I found Garden State Home Loans on Google after doing extensive research on different lenders. When I submitted an inquiry online to Garden State Loans, I was assigned to Susan. Susan was so friendly and helpful throughout our entire search, which took a few months! From the beginning, she was always writing updated preapproval letters for our offers and calling or emailing to check in on a weekly basis. We had an amazing experience with Susan and her teammate Paige! Both Susan and Paige made our process so easy and seamless! We had lots of questions and they both responded within minutes to anything we asked, which is unheard of! Our appraisal was able to be waived, which was a huge help for us since we had a $15,000 appraisal gap written into our contract. I appreciate everything that Susan and Paige did to help us throughout our home purchase and would highly recommend them to anyone looking to buy a home in South Jersey! read more

I would recommend Garden State Home Loan to anyone purchasing a home. Everyone was great to work with, extremely helpful and really care about getting you the best possible rate. I had a fantastic experience! read more

I requested information from three companies for a mortgage refinance cash out through Bankrate.com at 9:30 pm on a Friday. The first reply I received was from Kevin Boyle, Garden State Home Loans who sent me an email at 8:59 am the next day, a Saturday. I dropped the other two companies very early in the process. Not only were their rates and fees higher, but they also were not responsive at all. To everyone at Garden State Home Loans - What an amazing experience working with each of you. Most emails and phone calls were with Kevin, my Loan Officer, who coordinated the entire process. Jake Fayette ensured the final touches were in place for closing. Giana Isaga, Melanie Pongracz, and Heather Anderson quickly followed up with me to be sure I had sent, received, and signed all documents needed. I was so impressed over the four weeks we worked together with how responsive each of you was, even on weekends. I truly apologize if I have forgotten anyone. My entire closing process took only 26 days from my first email with Kevin and would have been less if I had not delayed for 5 or more days to complete a small job in my house before scheduling the appraisal. It was my fault we did not close in 20 days and turned out that job would not have affected the appraisal, anyway. You all have no idea how impressed I was throughout the entire process with the thoroughness and attention to the smallest detail by each of you. I could not have asked for a better team. Thank you so very much, Fran read more

Do yourself a favor and go with a large bank that will directly service your loan. My experience getting my mortgage was fine: we closed on time, got a good rate, etc. The problem is what happens after you close. Garden State is just a broker that will then pass your loan off to be serviced by a different company - and you have no way of knowing who that will be. We were handed over to LoanCare LLC and it's astonishing to me that they're even in business. Look them up, their reviews are horrific. They take multiple payments out, "forget" to pay your property taxes that you have in escrow, etc. ***My mortgage has been autodrafted out of my bank account 3 TIMES in the past 2 weeks.*** We're looking at spending thousands of dollars to refinance with a reputable lender just to escape who Garden State stuck us with. I previously had a mortgage with Citizens Bank that was easy as pie. I literally never had to think about my loan in the 10 years I had it - our loan was never sold, all property taxes and insurance were paid on time, everything was handled seamlessly. This fooled me into thinking your lender really doesn't make a difference, so this time around I chose the lowest rate and closing costs. Trust me, it is 100% worth paying a slightly higher interest rate to be with a real lender. The situation we're in thanks to Garden State is an absolute nightmare. read more

I highly recommend this company. I requested a mortgage quote on Sunday, 1/14/18, and we closed on Saturday, 1/27/18. The entire process was done via email and a couple of phone calls. I was able to easily upload all my documentation on their web portal, which is nicely laid out and guides you through the specific requirements. An attorney came to our home for the closing, and we had all the paperwork completed within 30 minutes. The disbursement was processed on 2/1/18, and I saw that our old mortgage had been closed out at the end of the day. Joseph Gervasi was a pleasure to work with, and dealt with our questions and concerns immediately. If I ever need another mortgage, I would use GSHL again. read more

At the beginning of August 2017, my wife and I finally decided to do something about the steadily increasing LIBOR rates that affected the ARM we had taken out when purchasing our first home in 2004. I went on to a few financial boards to see what companies were offering the best rates, lender credits, and customer service. Garden State Home Loans was one of a handful of companies mentioned often, in addition to a couple online banks and brokers. I filled out my initial contact and financial information into a few of them, and also with my bank of 30 years, and the first response I got back was from GSHL, from Anthony Casa, the president of the company. One day later, I had an initial quote from GSHL that looked about as good as I had hoped for. Since the quote was based on an actual application, my GSHL advisor, "Max" Kelly, provided me several refi options with different amounts of cash due at closing. This was all done via email, and whenever I had questions, they were always answered within an hour or so, even late at night, by either Max or Anthony. I will say my local bank of 30 years suggested to me there was no way GSHL was going to be able to come in at the price they initially quoted. They expected that I would most likely have to come up with an additional $2K or so of closing costs when all was said and done, and they also said there was no way we would close as quickly as GSHL said we would. I brought these concerns to Max and Anthony, and they both assured me there would be no surprises, and that they stood by their initial quote. Because of all the stellar reviews and their record with the BBB, I decided to take a leap of faith and go with GSHL even after being given a talking to from the rep at my bank. I'm glad I did. My monthly payment for a 20 year mortgage was about $35 less per month (and $1500 less in closing out-of-pocket) than my bank quoted, and my final closing costs were exactly what GSHL said they would be when I chose one of the options that Max had offered. I put my application in on August 3rd, and we closed on August 28th. The entire document exchange process was done online using GSHL's easy-to-use system. At no point did I actually speak to anyone at GSHL (I don't like talking on the phone, so email was perfect for me). Any time I had a question, I always got a response to my email from Max or Anthony VERY quickly, probably 90% of the time within the hour, sometimes within a few minutes. I'm sure if I had preferred to call them instead, I would have received a similarly excellent response. The closing was done at my kitchen table with reps from the title agency and the mortgage company. So all in all, five stars well deserved for their easy to use document submit and exchange system, excellent response times and customer service, reassuring me during times of anxiety (thanks, guys), amazingly fast time from application to closing, and basically doing everything they said they would from start to finish. Couldn't have been a better experience. Thank you Max and Anthony for getting me out of my ARM and for making the process as easy and as transparent as it could be! read more

I wasn't going to review this company and just pass it off as a bad experience; however, I just received a $1533 invoice from my attorney that I incurred because of GSHL& their partner title company 1) started March 1; closed May 4, 2022 (promised to close in 30 days) 2) didn't listen to what I wanted/needed and was treated as if I didn't know anything at all 3) lack of communication among team members (loan officer, underwriting, title company). One person would tell me one thing and the next person would say the opposite 4) had to provide documentation multiple times to multiple people; often re-explaining why it was being included and who told me to include it 5) title company scheduled closing two times before I was cleared to close 6) title company refused to accept that my deed had been filed even though they had the book/page number and was certified by the Recorder of Deeds three times that it was filed (I called and verified) - missed lock in date so had to pay additional money to keep the interest rate I had 7) real estate lawyer at title company didn't recognize my fee simple deed for what it was 8) ignored my divorce agreement settlement stating that a letter signed by my ex -husband was required for my loan to go through - that he was OK with amount he would receive - which was already defined in my settlement agreement that ex -spouse had signed as part of the divorce (June 2021) 9) I asked for proof (NJ law, checklist, etc.) that letter from my ex was required paperwork - request ignored and never provided BUT was told by title company attorney/CEO that without the letter, my loan would be refused. As part of my divorce settlement, I had to refi prior to a certain date. 10) "we just want to get your loan over the finish line for you" - every single person involved in my loan stated the same phrase - by the seventh time - patronizing and totally insulting 11) didn't conduct a final review prior to settlement - due to GSHL/title company delays my previous mortage company had already paid homeowners' insurance, so I paid twice - increased my amount of PMI and duration of payments One star is 1 too many - if you look at their website there are no reviews less than 4 or 5. Do your homework and read reviews that are actual customers. GIM, Pennsylvania read more

When we started our home search, we called various different banks, brokers, credit unions to see who could offer us the best rate. GSL not only offered us THE best rate on the market, but also a smooth transaction and close. We've all heard the saying "If it sounds too good to be true it probably is", not the case here. Anthony Casa and his team are fast but not at the cost of efficiency. We received our mortgage commitment within 2 weeks and closed within 5 weeks, insane! We even received a refund check in the mail they had promised, for a mix-up that happened at the very beginning. Honestly I can't rave enough about them, they are simply THE broker of choice! From my family to you- thank you GSL! We love our new home! read more

My experience with garden state home loan was effortless. Joe was the person I worked with. From the minute I started talking to him I knew this was the company I was looking for. Joe treated me like family. He helped me through the whole process. I also worked with Caroline she was so nice and understanding that I was a little nervous and she was so helpful. This company is the best place you can go to if you want to refinance. I can't say enough about this company and Caroline but especially Joe. I will and would recommend this company to everyone I know. Thank you so much Garden State Home Loan I give you 10 stars for your kindness and professionalism!!!!! read more

Naturally I cant speak to anyone else's experience, but mine was about the easiest and most seamless it could have possibly been. I was working with another lender who was a good guy, but decided to call GSHL on a whim just to make sure I couldn't do better rate wise. GSHL wound up making me an offer that my original lender was unable to match. I dealt with Max and Chris mostly, who were easy to deal with, accommodated many of my questions as a first time home buyer and were very efficient. From first call to closing took 18 days. Excellent experience. read more

I'm glad I chose Garden State Home Loans. They are not aggressive like others where they'd call you non stop. GSHL would email you with their good faith estimate base on your input on their website and outline everything you'll need to get started. Jenn the loan officer and her team who processed my loan were professional, courteous, and efficient. I did a cash out refi and closed in less than 20 days (weekends included) with a great rate and reasonable closing cost. Would recommend GSHL. read more

I am waiting until after closing to write my full review of this company, but so far I've been pretty happy with them. I'm leaving this review here now, instead of waiting, because I do not think that the other review is fair or representative of the experience that I've had so far. I'll update after we close, but here is what I can say so far: +++ great rates and no/low origination fees + very fast process and very good communication + they work with excellent underwriters that are thorough, so all the issues are worked out early in the process Update: we closed, on schedule, several months ago and are happy to report that everything went well. Garden State kept all of their commitments. read more

Jordan, the loan officer, was wonderful. We had to cancel a couple of contracts but finally we found the right home. Through it all, Jordan had a great disposition and willingness to help. She was very responsive and did a great job helping me lock my rate. Caroline and Kerry were also very helpful to get my loan closed within the tight deadline we had. They were all very patient and took the time to explain things and work with whomever we needed to get it done. As a real estate investor, I've had to deal with many mortgage companies over the years and I will stick with this one for a long time. read more

Talk to Anthony. They did a great job for me. Easy application process and wuick approval. I'd use them again anytime

If I could i would give them 0 points. You were just one of thousands, lack of contact, difficult to get hold of your loan officers. Numbers not calculated correctly, previously discussed agreements not kept, They didn't even push the appraiser to correct an appraisal report which had material facts misrepresented. read more

I called this place to get a rate quote and I was handed off to three different people just to get a rate quote. Of course they collected my information and are now spamming me via email as well as sending text messages to my phone number! Unethical! read more

Kevin came in big - low rates were locked in early, it was an easy process, and my wife and I had the pleasure of working with a true gentleman. All in all a great experience! read more

Garden State Home Loans provided a great rate and stellar customer service. I would highly recommend them. My first encounter with Garden State Home Loans was not exactly smooth, but Anthony Casa (their president) reached out to me personally to address my issues/concerns. He assured me that my next experience would be better and he would be there to oversee it. The next time around, Anthony was right. Not only were they able to give me the lowest rate around for a 30-year fixed, but the whole process was easy. Michael (Max) Kelly was the assigned Loan Officer on my transaction and he was great. Max was always reachable by phone or e-mail and sought to provide me with the best answers possible. When issues came up with my title, Max was there to make sure that the mortgage stuff was ready and waiting. As a first time home buyer, it's difficult navigating the paperwork. Max took the time to review important documentation with me and help me understand what all the numbers meant. Between the realtors, title, and all the other parties involved, Garden State Home Loans remained on the ball and that was a bit of relief in a stressful home purchase. They met all deadlines early and really worked with me to make the transaction a success. Again, I would recommend them. Great rates. Straight-forward answers. No games - they keep their word. Stellar customer service. read more

I'm surprised to see any ad reviews. Worked with this team in August 2016. I'm relatively well educated about finance and mortgages and was very demanding. They were honest (sunk closing costs were not $1 more than originally quoted to me), communicative and professional. I'm a pretty demanding customer and I was very happy with this team. read more

I used garden State loans for a refinance of one house and a purchase of another. Both transactions were smooth and professional. Their loan officers (I worked with Scott McNamee) know their stuff and guided me through the entire process. It, of course, doesn't hurt that they had the best rates in town. Thanks GSL! read more

From start to finish the members Garden State Loans have surpassed my expectations in levels of customer service and more importantly in the aggressive rate for our refinance of our current home. We have had many mortgages over the years but going forward I would never hesitate in using Garden State Loans every time in the future! Whether you're experienced in the terms or a first time buyer, this company has re-instilled my faith in a professional, responsive, highly knowledgeable team of experts. Even the notary who came to our home for the closing signing agreed that these guys are the Platinum 5 star when it comes to mortgages. Thank you Garden State Loans - keep up the fantastic work! read more

My home refinance experience with GSHL was nothing less than extraordinary! Anthony Casa has an exceptional team delivering a customer experience that is second to none. The online application process was very simple. Michael Colella was my loan originator and was extremely helpful walking me through the process. I was approved within 10 business days of application. Once approved, my loan closer - Brandi Trotta - was an absolute pleasure to work with and arranged closing within the rate lock period at my convenience just 2-3 weeks after approval. Quicken Loans was my prior lender, and they couldn't match GSHL's rate. They also told me none of this could be done - they said GSHL's rate was too low and doubted would be delivered, they thought GSHL's closing fees were too low and suggested that I'd surely have to be bringing more cash to closing. They did all they could to lure me away by placing doubt in my mind and touting their multiple JD Power Awards. I am so glad I didn't listen to Quicken! GSHL deserves their own award for delivering exceptional customer service and satisfaction!! I can't say enough and highly recommend anyone looking to finance or refinance their home reach out to Anthony and his team at Garden State Home Loans. You won't be disappointed! read more

I spoke with an broker name Anthony Casa at Garden State Home Loans. From the beginning when I had asked a couple of questions about the company's fees and interest rates, he had an irritated attitude over the phone and didn't provide any comfort with the information he had provided in the email. During the phone call, he kept saying his company is well known and they are the most favorable in the state of New Jersey. I had asked if he can provide an estimate of the closing costs fees and he refused. He said he will have to get an application from me in order to give an estimate of the fees. His company may offer the best interest rate but I will never do business with them because of the really bad customer service. I will also never recommend this company to anyone. read more

Can only speak to my experience which was uncommonly good -- Locked in great rate quickly using online document upload site, appraisal done same week, closed within 3 wks of first conversation. Sue was no-nonsense, quick, responsive (after hours), went above and beyond. Heather and others on staff were similarly professional and helpful. Would not hesitate to call on again. We were fortunate to call them before rates recently increased. read more

Tons of great reviews on Zillow for this company so I thought i was dealing with a class act company. Then I realized all the reviews are moderated and no place to add a review and things started to make sense. Getting paperwork in writing was a challenge at best with this company and also when I specified that I was looking for a 15 year fixed refi with no escrows they kept wanting to quote a rate/price other than for what I was looking for. When asked for a formal loan estimate to move forward they didn't send me one, red flag. Ran into too many issues after trying to get the process started and moving along that I ended up going with NBKC who was highly rated on Costco's site and so far so good. Closing next month and not wasting the amount of time I was wasting with Garden State while still at a very competitive rate. read more

Garden State Home Loans is a great company to get your loan done through. For my refinance, I had been burned before by other companies to the point that I was okay with keeping my 5.25%. I decided, though, to take the chance. I am glad I did! Not only did the company deliver on their promise, they also helped me save $400 a month. That is HUGE in this day and age! I highly recommend this company for their fast, user-friendly services. read more

My experience with GardenState Home Loans (specifically Norm Tomasello) was sheer perfection. Norm lived up to every single promise he made, including a terrific fast turnaround time on my purchase loan. Norm went above and beyond time after time in helping me (a first-time home buyer) through the entire purchase and financing process (even assisting me with random questions during the settlement!) with patient, honest, expert advice at all hours of the day - he was extraordinarily responsive and never made me feel bad for asking him question after question (and I can tell you, I'm one tough cookie who wants to understand EVERYTHING). He also got me bar-none the best interest rate, and I had shopped around at almost a dozen banks and mortgage brokers. The company also made the entire process extremely convenient and lightning fast by using a secure website for all document deliveries and signing, rather than demanding I meet anyone in-person or sending documents by snail-mail or email (which is a horribly insecure method for such sensitive information as social security numbers!), practices I am sad to say are viewed as normal by other brokers. Norm is the consummate professional (he deserves a raise!!!) and Garden State Home Loans is a terrific company to do business with. I cannot recommend them enough - a more trustworthy, caring, competent mortgage broker cannot be found. read more

We refinanced our home in 2013 with Garden State Home Loans. Rates offered by Garden State were significantly better than those of local banks or online brokers we looked at. Getting a great rate is just a starting point, and best of all the service from Anthony and his team was terrific. read more

I was looking to refi my 30 yr. mortgage for a long while and was told that we were not qualified, so, I had stopped looking. Then, in 2017, after we were retired already, I have decided to try my luck again, and again I was told that we were not qualified by some companies including our mortgage servicing bank. By, chance, I opened Bankrate.com and saw Garden State Home Loans. What was I to lose to contact them? Nothing. My, my. Was I surprised!! I've got an immediate response from Demitrius Badekas, the loan originator. I filled a preliminary application and he offered me 3 various packages based on information at hand. Then, when I picked the rate and fees I liked, the main process started. I had to fill out other papers and email them to the company. I didn't trust Garden State in the beginning, but we live in a 21 century and thing are done online nowadays. Plus, Max Kelly and Anthony Casa, the president of the company, reassured me that no papers will get lost, no fees will be changed, no interest will be jacked up - just trust them to do their job. I'm very happy that I did. Yes, I had to provide them with 10,000 papers, but they had to protect themselves as much as me from defaulting on the mortgage. At the end, I got my refi mortgage and over $230 in savings a month and it didn't get forever to get it. Whoa, what a deal!! We even didn't have to go anywhere for closing - it was done right in my house on Saturday. Thanks, Garden State Home Loans. Your professionalism shined thru! read more