable with every step. What really stands out is her enthusiasm and encouragement--she genuinely loves what she does and is always cheering me on, reminding me that I can do it. When I finally got to the point of putting in an offer on a home, she supported me through every step of the process with patience and care. I highly recommend Cynthia to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, supportive, and dedicated loan officer.

If the sideways profile picture doesn't tell you everything you need to know about GEM, I'll tell…read moreyou my experience with Neil and Cynthia. I should have known from the very first time I spoke with Neil to take my business elsewhere...talking about rate changes every second and how it just changed while we were talking...you know what else changed? His commission...which changed +$2,000 in a matter of minutes. But they kept saying no problem, your loan will be approved and we can close in 2 weeks. Nope. They also say they're a direct lender. Nope. We sent in all the documents they requested immediately. From there we mostly dealt with Cynthia...who at best is disorganized...personally I think she's incompetent but that's just my opinion. We had to send her the same documents over and over and over. And she doesn't know how 401k loans/withdraws work. She thinks employers handle loans/withdraws from 401K's differently when in fact all 401K plan guidelines are regulated by the IRS and cannot be changed by employers. Someone who handles mortgage loans and assets daily should be aware of this. This was another red flag. They brokered our loan to Chase. We were promised an answer on final approval a week late on a Tuesday, then a Thursday, then a Friday...then Monday we were GUARANTEED an answer by the end of the day...by 4pm, all of a sudden there was an emergency and someone had to be rushed to the hospital. One hell of a coincidence right? We were told they wouldn't be checking email or taking calls (Neil did send an email later, allegedly from the hospital, which seemed weird) but we would have an answer on Tuesday...We didn't get it until late Wednesday. Through this entire time, they would ignore us when we requested updates or act annoyed when we called. Rather than put themselves in our shoes, knowing we were about to lose the house and knowing that we already put over $1000 into appraisals and inspections, they just blew us off. What happened to the pleasant sales guy we spoke to at the beginning of the process? Oh, that's right, he had us where he wanted because we were already a week into the process and couldn't switch that late in the game. We never did get the appraisal fee back like we were promised. Do I recommend anyone use GEM for their mortgage needs? Nope.

Wendy is the ultimate professional. I'm a realtor and for years she has proven to be the most…read moreprofessional, effective, knowledgeable and creative loan expert I've ever worked with. Wendy works with one purpose to get her clients through the road to home ownership. Blips or challenges do come up along the way in every escrow and she finds the way to navigate around them and get her clients through to closing. Wendy is kind, professional and genuinely cares about every one of her clients. It has been my pleasure to work with her for years. And to call on her skills and expertise to make her client's dream of qualifying for and owning a home a reality. Personally I have seen her clients shed tears when they were handed the keys to their new home. Thank you Wendy for all you do for your clients. It's been my pleasure to recommend you as a loan expert and see the results for the clients we both work with.

First home loan things went well, but my refi process, a bit annoyed with. As a very concerned and…read morehands on guy, I appreciate phone calls, not text messages. I need to feel like an individual, not another name in a stack of refi names to get to. Those things didn't happen. Getting a phone call through to Valli can be harder than calling the Governor's office. It is frustrating. Fast forward to a Friday. Valli says via text, "can't close until Tuesday because you checked a box." I replied, "that must have been accidental, close the loan Monday." Guess what, no reply. I had to contact escrow directly to ensure the issue with a checked box (no clue) was cleared up. They informed me the loan will wrap up Monday... Fast forward from Friday to Monday and Valli finally text me back and said, "closing Today." Yea V, I know... Now before anyone says I don't know customer service or she must be so busy, let me assure you, I am in a highly demanding field relying heavily on customer service. There are also 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 seconds in a minute. There's no way you can convince me a phone call is too demanding of anyone's time. If you can't handle your customer load and demands, don't take on more customers. Simple. Valli, you are busy, I get that. We all are. But if I can find one minute to break away from busy to call you, you can find a minute to answer... or call back. Texting about refi information was nauseating. It's too cumbersome. Pick up the phone, call back, heck give a check up call. I didn't even get a follow up call from you after it was all done...

A great experience! Makes every step seem simple, very honest and hard working. It is very nice to…read morehave these qualities when buying a house, because you give them so much personal information. I highly recommend Valli!!

Joanna was great! Far exceeded our expectations and explained the process far more than previous…read morelenders we've utilized. Look forward to working with you again Joanna!

Gloria was absolutely amazing, and we truly could not have gotten through this process without her…read more She came highly recommended by our realtor, and from our very first conversation, it was clear we were in incredibly capable hands. This home purchase was very unexpected for us, and when we initially met with Gloria, our finances weren't quite in a place where purchasing immediately made sense. Instead of pushing us, she thoughtfully advised us on exactly what we needed to do to be in the strongest possible position. She helped us prepare, guided us step by step, and just a couple of weeks later, we were ready--made an offer, had it accepted, and closed in just two weeks. Gloria was communicative, responsive, and incredibly patient in explaining every part of the process. She worked hard to secure the best rates available and helped us obtain credits that significantly assisted with closing costs. Thanks to her dedication and efficiency, we had the keys in hand before Christmas, which felt nothing short of miraculous. What truly set Gloria apart was how much she cared. She even showed up on closing day to celebrate with us when our realtor handed us the keys--a moment we'll never forget. If you're looking for a loan officer who is knowledgeable, strategic, responsive, and genuinely invested in your success, Gloria is outstanding. We recommend her without hesitation.

Worst company for a home loan/ refinance…read more Ruben Romero & Eric Romero = Con Artist. starts off by telling you what ever you like to hear to commit, Next starts the shady appraisal for $500 , which is "cash only". ( I did want to cancel but they had only 1 bad review, which brings me here to save you from the scam). ( which the they dogged the reviewer go figure why) The appraisal company called "Dan Goldberg Appraisal" equally as shady, Dan sets you're appraisal at lower value to make excuse for Ruben and Eric. Dan apprised my house 50k below value. how i know this a house across the street sold for 522k (attached photo of house across st), Dan apprised my house for 500k. the difference the house across the street is smaller in size and was under construction at time of sale (huge plywood nailed on outside of it). on a better note I'm working with a new mortgage company which instantly appraised my house at 550k, which is the normal price nothing special. all in all my loss ($500) is you're gain of knowledge, just you're regular family man here trying to make it without all these scammers around and raise a family. P.S. watch out for Star One Mortgage 707 N Maclay Ave *(818) 837-7240 same company. I hope this review works out for you,, don't waste you're time or money with this company.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Ruben!! What a fresh breath of fresh air to receive exceptional…read morehands-on-traditional service. Camino Real Mortgage Bankers are the best!! When I met Ruben I was certain that I will have to sell everything to survive because no one had been able to help me thus far. In November 2018, I started with a reputable loan broker/officer who owned the company. John was able to get me the funding I needed but also got me into a situation that was hard loans which closed Feb 2019. He promised me he would get me out of the loans the following year. The loans for the investment properties were at 10% and 8% for a one year term. To avoid penalties or a possible foreclosure, I started working with the same company in August 2019. He kept telling me the files are about to close at a 6% rate all the way up to Dec; totally stringing me along. By the end of Dec. 2019, I started to seek another company. I went with a very reputable firm that started off promising. Scott and his assistant told me they could close both loans in 30-60 days. I uploaded all docs on their portfolio and 3 weeks later they told me I would be better off getting an equity line through my primary residence. So here I was let down again and overly stressed. My husband then reminded me of Ruben helping us out with our loan as first-time buyers 20 years ago. At the time I thought the job might've been too big for Ruben. Well, turns out that Ruben Romero (senior officer) with Camino Real Mortgage Bankers had now grown from a small office in the city of San Fernando to two other locations (Sherman Oaks and Porter Ranch). Unlike the other officers, Ruben asked me to come in and patiently listened to my dilemma and eased my anxiety by going over a plan at the initial meeting. He said, "Your loans should have never taken over 60 days; they're not complicated files." He went over everything in-depth and I'm not going to lie but I didn't believe for one minute that he was going to get me out of this mess. At least not at the rates and time frame he was stating. I had nothing to lose so I signed up with Ruben. The BEST decision I ever made!!! The entire team at Camino Real Mortgage Bankers was sent from heaven to end my nightmare! They were ALL punctual, direct, calm, patient, HONEST, professional, ETHICAL, reliable, and did everything in a timely manner. Not only did they get me out of the hard loans and closed on time but with an interest rate that I never dreamed of. I also had them refinance my primary residence and again, great interest rate with ALL transactions done quickly and smoothly. I still pinch myself to make sure it's not a dream. They closed 3 loans so fast and mind you that's with the COVID-19 situation. Ruben and his team are the VERY BEST!! I can't say enough because they not only saved my homes which in turn saved mine and my husband's life and marriage. The stress was impacting our health and let's be honest we couples fight during times of financial stressors.

I don't even know where to begin to review Hope Lending because I was and am so overjoyed and…read more satisfied with our experience with them. They truly go above and beyond to help people who would have a hard time getting loans from the big banks. Carey and Angela worked day and night on my loan, were always communicative and available for all my questions, no matter how big or small. I felt like I was so important to them and that care and dedication was pivotal to being able to reach my dream of becoming a business owner. I will forever be grateful to the entire Hope Lending team for their roll in my future growth and success

Carey and his team are incredible! Talk about lending hope, working with them helped my family and…read moreI achieve a dream we didn't think was possible. We are so grateful for the expertise of the team and how easy they made everything. Thank you!!!

I've had two business dealings now with Jasmine Lieja and her team. I purchased my first home…read morethrough her and did a refi after a year (which saved me a bundle of money). Needless to say she is an amazing person to work with and truly values her customers. Her work ethic and her communication skills with me through out the process was seamless. She discussed the details of the process and broke down how long it would take on both occasions. If any issues came up during the deal (which a few did) she quickly found a resolution to keep the process going without any hiccups. To top off the whole thing she was very very kind to me and my family on both deals. I will definitely come back to her and her team if I ever purchase a home again in the future and will reccomend her services to my family and friends!

The team was amazing and very quick with accurate information when requested. Very easy to work…read morewith, and they were genuinely caring.