Look no further for mortgage services if you are in Chicago! If you're thinking of buying a home, Joel Schaub should be the first person you contact. As a first time home buyer, I don't think I could be more impressed, satisfied and happy with Joel's services and guidance as our mortgage broker. He has always been timely and thoughtful with his responses and each time we spoke I felt like we had his full and undivided attention. This is a direct reflection of his character and class as I know from his billboards and broadcast appearances that he is one of the most sought after people in his profession in Chicago. After filling out our initial application, and having a quick intro call with Joel my wife and I decided to put our home buying plans on pause for a short period to do some internal research and budget maintenance. When we told Joel this via email, his response was prompt, encouraging and 100% supportive: "Your honesty is appreciated, and I will be here to guide you when the time comes!" He made good on that promise a few weeks later. We reconnected over email, set up a call for the next day and then had an extremely collaborative and informative hour long conversation where he guided us through questions, scenarios, options and strategies. My wife and I came out of the call ready to find our home and Joel had just the agent in mind to help us find it. He intro'd us to our agent two days later. We're seeing some houses this weekend. Charlie & Caroline Mattingly read more

Joel Schaub is as good as it gets. Most of the time people shop for the "best rate", without accounting for all of the other costs that go into getting a loan. If you're interviewing lenders, you need to not only ask about the rate, but the total cost to close. If you do, you'll quickly learn that no one will give you a better finished product than Joel. He literally makes less money per deal, and that difference is money in YOUR pocket. Okay, so he's cost effective, but is he good? No. He's the best. Joel has done three or four loans for me, including purchase and re-finances. But he's also done dozens of loans for my clients, the vast majority of which were incredibly easy and seamless. Joel understands the underwriting process (most lenders don't) and looks out for potential hurdles and red flags on day one, not weeks later when the underwriter flags an issue. In the one or two times the deals weren't simple, he saved home purchase contracts by doing the extra legwork, or making the extra connections necessary to turn a nearly dead deal into a successful close. He's succeeded where I've personally witnessed other lenders fail. As he'd say, you won't care how much he knows (a lot!) until you know how much he cares. This man is passionate about his clients and his business. Just call Joel. read more

After talking with Joel, I new immediately that he was the closer we needed to secure our loan without hassles. Joel helped every step of the way. Joel is excellent. He knows the business through and through. Moreover, he takes the time to answer any and all questions that you may have. He went above and beyond during every phase of the process, even so far as contacting buying agents to put in a good word on our behalf to help us win out when there were multiple bidders. There was never a point that I wasn't sure we made the best choice in choosing Joel to handle the securing of our loan. We had heard stories about how difficult the process can be, but Joel made it incredibly painless. A great guy and a straight shooter. He and his team get the job done and make it a smooth process. He spends so much of his time to make sure you are taken care of. I would not choose anyone else but Joel given the chance again. You will be very lucky to have him leading you to the finish line into your dream home. read more

I have known Joel for more than 6 years and have gotten loans with him with multiple houses. Getting loans with Joel is as painless as you can get (just like going to a store to buy milk) and he always understands our needs and not much of non-sense lending marketing gimmicks. He will never try to scare off any borrowers with all types of fees or even try to sell points to reduce the interest rates. My wife and I always go to him with home loans and appreciate his honesty, hard working and due diligent dealing with us. He appreciates and values us and our friends as well. He will personally ensure all of our friends are best taken care of and all of the feedback I heard from our friends we referred are "WOW WOW WOW.". I highly recommend Joel and the company he represents for the best loan service and most importantly the best interest rate you can get!!!! You will be in good hand and have peace of mind with him and his company!! read more

This was our second home purchase and we had run the gamut searching for a reliable lender. Being a bi-coastal (San Diego and Chicago), dual income family, our case presented some challenges that at times were enough to make me want to bury my head in the sand. This is of course before I had the pleasure of speaking to Joel. After just one phone call, all the stress and apprehension associated with our home buying venture vanished into thin air. Joel's team closed our loan in 13 days and was able to get an interest rate for us that no one else could match. He also kept my wife very happy throughout the entire loan approval process, which I can not emphasize enough. I was so pleased that I recommended Joel's extraordinary service record to my parents! Ladies and gentlemen, if you are looking to buy in Lincoln Park, do not hesitate, call Joel today. He will make your life better. read more

I've worked with Joel now three times (refi, purchase, refi) and he's been great, same with all his staff. I have a hair trigger suspicion of brokers having had some weird experiences and the Guaranteed Rate folks are a huge breath of fresh air. They were super patient, explained lots of things to me so I fully understood what I was doing, and let me run a few different scenarios on the deal to understand what was best. We just wrapped up a post-construction refinance in order to get back about 50% of the cash we put in out of pocket, and in our case, because my wife and I are both self employed, the process is more complex. Joel took the time to understand how our income works and what the proper loan amounts and arrangements were. Long story short we highly recommend Joel / his team, made a potentially stressful process as straightforward as possible. read more

My husband and I were first-time home buyers and we were skeptical and scared of the whole home purchase process. We got introduced to Joel by a very dear friend who is a realtor, and he assured us that Joel was the "man" to make our dreams come true. True to his word (realtor), Joel was there every step of the way, answering the most "silly" questions with great poise, offering advice and much-needed counsel until we closed on the home. I believe he worked overtime on my home purchase because it didn't matter if it was the weekend, I called Joel and he was there. If you are seeking a knowledgeable, dependable, and trusted mortgage lender, JOEL is your go-to person. There, you have it! Thank you Joel for everything and for making a lifelong dream come true! read more

The entire mortgage process has always seemed so complicated and intimidating to me so for years I shied away from it. After one call with Joel where he spent an hour learning more about my situation and breaking down my options, along with detailing all the costs involved in a mortgage, I was confident I could do this. Once I found a place, the process was painless and Joel and team were incredibly responsive, following up regularly to make sure I knew where things stood and what was coming next. I can't thank Joel and his team enough for making a fairly nervous first time home owner feel so at ease throughout the entire experience. read more

My fiancé and I purchased our first home and officially moved in this past weekend. We worked with Joel & his team and it was the smoothest experience. Not only was the team super quick with responses, but they were friendly and always willing to answer my questions. Even during weekends and after work. The mortgage process went great, which was not what I was expecting considering the horror stories I heard from friends who used banks for their mortgages. From their stories, all the hold ups were from the lender side of their banks. Joel & his team? no hold ups. Made the whole home buying experience less stressful and frightful. read more

My husband and I just closed on our first home, and had a great experience working with Joel and his team. As first-time homeowners, we knew very little about the mortgage process and all it takes to get a loan approved. Joel took the time to walk us through our options, and was sure to translate the confusing terminology. His team worked incredibly quickly, getting us our "clear to close" almost a month ahead of closing! In addition to great customer service and quick turnaround, he saved us thousands of dollars--we could not be more grateful. We would recommend Joel 10:10 and will be looking to him again next time! read more

Joel and his team were an absolute pleasure to deal with throughout the entire loan process, from the initial consultation to the closing. Joel made it a point to make sure that everything was understood 100% and that my wife and I had all the information needed to make an educated decision regarding our loan. Joel and his team made us feel very comfortable at all times and we never felt pressured in any way. Joel is the consummate professional, on-time, organized, and easy to deal with. I would highly recommend him and I will definitely be using him for future purchases. If I could give six stars I would! read more

Joel helped me secure my mortgage on a tight 35 day closing period. He and his team were very proactive, made sure I understood the process and what was needed, and put in the time after hours to make sure we closed on time. I was able to secure a great price on the house because I knew Joel and his team can turn around funding faster than the competition. When you have a team that is as dedicated and supportive as Joel and his team they not only get the job done, but they put you in a better position to negotiate with the seller. They did a great job, highly recommended! read more

Joel Schaub single-handedly did what no other mortgage broker could or wanted to do, he fulfilled a lifelong dream of homeownership, and we are forever grateful. The entire process was seamless thanks to Joel and his team. He made a challenging process simple for us and Guaranteed Rate's intuitive interface insured we checked all the boxes both literally and figuratively. Joel from the bottom of our hearts we sincerely thank you. Any and everybody we know who are looking to purchase a home we'll be referring them to Joel, HE GETS IT DONE. read more

I have worked with Joel for a number of years across several purchases and refi's. I recommend him every chance i get. Joel is thorough, supportive, engaged and always makes sure hat everything gets done. He gets to know his clients well and gets the best deal for them every time. He is knowledgeable, honest and works to ensure that you know what is going on throughout the process. Joel and his whole team are awesome and I wouldn't use anyone else! Neither should you, if you are looking for the best mortgage financing/refi experience. read more

Joel was amazing!!!! We used him for our first home purchase back in December 2017. He and his team blew us away with their professionalism and the speed and efficiency of getting our loan ready to close. Joel was did a phenomenal job of keeping us updated on where our loan was and what was needed. He was there to answer any questions we had. We could not have been more pleased. We will certainly use him again in the future and I cannot recommend him highly enough. If you have a need for a mortgage or refinance CALL JOEL!!!!! read more

I tried working with multiple lenders when I bought my first property in Chicago. My experience with many of them was unpleasant at best, if they even moved past pulling my credit score. Joel was the only one who took the time to listen, hear out my plan and help me get financing with my situation. Three years and four properties later Joel is the only person I call when taking on a new mortgage. Whether you are investing in real estate or buying your dream home, Joel is the man to call. read more

Joel made buying a home and getting approved for a loan so much easier than some of the horror stories I've heard. This was my first home buying experience. Joel was excellent in running the lending process from cradle to grave. He was extremely informative of the process and helped me every step along the way, letting me know what to do and when to do it. On top of the amazing support I received, I got a GREAT rate. I highly recommend Joel Schaub and Guaranteed Rate for anyone! read more

We recently refinanced our home with Joel following a personal recommendation, and he did a FANTASTIC job. He contacted me within hours of our request and stayed in touch throughout the process. We felt well informed throughout and he explained every step of the way, giving us excellent advice and recommendations with the options presented. We are very pleased with the service we received and I would highly recommend Joel to anyone with a mortgage need. read more

Joel is a fantastic, experienced lender and a true professional. Not only do all of his deals run flawlessly and ALWAYS close on time, but he offers closing credits to all of his customers that cover their loan origination fee and appraisal -- this is something that is unmatched in this industry. Most importantly, he actually cares about his clients and looks out for their best interests. I highly recommend Joel to anyone looking to purchase or refinance. read more