How To Shop For A Mortgage

November 22, 2013 by Maureen Martin

Credit Check

First, you should check your credit well before you begin hunting for a home, and work to increase your score if needed, or dispute errors on your report, since those can take time to rectify. You’re entitled to a free credit report from each of the three bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) once a year. If there are errors, fix them. If you want to see your actual FICO scores for each credit bureau, buy them outright (about $15 to $20 each) instead of committing to unnecessary and expensive monitoring when you sign up for a free trial.

While applying for a mortgage, hold off on opening up a credit line or applying for any major loans such as a car loan. You don’t want to open up any lines of credit and you don’t want to close any out. Just keep doing what you’ve been doing. And continue making on-time payments and chipping away at any debt.

Research

Ask home-owning friends and co-workers whether they had a good experience with their mortgage lender. Then check in with at least two or three lenders so you have an idea of what’s out there. In addition to the interest rate and loan terms, have each furnish you with a breakdown of your total costs so you can compare.

Pre-Approval

Tell your mortgage lender you’d like to get pre-approved. You’ll have to provide paperwork, which can include pay stubs, W-2s, bank statements, tax returns, and relevant loan documents. Once you’ve had an offer accepted on a house, you’ll have to give the lender the address and details of the offer to move forward with the mortgage process. (You could also decide you don’t love that lender and want to go with a different mortgage lender after your initial consultation, If so, you’ll have to go through all the paperwork again and it will require another hard credit check.)

Adding Costs

Along with your mortgage payment, make sure you’ve accounted for property taxes, homeowner’s insurance and maintenance costs that average about 1.25% of the home’s value every year. Have home sellers furnish copies of 12 months of utility bills. And when you’re pre-approved for a mortgage take the lender’s top number and perhaps cut 20% off of it so you aren’t stretched to the limit. Another good metric? Find out what payments would be for a 30-year fixed mortgage on the house. If you can’t afford a house based on a fixed-rate mortgage at today’s low rates you need a different house.

Make sure you understand what kind of loan you’re getting, what the payments will be from beginning to end, how much interest you’re paying, and whether you’ll have a fixed interest rate, or whether it will be fixed for a limited time before becoming variable. Also, do you know how much money you’ll have to bring to the closing table with you? Many lenders require you to pay property taxes and insurance up front, and it can surely add a significant amount onto the top of the loan.

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Maureen Martin

5.0

Based on 131 reviews

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Bridget Martin

20:37 06 Dec 24

As first-time homebuyers, we feel incredibly blessed to have worked with Maureen Martin. My husband, who is 28, and I, at 24, never imagined we would be able to buy a home so soon—but Maureen made that dream a reality. From the start, she went above and beyond to guide us through every step of the process, ensuring we felt confident and informed the entire time. She met all deadlines and we even closed ahead of schedule! Maureen educated us on all our financing options which lead us to pursing a conventional loan. She locked us in at a low rate with a low down payment in Orange County!Maureen's expertise is truly life-changing. She made the often overwhelming home-buying process easy to understand and manageable, and her dedication to us as clients was unmatched. With her support, we were able to purchase a beautiful home in a wonderful neighborhood, where our young son will grow up. The thought of him thriving in a place we can truly call our own is something we will always be grateful for.Her professionalism, kindness, and unwavering commitment to helping us succeed are qualities that set Maureen apart. We can’t thank her enough for making our dream of homeownership come true. We love her and are forever grateful for everything she did to help us achieve this milestone.If you’re looking for someone who will go the extra mile to make your home-buying experience seamless and stress-free, Maureen is the one. We recommend her with all our hearts! Thank you!!!

Sohn Michelle

20:38 03 Dec 24

I recently bought a house, and used Maureen as my lender. It really went smoothly. She worked so seamlessly with my agent that it seemed like we were all on the same team and just working together to achieve our goal. The communication was accurate, helpful, timely and friendly. Everything just came together like a well orchestrated dance. And the whole process just flowed nicely, thanks to the professionalism of the team members.

Erik Johnson

00:20 22 Nov 24

Maureen presented and thoroughly explained the different refinance options that were available to us and what information would be required, which I greatly appreciated as someone who is self-employed. From the start of the process through closing, Maureen made our recent refinancing a smooth and seamless of a transaction as possible, allowing us to close escrow ahead of schedule. I look forward to working with Maureen again in the future. - Erik Johnson

Jordan Lautanen

16:46 12 Nov 24

I cannot even begin to express what a great experience I had working with Maureen. She continually went above and beyond for us and was honestly the most valuable part of this home buying process. Our home purchase was profoundly complicated and required a great deal of time and effort; throughout the entirety of the process, Maureen was confident and communicative. She is so knowledgeable and helpful, and also makes sure to keep us updated every step of the way. Our home purchase required a specific type of loan that none of us knew much about (this was due to selling another property with a later escrow date to fund the down payment and not having the dates match up), and Maureen willingly took on this colossal task. There are truly not enough words to adequately describe the amount of gratitude we have for Maureen - she is THE reason we were able to purchase our dream home. Without her, this would never have been possible.

Melissa Riley

01:00 16 Oct 24

Maureen was incredibly helpful throughout our whole process and was always available to answer questions. We got through our refinance in record time and she found us a lender with the best possible rate with the right loan for our circumstances. I could not recommend her enough!

Jesse

04:05 23 Sep 24

Id like to start by saying Maureen was amazing during our home buying journey. We found her through a quick google, and so glad we did! She was very knowledgeable and also funny, taking off the stress of looking for a house in this market. She helped us from start to finish, and was very communicative, informing us of market activities. Even when reaching escrow and final loan disclosure, we found a discrepancy and she hopped on which saved us about $200 a month on the overall payment. We recommend her to anyone looking to purchase or refinance as we will reach out to her again for help.We closed 9/6/24 🙌🏽

Kailey Cumming (HD)

04:42 27 Aug 24

Maureen was absolutely amazing through the whole home buying process. She went above and beyond to make sure I got the best rate possible. As a first time homebuyer Maureen spent countless hours helping me through paperwork and answering all my questions thoroughly. Her knowledge of the market and rates was a huge help. She made the whole process so stress free and as a first time homebuyer that was amazing. She truly worked tirelessly to make sure I was able to afford my new home. I would recommend Maureen. I enjoyed working with her because of her dedication and commitment to her clients!Thank you for making my home buying dreams possible,Kailey

Nathali Stockberger

22:38 01 Aug 24

f you’re not using Maureen as your mortgage broker then what are you doing with your life? I cannot express into words how truly amazing Maureen is. We have used her 4 times in the last 11 years (the most recent being now) and every single time she goes above and beyond! We did a 16 day escrow, on our current home. She is very thorough and makes sure to let you know everything that is happening when it’s happening! She is determined to get you into your home as well as making sure that you are doing the process correctly and not being taken advantage of. She has great value and pride in her work.Maureen is an angel, a mortgage angel. We tell all our friends and families about her and send her referrals. Her charisma, her quirkiness, sense of humor and knowledge is everything you want in a Mortgage Broker. She is and will always be the greatest in the game! Thank you Maureen for getting us into our dream home as fast as you did! You truly are appreciated and loved by our family.

Chris

06:48 13 Jun 24

This was our first experience purchasing a home, which we anticipated being a stress-filled ordeal, but Maureen was there every step of the way guiding us through the lending process while fighting to get us the best rates in record time.Maureen has been a tremendous help through the entirety of this daunting process, making it feel less so with her diligence and timely communication and we cannot thank her enough for seeing us through to the finish line. She’s so personable and you can tell she truly cares about doing what’s right for you.We found a home in a mortgage broker, who helped us fund our home. Thank you Maureen!

Blair Tirado

08:30 01 May 24

As a first time homebuyer I was very overwhelmed with the process but Maureen made the entire process so seamless. If I ever had a question she would make time to call or text until I was comfortable moving forward. Regardless wether it’s your first time or you’ve bought 100 homes you would do yourself a favor having Maureen Martin on your side.

April Wahlin

17:33 22 Mar 24

Maureen Martin was incredibly helpful in guiding us in the right direction with our loan options. She was upfront about all expenses and presented us with various options, making the process smooth and transparent. Her expertise and dedication truly made a difference in our journey. Highly recommend Maureen for anyone seeking a knowledgeable and trustworthy mortgage broker in San Diego!

Andrew Kim

17:42 30 Jan 24

Tl;dr - All the other reviews are legit. Maureen is the best!I'm a few months late writing this review and still writing one because Maureen definitely deserves ALL the 5 star reviews.I came to Maureen after working with another mortgage broker. After being told some strange things and being told the home we wanted would be complicated, I had a gut feeling I should fact check my original broker and called Maureen just to get another lender's opinion. She confirmed that the things I was told just weren't adding up and took the time to go over some things with me, even though I was already working with someone else!! Anyone else might see me as a waste of time because I was already with another broker! Well, after talking with her, I knew I had to transfer to her and sign the papers with Maureen to work with her. She just immediately gave me the confidence I needed as a first time home buyer. Trust me, and she'll tell you herself, when she needs answers from others (getting answers was a timely and annoying thing for me prior to Maureen), she will get what she needs to get things done. And she'll get them QUICK and update you immediately. GREAT communication.She even helped me get a lower rate and told me the rates I was getting quoted before were much higher than they should have been. A month later, I became a homeowner and Maureen and her team has made the whole home buying process easier than buying a car!Overall, Maureen has been a delight and VERY communicative. You won't be left in the dark with Maureen and you can be confident she'll guide you through the whole process with your best interest.

Edgar V

18:28 27 Jan 24

Maureen was outstanding! She made the process easy and very smooth and was always willing to help. It would shock me that I would send her a message at weird times of the day and she was always great about responding in a promptly manner. She went above and beyond and for that I am thankful. I couldn’t have had a better experience on purchasing my first property without her :)

Sam Button

23:11 27 Sep 23

I had the pleasure of working with Maureen for my first home purchase, and her service was stellar from start to finish! Things can be very daunting for a first time home buyer, and Maureen made sure to take the time to explain everything easily and effectively - she is a great communicator and she made the process much easier for me. I was previously working with a different lender and Maureen was able to match their fees and provide quite a bit lower interest rate for me! Definitely will be recommending her to friends/family in the future if they decide to purchase a home.

Edward Lepe

16:08 25 Aug 23

This review is long overdue but well deserved. Maureen came to the rescue when I purchased my home in April. I was working with a different lender that was referred to me by my realtor, after a few bad experiences and my gut telling me to get a second opinion, I called Maureen less than 3 weeks before closing. From the beginning, Maureen was genuine, professional, and kind, she let me know what she could and could not do, set the right expectations and made me feel at ease. She immediately got to work, I can tell she was genuine in her intent to help me...not only was she able to close in record time, but she saved me over 1% in my rate, lower closing cost and a lower monthly payment. All while closing in record time. Maureen is truly in a class above the rest, she's passionate about helping people, genuine, honest, professional and effective. Thank you Maureen!

Ron Steen

23:05 30 May 23

Spent 10 minutes on the phone with her and she helped me immensely. Without trying to push a sale or make a deal, she helped me answer questions and was truly trying to help me even though she had nothing to gain. I will recommend her to anyone that will listen. SHE IS AMAZING!!!

Yara Tercero

16:42 24 May 23

Maureen helped us close in record time even with repair negotiations. She was super on top of everything. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience with an always stressful process of buying a home. 1000% recommend Maureen. She sticks to her word and won’t promise anything she can’t deliver on.

Melanie Davis

10:39 19 May 23

If you are looking for a review to help you decide if you should use Maureen, this is it. She’s up front and “kept it real” with me. I had shopped around for the best rate for my refi and lenders quotes were all over the board and I couldn’t make sense of it. I called her to see what she could do and not only did she have expert knowledge of the market, she offered excellent advice on how to navigate it to my benefit. No one else did that. She was patient and explained how things worked so I understood what decisions I was making. I prefer to work with someone who will tell me like it is instead of what they think I want to hear. I saw first hand how some brokers don’t care, you’re just another client to them. But she advocated for me as if she were me and that is invaluable and rare. I can’t thank her enough for her insight, experience and support during the process. I’m so glad I called her.

Jerome Farnan

18:06 17 May 23

Maureen is more than a mortgage broker, she's a helpful person who really wants to do what she can to make the process go smoothly. She is super knowledgeable about the mortgage business, real estate, financial trends and seemingly everything that is remotely related to mortgages. This made me very comfortable with the process and helped us greatly to coordinate the escrow people and the real estate people, and all the documents and information needed. If you get in touch with Maureen, she will start helping you before you even know what you need.

Christian Thorn

18:29 11 May 23

An amazing person to work with. Plans ahead for any hiccups in the process and is very organized. Definitely recommend her to anyone looking to purchase or refi a home!

Cam Tran

18:22 11 May 23

We've bought 4 homes so far and Maureen has been the BEST lender we've worked with! She has outstanding communication and you can tell she is dedicated to her work. She was prompt, easily accessible and always willing to answer any questions we had. She was also ready to fund us for an earlier closing! If you're looking for a lender, SHE'S THE ONE!!

Emily Mitchell

18:23 27 Apr 23

My experience working with Maureen starts off with a story of a lifetime. I am cofounder and president of a local nonprofit animal sanctuary, and towards the start of 2023 I found myself in one of the most challenging situations of my life. My husband and I had made the difficult decision to separate, and if the animals and I were going to stay at the property in Ramona, CA I would need to qualify for my own loan and refinance the house.This is where Maureen comes in. From the beginning, I knew I was in good hands. I had diligently searched for a good lender who could give me a good rate that would allow me to afford the house, and Maureen beat the competition. Not only that, but she was pivotal in pursuing an opportunity to lock-in on a good rate one evening when rates had momentarily dropped (rates went back up the very next day, so I was very lucky to have had a responsive and determined lender like Maureen!). Maureen never rushed me, encouraged me to do whatever was best for my unique situation, and was extremely patient with all of my questions. Perhaps above all, Maureen was kind, thorough, and a great listener throughout the entire process. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the phone call with her while I was driving one of our sheep home from the vet, midway through the process of securing my loan. I felt a little embarrassed that I had to speak loudly over a very opinionated sheep in the car, but that didn’t seem to phase Maureen. It only fueled her desire to help.Committing to a new loan is a big deal and can be stressful, especially with the future forever home of an animal sanctuary at stake. I’m beyond thrilled and relieved to report that my loan officially funded yesterday, and I could not have had a better lender on my side. 10/10 recommend Maureen for your future loan needs. She might just rescue you (and your animals)!

Rosie Zuno

15:32 27 Apr 23

If we could give more stars we would! We have had the pleasure of working with Maureen Martin multiple times in the past 10 years, not only for personal transactions, but we also refer her to our clients and close family because she is simply amazing. She is a true professional, her work ethic is outstanding and we could not be happier to work with her and her team. As a Professional Realtor myself, I can say that Maureen Martin is the best in the industry, I have worked with may Lenders, none like Maureen and the team she has built. When working with her as my lender, I know the transaction will go smooth because she is on top of her game, and her team is as efficient as her. Thank you Maureen for always being there to help us with personal transactions and also my clients, we really appreciate you!!! We look forward to working with you again soon 🙂

Jari Wolfe

21:22 02 Dec 22

I honestly have nothing but sunshine and rainbows for Maureen. She is highly detail oriented and efficient, which is truly a necessity in her industry. But beyond that, she’s also a genuinely nice person that I really enjoyed working with. I’ll definitely be referring any friends and family entering in the house hunt. Thank you again Maureen, you’re awesome! :)

Stephanie Spillmann

18:24 22 Nov 22

Maureen Martin is a complete pleasure to work with and we're so glad to have found her through excellent YELP reviews!She came in and saved the day on a tricky loan that was starting to go south with a different lender.I can't express our gratitude for Maureen's communication, professionalism, encouragement, and her work ethic. We were able to buy our forever home because she cared enough to help us with a difficult situation. Highly recommend Maureen Martin for your lending and mortgage needs!!

Cat Circo

18:44 17 Oct 22

Maureen is amazing to work with! She was able to do so much for me which helped me put in the winning offer for my home. I also happened to be starting a new job and had a number of other crazy personal things to deal with during this process, but she was so great about keeping everything organized and on track. I never had to stress about missing a step. She made the entire process so easy, but also fun! It could have been a very awful situation with a different person.

Bill Carns

16:40 17 Oct 22

My loan approval/closing experience with Maureen and her firm turned out to be a very good experience. It was challenging due to fluctuating rates/markets but in the end the mortgage rate outcome and the quick closing met my expectations. She accomplished what she indicated would be possible.She's earned a repeat customer. I plan to work with her on future mortgages.

Cindy Wen

15:33 16 Jul 22

I’m a first time home owner and put down money on a home on 5/25, and got my keys on 6/10. According to the seller’s agent, this is the fastest that she’s ever seen a home purchase complete in recent years . You want to know my secret? Getting synced up with my mortgage broker, Maureen Martin, ahead of time :)This lady is. the. bomb. She manages all client-facing communications on her own, and is always super duper responsive. From previous experiences, this is one of the most important aspects of having a mortgage lender early - to get educated, to get your questions answered, to lay down all the ground work so when it comes time to rumble… you’re ready to rumble.And thanks to Maureen, we were!Our working process was - I had 1 consultation session with her, completed the application with some help, and voila - we were pre-approved! Once we are pre-approved, I was able to procure loan pre-approval letters with ease (either through Maureen herself or through a template that she issues), and placed offers broadly. Once we offered on a home and were selected, she and her underwriting team were able to Quickly guide me through the required documentations (she'll send me a document, and we'll have a quick call going through it) and lock down a competitive rate. It was wonderful always having Maureen in my back pocket on speed dial during this time because buying houses = so much paperwork.I am super grateful to have met such a resourceful, dynamic, professional. I love that she is always “on top of it” and got us through the home buying purchase with ease. Highly recommend for anyone looking to maneuver this difficult real estate market and want to bring the big guns.Cheers!TL: DR - All these 5 star reviews don’t lie, get her!

Tod Snodgrass

19:06 05 Jul 22

Maureen was recommended by Melissa Tucci (realtor/broker). I found Maureen to be very competent as well as very kind and easy to do business with. I would recommend Maureen (and Melissa) to anyone looking for residential properties and loans. They both earn 5 stars on a 5-star scale in my book.Tod SnodgrassSan Diego, CA

. bitarafana38

17:49 27 May 22

I worked with the Maureen Martin team on the purchase of my first home and also an investment property. The level of care, attention to detail, and professionalism demonstrated by Maureen Martin and her team far surpassed my expectations. I really appreciated Maureen Martin’s honesty and transparency throughout the mortgage process. Her team stays on top of every detail and is there for you every step of the way to answer any questions and address any concerns. I highly recommend Maureen Matin.

donna pahl

02:09 18 Jan 22

Look no further for your financing needs. I reached out to Maureen after my husband grew frustrated with a broker he was working with. Maureen was incredibly responsive, professional and skilled. We refinanced three properties in no time, thanks to her. Maureen is very highly recommended!! Thank you Maureen!

Charlie “Fuegzz” De Los Reyes

06:27 11 Dec 21

DO YOURSELF RIGHT! GO SEE MAUREEN.Let me start off with saying Thank you.I started with a seperate company and who was unresponsive and veered off of the original quote,BY ALOT.If it wasnt for the reviews on this page i would'nt have saved tens of thousands of dollars so thank maureen ur the best.

Malcolm M

18:34 30 Nov 21

Maureen was the absolute best when we bought our first home in 2019. We were starting a family and had shopped with other lenders, but Maureen was the most responsive and gave us the best rate! Being that it was our first home, we had a lot of basic questions and she was able to answer them all and provide guidance with the budget we had. She was unbelievable throughout the whole process and I cannot thank her and her team enough. She even gave us a beautiful welcome mat once we were all settled in. Don't hesitate, call Maureen for if you need a home or to re-fi. She's the best!!

eb dani

17:42 08 Oct 21

Maureen was absolutely fantastic through my refinance process, top notch customer service with her communication and follow through. She made the process easy and calmed my nerves when needed with her outgoing positive personality. She got me better interest rate than anticipated it was such a JOY to work with her.

Chris Richardson

05:09 22 Sep 21

Joe Kaplow

19:18 30 Aug 21

Maureen is the best! When my pre-approval seemed hopeless, Maureen found a way to get me exactly what I needed, with a better interest rate than anyone else! Like, much better than anyone else. She was also clearly communicative, promptly responsive, and always enthusiastic through the arduous escrow process. If Maureen can't do it, then no one can...Thanks Maureen!

Sarah Bachman

18:58 23 Aug 21

Maureen was AMAZING. If you are coming from out of state like I was let me tell you the real estate industry here is a shark tank. I did VA funding on a flipped duplex in Oceanside and just about every curveball possible was thrown at us. Maureen stayed strong though out and was honestly the glue that kept all party’s focused and got us through the escrow process. She was not only great at her job but made sure I was comfortable and had all questions answered during the loan process. I also talked with 3 other brokers before finding her, she is by far the best. Thanks Maureen!

DA SILVA

01:08 15 Jul 21

Debbie Lennon

18:01 03 Jul 21

Maureen Martin and her team are the best lenders out there by far! She is the most organized, communicative, professional, and friendly lender we have ever worked with. We felt like our financial and personal information were well protected and secure. We asked at least three times to move our closing date up and she obliged with seamless effort. You will never find a better lender and team to work with than Maureen!!

Marc Woodcox

03:32 24 Jun 21

Maureen is the BEST!! She was so fun and easy to work with. Very knowledgeable and explained everything to me so that I could understand. If I ever had any questions, she was very quick to respond. The best part… she was able to get me a great rate!! If you need a mortgage loan, I highly recommend working with Maureen. I will be recommending her to all of my friends and family. Thank you Maureen!!

Kate Anderson

20:40 21 Jun 21

Maureen is amazing! We received an excellent loan rate and she was most efficient .(Our realtor said that we could not get an appraisal for nine weeks and Maureen secured one in two weeks! ) She responded quickly to any text or call. We would HIGHLY recommend her!

Penny Westfall

18:16 15 Jun 21

Extremely organized, efficient, responsive and helpful! Could not have asked for better service!

Harmony Rhoades

21:55 28 May 21

I cannot say enough about how incredible Maureen was through the whole process of buying my first home. She is super smart and knowledgeable, and she was always available to answer my million questions and soothe my anxiety about the process. I got excellent loan terms and she was able to get the process completed in record time -- I was able to do a 21-day escrow, which I think really helped my offer to stand out in this intense market. This whole thing would have been so much harder without Maureen holding my hand every step of the way! She's amazing!

Claire Bailey

01:38 07 May 21

She has been a rock star while refinancing! My original bank that I bought my condo with was dragging their feet, so I asked one of my friends from the area if she knew someone. We got my loan funded and all of our papers signed and notarized at lightning speed. Her professionalism, attitude and drive have been a breath of fresh air after my experience with the bank. And best of all, she got me a better rate!

Melissa Tucci

16:36 14 Apr 21

Maureen is exceptional! As a professional in the industry I work with a lot of lenders and bankers and Maureen takes 5-star customer service to the next level! Her knowledge surpasses all of her competition and her ability lies in not only get the best pricing and terms for her clients but in a record speed time. She can have a clear to close in under 8 days which is absolutely unheard of in this marketplace. She also listens to clients needs and presents all viable options and solutions! If you are looking for a true professional, a true master of their craft, you do not need to look any further than Maureen. She goes above and beyond for her clients and exceeds all expectations! Thank you again Maureen for being the absolute stellar professional you are!

Tim Martin

17:06 08 Apr 21

I can't recommend Maureen highly enough. We closed over two weeks ahead of schedule. She's very knowledgeable, responsive and professional. She took the time to guide me through the entire process...

Kristi Kuttner

21:24 06 Apr 21

Maureen is the absolute BEST!!! In this crazy housing market you definitely need the support of experts that go the extra mile to get results! Maureen is incredibly experienced to get you results while truly having your best interests at heart! My husband and I are so grateful for her support, guidance and attention to detail that allowed us to purchase our dream home!!

Ian Barr

17:32 03 Apr 21

Maureen was amazing to work with! Very quick with the lending process and locked us in at a great rate! Can't thank you enough!!

Erica L

13:49 20 Mar 21

Updating my review yet again as we’ve now been fortunate enough to work with Maureen several times, and she is consistently AMAZING! We consider ourselves very lucky to have found Maureen (simply via Yelp originally) to help us purchase our first home, and she has been ‘go-to’ to help us with refinancing our loan - and at times, we've simply reached out for her advice. You will want an expert like Maureen in your life. She is patient with answering any questions, and she is someone you can fully trust. I can’t imagine working with anyone else to support and guide us through the complex details and steps involved with mortgage loans. 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. For our first refinance, 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!

Olivier Régimbald-Brière

23:41 12 Mar 21

Maureen really changed our experience with Mortgages, it was so simple! We will use her services again and we've already told about her to our friends.It took us 20 days to close, Maureen answered all of our questions in a timely manner, easy to reach out, she took care of all the complex stuff for us.She's amazing, you should contact her, she won't deceive!

Brian Fais

17:44 03 Mar 21

Maureen made the home buying process seem stress free and it was a pleasure working with her!!! I appreciated her timely response to questions/emails and she also helped us save $500+ regarding an appraisal transfer, which was not an easy task but well worth it. I look forward to working with her again and will be referring friends her way in the future .

Paul B. Pruitt

16:39 01 Mar 21

This is my third home loan through Maureen. In each loan She has been very responsive with answering any questions and letting me know each step that the loan process was going through. I will without a doubt, I'll be using her outstanding services in the future. Thanks Maureen

Dan Hilton

00:14 26 Feb 21

If you are serious about closing on a property, I absolutely recommend working with Maureen. In a hyper competitive market like San Diego it's critical to have a really solid lender and realtor on your side to make sure you can close on a property. I can say without a doubt that I wouldn't have been able to find my house and close on it without her. Part of our offer was a lightning fast close time that she was able to pull off!It was a pleasure to work with Maureen, as she guided me through the entire process. I was moving from out of state so I had a lot of questions and she always responded super quickly with helpful answers! She even recommended a realtor for me and it made everything from finding a place to closing a really smooth transaction.Closing on a property can be a scary endeavor and having Maureen there to answer questions and alleviate my concerns made the process really easy. There was even a weird banking snafu at the last minute on my end that she helped problem solve to ensure we didn't delay closing. She went above and beyond, answering texts quickly at all hours of the day, even on the weekends! Thank you, Maureen!

Ivan Yue

05:08 13 Feb 21

Lowest VA interest rates, low fees, super fast funding, smooth and proactive service, nothing better! Maureen was great!

Darren Diau

19:34 12 Feb 21

Maureen was one of the best lenders I've ever worked with! She handled the loan portion of our transaction with efficiency and made the entire process seamless from start to finish. She's always available and responsive and will make a great addition to your team!

Phil Anderson

20:14 27 Jan 21

Maureen is the best mortgage broker I've ever had. This Grammy says, next refi, or purchase don't even consider going to anyone else. Her follow up is perfect and the loan products she offers beat everyone I found. Go with Maureen Martin for a trouble free mortgage loan.

Mariana Baro

01:41 16 Jan 21

This review is severely overdue, Maureen took great care of us through the purchase of our first home and subsequent refinance. She is incredibly responsive, knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with. This last refinance was completed in record speed through a pandemic and through the holidays. Simply put, she's the best of the best.

Gary M

18:24 12 Jan 21

Wow! Great service. Maureen will do whatever it takes to get your loan approved and funded. I will DEFINITELY use her again!

Mo San Diego

20:31 08 Jan 21

What can I say, this lady is amazing! I've sent clients to Maureen through the years, as I'm a local realtor, however this is the first time that I've had a need to use her services for my own refinance and WOW, she knocked it out of the park! Not only did she get us a super smoking rate, but she also closed our loan in record time, I believe it was something like 16 days from start to finish at the end of the year, with two major holidays, right smack in the middle of a pandemic! I know that this is not typical since I work with so many other lenders that my buyers decide to go with. Most lenders right now are extremely slow with incredibly long turn times, especially for refinances. So if you are looking for someone who always answers her phone, who's there for any and all questions you may have, creative with financing, knowledgeable in her field, great low rates and super speedy turn times, look no further.

Samantha Jones

19:06 06 Jan 21

Maureen is the absolute best!!!!! When I purchased my first home in 2014, Maureen made sure the process of purchasing the home was seamless. We were able to close in 21 days. Maureen makes herself available for her clients and answers questions promptly. She made the process of buying a home less stressful! Maureen truly cares about helping her clients get the best rates. Recently, I decided to refinance my home and it was unbelievable that we were able close in 14 days. I would recommend Maureen for first time home buyers, vacation home purchases and refinancing. I would recommend Maureen for anything dealing with financing a home.

Larry Recht

18:21 06 Jan 21

It has been a pleasure to work with Maureen Martin to refinance my house. Maureen is an experienced professional and great person to work with. I just completed a refi in record time during the month of December even with multiple holiday days off. The plan was to pay off my previous lender on the 1st business day of 2021 and we did. Wow!!! The timing worked perfectly thanks to Maureen!!! The goal was to reduce my monthly payment with a much lower interest rate. Maureen had the solution and saved me lots of money.Maureen works with a team of professionals that made the refi process seamless. Now the interest rate on my new 30 yr. mortgage is at a historic low which creates great monthly savings. I have worked with a number of mortgage brokers on real estate purchases and refinances in the past ... without a doubt Maureen Martin is by far the Very Best !!! I highly recommend working with Maureen! I give her "10 Stars Plus". Thank you!

Melvyn Yara

19:24 23 Dec 20

6 Star service from start to finish! The first time we connected with Maureen was via email, the response was within minutes. We wanted to sell and buy a home simultaneously, so we asked so many questions and she provided all the answers. Through out the process she maintained open lines of communications. We would contact her via email, phone and text and the responses were instant, as if we were the only clients. She sincerely cares about getting you the best loan terms possible. The process is stressful, but her knowledge and communication kept us calm.Maureen, once again, thank you for your incredible support during our purchase. Many blessings to you, your company and family.

Cari Alberts

01:19 18 Dec 20

If you are thinking about a mortgage - new or a re-finance, or, a reverse mortgage, I can say you should go with Maureen Martin! Both my nephews have used her and we all concur it was the quickest, most seamless process that we have ever experienced. She walked me through every step of the way. Had answers for any document posting I had trouble with and was always accessible to any question I asked. Moreover, I got a very low mortgage rate with no points. Maureen is knowledgeable and professional; two qualities that are key when most of us are dealing with our largest investment - our home. From the beginning to the end of the process, it only took about two weeks. This is almost unheard of. If you want to streamline this usually arduous process and get a great rate I highly recommend you go with Maureen Martin!

Sherry Payton

17:54 03 Dec 20

Even though Maureen couldn’t help me because she’s not licensed in the state that I need to go to, she gave me very good advice and took her time talking to me after she knew she wasn’t going to make any money off of me. So I just wanted to add my review to all the other good reviews.

Martin J

20:03 30 Nov 20

Maureen was simply amazing. She was knowledgable, informative & most important - communitive. Very shrtly after our first contact, she had answers/options. If you want to get a transaction completed - use Maureen she was a real pro.

c. 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!

Gina David

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.

John and Melissa Steele

00:06 07 Nov 20

Maureen was wonderful to work with. She was organized through the whole process and had great communication. Her whole team was friendly, easy to work with, and available, I never had to wait on them for anything! We highly recommend Maureen and hope to work with her again in the future.

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!

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!

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!

Keith

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..

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!

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.

Eli Oliveira

05:28 27 Aug 20

Maureen is amazing. She is knowledgeable, efficient and quick. When I called her to tell that our offer was accepted she immediately started working. She connected with all parts involved on the purchase of our house. She is on top of things from beginning to end. Thanks Maureen for your hard work!!!!

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!!

James Marvel

14:50 15 Aug 20

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!!!*UPDATE*We contacted Maureen about refinancing our home under the VA IRRRL program. Maureen provided the program requirements and made it clear whether or not we should refinance during COVID-19. She guided us through the process, and provided timely updates as we hit some bumps in the road due to unforeseen circumstances. Needless to say, our refinance was funded with a lower interest rate, and we are saving money with Maureen's help. We highly recommend Maureen if you are looking to purchase or refinance! Thanks again, Maureen!!!

Kyle Stilwell

23:51 11 Aug 20

Pleasure working with Maureen. She has a great attitude and gets the job done!

Clare Safont

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.

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!!

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.

Rick Villarino

18:45 17 Jul 20

Maureen did a great job on our home loan. Our loan was probably more complicated than most, being self employed. Maureen made the process simple. The communication was great and there were no surprises, and most importantly the loan closed on time. I would highly recommend Maureen to anyone who needs a mortgage. Thank you for the great job you did for us!! I have also referred Maureen to family and friends over the last couple of years and i always get positive feedback from all . She is the best and i highly recommend her.

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!

Amanda Cline

00:11 02 Jul 20

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!UPDATE: Maureen reached out to me because rates have gone down and one of her top lenders came out with a new product that would allow us to refinance after only being in the home for less than a year! The process was super easy and we ended up at 3% interest instead of 4% which will save us a ton over time! I trust her completely and will be her client for life. If you have the opportunity to work with Maureen to secure a home loan, it will be one of the best financial decisions you can make!

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.

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!!

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! 😊

Martha Hoopes-Stinson

23:17 14 May 20

3 years later and here we are again... the 2 M's working together... Maureen is AMAZING... just purchased my 2nd home. SO EXCITED!!!! she helped thru the whole process was always an email or text away with her quick responses and just on top of the whole process. Great customer service.. and not just saying that. Really felt as she was on our side and looking for what was best for us. Love it! Getting my keys today will have to post pictures soon and like Maureen says"stay tuned ..."

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.

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!

Carrie Anne Sandoval

17:18 15 Apr 20

I can't speak highly enough of Maureen Martin, and how well she walked my husband and I through the purchase of our first home, two years ago, and then again through a refi of the same home in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. She is quick to respond, always available and will give you the best loan possible. There is no one else I would work with for a home loan in the future!

David Coppa

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!

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!!!

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!

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.

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 everyone

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.

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