After referring a client to these folks, I also found myself in a deal with them a few weeks later. 2 escrows closing around the same time in the same city, so I thought we would be taken care of well. In both cases, they screwed us. They tried to tell each of us, after we had been approved for lower downpayment loan products, that we needed to bring more money into the deal. Keep in mind, in BOTH cases, this was when it was time for us to remove contingencies that protect the buyer and only a few days before closing time. Also, this was AFTER the company had noticed that each of us had more cash on hand and couple be "pushed" into this type of agreement. This company has zero integrity. I almost lost my home because of them and so did my friends. I had to pull out of the deal with Integrity and beg the seller to allow me more time to close the transaction. The extra cash I had on hand was for a full remodel of the property, which is why I applied for a 5% down loan. I lost the money I had paid for the appraisal which was about 450.00. Unfortunately, my friend was so far into her deal, that she had to close with Integrity or else her family would have been without a home during Christmas since they had already exited their lease and the new tenant was moving in a week or two later. Asking a buyer to bring 10k more into an already pre-approved, pre-qualified loan product, 5 days before closing IS NOT common and there is ABSOLUTELY NO INTEGRITY in this type of scam. I asked for my appraisal fee back at least 7 times and I finally had to contact a lawyer. Unfortunately, I never received any of my money back. Seems like this is a common "bait and switch" pulled her at Integrity. I wish I would have yelped them before I got into business with them! I am so happy I ended up with another lender after all this mess. They closed my deal with the EXACT same paperwork and closed it for 5% down which is the EXACT same loan product Integrity said I was "pre-approved" for from the beginning. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY! read more

We just wrapped up our mortgage re-fi with these guys and it was an awesome experience. They were honest, helpful and smart. After failed attempts with both Lending Tree and Wells Fargo, I found IFFG via a random Google search. They buy mortgages outright and then sell them back to lenders. We started with Wells, ended with BofA. We closed in 25 days and saved half a point over what Wells had offered, paid a flat fee and they even sent a traveling notary to our house to finish up. Brilliant. I worked with Sean Cosgrove and Heather Prida, they were on it, gave me great advice / guidance and honestly it was less than half the hoop jumping we went through with other lenders. Highly recommend. read more

Avoid. Scam artists. Started a refi with this idiot broker and it dragged on for FOUR MONTHS, each 2 weeks with a "ok, you're approved!" And then two days later, "Oh, actually, we still need your mother's blood type, so you're not approved: sorry." On, and on, and on. For your sanity's sake, do not, DO NOT engage with them. I hate that they still have my application information on file somewhere because of how inept they are. I can't emphasize enough: stay away. read more

I have to echo the review from the gentleman before me. I started my attempt to refinance over a year ago to NO avail. I stumbled upon IFFG Steven Phras, just by chance and he was able to get this refinance done. Let me be clear I started over a year ago, and with six other companies, and IFFG, has been the one with Steven to get this complete. We even discoverd I had a few liens on my property that Steve was able to get cleared when multiple attorneys said it could not happen but we close in two days, at a fixed rate of 3.25% VA loan. Sorry Cash Call, QuickenLoans, LoanDepot, NewDay,...just to list a few whom tried and failed read more

Integrity First assisted me in refinancing my home two times. I am extremely pleased with their patience and knowledge. The overall experience was outstanding and I highly recommend their services. read more

I've had the absolute pleasure to work with IFFG and Dustin G. here in San Diego on numerous occasions. As an experienced real estate broker in the San Diego market, I can say hands-down this is the best experience I've had with lending. The best rates, extremely knowledgeable team & time, they get the job done quickly. Dustin knows the process and the rest of the team behind him at IFFG is always one, if not 2 or 3 steps ahead of the transaction. I cannot stress how important this aspect of time has been in a very competitive marketplace. They get things done quickly (as long as the borrower gets their info together in a timely manner) and this allows us to write aggressive offers to win deals. We are winning deals with 3, 7, 10+ offers and the partnership with Dustin is a huge part of success because all parties involved in the transaction know he will deliver on time. At the end of the day, the reason I refer IFFG and Dustin G. on a routine basis is the fact that they know how to help borrowers right off the bat by asking the right questions to avoid any surprises during the purchase. I know that Dustin will help get the best financing options available for each individual situation. I also like the fact he is so honest with people and sometimes recommends folks wait to improve credit scores in order to get a better rate. I highly recommend Dustin Gildersleeve and Integrity First Financial Group. read more

Had another refinance deal in place when I spoke to integrity first. I Explained in detail my needs and concerns. Sent ALL my info tax returns income etc.. including the other deal. Super nice guy assured me they could get it done in 2 or 3 weeks good interest rate no points etc.. he assured me it problem as I had plenty of equity and work history/ income despite some old debt I needed to take care of with cash out. Told me I would have to pay $500 00 up front for appraisal but they will return it to me at closing. I paid the 500 and the appraiser treated it as an FHA with minimal conditions ie: strap water heater install co detector which we fixed immediately but now they want me to pay for a reinspection!! 4 months later I still have no loan. I contacted the Iff President who referred me to regional manager I spoke with the regional manager both assured me that it would be resolved. Im Still hoping they will get it done but trouble is now I'm out $500.00 for appraisal and interest rates are up. Lesson learned: read more reviews, NEVER PAY UP FRONT, WALK AWAY WHEN IT FEELS WRONG. WHEN IT'S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE IT PROBABLY ISN'T. VERY DISAPPOINTED. CAN'T RECOMMEND. read more

I also just finished a re-fi with them. I have to say this was the best re-fi experience I've had with anyone over the past 10 years. They offered the best rate compared to the big banks. They also gave a discount on closing costs. Finally, everything was so easy. Many initial documents could be signed electronically. They sent a traveling notary to my house to sign the final ones. It all done within 3 weeks - fastest re-fi I've ever had. Sean Cosgrove/Heather Prida was who I used and I'd strongly recommend! read more

I am in process of refi my home as I am posting (08/29/10). I googled this company and brieftly write my information on their website, next day, they called me and emailed me. I called them back and the gentleman is very honest and helpful, the next day, I provided all the information they are looking for and after he reviewed my information he called me back and qualified me! the whole qulification process takes about 2 days depending on how fast you can provide your information (tax return, fico score, pay stub, etc...) I give it a 3 star so far becuz I am waiting to lock my rate and the process has not done yet. i will update my grading once the whole refi is done. But so far I liked their service and speedy response. OK, TODAY (10/6/10) I finally received a confirmation email from Integrity First Financial Group saying my loan had funded already! What a sweet news of the day! I was paying about 6.625% on my current mortage. Thinking about how much money I can save per month... love it. So I upgrade my rating to Integrity First Financial Group to 5 Stars because: 1. they are fast on responding my initial email asking for the interest rate. 2. during the whole re-finance process, their agent (Michael B.) is very quick and thorough on my detailed questions. 3. Their agent is very proactive on collecting information from 3rd parties, they will try different ways to get the information instead of pushing the job to me. 4. They delivered the interest rate they promissed, that's most important! 5. They are fast, the whole thing only takes about 1 month. Hope you like my review and good luck on your refi. 3. they are fast, the whole process only takes read more

Very close to a 5 but not quite. Things were tricky because we started out behind the eight ball. I had started with B of A. They tried to switch me to a higher cost loan. I went on a loan search and Adam Kriticos was the first to call. He helped me get my loan through in a very short time at the low rate I wanted which was no small feat. I would give him 5 stars. I had to deal with a couple of other people who seemed less interested in making sure things went well so Integrity Firsts gets 4 stars. read more

I have refinanced with this company four times, chasing interest rates as they went down. I have only gotten refinances with no points and no fees. And they are genuinely no fee--I have been reimbursed for appraisal fees that other companies have said they would not reimburse. Admittedly, I have a fairly simple situation - a good income to mortgage ratio, no other properties (except my husband has a partial interest in a small house elsewhere), good credit, etc. but in the four times I've refinanced, it has gone through in, on average, just a month. IFFG's employees have been highly responsive, friendly, helpful, and just consummate professionals. If ever I refinance again, I know exactly where to go. read more

After three arduous months of working with this mortgage broker to refinance my home loan, I came to a sad and unfortunate conclusion that Integrity First Financial Group has been intentionally misrepresenting loan terms, omitting mandatory disclosures and engaging in unfair and deceptive practices. This middle-man broker (it's not a direct lender as it claims it is) has been conducting a bait and switch ad campaign in which customers who were promised a no-cost mortgage wound up with much higher cost and rates. For my case (FICO score of 800+, LTV ratio of 80-% and conforming loan), IFFG advertised a home loan program at "3.675 percent, with no points and no fees," but I later found that I did not actually received those terms, the broker gradually increased the rate to 3.75 and the fees to 1% of the loan after four GFEs. To make it difficult for me to back out, IFFG charged the appraisal fee upfront to my credit card and refused to refund it if I decided to not accept their loan terms. This fee of $450 and others such as title insurance are quite high comparing to my previous loan. Also, I was forced to pay off my subordinate loan of 20K unnecessarily during this process. I have contacted from the agent (Vernont Jefferson) to his manager (Chris Burke) and finally the president (Alex Barnett) trying to get my appraisal fee refunded before switching to a more honest lender, but none gave me a satisfactory answer and repeatedly engaged in evasive and stalling tactics. This company has no integrity as it claims it has. read more

Great service, honest, best rates. Highly recommended!

The worst refinance experience I have ever had. In addition to losing documents , inside personnel turnover, they sold my loan 30'days post close and kept my first months mortgage payment therefore putting my in default with the new servicer SLS. Integrity is far from anything they claim. Buyer beware! read more

It was a nightmare, I had an accepted offer on a property and had all the paperwork in to Integrity First and the credit check and the Underwriting done and a 30 day lock. And then the loan officer goes on vacation unexpectedly. The office manager states " Oh he does that from time to time" I asked.. without contacting his clients with outstanding loan files? He said "Yes"...WTF And then of course like everyone else is stipulating here on these posts, my locked rate is no longer good and the credit back on this particular rate is also no longer available and I basically need to start over with a new loan officer. To make a long story shorter, I did not (or rather Integrity First did not) perform quick enough to purchase that property. They need to change their name to "Deceiptful First" read more

I've been in business for over 13 years and have closed 100's of deals in my career. NEVER have I dealt with such an incompetent lender. They do not answer or return call or emails (from myself, the buyer's agent or the Title company) and even after speaking to a supervisor of the branch manager and being PROMISED a return call we have heard NOTHING!! No INTEGRITY! read more

We had a wonderful experience with Integrity First Financial!! I can't say enough about Kelli S and her group. She went above and beyond getting a loan for us and closed it when she said she would. Every person we came in contact with that had something to do with Integrity were knowledgeable, friendly and we just had an overall great experience. Kelli got us a great rate and did everything in her power to make sure everything was taken care of and went smoothly with our refi. I would recommend them without hesitation. I can see why people continue to come back to them because you just can't find businesses that actually live up to their name anymore. They definitely have integrity! read more

This may be God's worst company. There is not enough space to list the issues and problems we encountered through the mortgage process. I posted an earlier review and this just adds to the morons that work, I use that term loosely, there. I received a notice that my mortgage was sold to a third party and when I called them to set up payment arrangements they never heard of me. Unbelievable but true! The beat goes on. read more

I had refinancing done thru IFFG before. First one was ok. Second one was not ok. It is getting more serious as time goes on. When you deal with this company, you need to check everything carefully. They are not thorough since I think their business model is quick turnaround time, meaning that they cannot take good care of each customer. They have to do it quick and move on. When they do it quick, most likely they will make mistakes and it will take more time to process. Time is money. You pay the cost of alll this delay and mistakes. If you refinance with this company, I suggest that you become extremely suspecious on everything and everyline of the document. If there is anything that they are supposed to execute, you make sure they do. Get the proof of they have done it. Otherwise, those things will bite you later. Never trust. read more

Amazing! I highly recommend John Coniglio. I just closed a purchase in 27 days thanks to his amazing service and team (Kim & Elle). Lowest Rates & excellent service - using IFFG is so easy even though they are 500 miles from me! Will definitely recommend and will use them again! Also, I've used them several times - always the same results! read more

This was the second loan we have secured through IFFG.. Ted is very thorough and informed us of the status of our loan every step of the way. He returned phone calls and emails within minutes He is honest, hard-working, gave us exactly what was promised (actually, it was even better!). Ted closed our loan on time and with no delays, working around our travel plans. We would highly recommend Ted and his team at IFFG for any type of home financing. read more

This is a mortgage flipping outfit, they will promise you anything to get you to sign and then they don't deliver. Buyer beware, I lost my house because of their lack of Integrity! read more

Ironically this company is named Intergirty first. It should probably be named Integrity last! I was working with an agent from this company for refinancing my home mortgage. She emailed me on 11/08/2010 stating that she would like to schedule an appraisal of the house and that there would be no cost for the appraisal. I still have this email. The appraisal was completed in the 2nd week of November 2010. It has been more than 2 months since the appraisal and the agent has not contacted me in spite of numerous queries by email and phone. In addition, the appraisal company charged $400 to my credit card for an appraisal. I have never seen the appraisal and the agent refuses to respond to my queries. read more

I had a terrible experience with Integrity First Financial Group. I already had a loan in place and approved with another lender, but called IFFG to see if they could beat the rate and fees. They said they could and "locked" my rate after a quick credit check. I hand delivered the paperwork and was told the deal was done and it would close in 3-4 weeks. I was also told in writing the terms, fees, and rates and had numerous phone conversations regarding the agreement. After a few weeks, IFFG quickly changed terms and told me I needed to pay off HELOC (they first told me I did not need to do it). I then paid for an appraisal and it was submitted to "their" lender. Even though IFFGs website says they are a direct lender - they are only when they chose to be. "Their" lender lowered the appraisal value that was submitted and raised costs to do the loan. IFFG then declined to keep the rate "locked" and refused to honor the agreement they had in place with me. In the meantime, rates only went up. IFFG completely dropped the entire loan and now chooses to only offer current rates. They have apologized and admitted the numerous mistakes made, but offer concessions at only a fraction of the losses I have incurred. I am out of luck on the lower rates I initially locked at with IFFG, unnecessary paid off and closed a HELOC, paid an appraisal fee (for an appraisal that was "adjusted" to the real "lenders" liking), and lots of time devoted to helping get this completed. I can't believe the company will not do what is right in fixing this situation. I do not recommend anyone using this company - they did a classic "bait and switch" to me... Show owner comment » read more

IFFG is awesome! I finished my re-fi with them recently and they got me a really good rate. Their rates were better than Wells Fargo or any other banks I checked out and their staff went above and beyond to make sure the re-fi went smoothly with as little pain as possible. Thanks IFFG! read more

Just completed a re-fi with this company. From app to funding took exactly 23 days. (Naturally, that was due in part to my providing all the documentation they needed within 24 hours.) With the exception of the notary, everything was done via email and the notary came to my home. Their good faith estimate was right on the money - no surprises - and the rate was so phenomenal that the decision to re-finance took about 10 seconds (which included 8 seconds of blinking in disbelief). read more

I had an excellent experience with Integrity First when buying my condo. The agent I worked with was knowledgeable, communicative, easy to reach and funded my loan faster than I thought was possible! On the few occasions I emailed him, I received a response that answered all of my questions and concerns promptly. He even took the time to explain all of the different loan options (dizzying!) and help me select the one the fit my needs best. I have and will continue to recommend Integrity First to all of my friends and family. read more

My father-in-law who lives in Newport Beach was looking for a refi broker and found these guys. He was able to get a better deal through a different broker, but was so impressed with Brian Goetz at IFFG that he recommended him to us. We attempted to refi last year through Merrill Lynch. Although we have outstanding credit, since we needed a 90% LTV loan, we were given all sorts of hurdles to jump over that it was just not worth doing at the time. Last month I decided to give Integrity First a call. Brian was very knowledgable and helpful and came up with a perfectly sane solution of PMI and a competitive rate. Discussed it with my wife and called him back the next day and even got a better rate and locked it. We wanted a no cost loan so we sacrificed some points in the end but still got a competitive rate and would save $$$ even with the PMI. We paid $400 for the appraisal which was assigned by IFFG. She was a local appraiser, VERY good and knew our neighborhood well. Also had to pay 15 days prorated interest to close. Apparently we will get $200 back from escrow. Yay. The whole process took exactly a month and was painless. Although they are in San Diego and we are in Los Angeles and never met face-to-face, it was never a problem. Just FYI, if you are thinking about applying for a loan, be prepared and try and get all your paperwork together BEFORE you start shopping. We were prepared and it helped the whole operation run very smoothly. Overall it was a very good experience and I would highly recommend them. read more

We have subsequently done another loan with Brian Goetz and IFFG and once again it went very smoothly. Every detail was accurately covered before the actual refinance and there were no surprises. Brian stays in close communication all the time and makes sure that everything gets done in time. We got the rate that was promised at the cost that was promised. For the final signing of documents they sent someone to our house, at their expense, to certify everything. My wife and I are very satisfied with the service and would not hesitate to use him again. read more

With falling interest rates, I feel like I've re-financed my home five times. But this experience with this company was amazing. Head and shoulders above the any previous experience. Customer services was amazing. I got actual phone calls, instead of e-mails. They closed in record time, even with a second loan that needed to be subordinated. I've never reviewed a mortgage company before, but this group needs to be recognized. They are a California company, but they are licensed in Colorado, where I am, (and other states, I think). I dealt with Brian Goetz. read more

I have used IFFG for 2 home purchases now and have had nothing but exceptional service- The first time was back in 07 when lending standards were a little shaky and they did a tremdous job steering me away from certain products that could have ended up hurting me in the future- I recently used them again, closed 3 weeks ago, and the process was as smooth as ever- I locked, got an appraisal, signed docks and closed escrow without blinking an eye- I would highly reccomend this company to anyone out there looking for a purchase or re-fi- read more

Michael and Alex helped me throught a very painful experience with a lender who did everything humanly possible to prevent this refi from happening. Thanks to their expertise and patience I now have a loan which saves me hundreds of dollars per month-highly recommended!! read more

I just completed my re-finance with IFFG and it was absolutely the best experience I've had working with a bank as well. The customer service was excellent. I even got a discount on my closing costs! The whole process was quick and easy; it only took a few weeks. I've never had such a positive experience working with a bank and I would definitely recommend them to anyone in need of mortgage help. read more

We have recently refinanced our house with Integrity First Financial Group. We were pleasantly surprised at the speed and efficiency Integrity demonstrated. Our loan officer, Jason. was very courteous and friendly. He was also responsive and had answer to pretty much every questions we had. Quite a guy... We would not hesitate to recommend Integrity to anyone who is looking into re-financing. Ask for Jason if you do contact them. read more

We just finished a refinance with Ted Morgan at Integrity First Financial Group. Ted helped us to consolidate various loans and debts into one loan at a great rate cutting our monthly liabilities way down and saving us a huge amount over the long term. Ted is very knowledgeable and courteous and explained everything to us in a way that was easy to understand. He returned phone calls and emails within minutes throughout the entire process and gave us constant updates which made us feel very comfortable. I am recommending Ted to all of my friends and anyone who is looking to refinance read more

As a seller, these people are a nightmare. Six weeks and we still haven't closed. Appraisal wasn't even scheduled until a week before original closing date, then we weren't notified of some deficiencies until two days before the original closing date, now they want to push closing out another two weeks. If you have a buyer financing through these people, RUN AWAY!!!!!!! read more

Just did a re-fi with Integrity First, and had the best experience. They were specific about what they wanted from me, and the loan closed in three weeks. My loan officer Zack was very professional and attentive. Sometimes it is hard for me to get financing due to the fact I have a lot of rental income, but Integrity First approved the loan quickly with excellent terms. I will definitely be a repeat customer. read more

We found IFFG on Zillow.com based on good reviews and competitive rates. The person who handled our transaction was very upfront, knowledgable, and easy to contact. He kept me informed along the way. Our only complaint, and reason for 3 stars, is that we had a pre-approval and a rate lock at 4.25 but about a week later were told that the lender may not approve the loan because we don't have enough credit cards. We were told that we could either wait and see what they would decide and probably end up paying to extend the lock while the lender reviewed our file, which they could still then reject, or we could lock with another lender at a higher rate 4.375. We decided to lock with another lender. It was disappointing that we did not get the rate we were originally quoted. We were also surprised that we didn't get the best rate offered when we have the assets to pay off the loan in full, and have no other debts, great income, high credit scores, etc. It felt a little like a bait and switch, and am not sure we would have chosen them had we known upfront that we were getting a 4.375 rate. On the positive side, the costs were right on from the beginning, and we did close on time. We had a smooth transaction except for that issue with the rate. read more

We had a horrible experience using this company as our lender in Fresno, CA. As first time home buyers the entire process for my Husband and myself was foreign. Our loan officer did a great job of answering questions and walking us through in the beginning. At the end everything just seemed to fall apart. We were told we would be able to close early, then it got pushed back because the underwriter a new document, then we were set to close on time, again the underwriter needed another piece of information. It was the same run around story time and time again and our escrow date got pushed back every day. I understand things happen and escrows do not always close on time, however, the company showed a true lack of caring when it came to finishing up documents at the end. Our new property needed work prior to move in and now we will have to find elsewhere to live while it is completed. Integrity was aware we were on a deadline to close on time and just did not make it happen. I am very disappointed and would not recommend using them. Find a company who shows more empathy especially if you are a first time home buyer. read more

We had such a wonderful experience with Integrity First and would HIGHLY recommend them! We worked with Dustin Gildersleeve, probably the best loan officer in the business and Heather Prida, our excellent loan processor. Dustin offered highly competitive rates and was able to get our rate locked almost immediately. He always gave us a heads-up of what was needed and what items would be asked for down the line and would keep me up to speed on the process and where we were at with things. No joke, Dustin answered the phone almost every single time I called in the past 45 days and was always so quick at responding to email. There was no point in this entire process that we were behind or asking our lender to move faster. Our appraisal was ordered, completed and sent back so early in the process and the final loan approval was completed in a reasonable amount of time, making it simple for us remove our loan contingency on time. Loan docs were ready over 2 weeks in advance (!!) so escrow gave me our copy early so we could review before going in to sign. The loan docs were accurate, making it an easy signing day. Our loan funded TODAY for an ON-TIME, AS-PROMISED closing tomorrow. We couldn't be more thrilled! It really was a hassle-free loan process and I will definitely refer Dustin and IFFG to my friends and family!! read more