First Time Buyers Archives | Page 5 of 5 | San Diego Mortgage Broker 619-857-7191

1st Time Home Buyer Program

August 7, 2012 by Maureen Martin

Are you a first time home buyer? I love first time home buyers because I understand just how stressful the home buying process can be. Not only are you moving into a new home, which is at the top of the stress charts, but you’re actually purchasing something for the most money you’ve ever spent and you’re wondering how does all of this work? I … [Read more...]

What is Escrow?

June 27, 2012 by Maureen Martin

Buying or selling a home (or other piece of real property) usually involves the transfer of large sums of money. It is imperative that the transfer of these funds and related documents from one party to another be handled in a neutral, secure and knowledgeable manner. For the protection of buyer, seller and lender, the escrow process was … [Read more...]

1st Time Home Buyer's Program

June 20, 2012 by Maureen Martin

Are you a first time homebuyer? I love first time home buyers because I understand just how stressful the home buying process can be. Not only are you moving into a new home which is at the top of the stress charts but you’re actually purchasing something for the most money you’ve ever spent and you’re wondering how does all of this work?? I would … [Read more...]

How Purchase Loans Are Made

June 13, 2012 by Maureen Martin

A Step-By-Step Walkthrough to get you ready! Loan Search – Buyers should seek the advice of an experienced mortgage professional, like HomePlus Mortgage. They will help determine which financing options best suit their needs today and in the future. (Many get pre-approved regardless if they have found their home, it helps make their search … [Read more...]

First Time Buyer Programs in California

May 23, 2012 by Maureen Martin

Shopping for a Mortgage? In theory, finding the right mortgage should be a fairly simple process, especially since there are fewer product options to choose from these days than there have been in the past. However, obtaining the right mortgage is a complex financial decision no matter how many products there are to choose from. At a minimum, … [Read more...]

What is the Difference Between a Short Sale and Bank Owned Homes?

May 16, 2012 by Maureen Martin

Clients often ask me what the difference is between a short sale and a bank owned home or REO so I thought that it would be helpful to bullet point that for your information. In a short sale situation the home owner is still the seller whereas with a bank owned or REO home situation the lender is the owner of the property. Home Buyers will NOT … [Read more...]

First Time Home Buyer Help – What Is Escrow?

February 8, 2012 by Maureen Martin

This video explaining the escrow process when buying a home is part of Maureen's first time home buyer guide. In the following short video Maureen will explain the escrow process, and how it helps to protect you as the homebuyer when purchasing your first home. … [Read more...]

Client Testimonials

Maureen Martin

5.0

ch van

22:01 23 Nov 20

Maureen was an absolute delight to work with. She was extremely responsive, quick to solve any issues and amazingly knowledgeable. It was such a relief to be able to count on her to walk me through each step. You are in good hands with Maureen. She is the best!read more

Gina Meadows

16:09 12 Nov 20

I had the pleasure of working with Maureen for the second time (I would not have contacted anyone else after my first great experience with her!) and she remains fabulous. Maureen is very knowledgeable, responsive, and FAST! I had a tight turn around time with a personal matter and to lock in a great rate, and she made it happen. I highly recommend Maureen to anyone who wants a fabulous loan experience.read more

Julie Luke

02:54 30 Oct 20

We purchased a home and Maureen was our lending agent. She is FANTASTIC! Anyone reading this will NOT regret calling Maureen. She is professional, knowledgeable, and truly looks out for her clients. She also communicates every step of the way and is super efficient! Throughout the entire process we never once worried about the loan side of things. We would recommend Maureen to anyone without any hesitation!read more

Frank Piermarini

03:35 14 Oct 20

Wow, Maureen is amazing! If you’re looking for an excellent communicator, prompt service and thorough industry knowledge you should definitely consider Maureen. I’ve refinanced on multiple occasions with Maureen and have had a great experience. There are countless choices our there for mortgage brokers. Receiving the personal care and attention Maureen delivers makes here stand out from the rest. Thank you again Maureen!read more

Tom Rehor

21:50 30 Sep 20

We contacted Maureen Martin while in the beginning phases of planning to buy our house. She walked us through the different financial strategies available to us to help us to best prepare our credit situation for the purchase. Two years later, we bought our house and Maureen was there each step of the way to explain our options and provide advice (such as, how to reduce PMI fees). Since buying our house, she has alerted us to dropping mortgage rates and let us know when it may be helpful for us to refinance (and has occasionally given us the honest answer of “now is not a good time”). Now, on our third refinance with Maureen, our mortgage payments are less than what a renter pays in our area. She is a dream to work with, very knowledgeable, and willing to take the time to help us understand the oftentimes confusing world of mortgage finance. If you are looking for someone who knows their stuff, is patient, and will give honest feedback along the way, Maureen is your person!read more

delgadokd

17:50 15 Sep 20

LOOK NO FURTHER!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! We closed on a VA loan in just 20 days. I interviewed 3 other brokers and ended up going with Maureen and I'm glad I did. Her communication was amazing; she always called when she said she would, and she thoroughly answered all my questions. if you're looking for a mortgage broker, CHOOSE MAUREEN!! She'll make you feel like you're her only client..read more

Jennifer Wong

22:57 01 Sep 20

Maureen has been super helpful for us throughout our purchase process. We reached out to her for a second option considering our current lender had more stringent underwriting guidelines. Even though we were already working with someone, she reached out to her underwriters to find out if her underwriters would be able to approve our application in the case our current application fell through. She was quick to respond and totally fine standing by ready to help us. She is an absolute pleasure to work with and will keep her in mind for any future home loan needs! Thanks Maureen!read more

Denise Gershwin

19:13 29 Aug 20

We have worked with Maureen Martin in the past for our mortgage needs and we were very happy with her, but to ensure the most cost effective refinance we compared rates and brokers before we decided to once again work with Maureen to take advantage of the current market conditions.Maureen Martin started out by guiding us with timing and loan options to save us the most money with refinancing. Once the timing was right, she expedited and simplified the process of the application and providing supporting documents to get our refinance started quickly. She provided insightful guidance as we made decisions about refinance options and locking our rate. She worked strategically to save us as much money as possible with fees and refinance costs. Then despite all we have been hearing about refinances taking much longer than normal, the process was lightening fast and seamless. She kept us up to date each step of the way and was amazingly responsive to our questions. She worked around our busy schedules while carefully ensuring that our closing occurred in a timeframe that avoided added costs. She has earned her place as our mortgage lender for life.read more

Edward Harrison

16:29 26 Aug 20

Maureen is the best!! She went out of her way to get us the very best interest rate and helped us immensely with all the loan details. I rate her as number one!!

Clare Percival

03:16 11 Aug 20

The world needs to know how amazing a Maureen Martin is! First, buying a home during a global pandemic can be challenging but Maureen went above and beyond to make it a totally painless process. Any new disclosure or conditions regarding COVID were quickly and easily incorporated. Maureen was on top of continual changes and kept us informed every step of the way. Her communication and responsiveness are second to none. She was readily available to assist us in answering questions, running hypotheticals, and when it came time to pull the trigger on our dream home, Maureen stepped it up! She was incredibly efficient and continued to make this easy for us until the last step.Maureen helped us get into our forever dream home where we can raise our little girl and really call this home.If you’re looking for a painless, quick, and all around positive experience, we HIGHLY recommend Maureen.read more

Deanna Hasten

13:49 10 Aug 20

Maureen is AMAZING! She was prompt, knowledgeable and informative. She got us a rate of 1% less, that our previous lender couldn't get... which saved us over $300 a month. The entire home buying process was a piece of cake. I would recommend her to anyone looking to buy a home! THANK YOU MAUREEN!!read more

Alissa Bjerkhoel

20:12 23 Jul 20

I CANNOT say enough good things about Maureen! I found out about her through a real-estate agent friend of mine in 2012 and she helped with our purchase of our first home. Since then, I have used her 2 more times. She is so quick, so responsive (emails back within the hour and, typically, within minutes), and very professional. Given the current low interest rates, I asked Maureen about refinancing on July 2nd. I signed loan disclosure docs on the 7th and the loan has fully funded today, the 23rd, only 16 days later! An absolute pleasure to work with. I will never use any other mortgage broker.read more

Ryan van Schilfgaarde

14:44 22 Jul 20

Maureen happily explored our options and answered our questions and then processed our refi in record time. She was very accommodating and responsive. Highly recommended.

Mike Adamski

21:52 11 Jul 20

There's absolutely nothing but efficient professionalism with Maureen. She's help us now with a purchase and a refi now, and both times were super easy and quick. Top-notch!

vanLeeuwen

18:43 12 Jun 20

Maureen Martin is a true professional. She provides excellent customer service and is extremely responsive to her clients. She assisted us with the refinancing of our mortgage and was able to secure a great interest rate. The whole process only took 22 days from start to finish! We highly recommend you contact her, if you considering refinancing or a new loan.read more

Camarin Faddis

18:28 04 Jun 20

I highly recommend working with Maureen! She was incredibly helpful, very responsive and knowledgeable and so much fun to work on something that can be difficult to do! She was able to get through some hurdles we had with ease and was able to get us closed in record time! If you need a loan, do yourself a favor and call her!!read more

lolly hunter

20:11 16 May 20

If you are considering purchasing a home, you should do yourself a favor a contact Maureen. She makes such a complex process seem effortless. She made me feel so comfortable with every step of the process. She’s honest and realistic and I really like that about her. Her response time is also something I appreciated. Will definitely use her in our future purchases! 😊read more

Robin Kastner

19:02 24 Apr 20

Excellent customer service for refinance! Could not have been happier working with Maureen. Very knowledgeable, kept me informed and updated throughout process. Absolutely would refer her to family/friends and would use her again anytime.read more

Sarah Rego

02:04 16 Apr 20

I found Maureen on Google - and saw all of the awesome things said about her. Well the are ALL CORRECT! She's the friendliest, most efficiant, kindest, most hardworking, level headed, just all around fantastic person! During a world pandemic she was able to get my loan through when many said no they couldn't. Well she DID it! She saved me a ton of money - and it was the easiest experience ever! Like SO easy! Call her! She's the best in town! Maureen - thanks again for giving my family a loan that will save us 3 years of mortgage payments!read more

Kelly Dembicer

22:44 15 Apr 20

Maureen is awesome to work with, especially during this crazy and unique time she was able to quickly close our refi and secure us a great rate, without missing a beat!. This is our second time working with her, she has helped us through our home purchase and now with a refinance. She is incredibly knowledgeable, very easy to communicate with and happily answers any and all questions throughout the process. You can tell Maureen genuinely cares about each client she works with and we will definitely be back to work with her in the future and are always recommending her to any of our friends and family looking to refinance or get a mortgage loan of any kind!read more

David C

19:09 09 Apr 20

My refinance loan with Maureen just funded! This is my second time working with Maureen. She did my original purchase loan back in 2012 and she made such an great impression on me with her outstanding knowledge, responsiveness, and communication skills, that I knew she would be the only lender I would ever work with again! So here I am working with her the 2nd time around during the middle of this Covid-19 crisis and she is even better! Despite all of the new obstacles in today's environment, she expertly guided me through the process and even made me laugh and have fun along the way! Thanks again Maureen!read more

Chris Cahill

18:13 04 Mar 20

I found Maureen online and found great reviews online, and am SO I glad I did. She helped figure out a very complicated issue and put together a fantastic loan for my family. Her work ethic and dedication to us for months prior to getting our loan put together really shows how much she cares. You won't be sorry you gave her a chance to earn your business. Thanks Maureen!!!read more

Kathy Le

17:41 27 Feb 20

Maureen was a pleasure to work with. She is fast, efficient and very knowledgeable. She provides awesome communication every step of the way which helped us feel comfortable the entire time.

Brian Adams

23:25 24 Feb 20

Maureen was contacted through YELP and was kind and very responsive to initial, questions. After following up, I decided to refinance with her as not only were rates/fees very competitive, but she explained everything and made the whole process very easy and extremely quick. I would recommend Maureen to anyone seeking to refinance!read more

Denise Gershwin

21:02 06 Dec 19

We are experienced home buyers so we have worked with many mortgage lenders in the past. Our experience working with Maureen was stellar! She was highly knowledgeable about our options and how they would affect various purchase options. She was very patient as our new home search evolved and was ALWAYS available to answer our questions day to day as they arose. Maureen and her assistant kept us informed of every stage of the escrow process, so we never once wondered about the status of our loan. Finally, she made sure we understood every aspect of the loan costs. Maureen really went out of her way to ensure that this was a positive experience. We feel we have been taken advantage of in the past, but now we found our mortgage lender for life. We would highly recommend her services for any of your mortgage needs.read more

Magdalena Patterson

18:27 16 Nov 19

Maureen Martin has helped me and my family trough out the years with home purchase loans as well as refinancing loans. She is definitely our lender for life. I highly recommend her and her team to do any home loans. She is very knowledgeable, honest, and gets it done. This year she and her entire team has made it possible for us to do 3 home loans.read more

Erica L

14:41 16 Nov 19

My updated review now that we’ve been fortunate to work with Maureen again! Maureen is truly amazing!! We consider ourselves very lucky to have found Maureen (simply via Yelp originally) to help us purchase our first home, and then again recently she was of course our ‘go-to’ to help us refinance our loan. During both of these processes, I can’t imagine working with anyone else to support and guide us through the complex details and steps involved. Maureen’s customer service is exceptional. She is extremely responsive and available to you every step of the way, with the utmost patience, warmth, integrity, efficiency, knowledge, professionalism, and overall just a truly good human! She is definitely the person you will want in your corner as your mortgage expert. She had reached out to us (gently) to let us know we could secure a lower rate through refinancing, and we are so grateful she did. We were hesitant at first, but she was able to provide us with the estimates on our savings without any commitment from us. So, if you are considering a refinance, I would encourage you to reach out to Maureen to at least get some ballpark figures. We were so happy we explored and then pursued it - as it not only reduced our monthly payment and will save us a lot over the life of our loan, but it also resulted in some extra up front “savings” in our pocket (due to the escrow refund and skipped payments) so that we could finally do our kitchen remodel that we have been dreaming about. A huge thank you to Maureen for once again being a true gem to work with!Original review: All of these glowing 5 star reviews for Maureen are fully deserved!! We are deeply grateful that we found her (on Yelp!) and chose her as our lender for our home purchase! She is truly wonderful to work with, from start to finish! She is very knowledgeable, immensely responsive, reliable, efficient, trustworthy, and a wonderful source of support and encouragement, which is especially valuable during the stressful home buying process. To give you an idea of her efficiency and ease to work with, we first connected with Maureen at the start of August, and she had us pre-approved for a loan (through a very simple online application) and connected us with an awesome realtor before we could blink. We had an offer accepted on a home soon after and got our keys to our new home yesterday! I've only known her for slightly over a month, and yet, she feels like a close friend! She was our biggest resource and advocate during the escrow process. I highly recommend Maureen to anyone starting a home search, and especially first-time buyers because you will greatly benefit from having her as a support, trusted resource, friend, and 'cheerleader' through the process!read more

Marisol Martin

01:52 13 Nov 19

Impressed by such great service. Ms. Maureen responded to my emails quickly and was always friendly. Very knowledgeable. She helped me understand my mortgage and all options to refinance.

Rick T

16:34 07 Nov 19

I called Maureen about some questions that I had and she was very helpful in giving me all the information that I needed. Very professional and helpful!

gerardo sanchez

19:29 23 Oct 19

It was the best experience I’ve had. My first purchase was nothing compared to this one.Maureen was magnificent and soooo efficient,and easy to access and work with her.Every time I had a question, she was so nice and quick to reply and advise me on everything.I wish I would have met you sooner in my first purchase. But you definitely made my second purchase of a home soooo great and easy that I will recommend you to everyoneread more

Christian Minnema

20:43 10 Oct 19

My wife and I have used Maureen twice in the last two years. First for our home loan and most recently for a refinance of that loan. Maureen is incredibly professional, quick, knowledgeable, and always available if you have any questions. I have already recommended her to family and friends for their financing needs. If you're looking for some one to help you with your mortgage Maureen is the answer.read more

James Marvel

04:13 21 Sep 19

My wife and I are first time home buyers using my VA loan. Maureen encouraged us every step of the way, and went above and beyond in making sure we were able to purchase our home. We got pre-qualified and were able to offer a 21-day escrow to help get our offer accepted. We highly recommend Maureen. She was able to give us a frank, honest assessment about what we could afford, which helped us find the right home. Thank you, Maureen!!!read more

JMS Silver

05:16 15 Sep 19

Maureen is an absolute pleasure to work with! She’s professional and prompt and always ready to help and educate anyway possible. Her team was able to help us close on our dream home in no time and so efficiently. She helped make a stressful closing, hassle free and smooth. I’d definitely recommend her to anyone and would love to work with her again in the future! She’s also very knowledgeable on VA loans and processread more

Amanda Cline

01:35 29 Aug 19

I recently worked with Maureen Martin as my mortgage broker for a home purchase in Northern California. I originally came across Maureen when I was living in San Diego through a mutual friend. I hadn't been a homeowner for over 13 years and Maureen helped guide me all the way as though it had been my first time. This was a years-long process as I came out of a $15K+ debt situation and saved for the down payment, but Maureen stuck by my side, offering financial advice and when it was finally time to pull the trigger when all the stars aligned, I had complete confidence in her. She is incredibly thorough and detail-oriented and found a fantastic rate on the loan. We went through several home offers before landing on "the one" and she was so patient in explaining everything to me, multiple times! Working with her hundreds of miles away (Norcal vs. Socal) was no issue at all. I cannot recommend her enough - she consistently went above and beyond to help me through and made it as easy as possible. Thank you Maureen!read more

Katie Jones

22:44 26 Jun 19

I can't say enough about Maureen and her team! She is so amazing and wonderful to work with. We were in the process of buying a home while our daughter had surgery and Maureen was incredible through the entire process. She helped us know what we could afford and made herself available to answer any questions we had. She provided personalized pre-approval letters for every offer! She also goes above and beyond by calling listing agents to assure them your loan will go through! We bought with a VA loan and her understanding of the VA loan was so helpful! Maureen took care of us and helped us get our new Home! She is amazing!read more

Katie Jones

22:43 26 Jun 19

Mary DeLisio

05:18 30 May 19

I found Maureen on google while searching for brokers in the San Diego area. I loved her bio and something told me she was the perfect broker for my boyfriend. I encouraged him to call her but was a bit sacred and nervous being a first time buyer. He thought he wouldn’t qualify but Maureen made him feel so comfortable and walked him throughout the whole process. Needless to say he was approved and in less than a month and a half he received his keys and closed on his first home. I can’t say enough how awesome Maureen was and so professional. She is so detailed and knows her business well. Next home will definitely be calling her again. Thank you Maureen for making our dream come true! Rodrigo & Maryread more

TERRANCE RUSNAK

21:05 17 May 19

We were introduced to Maureen when we moved last year. We were about to close escrow on the house we sold, and needed to expedite escrow and get a mortgage for the house we had just bought. She took charge of the situation and made it happen quickly and efficiently. She was extremely knowledgeable, highly professional and above all motivated to facilitate our needs. Friendly, very proficient and easy to talk to, she made the process understandable and effortless at a time when moving issues had our complete attention and were our highest priority. When interest rates recently dropped, we again turned to Maureen to refinance and she did not disappoint, doing her thing and looking out for our best interests. We had gone through the refinancing process several times in the past with others whom we trusted and felt good about. Our recent experiences with Maureen allowed us to reach an obvious conclusion - she's the best! Highly recommended!!!read more

Michelle Edmonds

23:47 14 May 19

5 stars all the way!! Working with Maureen has been amazing, She’s professional and incredibly responsive and does a fantastic job of explaining all of the ins and outs of mortgage financing options. My home buying process has been very lengthy, with several offers that have fallen through (in no part due to the mortgage terms) but Maureen has stuck with me through thick and thin. I trust her completely and highly recommend her services.read more

Brian Dinh

23:33 14 May 19

I’ve used Maureen for a few of my properties over the years and she’s been nothing but amazing and refreshing to work with.... she’s available when you need her and she’s professional and extremely competent and knowledgeable. You can’t go wrong and I’ve had a few other friends go through her and love her as well. Nothing like word of mouth! Thanks Maureen you’re the best.read more

Next Reviews Write a review

1st Time Home Buyer Program

What is Escrow?

1st Time Home Buyer's Program

How Purchase Loans Are Made

First Time Buyer Programs in California

What is the Difference Between a Short Sale and Bank Owned Homes?

First Time Home Buyer Help – What Is Escrow?

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Mission Statement

To provide our customers with the highest level of customer service and the most competitive mortgage rate and term.

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Get In Touch