Date: September 02, 2018 Age: 33 Gender: Male Marital Status: Married
Closing Fee
Fees and closing costs seemed about the market rate. I would have liked them to be less, of course, but I didn't feel cheated.
Interest Rate
I got my loan 3 years ago when interest rates were in the low 3% range. Now interest rates are a full point higher, and I can't really do any better.
Loan Officer Service
My loan officer was very responsive and explained everything very well. We had some complications in the process, and he walked me through them very effectively.
Overall Rating
Pros
I appreciate that my loan has not yet been sold to another lending institution and that the online portal is easy to use, well laid out, and has all the information on it I need.
Cons
It would be nice to have a lower rate or some way to refi without changing my rate or paying closing costs, but they have to make money too.
Date: September 02, 2018 Age: 34 Gender: Female Marital Status: Married
Closing Fee
It was my first time buying a house so I didn't have anything to compare it to. So, I'm not too sure if it was good or bad. I'm beginning to look at refinancing so I will figure out what good fees are.
Interest Rate
I am somewhat satisfied with my rate. However, I am also looking at the option of refinancing to see if there are better rates out there to lower my payment.
Loan Officer Service
My loan officer was very good. She answered all of my questions and explained everything really well to me. She was what made this stressful experience manageable.
Overall Rating
Pros
The bank is a well-known bank in my area, so that made me feel more confident. It is also where I have my checking account so it is a bank that I am used to which helped as well.
Cons
It doesn't feel like a community bank because it is so large in my area. I wish it felt a little smaller so that you saw the same faces more often but you see new people every time you go in.
Date: July 27, 2018 Age: 34 Gender: Male Marital Status: Unmarried
Closing Fee
It was really about my relationship with the bank. It also helped that prior to buying this house I had saved up the majority of the cost of the house. I wanted to make sure I had at least 50% of the cost of the house saved up before applying for the mortgage and buying the house.
Interest Rate
I think I got a fairly good interest rate. Because it is a local bank and I have been a long-term customer, I got a relatively good deal. My credit rating also helped to ensure that the interest rate on the mortgage was not high. And again, I stress the importance of my long-term relationship with the bank. Knowing the managers there helped me in negotiating the mortgage.
Loan Officer Service
I had interacted and worked with the loan officer prior to them becoming a loan officer at the bank. Every interaction I have had with them has always been positive and I was glad I got to work with them again. I cannot stress how much I prefer small, local banks over large banks.
Overall Rating
Pros
I love that it is a small, local bank. They are far more responsive to my concerns than large lenders and I can actually negotiate with them since it is not a take or leave it situation as with a larger bank where the negotiating power is completely lopsided.
Cons
The only thing I wish they would improve is their online options. But it is a local bank, I understand that they may lack the resources necessary to create an amazing, easy and intuitive online system to support their mortgage lending business.
Date: June 18, 2018 Age: 30 to 39 Gender: Female Marital Status: Unmarried
Closing Fee
I was able to absorb the fee of the cost of the mortgage upgrade by skipping a month's mortgage between the old mortgage and the new, making the adjustment possible and simple.
Interest Rate
I was able to obtain a mortgage rate of 3.39%, a marked improvement on my previous mortgage of 6.49%. Also being able to shorten the length of the loan from 30 years to 20 was also a goal achieved.
Loan Officer Service
My loan officer was very helpful and he listened to my needs and concerns. At first he looked for a 30 year mortgage with a better interest rate, when I told him I was pleased I would be able to pay ahead he then asked if I regularly and consistently paid ahead, and when I said that I do and I will, he then asked if I was able to would I be interested in a 20 year mortgage, which had a better rate, but would require a higher monthly payment. I eagerly accepted.
Overall Rating
Pros
My loan officer was clear, transparent and forthright helping me to understand what options were available for me. I appreciated his willingness to look into multiple loans for me and his ability to see me as an individual.
Cons
So far I have only had positive experiences with this loan officer and this baking institution. I hope they will maintain ownership of my loan until I am able to complete the final payment.
Date: June 15, 2018 Age: 30 to 39 Gender: Male Marital Status: Married
Closing Fee
The was one or two fees that were a surprise to me at the end. They were low in the 250-500 dollar range; however, it would have been nice to know upfront about these costs and plan accordingly.
Interest Rate
Compared to other lenders Fifth Third was about a tenth of a percentage point lower for our particular type of loan at the time that we were acquiring the loan.
Loan Officer Service
My loan officer was my saving grace for our inane mortgage underwriter. I would have enjoyed the process better if the loan officer would have provided a descriptive timeline along with an explanation of all the documents that they would need in advance.
Overall Rating
Pros
I enjoyed the rate that we received for our mortgage. In addition, our loan officer was quite good at his job and navigated the troubles of acquiring a mortgage with relative ease.
Cons
Our underwriter was horrendous. She asked for documents again and again to show that money was in the account - at one point I had to get a teller certified balance sent and she still was not convinced. In addition, it would have been great to have a detailed roadmap on what to expect during the application process.
Date: June 05, 2018 Age: >60 years Gender: Female Marital Status: Unmarried
Closing Fee
The closing costs were higher than what others were charging.
Interest Rate
The rate is competitive as it is locked in and prime has increased. At the time of obtaining the mortgage, the rate was average.
Loan Officer Service
The service was adequate. Coordination of meeting took too long and the seller was allowed to change the time to one that caused a conflict for me.
Overall Rating
Pros
The lending institution was transparent and forthright. Terms were clear. Financing options were well explored.
Cons
The website is not up to date: non-responsive and definitely not intuitive. Processing is slow and clunky.
Date: June 04, 2018 Age: >60 years Gender: Female Marital Status: Married
Closing Fee
I didn't do any research on the closing costs. They are always there and right around the same price it seems. Just a price expected when getting a mortgage.
Interest Rate
I shopped around to get the best deal. It was a little lower than the others. But the lowest it has ever been in my lifetime.
Loan Officer Service
He answered all our questions in a timely manner and made the loan process smooth and easy. His office was close by did not have to travel far.
Overall Rating
Pros
The webpage is easy to use. The bank is nearby if I have any questions. There is a credit card tied to the bank that gives mortgage payment points when the credit card is used.
Cons
I have had no complaints with my lending bank. They have treated me well.
Date: February 13, 2018 Age: 30 to 39 Gender: Female Marital Status: Married
Closing Fee
The costs were quite low. Pennsylvania is higher in general, but the general costs were easy to handle and nothing more than expected/
Interest Rate
It was quite low and I was able to get a good rate in comparison to other lenders, even my own home bank, Wells Fargo.
Loan Officer Service
He supported me well through the application process and followed up with multiple steps of getting me paperwork, extra taxes and the processing department to make sure I was in compliance
Overall Rating
Pros
I like the support process and the yearly breakdown of my mortgage. The help with my escrow account, amounts I owe and how it ties it in always helpful.
Cons
I would like to separate my escrow from my insurance. For some reason they are roped in. It's not a huge problem but it's just odd to have two payments to my insurance, one through mortgage and one through them.
Date: February 07, 2018 Age: 50 to 59 Gender: Female Marital Status: Married
Closing Fee
Everything was upfront and explained clearly. It wasn't my first mortgage so I understood the process.
Interest Rate
It was the lowest I found but I had to have the amount taken out automatically to get the lowest rate. I wasn't completely satisfied with that at first, but it hasn't been a problem.
Loan Officer Service
He was thorough but somewhat hard to get a hold of. He was kind of a typical salesperson. He didn't go the extra mile for us, we often had to get stay on him to get things done.
Overall Rating
Pros
Everything is done in one place. I do all my banking with them and it makes it simple for me. There are also branches everywhere so if I have any issues, I can go to any one of them.
Cons
It's a typical big bank. It's hard to get great service but the products are good. It's You take the good with the bad. Sometimes I just feel like a number rather than a person.