James was our loan officer and he helped us navigate through a contingent offer situation successfully despite a super hot housing market. The entire team was responsive, reliable, and knowledgeable. They were super busy but James still took time to call us to check in and discuss strategy to make the best offer. Our experience couldn't have been better. read more

I admit I had some preconceived ideas about the mortgage process; I've heard enough horror stories that I was pretty intimidated going into my first home purchase. Matt's team blew every idea I had completely out of the water and made me think completely differently about buying a home. If you're buying a home, whether your first, or your tenth, I cannot recommend Matt's team enough. They answered all my stupid first-time-home-buyer questions with tons of patience, kept me in the loop the entire time about the process, and just were generally wonderful and pleasant to work with. I will absolutely be using them when it's time to buy my next home. I worked primarily with James and he was phenomenal. They came highly recommended from my realtor who I trust implicitly, and she was right on. The process could not have been more pleasurable, and easy. You don't earn this many five star reviews by providing anything less than exceptional service. What are you waiting for? Call them right now! read more

Matt and his team are the absolute BEST in the business. We've worked with him for the past 6 years and every purchase and refi has been flawless. Our most recent purchase of an off-the-grid cabin was extremely nuanced and complex. Every other lender said it couldn't be done. Matt and his team accepted the challenge. They made it look easy, and they were even able to get the deal to close early. Matt is the poster boy for excellent customer service. He has a great attitude and friendly personality. Do yourself the favor of working with Matt and his team during your next mortgage transaction. You won't regret it. read more

I'm a real estate agent in the Greater Seattle area, and Matt and James recently helped one of my buyers with their financing. I've been involved in both lending and real estate for about a decade now, so I've definitely come into contact with plenty of lenders. Matt and James do business how every lender should. They focus on building a relationship with their clients, putting the clients needs first, and spending the time an energy putting together the clients file so that there aren't any surprises half way through the process. If you're dealing with a fairly competitive market when purchasing your home and you don't have a competent lender assisting you in the process, it will cost you time, energy and money. I highly recommend this team when it comes to financing your home purchase. I'll definitely refer them to my buyers in the future. read more

I know when you read about a company with so many good reviews it could be a little suspicious. Personally, I find it much easier to give a nice review because of the genuinely good interaction I had with the company. Matt and his team are one of those superb companies to work with. I recently worked with them again to refinance my home. I have a toddler at home and finding the time to looking into my mortgage to see if I could be saving more isn't an option. Matt and his team care about previous customers and contacted me out of the blue that I could be saving money if I refinanced my loan. They were a pleasure to work with again and made the process an absolute breeze. I would recommend his team to anyone looking for a mortgage. read more

If there is one word you don't expect to use when describing your first mortgage experience it would be "Pleasurable". Despite societies expectations, I can assure you that this is exactly what my experience with Matt Allen and Cobalt Mortgage was.... Pleasurable! I was fortunate enough to meet Matt at a mortgage training event in Seattle. I knew right away that he was a different sort of banker. He briefly described his company (Cobalt Mortgage) and then continued on with a VERY informative session on house buying and mortgages. It was after this seminar that I was truly impressed, Matt stayed in the meeting room for nearly an hour talking one-on-one with individuals and giving some great advice. This is something that my previous banker neglected to do even though I was doing business with him. So, After the seminar I changed Mortgage Brokers and went with Matt Allen and his team at Cobalt Mortgage. The experience exceeded even my wildest expectations!!!! Months away from actually finding a house I was introduced (via email) to the rest of Matt's Team, most notably James Reese. Together they began putting together a loan application for me, which was no easy task given my highly irregular earnings and work schedule. There was never one moment in the entire process that I did not feel as if I was there only client! I was given both of there personnel cell phone numbers, emails, and was told I was free to contact them anytime. Nearly 90% of our communication was done via email as I was out of country for much of the process. Even so, I NEVER waited more than just a few hours for a response to any of my questions. James and Matt were incredibly professional, always prompt, and even added the small personal touches that make you smile, Birthday cards, Calendars, and even phone calls just to say hi and welcome you back to the USA. When I actually did come across a house, My time frame was incredibly short... I thought it might be a problem making the closing date given the extremely tight time line. Matt and James once again exceeded expectations by starting the process via their personal cell phones at 8:30 at night. They were so well organized and had asked for all the right paperwork ahead of time that underwriting went very smoothly and the short closing date was able to proceed without complication. As far as the loan terms go, I couldn't have asked for anything better. Low loan origination fees and rates that were within a 1/2% of the lowest rate I could find ADVERTISED online. I'm extremely lucky to have met Matt Allen. He obviously does not want to sell you just one mortgage, but expects to be your banker for life, and treats you like such. He has assembled an amazing and professional team at Cobalt that in my personnel opinion is the ABSOLUTE BEST that Seattle has to offer! You won't be disappointed by choosing Matt Allen for your mortgage! read more

James was our loan officer and he took the time to strategize both our financing and our offer even though he didn't have to. He was awesome at balancing both the numbers and the personal side of our situation that was complicated because we were trying to buy a new home contingent of selling our current one in a super hot housing market but it all worked out miraculously - big thanks due to James and his team's support! Responses were always quick when needed and the process was very clear with no hiccups. Would go back to him and his team for future loan needs 110%! read more

I had a positive experience with Cornerstone. I was referred to them by a Redfin agent while waiting for a short sale to come through. I received preapproval from Cornerstone as well as from couple other companies. When short sale was approved I had just 3 weeks before the closing date to get the loan. From all my preapprovals only Cornerstone and Key Bank told me they will be able to process the paperwork that quick and couple days later Key Bank just stopped answering my questions. I went with Cornerstone and the loan was ready on time. I especially liked the communication - all my questions day or night were answered in a few minutes. read more

I just completed a re-fi with Matt's team, and I can honestly say it was as smooth as possible. Painless. Matt and team were able to answer any question accurately, there were no surprises, and I was able to do almost everything online. Super convenient. I would recommend them to anyone looking to refinance! read more

I cannot say enough terrific things about Matt. I am a small business-owner, not a salaried employee. Because the mortgage environment is less than friendly (these days) for the self-employed and small business owners, I experienced a less than warm reception from usual suspect banks...Even my business bank kept putting me off for our home mortgage refi - and our business is very successful. Matt understood the situation instantly. Better yet, when he encountered underwriter resistance during the process, he kept me fully informed AND kept pushing on his side until he got our loan closed successfully. Cornerstone does their underwriting internally - not through banks - and I believe that made a difference in getting our refi completed. This was the best mortgage experience I have had. Thank you, Matt!!! read more

When we have so many options in today's mortgage market it is a team like Matt and James at Caliber that makes all others obsolete. Their open communication, honesty, and friendliness makes them an elite force that everyone seeking mortgage assistance should experience. read more

I have been working with Matt Allen for a few years, always staying on top of my pre-approval. Matt never seemed bothered and worked with me even though I wasn't quite ready yet. When the time came he was right on it, I closed in less than a month. Matt and his team were all about business when processing my loan and the whole thing went through without a hitch. The early closing date was a major factor for the seller to go with my offer over the the other offers that they recieved the first day the property went on the market. I highly reccomend Cornerstone Home Lending! read more

We were on a very tight schedule. Matt & his team worked very hard to close on time. The rate offered was competitive and easily among the lowest offered in market. We were highly satisfied with the communication, and eagerness of everyone on his team to help. read more

We choose to work with Matt based on the Yelp reviews below and boy are we glad we did. Matt and his team are fantastic! My Husband and I decided 2 months ago to buy a home and in 2 months we made two different offers. Matt and his team held our hands through both situations and worked at lightning fast speed. When we walked away from the first house after the Inspection. Matt's team was encouraging and on standby. When we found the second place they worked diligently to help us close in record time. Believe these Yelp reviews. We felt educated and encouraged throughout the process. They didn't encourage us to get in over our heads and helped us work through every loan option to make the best choice. read more

Matt & James at Cobalt were a great team. Quick, efficient communicators that helped make the cumbersome process of re-financing a little less painful. Very solution oriented and didn't let the details slow them down. I'd 100% recommend them to any of my friends and family. read more

Both Matt Allen and James Reese were more than helpful and went above and beyond to help me get my first house closed. Anytime I had questions or needed advice, they were always there to answer any questions I may have had. I have heard many horror stories about the process of buying a home but this was far from that. I would highly recommend Cobalt Mortgage to anybody looking to buy a house as they have great service and are always there to help you with anything you may need. Both are extremely knowledgeable and seem to be one step ahead of the game. Thanks again guys! read more

My wife and I purchased our first home in 2007. Matt was referred to me by one of my best friends from college. At this time, I knew very little about mortgage options and Matt was incredibly helpful in educating me. He has amazing patience as well, as I bombarded him with novice questions. In short, it was a delight to work with Matt on our first home mortgage. Fast forward seven years: I am now ready to update/upgrade my mortgage and I will only do business with Matt. Matt has followed up with me non-stop for seven years. I am also in the consulting/sales business and my team has talked about Matt's excellent follow-up procedure for our past two sales meetings. I have NEVER had a sales professional follow up with me on such a consistent basis--without being over bearing. His customer service skills, candor, and honest recommendations, are beyond anything I have ever encountered and I can't wait to give him even more business in the future. I would recommend any friend and/or family member to Matt. Need a mortgage question answered? Just ask Matt--he will follow up. This I know... read more

Mathew was great. He was responsive, professional, and communicated clearly. He closed my loan that no one else said possible. I highly recommend him without any reservation. read more

This team has been incredible over the past three years as we have made two purchases and refinanced twice. They are professional and their passion in simplifying the process is commendable. They have been early for every deadline and checkpoint, while clearly explaining the process and best options along the way. I will not work with anyone else based on my experience. Could not more highly recommend this team. I refer them to everyone searching for a new home and have yet to hear anything but positives from friends and family we have referred. Thanks for all the help you have provided me and my family. read more

Matt Allen at Cornerstone saved me thousands of dollars and closed my loan application in record time - all during the peak holiday season. Matt was recommended to me by the good folks over at Redfin. I already had a pre-approval from another lender, so at first I didn't really give Cornerstone the time of day. But Matt went out of his way to familiarize himself the details of my transaction, and came up with some helpful suggestions that will save me a bunch of money over the long term. As a first-time homebuyer, there was a lot about the process I didn't know, and Matt was extremely helpful in providing the correct information and always available (Even after the transaction closed!). He also closed the deal in a record three weeks time, right between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Both the buyer's and seller's agents remarked to me that they have never seen a loan close so quickly. The only criticism I could make is during the last week there were a lot of redundant paperwork requests: I had to verify various components of my income history and deposits into Escrow five different ways from Sunday. But from what I hear that is pretty common in the current environment, and in the end didn't hold up the transaction at all. Thanks, Matt! read more