This is not a fake review. Check out my account and you will see that I have been on Yelp for almost two years. You will see further that I have never reviewed anything until now. I come to Yelp occasionally to lurk, and that is about it. I have never reviewed anything because, whether good or otherwise, the products and services that I have received have never caused such high emotional amplitude in me that I felt compelled to write public reviews about them. That changed two days ago, on October 6, 2014-- the day that I closed on my first home. My circumstances were complex, to say the least. They required a great deal of attention to detail, and a stunning amount of communication. When a friend (who is also my Realtor) suggested that I contact Marc Aymard and his group, I initially dismissed the idea because I did not think anyone would have the ability to work with me. My friend, however, knew that Marc could help, and he contacted Marc on my behalf. As a result, Marc called me and we chatted. (There are no words to express how grateful I am for this. I now know that it is not simply a good idea to have your Realtor and mortgage broker work together. It is vital that they do. You should please see my review of my Realtor.) When you contact Marc, the first thing that you are going to sense is that the man is naturally kind and genuine. He is not brash, not pushy in the least, but gentle and obviously enjoys the idea of helping others reach their goals. You will find him patient, honest, and forthright. He will tell you the truth, even when it may not be pleasing to you. I decided that at these current mortgage levels, the focus ought not be purely on rates, but on competence (and yet I still ended up with perhaps the lowest rate possible). I knew that Marc would do as he said he would do, and that he would not say something that he would not stand behind. So we got to work. I have looked over the entire email thread from my first communication with Marc to my last email to his colleagues, Patrice Fuller and Michele Duff. I marvel at how complex it all was. Yet at no time was I in the dark about anything. The process was in fact smooth, machine-like-- roughly similar to stepping onto the escalator at Wheaton Station. Once I was on, it was a long, but smooth ride to the top. Patrice and Michelle know exactly what they are doing, and will take you through the process until its conclusion. For your part, respond to them promptly, and you'll be golden. My closing was fairly ho-hum - exactly as it should be. I signed a stack of documents, almost all of which I had already seen because Marc and/or my Realtor had already given them to me beforehand. Then they gave me what seemed to be a sack of keys, shook my hand, and I was off to my new home. No surprises, no drama at all. Buying a home is a massively complex and expensive process. You do not want to enter it with just any broker or Realtor, certainly not simply because they promised to save you a few dollars that in truth you will never see. Realize that good, competent people should profit from what they do, and that to the extent that we help them profit, we help decrease the fear that makes sites like Yelp necessary. I am glad that my transaction helps to support such people. I hope that this review helps them further. If you are going to finance/buy a home, you want a broker who is honest, who wants to help you, and who is going to work for you. You also want a broker who knows your Realtor, who has worked with them for a long time. This is important because the chances are that they have already encountered any problem that might arise in your case, and therefore, they likely know how to use their combined resources to quickly overcome it. I cannot stress this enough. If you are going to do this, contact Marc, then contact my Realtor. I have no interest in writing this review other than gratefulness and a desire to see these people thrive as they surely deserve. read more

We have used Marc as our mortgage broker ever since we first bought our house three years ago, and a couple of times to refinance as interest rates have continued declining. I have really appreciated Marc's willingness to spend time explaining the mechanics of various mortgage packages to me. Some of our conversations have lasted 30 to 45 minutes, just so that he can explain how things work. This is the mark of a true professional in my mind. At the end of those long conversations, Marc often helps me brainstorm creative solutions to ensure that my priorities are met. Whereas some brokers might be too lazy or too greedy to work with me, Marc has NEVER tried pushing me into a mortgage that was not right for me. March earned the fifth star on this review about a year ago. Around tax time, I had some questions about a mortgage refinance we had executed in the previous tax year. Even though there was absolutely no more money in it for him, Marc spent 20 minutes on the phone with me explaining a couple of mechanical details that I needed to understand the taxes on my refinance. He didn't have to do that, but he did. Again, I think this is the mark of a true professional. Highly recommend. read more

This is truly a Dream Team. As a project manger, I expect and demand perfection. With Marc and his team I did not have to worry much about this part as I consistently received the best service I could possibly ask for. Marc was always promptly answering my questions completely and clearly. I received objective research material on the mortgage industry and matters relating the economy. In fact this service extended into evenings and weekends in some cases if called for. I found that nothing short of exceptional. His team is top notch group of professionals, who did their efficiently and promptly and did not ask the same question twice. They took us the process of financing our first home step by step all the way through without an issue. it was a breeze. I strongly recommend Marc and his capable team for all your mortgage needs from start to finish. read more

First time home owner, Marc is great! ~in short~ In Long~ had tried to get about 5 other houses and went through 3 other companies but multiple hurdles kept popping up and blocking my path. when i finally locked in on a house Marc and his team was there. (( i will say they are not very clear on who you are talking to so i was emailed by almost everyone at their firm it was super confusing )) Though the whole thing i had a ton of question and guarantee one of the youngest people they have help buy a house. They where very patient and answered all my questions. he returned all my calls very quickly if he did already just answer the phone (him or one of the other people there) i felt like i may have been a pain in the ass since i kept only wanting to talk to one person about my account and not his whole time. even so he was quick to help me out. read more

Marc Aymard and his team came highly recommended from my realtor. I interviewed several candidates for the job, and Marc's responses to my initial inquiries were by far the most detailed, patient, and thorough responses I received. He brought the same qualities to the entire transaction. I was extremely impressed with how well taken care of I felt throughout the entire process. The response times and level of attention to even the most minute details were simply fantastic. He and his team (Patrice, Nancy, and Caroline to name a few) took as much time as I wanted to explain every step of the process. The First Home Mortgage web interface was easy to use and clearly showed my progress and outstanding items I needed to address. Very user-friendly. I will use Marc and his team again when the time arises. Highly recommended! read more

First Home Mortgage was the first lender that I had chosen to do business with. They have been nothing but helpful. I work in an environment where we time sensitivity is a big issue, I never understood why it would take people so long to get back to us. However when the roles were reversed and FHM had to wait on me they were very professional as I didn't meet each deadline as originally planned. They were very understanding and helpful through the entire process. I am looking forward to doing business with them again. Marc Aymard, Michelle Duff, and Nathan Carsuo were all people I had the pleasure of working with. 100% would recommend and will recommend to anyone who is interested in buying a home. (Esp if it is you're first home purchase, they really do hold you're hand and walk you through the entire process) read more

I would like to start out by writing that Marc, Guaranteed Rate and His Team are second to none. They initially helped myself and my family out when we first moved from Texas to Virginia. From start to finish, nothing but the best service. Their professionalism and knowledge made our home buying experience extremely easy, quick and painless. There were no surprises and they ensured everything was transparent. The whole team has been extremely pleasant, courteous, polite and welcoming from day one and that has not stopped. Their service is so great, in fact, we just finished refinancing with Guaranteed Rate! We could not be happier with all of the help they have provided. I honestly cannot thank them enough for everything they have done for us! Top Notch in every way and highly recommended! read more

Marc and the team at First Home Mortgage provided top-notch service to us throughout the entire process. As a first-time home buyer, the entire First Home team guided us through the process step-by-step, answered all of our questions, and helped us to manage the numerous deadlines and requirements for our very short closing time-frame. Marc was great as our primary contact, but we also received personal attention and quality service from the other members of the team as well, particularly Patrice Fuller, Michelle Duff, and Nathan Caruso. Marc and First Home Mortgage came to us highly recommended, and they still managed to exceed our expectations! Couldn't have asked for a more from the experience, and I would recommend them to everyone looking for a knowledgeable and responsive team. read more

I unequivocally recommend Marc and the First Home Mortgage team. I had reached out to 2 other lenders before finding Marc; and both his lending rates, professional insight, and personal interaction led to me to moving forward with his group. Marc and team were exceptionally professional, answered all of my questions very quickly, and were available throughout the purchase process for anything needed. Settlement went off without a hitch. If you're looking for an outstanding, knowledgeable mortgage lender who can help you identify the best lending structure for you and guide you through the process, look no further. read more

Marc and his team (Patrice, Michele, Nathan, everyone there) were absolutely awesome. They were incredibly responsive - we usually got answers to our questions and acknowledgements of receipt of our documents within 20 minutes. Even after work hours. They answered every single one of our questions and were extremely prompt. We were even able to move our closing date sooner by one week and Marc and his team never missed a beat. Professional, knowledgeable, and patient. They thoroughly answered each question and concern I had. We were first time homebuyers and they made the whole process so smooth. read more

Marc and his team at First Home Mortgage are really amazing. I am originally from NJ and did not know a lot of reputable Mortgage Brokers in VA. These Yelp reviews were right on point. My fiance and I were very impressed how detail oriented and knowledgeable the team was. As a first time buyer we were very nervous about the whole process. I even emailed Marc on the weekends with frantic (and irrational) first home buyer questions and he responded promptly... on the the weekend!! I really can't say enough great things. If you are buying a home and want a stand-up guy to work with, Marc is the way to go! read more

Marc and his team are fantastic! My husband and I were first time home buyers and I was about to give birth to our first child, so it was important for us to find someone who we could trust and easily navigate us through the process. Marc and his team did a great job of explaining things to us knowing we were slightly distracted. They were also extremely responsive and patient with us. He also gave us a great recommendation for a realtor! The whole process was painless, and we went off to settlement without any issues. I highly recommend Marc and his team. read more

Marc and his whole team were phenomenal during the whole lending process. They are responsive, patient, great on email and phone and very clear. We knew where we were in the process every step of the way. The online portal for uploading documents was very user friendly and made the process very simple and secure. We felt zero pressure and felt like we were in control. Just a wonderful experience all around! Even now that the loan is completed, his team has still been available to us. Exactly what you'd want as first time home buyers! read more

Another outstanding experience working with Marc and his First Home Mortgage team...a FIRST Class operation!! He always takes the time to answer all our questions thoroughly and won't proceed until everything is understood. He also provides invaluable advice on the best way to proceed. To Marc, it is all about ensuring he takes the very best care of his clients!! We have seen this dedication to customer service time and time again in our dealings with Marc, which is why we continue to seek out his team for home financing adventures! read more

Let me start by saying that Marc and his whole team at guaranteed rate were OUTSTANDING! A big reason my husband and I were able to purchase our house was because the seller liked our financing better than the other people competing for our house. So we seriously owe guaranteed rate a lot. Plus, they were super professional and friendly and got back to us right away. I just can't recommend them enough. If you're looking for refinancing or are purchasing a home, DEFINITELY go with this mortgage lender! read more

Marc and his team were amazing and a joy to work with, they made the refinancing of our home experience quick and seamless. They asked for everything upfront via a checklist, so there was no endless back and forth regarding what was needed and when it was needed. They did a great job communicating with us and letting us know where they were in the process. Both my wife and I highly recommend Marc and his team, truly professional people who know what they are doing and do not waste time. read more

We couldn't have had a better experience working with Marc and his group to finance our home purchase. Marc was very responsive and generous with his time in explaining the process, and answering any questions we had. He and his team were also proactive about sending us guidance, tips and advice that we didn't know to ask for as first time home buyers. Overall, this team is excellent- they came highly recommended to us and we whole heartedly extend the recommendation. read more

There are very few organizations and businesses that truly value your time, and make themselves available as Marc and team. This is the 3rd mortgage that Marc has handled for our family. Each time Marc has provided details and analysis of the changing market at a moments notice. Without a doubt Marc and team will walk you through the process with ease and defuse any stressful items that arise in the mortgage process. Give First Home a call, you won't be disappointed! read more

Marc and his team were a pleasure to work with. My wife and I were purchasing our first home from across the country during a global pandemic. There was a lot that could go wrong, but we always felt like we were in good hands with Marc. We experienced a high degree of professionalism and proactive communication. Marc was knowledgeable and always very responsive when we had questions. Marc is one of the good ones, and I'm so glad he was part of our real estate team. read more