I got a home loan from Fremont Bank back in 2021. At the time, they encouraged me to get a home…read moreequity loan as well; I thought it was free. Apparently, it's only free the first year. For years, I've been logging into my home screen and it never showed a balance due. I also never got a billing for the annual fees. But this morning, when I clicked on my HELOC account button, it showed a balance due of $225. I phoned their customer service line and was told that I'm charged $75 per year to keep the account open. They never sent a billing for that annual fee or I would have closed it earlier. To close the account, I will now have to pay $225 plus around $175 in fees. I wonder how many elderly people forget about their Fremont Bank HELOCs, only to discover they owe hundreds, if not thousands to Fremont Bank when they, or their heirs, go to sell their homes? Update at 5:58PM, same day I posted, I got a call from Valerie and she waived the $225. I'm impressed with how responsive they were. Sure, I have to pay the recording fees, etc. to record the reconveyance, but that's just a pass through expense so I'm fine with that. Thank you Fremont Bank!!

What's the point of an ATM if it's inside a locked room during the middle of the day?read more

Tuan and Mike at Providential Mortgage made buying our first home an exceptional experience. From…read moreday one, their communication was outstanding they walked us through every step of the process, set clear expectations, and kept us fully in the loop throughout. The close was quick and smooth, which was a huge relief as first-time buyers navigating a lot of unknowns. What stood out most was how thorough and patient they were in explaining everything. We never felt left in the dark or rushed. That kind of transparency and professionalism is hard to come by. We will absolutely be working with Tuan and Mike again for any future mortgage needs and won't hesitate to refer them to friends and family. Highly recommend.

After speaking with a few lenders, I reached out to Providential and it was immediately clear that…read moreTuan and his team operate on a completely different level. Everything was professional and above board, but his experience and guidance made the process feel far more approachable and comfortable than I expected as a first-time buyer. He offered thoughtful insight into the nuances of the process, communicated clearly and consistently, and helped me understand what really mattered at each step. Both my agent and the seller's agent were impressed, and we were able to get our offer accepted on the first home we pursued. Once you speak with Tuan, the difference is obvious. Highly recommend.

First home buyer here! Jay has been absolutely helpful in our journey in home ownership, not just…read morethe securing mortgage part. He was my go to person for all things financial related to home ownership and he knew i could count on his honest advice. He always delivered the honest feedback regardless whether or not we'll end up with his services or not. He also did fair price and rates comparison with other providers and was always available to answer any questions or take those lengthy calls if needed. But not just that, he also offered the best rates in the town which always helps financially. 10/10 from us. I'd highly recommend working with him and his team!

Great job with our initial loan and refinances. Clear, proactive, professional, and helped educate…read moreus along the way.

Thanks for everything you have done for me, it was amazing working with you .When I went through…read moreold real estate agent 5 months ago they offer was 475k and me taking your advice I sold for 899k.I recommend Carmen to everyone if need your sold.

Selling our house in Salinas could've been stressful, but Carmen made the whole process feel easy…read moreand smooth. She handled everything--from arranging beautiful staging to creating marketing that really spoke to our diverse, multilingual community. What stood out most was how responsive she was. Even during busy hours, she always got back to me quickly and kept me in the loop. I could tell she was genuinely committed to getting us the best deal possible, and she delivered--the final sale price came in way above our listing price. Carmen knows the market, works incredibly hard, and truly cares about her clients. I honestly wouldn't have wanted anyone else representing us.

Lucky, Scott and their whole team is wonderful !!…read more I've worked with them for new house purchase as well as the refinance and had very pleasant experience working with them. They are very knowledgeable, professional and helpful. They kept me informed during the entire process. I would definitely recommend them for anyone looking for buying a home or refinancing existing loan.

I was very lucky to have found Scott Wise and team. Scott promised me an incredibly low rate and no…read morecost refinance and he ended up delivering the same promised rate at an even lower cost (I got paid to refinance due to lender credit). I highly recommend Scott and his team to everyone. Extremely professional, fast and transparent.

Chris is an extremely detail-oriented and professional. He carefully reviews every document you…read moreprovide to ensure it fully meets the requirements before submitting it to the underwriter. Because of his thoroughness, the underwriting process moves very efficiently, with little to no additional documentation requested. He explains each step of the loan process clearly and patiently, making sure you understand what is needed and why. His communication is transparent and organized, which makes the entire experience much less stressful. Thanks to his careful preparation and proactive approach, my loan was approved very quickly and smoothly. I truly appreciate his professionalism, efficiency, and dedication. I would highly recommend Chris to anyone looking for a knowledgeable and reliable loan officer.

We are closing on a house this week and had to share our fantastic experience working with Chris!…read moreFrom start to finish, he made the entire process feel easy and seamless. Chris was always responsive, communicative, and proactive about keeping us informed at every step. He answered all of our questions quickly and clearly, which gave us so much peace of mind during what can be a stressful process. Beyond that, he's just a genuinely personable and kind person, just an absolute pleasure to work with. We're so grateful for his expertise and support, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for a smooth, efficient home loan experience!

I've been working with Dan (and his daughter) at Emerson Financial for five years, and they've been…read moreincredibly helpful. Dan advised me through the home-buying search then through the two-year wait to refinance. Dan consistently tracked market ups and downs, offering great advice on managing my loan and navigating the volatile market without losing my mind. He's not only friendly and incredibly smart, but he also provides just the right amount of detail without overwhelming me with financial jargon. His organized approach makes everything easy to understand, and I'm definitely looking forward to continuing our work together and recommending him to all of my friends.

Just got off the phone with Dan. Told him my situation, low credit score, let him know I had a…read moreoffer from a motgage company. He stayed on the phone with me for 10 minutes giving me financial advice and letting me know the loan quote I got from the other company was a good one. Thats honesty. Nothing to gain, but had no problem taking time out to give good financial advice. I will definitly refer Emerson Financial to my friends and family. Thank you Dan!

Top notch mortgage banker. I have known Sean for last 5 years across his 2 firms and taken 2 loans…read morewith him. Cant recommend him highly enough. Super transparent, never pushy, always delivers on his promise. He cant change the interest rates that Fed or his bank decides :) but for everything else "Better call, Sean"

Sean is very good at communicating on whats happening through out the loan process. He also went…read moreabove and beyond to get us a good deal.

Brenda Wyatt and The Wyatt Team made buying our first home an amazing experience for my wife and…read moreme. From the very beginning, they were professional, responsive, and genuinely cared about helping us become homeowners. One thing that really stood out was that they were able to get us pre-approved without a hard credit pull, allowing us to start shopping for homes while protecting our credit. Their secure third-party verification for employment, income, and tax documents made the process incredibly simple. Everything was organized, modern, and hassle-free, and we never felt overwhelmed by paperwork. Throughout escrow, Brenda and her team kept both of us informed every step of the way. They answered all of our questions quickly, explained everything clearly, and made what could have been a stressful process feel smooth and easy. Their communication, professionalism, and attention to detail were outstanding from start to finish. Thanks to Brenda, Dejon, and The Wyatt Team, my wife and I are now proud homeowners, and we couldn't be more grateful. They truly went above and beyond to help make our dream a reality. If you're looking for a lender who is knowledgeable, honest, efficient, and genuinely cares about their clients, look no further than Brenda Wyatt and The Wyatt Team. We will absolutely recommend them to our family, friends, and anyone looking to buy a home. Thank you, Brenda and The Wyatt Team, for making our dream of homeownership come true. You have earned customers for life!

if I could give more than five stars, I would in a heartbeat. You would be making a big mistake to…read moreuse anyone other than Brenda for a home loan. Brenda and her team are absolutely amazing. This is the fifth house I've purchased in my life and this was the first time I didn't panic during our loan underwriting. Outside of this experience, closing on time always felt like it was at risk. This time, we had 3 week close and actually closed a few days early. Brenda was extremely proactive, communicative, and responsive. We could not believe the seller went with us despite not come in with the highest offer. We were told through their agent one of the reasons they accepted our offer was because of Brenda's reputation. You can't ask for more than that

Wesley Ko came highly recommended from a friend. He laid out a plan for us to sell my current…read moreapartment and purchase a new house in 6 months (all in Oakland) and he worked very hard to help accomplish that goal. Throughout the process he was patient, responsive and professional. For the sale, Wesley and his teammates were extremely efficient when it came to staging and holding open houses and we were able to sell my apartment after the first scheduled showings. The only really difficult thing I had to do was say goodbye to the apartment and move out. I am extremely picky and so when we began to tour houses, Wesley's patience and eye for details really helped narrow down potential properties that would be a good fit for me and we also struck out a lot of bad ones. Wesley's experience shines during touring. Just to name a few things he has a keen sense of smell for moisture/mold, can feel for the slightest unevenness in floors and can tell good from bad repair work just from a quick glance and feel, he has really seen it all. This is where a whole lot of Wesley's value comes from, he's not just another paper pusher...he actually enjoys looking at houses with clients and he is great at pointing out things that a normal person wouldn't see. Eventually a few months later we were able to close on a new house that was exactly what I was looking for. It was a pleasure to work with Wesley and he was so helpful throughout the entire process. As I said before he is thoughtful, smart, engaged and it's clear he loves what he does and I now recommend him to everyone I know who is looking to buy in the bay area.

From the sales rep to the whole team (fit & finishes, customer experience, stager, and sales…read moreanalysis), OWN is a great company to work with. Although I had started the remodeling before signing with OWN to be the sale representatives for the house, their expertise in knowing the market for my location set us up to get the best return. The expert staging that put the finishing touch that helped to attracted over 20 potential buyers during the open house. Everything was handle expertly and professionally. So buying or selling, OWN Real Estate is the company to go with.