I had a great experience working with Ric Araujo on refinancing my home mortgage. I realized that what might possibly be the best thing this pandemic has brought us is... lower mortgage rates!
Since I'm stuck inside with no end in sight (thank you Ige and Caldwell you indecisive clowns), I figured I might as well use all this time on my hands to see if I can get a better mortgage rate.
I shopped around and got several quotes, and found Castle and Cooke to be most competitive. Lowest rate for zero points and lowest closing costs. I talked with some weird people at other companies while gathering quotes (one person told me, "you'll just have to trust me, I'm not going to have time to consult with you every step along the way... oh and btw I'm interviewing you to see if I want to work with you"- creepy). Another person told me they'd give me credits towards closing, only to find their closing costs were inflated enough to cover the credits they offered (sneaky). Another person kept telling me how the quote would in no way guarantee the rate once we locked it in and it could vary wildly (sketchy).
With Ric, I had none of those creepy, sneaky, sketchy experiences. He's a straight shooter, honest and nice guy. He took the time to explain to me everything in an easy to understand manner. He answered all my questions in a timely manner. He was organized and kept the process moving and kept me updated along the way. I felt at ease and comfortable with him on my refi journey. I also felt like he truly cared about me as a customer and wanted me to have a good experience. He answered calls, emails and texts in a timely manner as well.
Castle and Cooke has a local presence so the handoff between the local escrow company and notary public was also pretty smooth. The escrow rep actually answers her phone (bonus!). Even though I missed initialing 1 place, we sorted it out quickly and hassle free.
I went from 4% interest down to 2.75% with minimal hassle. It's a huge savings when you're paying off a home or condo in Hawai'i. I'm very grateful to Ric Araujo and his team. Highly recommended! read more