If I could give Chris DePaepe and her team a million stars I would. Chris's team is insanely knowledgable about conventional rehab loans and FHA 203k. They communicated with us through every step and answered every question we had. Email her today: chrisd@rate.com read more

I found myself in a unique situation: Two days before the bank's mandated closing date on my short sale offer, the mortgage lender I was working with denied my loan application. Luckily, I somehow stumbled upon Guaranteed Rate. Sam Sharp is the mortgage initiator I worked with. His team was absolutely amazing and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a mortgage loan. As a happy new condo owner, I am very glad I called Sam's team and a bad situation turned into a blessing in disguise. Since I was a first time home buyer and spent quite a bit of energy through this whole process, I made the timeline below that details the experience I had with Guaranteed Rate and the lender I worked with prior to GR for comparison. 11/15/11 - Bank of America approved my short sale offer. I had already started working with a lender, PennyMac, because my agent warned me that short sales are notorious for demanding quick closings. BofA set the closing date for 12/15 (30 days out) and the standard turnaround time for mortgage loan applications is 45 days. By 11/15, all my documentations were in. Once the BofA approval was received, the appraiser could be sent and then the loan application would be turned over to underwriting. The representatives I was working with at PennyMac told me closing by 12/15 wouldn't be a problem. 11/30/11 - Appraiser sent out to look at property. 12/07/11 - After multiple followups, appraisal report received. 12/12/11 - Three days before closing, PennyMac notified me that underwriting may have a problem with my loan application. They have an eligibility requirement that will not allow them to give loans for condos that were converted after May 1999 and my unit was converted in 2000. They were previously not aware of this issue and will try to see if they can grant me an exception. PennyMac said they "will try" to be ready by 12/15. To be on the safe side, my attorney sent a request to the seller attorney that the closing date be extended to 12/23. 12/13/11 - In the morning, PennyMac told me that the underwriting exception had been denied. I made calls to other lenders I thought might be able to close quickly (small companies). Most told me they will try their best but will still need 4 weeks. In the afternoon, I called Sam Sharp, loan initiator at Guaranteed Rate. He said that if I do my part and send him all the documents he needs promptly, his team will be able to close by the new 12/23 closing date in two weeks. He couldn't use the appraisal done by PennyMac, else he said he would've been able to close even quicker. On top of that, he offered me a better rate than all the other lenders I've talked to so far. The GR underwriting fee is also on the low end of what I've seen. I sent him my documents that evening. 12/14/11 - Appraiser sent. 12/15/11 - Guaranteed Rate requested some additional information for their underwriting department. 12/16/11 - Underwriting approved loan, but needed me to explain and sign a few more things. 12/21/11 - Guaranteed Rate sent a confirmation to my attorney to close on 12/23, sent me the closing documents and suggested I bring a little more cash to close just in case something happens. 12/23/11 - Because the closing date changed from the original contract, the amount that Bank of America was to receive changed by about $50. I needed a final sign off from BofA. BofA was closed on 12/23 for the holidays and we couldn't get a hold of them to get the final approval. I offered to add $50 to the condo sale price to cover the $ difference but was told no by my attorney. I was heading out of town for the rest of the year and really wanted to close by year end. I worked with my attorney and Guaranteed Rate to draft a "power of attorney" document that would allow my attorney to close for me while I was gone. Most lenders won't accept power of attorney. 12/29/11 - CLOSED! No hidden fees. I officially own a condo. read more

I had a fantastic experience with Eva Pawlus and her team at Guaranteed Rate. As a first time homebuyer the process was completely new to me so I did not know what to expect going in. However, the Guaranteed Rate team made everything as easy and painless as I could have hoped for. Everyone I worked with was extremely responsive and friendly - Eva herself was personally invested throughout the entire process to ensure everything went off without a hitch. The sellers of the place I was buying requested a quick 30 day close. Not only was her team able to make that happen but the loan was approved and ready to go a full 2 weeks early! I also received a competitive rate and incurred minimal (if any) loan fees. Good price, responsive, uber friendly, and no issues...what more can you ask for in a lender? read more

I worked with Matt Tierney on the closing of my condominium. This was by far the easiest closing I've had. I was informed of my mortgage application status from the start through final approval. Guaranteed Rate takes a lot of the questions and uncertainty out of buying a home and I greatly appreciate their customer-friendly approach to doing business. I would definitely recommend them to others and will use them when I upgrade from my current condo. read more

During April 2014, I was exploring options for refinancing! I was having problems because I had a second loan which was considered a cash out! Some of the people I spoke to didn't really understand my issue! I saw an article regarding the government HARP program, which I later found out I didn't qualify for! Very shortly after I submitted my information online, I received a phone call from Megan Mc Dermott of Guaranteed Rate! Megan was very pleasant and took time to understand my situation. She waited until I had explained everything and then presented my options! I felt like I had someone who was taking a genuine interest in my situation! Megan explained the entire process and I told her that I wanted to go for it! Megan called me later and told me that I qualified and we began the process which she explained in detail! You can't imagine how happy I was to hear the news that Megan had for me. She helped me immensely throughout the entire process! She told me that I could probably close in two weeks, which I did! Megan and her entire team was a joy to work with! I can't say enough about how satisfied I was with Megan and the ease of the process! Thank you, Megan! read more

This review is for Shelly Ave. I had a situation where I was not told upfront (after several weeks) about a building being "non warrant able". So Fannie Mae/Sallie Mae did not want to touch that and grant me a loan. Explaining my situation, Shelly was on it, made some calls, shot emails and got back to me in a quick amount of time. While I was not able to secure a lender since no one wanted to touch this "non warrant able building" unless I had 20% down, I appreciated her effort and promptness not to leave me high and dry. read more

This review is of my experienced with Mary Bossard with Guaranteed Rate. I have never encountered such blatant incompetence and unprofessionalism in my life. A total of 9 emails went unanswered. They shoved mortgage paperwork to me and told me to fill it out -- despite I hadn't agreed to terms or a rate lock. They then complained that I hadn't filled out the paperwork. They refused to help, offer options, and constantly misled me about information, dates, and events. They affirmed they had all my documentation; and then kept re-requesting the same things I had already sent. This process took over 5 months, and nothing was ever accomplished. Worst experience with a customer business I've ever encountered. read more

Michelle Bobart's team is very hands-on, helpful and responsive. I had to change lenders about a week before closing as the bank I was working with was about to ruin the deal. Michelle contacted me and I agreed to proceed with my application with them instead of the bank. I am very grateful that I made that decision. Michelle and her team have great customer service and they were very involved with the process. They helped quite a lot with obtaining the documents for the application, and closing went smoothly. I would strongly recommend working with the Bobart Group at Guaranteed Rate. read more

I hope this is the right place to write this. I want to tell you about Shelly Ave. I am just a small client with not much going for me except for a dream to buy my first home a little late in life. I am moving from California - a place I have lived my whole life - to Chicago in hopes for a fresh start. My story always haunted me and prevented me from trying to achieve the American dream. Shelly never met me. I was referred to her from a real estate agent in Chicago who I met only once as well. She called me tonight to introduce herself. Somehow I told her my whole life story in that 30 minute call. She listened. And then she gave me hope and assured me not only that anything is possible but also that she will be there every step of the way and helped me make a 12 month plan just like that. I didn't know where she worked or who she really was so I found her here and just wanted to share with Chicago that this is the place to go no matter who you are. No matter what your story is. Just if you have that wish to have a fresh start and want that right good person to help you get there. Thank you Shelly and I look forward to meeting you in person next month when I see you and can thank you face to face. I'm sure I'll be updating this review regularly as we go through this journey. You gave me hope. I appreciate you. read more

Michelle Bobart team is the best Chicago offers.. they babysit your loan forever and call you when its time to save money and get ya better rates than the internet.. do not mess around with anyone else read more

I found myself in a challenging financial situation and needed an experienced mortgage broker to evaluate and provide recommendations. I'm very pleased with my experience working with Chris Knapp. He took the time to understand my needs and presented appropriate options. Unlike my experience at other lenders, at no point did I get a sense he was recommending financing options which helped his business more than mapping something to my needs. I'll use him for future financing needs and recommend him. read more

Recently closed on a second home with Guaranteed Rate and their service was exceptional. Ryan and his team made the process extremely easy and walked us through everything from start to finish. When we had questions, we always received a response, usually a phone call, within the hour. Ryan never hesitated to spend as much time talking us through the details as we needed and we went to the closing table confident and knowledgable. Even after the closing, we've continued to receive support for follow-up questions. A true partner in the home buying process, highly recommend. read more

Where to begin with my utterly disappointing experience. We were applying for a 203k loan and had started with BofA. They told us 2-3 months so we went to Guaranteed Rate on Ontario. My first meeting with Chris D. was great but it was all down hill from there. I mean, I've never written a negative review but this is worth my time. First, it was the "hand off". After meeting with Chris we were contacted by Chad. We spoke to Chad a couple of times then were handed off to Liz (I think). There was another person but I don't even remember her name (and this was only 2 months ago). Then there was the "unending request." We were asked for 1 random piece of information after another after already having provided the "required" info. Couldn't they have asked for this all at once. What they said was a 4-6 week process ended up stretching to the BofA 3 months because they couldn't ask for everything at one. They didn't know what to ask for apparently. We had to move our close date 1 month due to the seller, but thank God as GR wasn't ready and barely made our later closing date. Now we enter the "who?" phase. We have closed and we immediately started construction and assumed that we could apply for the construction loan portion as work progressed. Apparently not. GR is in the process of selling our loan and we are stuck in limbo in the meantime. So while I'm cutting checks expecting to be reimbursed, GR (Chris) has essentially abandoned us and is being as unhelpful as possible. We were told 2-3 weeks to sell the loan and are now in the 5th week and being told in 1-2 weeks we should now if the buying bank has any questions! Are you serious!? I will never do business with GR again. If I could give 0 stars I would. Thanks for the monster headache, GR. read more

Hate Guaranteed Rate. Their customer service after the mortgage is signed is absolutely terrible. Spent hours unnecessarily on the phone trying to get clarity on escrow overages, on when they will pay my homeowner's insurance (always late). Find someone else. read more

I normally don't write reviews on yelp but I had such a phenomenal experience with Michelle Bobart and her team, I felt it was necessary to recognize them for it. Any questions I had were answered immediately and they worked so quickly that I was able to close just two and half weeks after my original close date. They made purchasing my first home a breeze! I would gladly recommend Michelle and her team to anyone and can't thank them enough for their hard work. read more

I just finished closing a 203K loan with Christine DePaepe and Chad Takach. They made the process look effortless and I know it wasn't nearly as easy as they all made it look. They were absolutely wonderful to work with! I also really appreciate the fact that Christine and Chad would always get back to my questions or concerns in a timely manner (it seemed like I would get a phone call back or an email reply in 5 minutes)! Thanks for making it happen! :) read more

Guaranteed Rate was referred to me by a friend who had recently closed on a loan. I was skeptical at first, considering it was an online mortgage broker and I liked a more personal touch and one-on-one communication. Sam Sharp and his office had EXCEEDED my expectations. His communication and response time blew me away. I would send him an email, and within 10 minutes, he would answer me back! He made the loan process on my first home purchase a breeze! I can't thank Sam enough for helping me make my first purchase a memorable and easy experience! I will refer every family member or friend who is looking for a mortgage broker to Sam Sharp. read more

Promised us one rate then raised it without cause. Later on, they transferred our mortgage to a servicer who lacked basic online capabilities (i.e. online account management, online payments, issue resolution) without providing them all the documentation for our mortgage. Now the servicer is sending us threatening letters. read more

Just finished our re-fi with Joel Schaub. Wow! How easy can it get? His team took care of everything so quickly, and the notary came to our house today and we were done in 30 minutes. No hassle and most importantly, he saved us a boatload of money in his closing as well as on the new mortgage. #trulyhappycustomer read more

This was a terrible experience. Organization is key in any industry but it needs to be more valued when dealing with mortgages. First I worked with Sam, who requested all of the documentation and then passed me off to Chris D. Chris after getting all of the documentation went on vacation for a week, so I started working with Sam again. Sam couldn't get any of the documentation I had sent to Chris stating "It isn't a big request to ask you to resend it" While it is not a large request, it wasted valuable days. After getting all of my documentation to Sam for the second time. He went on vacation and I had to resubmit everything to Chris. All in all... one of the most frustrating experiences of my life. read more

I had 3 strikes against me when I was ready to apply for a mortgage for my own home: self employment, a recent divorce, and a marital home I relinquished to my ex but that was still mortgaged jointly. My situation was too complicated for conventional lenders and anonymous online lenders, so I was glad to have found the personal service and attention of the Guaranteed Rate team. They asked for a lot of documentation, which I produced, scanned, and emailed to them at light speed. The process took 7 weeks from start to finish. The team was professional, courteous, smart, creative and super efficient. I got the mortgage and my dream house thanks to Vince Kueffner and Jon DiClement and the Guaranteed Rate team. The best way to work with these professionals and get your mortgage: submit to their process, be ready with documents, scanner and email, deliver documentation quickly, do what they tell you to do because they know what they're talking about, and be nice. read more