On January 6, 2026, I spoke with loan officer John Murphy of Cliffco Mortgage Bankers regarding my…read moreinterest in obtaining a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). John explained that Cliffco does not offer HELOCs and instead recommended a cash-out refinance. After giving it considerable thought and doing my own research, I decided to move forward with the cash-out refinance based on his recommendation. On February 4, 2026, I provided all of the requested documentation, as well as every follow-up document requested afterward, in a timely manner. Based on my income, credit, and the fact that I owned my residence outright with no existing mortgage, I was under the impression that I qualified for the refinance. I was also advised, and independently confirmed through my own research, that a cash-out refinance would typically take approximately 30-45 days to complete. Today is August 8, 2026--six months after submitting my documentation--and I still do not have a resolution. At this point, I have completely lost confidence in the process and am extremely disappointed with my experience. I feel that I have spent an unreasonable amount of time, energy, and money trying to get this loan processed. There was very little proactive communication or follow-up from the bank. Most, if not all, of the follow-up came from me. When additional information was requested, I provided it, only to encounter what often felt like unnecessary or excessive requests that further delayed the process. Waiting six months for something I was told could take 30-45 days has been extremely frustrating. I believe I have been more than patient throughout this process. I am also a licensed real estate agent and have referred clients to Cliffco Mortgage Bankers in the past who were seeking financing. I have received mixed feedback from some of those clients, but I never expected to have such a negative experience myself--especially considering that I felt I had established a good rapport with the loan officer. Unfortunately, this experience has completely changed my opinion of Cliffco Mortgage Banker. Based on what I have personally experienced, I will not use or recommend Cliffco Mortgage Bankers in the future. To anyone considering using this company, I strongly encourage you to do your research, ask detailed questions about the expected timeline and communication process, and consider your alternatives before moving forward. My experience has been extremely disappointing, and I would not recommend Cliffco Mortgage Bankers

Beware if you're shopping around for rates - Cliffco's loan officers will run a hard credit check…read moreon a pre-approval even if you decide not to use them. No other loan company I worked with did this, and so I had a lower credit score than I should have had when I locked in my rates with another company. This may have caused some monetary damages to me and I may be paying a higher rate on my mortgage because of them.

It's been profoundly said "People don't care how much you know,what matters is how much you care…read more"!!! That sums up Michael Hoffstein. After 30 years of doing business with Mike as a Financial advisor/Mortgage broker Mike consistently provides the type of service most would welcome in an industry where many have disappeared, Mike remains with innovative loan products he tailors to consumers specific needs. As a RE Broker the past 34 Years I can attest to Mike's Integrity, tenacity and Just Do It !!! Approach to this business . Recently Mike worked with great effort to help me obtain a refi on a family property no one else would entertain. Additionally he helped me Retain my legacy. Look no further Mike is the Man that has the right plan !!!

My wife and I had a great experience with Sandstone Mortgage. Mike Hoffstein was a total pro and…read morereally helped guide us through the process. Plus, he got us a great rate on our mortgage. Our monthly payment ended up being lower than we anticipated which was a nice surprise. A little background: As first time home-buyers, the whole process was totally new to us and we were a little nervous about how to move forward. We had lots of questions. Thankfully, Mike always made himself available to explain the ins and outs of the mortgage process. He also helped us structure the purchase before the contract was written, which allowed us flexibility and also helped us avoid having to spend big money down the line. It was good to know he was in our corner and always around to break things down if they got complicated. He always explained things in a way that was easy to understand. This was a big help to an inexperienced couple! We highly recommend Mike and Sandstone. He'll do a great job of guiding you through the process.

It was a pleasure to do business with Sep Talas. He was very efficient in putting together the loan…read morepackage and closing in a smooth timely manner. Sep is extremely proactive, responsive, and has great follow through. He even referred my company some business. I will continue to do business with Flatiron and Sep. I have had terrible experiences with other lenders who lack transparency and there was a real difference between this company and those I have done business with in the past.

I have had the pleasure of working with Seena and the Flatiron team on several occasions now, and…read morethey are always amazing to work with. Great communication, they work swiftly and very competitive from what I see in the market. Would highly recommend them!

Jim Barry helped my wife and I to buy an owner-occupied duplex in Tonawanda, NY this week, and we…read morehighly recommend him as a lender. He always responded to us quickly whether by email or phone and was professional and helpful throughout the entire process. We're first-time homebuyers, and Jim answered all of our questions and guided us through the process in a friendly and patient manner. Our agent was impressed with how quickly Jim was able to prepare us to close. Jim is clearly a seasoned pro, and we would definitely work with him again. Thanks, Jim!

I cannot imagine a better experience with a mortgage company. I have used Artisan Mortgage many…read moretimes to finance my private home and investment properties. I demand excellence when it comes to financial services. Debbie Chiappetta and the entire Artisan Mortgage team are the consummate professionals. In addition to that and equally important is that they are so pleasant to deal with.

We closed on our first home in late March 2026 after a months-long process that required navigating…read morea tight timeline, a complex condo approval, and significant financial stakes. Kevin Leibowitz at Grayton Mortgage was exceptional throughout. As first-time buyers, we came to this process with limited knowledge of how mortgages work. Kevin invested considerable time in telephone conversations where he walked us through the fundamentals -- how loan structures work, what the key figures mean, and how different decisions would affect our outcome at closing. He was never dismissive of our questions and consistently ensured we understood what we were agreeing to before moving forward. His value became most apparent on closing day itself. Kevin attended in person and conducted a line-by-line review of the final figures. He identified a duplicate charge of approximately $13,000 that had not been flagged by anyone else in the room, including our attorney. He challenged it directly, and it was removed. Without his presence and diligence that morning, we would have overpaid by a significant sum. Kevin is responsive, precise, and genuinely invested in his clients' outcomes. We would recommend him without reservation to anyone navigating a purchase in New York City.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Kevin was outstanding to work with as a first time home-buyer. Extremely thorough and well educated…read moreon the entire process. it was a very smooth experience. I would recommend to use him!

I cannot stress how helpful Warren at Mortgage Wealth Advisors was when purchasing my apartment…read more From start to finish, Warren provided incredible guidance and support - he always took time to answer every question (there were many!) with patience, clarity, and genuine care. He was always available and extremely responsive, which made the stressful experience of purchasing a NYC co-op more manageable. I highly recommend Mortgage Wealth Advisors!

We have used MWA since before it was MWA. Warren has been a tremendous resource whenever we needed…read moreto update our borrowing. Our first purchase was almost 25 years ago. Since then we have made a couple of purchases and a bunch of refinances, and he has been there every step of the way. Latest news is we needed a HELOC, and in lieu of taking a fee, he sent us to LaFayette C.U. to obtain it as it was the best deal currently and suggested it was so easy to do it ourselves, which it was. We recommend Warren to everyone especially if there are circumstances making the borrowing process difficult for you.

Five stars for Sean. He is a consummate professional--highly attentive, knowledgeable, and patient…read morefrom mortgage pre-application through closing. His expertise, style, strong relationships with a wide array of lenders, and team orientation (working very smoothly with my real estate agent and lawyer), made the mortgage process easy, securing a great rate for me. Sean's talent and expertise will save you an enormous amount of legwork in NYC's high-speed competitive real estate market. Highly recommend him for anyone looking for top-notch service in NYC.

Sean and Nicole are so kind, professional, and knowledgeable; they had our best interests in mind…read moreand we felt trust in them throughout the entire process. Despite the uncertainty of the current landscape, we were provided with frequent check-ins and guidance. Sean took the time to listen to us and to talk us through everything, and getting all our documents organized and uploaded felt pretty straightforward. Nicole and Sean were always impressively prompt in answering our questions and allaying our anxieties, and managed to get us rates that beat our local banks' by far! Our entire process was virtual, and we'd had little sense of what to expect before working with Sean. With larger institutions, I'd felt like just a number, but Sean really went above and beyond in helping us understand the process, as well as in advising us about how to proceed. Nicole and Sean definitely smoothed a complicated process, and we felt super lucky to work with them! Block has the best rates and the best service, and they really understand the NYC market.

Just want to give a shoutout to STEPHEN SIMONE! We just…read morebought a home and he was so helpful! Where do I start - Steven is an exceptional guy. He was very helpful through the whole process of buying a home. As a professional, he was straight forward and precise on what was needed, when it was needed. As a first time homebuyer, purchasing a home is very stressful and Steven made sure that we were educated enough on how to review documents and what certain terminology meant. He was even available at times outside of working hours! We appreciate Steve on his help throughout this overwhelming process and we certainly recommend him to anyone who is buying a home! You certainly will not be disappointed and he will get you the best deal without a doubt!

I never thought a refinance experience could run so smoothly. I am so grateful for Phil Benigno…read moreand Mortgage Tech. I just finished refinancing and I'm so happy. Phil was always available to answer questions and took his time to explain everything to the fullest. The entire office is professional and welcoming.