I am not being compensated to write this review -- I am doing it of my own free will because of how deeply impressed I am with First Class Mortgage and how grateful I am for the superior job they did at helping me get my mortgage. Working with First Class Mortgage was, hands down, the best business experience I have ever had. Casey, Jerry, and the folks at the front desk made me feel welcome and valued as a customer. They responded to calls, inquiries, etc., very quickly -- no waiting for days for a response. They were professional but not stuffy or aloof. They treat you like a person, not an account. And they know their business inside and out. During the first half of the process, Casey would ask questions of me or of other professionals/associates to make sure that information and choices were the very best for my needs. He even offered what amounted to a bit of free financial counseling in a couple of areas not directly related to the mortgage I was applying for (along the lines of "You know, down the road if you were to do such and such you could save this much money."), which I really really appreciated. At every turn Casey was friendly and very pleasant to be around. Jerry took over the second half of the process, working with underwriters and so on to get the loan package to completion. Like Casey, Jerry was responsive and friendly and a real pro. At one point I sent him an email fairly late in the day and received a reply around 9:50 that evening! They guy was not just putting in 9 to 5 hours and then hitting the links. He was working his tail off. Close went a smoothly as could be. The day before close, due to my own misunderstanding or lack of paying attention, I thought something was wrong with the numbers, but it turns out all was exactly correct. But during that brief period when I thought things were amiss Jerry and Casey were calm and professional and brought clarity and resolution to things. They went out of their way, above and beyond, to help me out and in the end it was a great, successful experience. First Class Mortgage is the best. Do yourself a favor and use them and refer them to your friends and family. You will be very glad you did. read more

I just read Daniel C.'s review and I 100% agree with his review. My wife and I sold our house in South St. Paul and purchased a new home in Shakopee. We had a terrible experience with our broker in 2009, who was recommended by our Realtor. Our experience was a dream this time around! This time around, we looked at other options and wanted to really vet out our mortgage broker. So I called up my Realtor's referral (same Realtor, different broker- go figure), Wells Fargo, and my credit union (Wakota FCU). My credit union told me that they only do second mortgages and gave me a referral to First Class Mortgage. I decided, what the heck, lets try them. Instantly, I was impressed with Casey Van Winkle's professionalism and honesty. I told him about our issue with our previous broker and explained that this time we will be thoroughly reviewing everything and would like his help. Casey's reply, "I would not want you to work with us unless you were completely comfortable." Once we got through the initial stage, we narrowed our search down to just Casey and the Realtor's referral. Both came back with competitive quotes and at this time the other broker was a little less. I told Casey that if he could match I was going with First Class. Casey reviewed and actually fought to get us an even lower rate. A rate that the other broker laughed at and said was impossible. At this point, it was not just the lower rate that convinced us to go with Casey. We really liked his customer service, expertise, and commitment to us. After that, everything was smooth sailing. Casey and team lined up the appraisal and underwriting and followed up with us along the way. Casey then called me two days before closing and told me that he had great news. We were good to close (which was amazing to be done well before closing) and that he called in to the lender and was able to knock off a little more than 1/8 a point off or our interest rate. I am really impressed with Casey and their business. I love the small business environment and their true dedication to each and every client. I wish there was more I could do to promote First Class Mortgage! read more

As a first time home buyer, it can be intimidating going through all the processes and procedures necessary to apply and get qualified for a mortgage. I've heard numerous horror stories from friends and family about the mental strain and stress this can cause on families. With FCM, I experienced none of this! The mortgage application process was quick and easy. Working with Casey was a great experience. After submitting to him a few standard documents, he ran with the process. The next time we spoke with him, he filled us in with the good news that we qualified for a mortgage at a great rate! He really made the process simple and stress free for myself and my family. Casey is not the only one who merits recognition either. FCM's entire staff is friendly and accommodating - from the office managers, to the loan processors, to the owners and all of those in between. One last thing that needs to be mentioned. The day before we closed on our first house, we received a call from Casey with some great news. He was able to quickly review our mortgage one last time before the final closing took place the next day. With just one day left before we closed, he notified us that the rates had decreased since our initial application. He informed us that he was able to save us an extra 0.25% on our rate, which is HUGE over 30 years! He quickly reprocessed our documents and met us at the closing the next day. Everything went seamless. I'd highly recommend FCM to all family and friends. They'll be my first contact when it comes time to start looking for house number 2. Thanks FCM! Chris W. read more

As first time home buyers, we had lots of fears about the entire mortgage process. When I say that Casey and his team at First Class Mortgage squashed all of those fears, I mean hydraulic press kind of squish. We called Casey before we started our home search to make sure we had all of our ducks in a row. They made us feel so taken care of and advocated for. Not to mention their recommended realtors and homeowners insurance references were TOP notch. You can really tell they care about you getting the absolute best experience you can. We had a relatively quick closing of 5 weeks. Bobbi breezed right through our loan processing and kept us up to date with next steps at every milestone. If I sent an email to anyone at First Class Mortgage I received a response in less than an hour. They were so responsive I started to wonder if their phones ever left their hands! From start to finish, you couldn't ask for a better home buying experience than what First Class Mortgage can provide. I have been highly recommending them to my family, friends, and strangers on the street since even before we found our home. read more

My wife and I just built a home and used First Class Mortgage during this process. As many would imagine, building a home is not an easy or always smooth process. Not to mention obtaining a mortgage in 2013-14 is so much more involved then it used to be. We are so pleased we chose to work with First Class Mortgage! Through the building process as well as the mortgage process they were extremely helpful, they were always available, and they really knew their stuff. My realtor and my builder both commented to me that they usually get nervous when having to work with smaller mortgage firms, but both of them could not have raved more to us on how impressed they were with Casey, Bobbi, and the full First Class mortgage team. For someone who represents a national builder to make a comment like that says it all to us. My wife and I would like to sincerely thank the First Class mortgage team for helping us build our new home! We would highly recommend First Class Mortgage to anyone who is in need of the services they provide. read more

I have known both Brady and Casey personally for many years and have always valued their honesty and integrity. Though we had a close personal relationship I was always a little hesitant to mix "business and friendship" especially with something as personal as finances and lending. It wasn't until my wife and I had a terrible experience with another lender that we turned to our friends for help. Since then, we have recommended their expertise to anyone we come across and have trusted them with two of our own mortgages. We moved from Minnesota back to Wisconsin a few years ago and recently used First Class Mortgage to handle the mortgage on our new home. We have also recommended their services to other friends and family members in South Eastern Wisconsin. They, as well as the entire First Class Mortgage team, are TRUE professionals that approach every transaction with transparency, compassion and commitment to the customer. They are the only mortgage professionals I will ever use! read more

We honestly cannot imagine an organization that cares more about customer satisfaction and results than First Class Mortgage. My husband and I used FCM for the first time in 2014 as first-time home-buyers. We weren't sure what to anticipate based on stories we had heard, new regulations, etc. However, Casey was able to get us an AMAZING rate and kept us informed throughout the entire process with all our questions - any day of the week and any time of the day!! Truly wonderful. FCM will be the only place moving forward I will refer friends, family and clients. If you're making any type of purchase or re-financing, you are seriously doing yourself a disservice by not calling Casey or Jerry at First Class Mortgage. They have been consistently recognized as one of the top small businesses in the Maple Grove area for years. Thank you a million times over for making this such a wonderful and educating experience. Nicole & Nathan W. read more

My wife and I decided to buy a house right around the same time we decided to get married. Planning a wedding and looking for a house in this market was no joke!!! We were referred to Casey by a friend who used them when purchasing his house. He had nothing but great things to say about the staff and the service he received. Casey, Brenda, and Kevin made buying a house seem like a cake walk, at least with securing the mortgage side of things! Casey walked us through step by step and was there to help us with any questions. Brenda and Kevin also reached out to help assist and see if we needed anything at all. I was very impressed with their customer service. This is my first home and I was really stressed out with not knowing anything about mortgages. After leaving my first meeting, I felt a lot better and knew I was in good hands. Thank you again for helping us buy our first home as newlyweds!!! read more

I bought my townhome in 2007, just before the Real Estate market crashed. Like so many other homeowners, I now found myself stuck with a home that I was very under water on, had a high interest rate, and no bank that would refinance my mortgage. Fast forward to 2013, and I now rent the property as I cannot sell it. According to the banks, my loan was now too risky to refinance. I all but gave up on any hope of lowering my interest rate when we were referred to Casey Van Winkle of First Class Mortgage. While so many others refused to even try and refinance my mortgage, Casey went above and beyond. Even after being denied, Casey continued to make every effort until he found a bank that would approve the loan. From the first phone call to the day of closing, we had a great experience working with everyone at First Class Mortgage. My husband and I would highly recommend them to anyone! read more

Everyone from the team at First Class Mortgage was incredibly helpful as my wife and I worked through buying our first home. Daniel helped us get started and was consistently available to answer questions and coordinate about any information that was needed to begin. Casey not only guided us through the whole mortgage process but also gave us a couple extra tips about how to improve our credit scores. Small things like this really made a difference as we contacted a few other mortgage companies and they didn't show the personal touch that we found in working with First Class Mortgage. When it came time to get the actual loan started Kevin was with us every step of the way and his attention to detail and support was great. The whole team at First Class Mortgage made our experience very convenient and enjoyable and we would definitely recommend them to anyone looking to buy a home. read more

I honestly cannot imagine a company that cares more about customer satisfaction and results than First Class Mortgage. My wife and I used FCM for our mortgage a few years back. We were anticipating a nightmare because of new regulations and the nature of our jobs. Casey literally fought to get us a great rate and kept us informed throughout the entire process. To this day, FCM is the only place I refer friends, family and clients. In my work, dealing with clients and keeping them informed and satisfied is my primary duty so customer service and satisfaction are extremely important to me. If you're making any type of purchase or re-financing, you are seriously doing yourself a disservice by not calling Casey or Brady at First Class Mortgage. There is a reason why they have been consistently recognized as one of the top small businesses in the Maple Grove area for years. read more

We were referred to First Class Mortgage by our realtor, who only had great things to say about them. Once we started working with Casey, we felt like we were working with family. With the stress that comes with purchasing our first home, Casey was there at every step to help guide us through the process, and offer quick advice when we needed it. They were extremely helpful during our approval process, as well as once we were ready to move on our first home. Rather than going from bank to bank to find the best mortgage rate and products, I was able to have First Class Mortgage do all of the work for us. They saved us a ton of time. I have to say that the staff lives up to their company's name, they truly do offer First Class service. We would definitely use their services again and refer my family and friends to them. read more

Casey and the entire team at First Class Mortgage were an absolute dream to work with. Being a first time home buyer I had no clue how to navigate the home buying process, and the COVID-19 crisis didn't make me feel any better about it but these folks made the entire process unbelievably easy. From our first communication to closing day (& beyond, 3 weeks later and Casey still is in contact to ensure things are going well) - First Class was there every step of the way. The team I worked with was responsive at all hours of the day/night and made sure I had all of the necessary tools to make the right decisions. They are straightforward, hard working, and all around great people. I could go on and on about how awesome my experience was with First Class Mortgage, and I'll recommend them to anyone who asks. read more

Casey at First Class Mortgage was outstanding to work with. He was quick and efficient and made things very simple to understand. He was able to work with me through email, online, and phone which was awesome since I don't have much free time to do in person meetings (though that was always an option). Casey helped prepare me for all steps of the process and gave me great questions to ask my real estate agent to cover all bases. He researched multiple loan options for me and made sure I had a full understanding of all the costs associated with each. This loan was my second real estate buying experience and I can truly say that your mortgage broker makes all the difference. I've even received follow up after the closing which is rare. I would highly recommend First Class Mortgage. read more

Well, I'm just going to jump write in and say that Casey and his team at FCM are awesome. I wish I could say that this was a pain free experience, but in my case, we had to deal with FEMA and a flood insurance nightmare. Casey and Bobbi pretty much held our hand all the way through the process, and even went to bat for us with our lender. As you know, there is a lot of information that must be obtained to satisfy the lender and their requirements. It was always easy to navigate the emails that FCM sent and the information they requested was explained to us and why it was needed. Now if we could just get the federal government to operate this efficient! I would highly recommend Casey and his team at FCM for any first time or experienced buyer! Thanks again guys. Andrew and Anji B read more

My husband and I went through some rough financial times a few years ago and were not sure if we would be able to own a home. I was referred to Casey through my credit union. When I first called him he was very open and honest about the things we needed to accomplish to own a home. We worked hard and were able to do it. Casey was easy to get a hold of. I even had to contact him on weekends a couple of times and he was more then willing to help. I am very satisfied with First Class Mortgage, Casey and Bobbi. I am very grateful for the time and energy they put into getting us into a new home. Thank you Casey and Bobbi. I would definitely refer First Class Mortgage to my friends and family. read more

My husband and I got into a bind with another mortgage company regarding tricky guidelines for 100% commission-based positions, something we were never warned of before starting the process, but Casey and his team at First Class Mortgage came to our rescue and worked quickly with little notice to resolve the issue. As first time home buyers, there was a lot to learn. Casey and Kevin both took extra time to make sure we understood all the working pieces and were in communication with us each step of the way. We are happy to report we recently closed on our first home, thanks in large part to First Class Mortgage. We know we couldn't have made this possible without their help. Thank you! read more

I purchased my first home in June 2018. I ended up getting my loan with First Class Mortgage (Casey Van Winkle, Bobbi Sondergard). I would definitely recommend them, everything went smoothly, Casey and Bobbi are very knowledgeable, and I got a great price. First Class Mortgage saved me $3,000 compared to the mortgage broker my real estate agent introduced me to, for exactly the same loan with same interest rate. I waited to write this review to make sure everything downstream of the closing went smoothly. The transfer to the loan servicer was seamless, I set up auto-pay the first month and have had no issues whatsoever. read more

My family and I had been wanting to refi our house for a while. I had received many letters in the mail from Mortgage company ABC claiming they'd beat anyone else, etc, etc. I decided to call our favorite credit union, Hiway, in St. Paul, MN to see if they did refinances. They pointed us in the direction of First Class and it was a joy throughout. Casey was really helpful and thorough. He walked us through everything and was patient with all, all, of my questions. We got a wonderful deal and I am looking forward to the next time I buy a house... I'll choose First Class for sure! What a pleasure. read more