I recommend FM Home Loans enthusiastically. I have obtained five mortgages in my life and the experience with FM Home Loans was by far the most professional, transparent, and supportive experience I've had. My accountant of more than 15 years recommended that I work with FM Home Loans and he gave me great advice. I never bought a financier of my mortgages a dozen roses, nor did I ever refer to a financier as a "Goddess" but I did that for FM Home Loans :) I was well on my way to getting a mortgage from Chase, where my wife and I, and our three children all have had numerous accounts--and mortgages--for decades, and I also began the mortgage process with Wells Fargo. In both cases those banks simply could not treat me as an individual: I was just an account number. Even the executives I worked with at those banks apologized for the indiscriminate bureaucratic barriers their bank's rules imposed, regardless to how long you've been a customer with them. For 30 years I was a senior official at a major organization. Three years ago I took advantage of a buy out and substantial consulting opportunities to focus on growing my successful LLC consulting work. As everyone knows, switching from a W2 salary to being self-employed makes it much more difficult to obtain a mortgage no matter how much you have in savings or how much you're earning. The big banks just couldn't handle that shift in the source of my income despite my substantial accumulated savings and my healthy income. FM Home Loans made it happen. They understand the reality that even successful self-employment is penalized by the big banks. They were diligent, refreshingly responsive to every question or issue I raised, and i truly felt they were my advocate. As more and more people shift to what is called "the gig economy" there will be more self-employed people applying for mortgages. Predictably, the big banks are behind in figuring out how to accommodate that growing and important demographic. I strongly encourage anyone seeking a mortgage to work with FM Home Loans. I would certainly work with them again. read more

I cannot say enough great things about First Meridian Mortgage and Nathan & Hanna. We were looking to purchase a two family house and had been to our bank (who we had both been banking with and were customers of for more than 20 years) and were disappointed with the mortgage broker- he seemed to not really know answers to our questions, he seemed to not know much about the NYC real estate market (how is this possible?) and he kept changing the purchase price we were given to work with. It felt like the bank was just giving us a "loan" that could have been for anything (oh..and he was recommended by a good friend who had used him for her purchase). We were confused and not really sure what to do next when a realtor recommended First Meridian to us. From our first meeting were extremely impressed- every question was answered with clear knowledge behind it. We were so happy to be working with a competent team who really wanted to help us, and didn't feel as though they were just trying to make a few bucks from us. Nathan is extremely knowledgeable and very helpful with every situation or question we had. His assistant Hanna- well, quite frankly, she should be running the planet in my opinion- she gets things done and efficient is an understatement. We did a seamless refi with them for an investment property we own and are now under contract to purchase our home! Attempting to buy in NYC without being a cash buyer seems daunting- it really is difficult and the competition is fierce. Nathan even offered to (and did!) call the sellers realtor to reassure them that we are a sure thing (there were multiple offers- including a cash buyer). It doesn't get better than this team and First Meridian Mortgage. read more

Bottom line is that Nathan and Hanna at First Meridian are fast, thorough and (from our sampling of four mortgage brokers) have great rates. I would definitely recommend them, and hopefully some time soon I will be calling them again. We bought recently in Brooklyn- definitely a sellers market- and constantly felt behind the 8-ball not being cash buyers. Nathan and Hanna were very helpful in explaining everything going forward, encouraging us to shop around for better prices (no one got close) but their experience and dedication came to a head when we went into contract. I work freelance and typically have several employers over the course of a year. I thought this would be an issue but here I am typing this yelp review in the backyard of my new home. Nathan was true to his word, and good on the loan. Do yourself a favor, shop around but make sure you get a quote from these guys. _____________ Full disclosure: Nathan asked me to write a review after the closing process was complete, but I am in no way affiliated with the company. Yelp was one of the first places I turned to after my realtor recommended Nathan, and not being a name bank wanted some Internet verification. My review here is just to help and inform others who may be looking into a mortgage, and let them know I had a great experience with First Meridian. read more

We strongly recommend Nathan and Hannah and are more than happy to act as references to anyone who asks. After having shopped at a few other banks, it turned out that Nathan and Hannah offered the best service with a very competitive rate. We came into this process extremely skeptical of mortgage brokers after dealing with a separate one who was looking to charge an exorbitant rate and who was outright antagonistic just because we were shopping around. We were leaning towards a big bank because of the rate, but the bank's service and speed could not compare to First Meridian's. The bottom line is that Nathan and Hannah made what could be a very stressful, drawn out, and complicated situation into a smooth, pleasurable and clear process. This is the second house closing for one of us, so we have experience in the mortgage process even prior to this. We have dealt with all kinds of people during our recent search for a mortgage and Nathan and Hannah are people who care about their customers and are great at what they do. read more

We just closed on an investment property with Nathan & Hanna at FM loans. They were absolutely fabulous in this whole process! Very responsive and if something was at all possible (like deadlines) - they made sure it happens. If it was wise to hold off to respect boundaries, they articulated that and acted accordingly. They have trustful and good relationships with banks, which helps in the process and speaks for them. They always took the time to explain so I could understand the process better. I quickly learned they are on top of things and that I could trust. Thanks to their patience, diligence and dedication it was a smooth process with no surprises in a super timely manner. I work with many different people at all different levels and it is rare to be working with somebody that has this work mentality and is as competent in what they do. read more

writing a good review is a mixed bag... because as much as i wish them more success i want to keep using them for my financing needs so i hope they don't get too busy to help me down the road i love this team i gave them a try after working 10 + years with another broker who had always done very well for me but was not performing as well as he used to nathan has now done several refi's for me and they are prompt professional and get quick closings assuming you get your paperwork done in a timely manner thank you nathan and hannah for all your help you have done such good work for me i am happy to write about it here all the best -rich read more

I initally wrote a negative review for FMM out of fustration and as it turns out, it was all a misinterpretation on my part. Nathan proactively reached out to me to understand my concerns and was very helpful in providing a plausible explanation to my situation. In the past, both Nathan and Hannah had worked deligenly to help me through the approval process and hopefully we can achive the same this time around. I would highly recommend First Meridian Mortgage given they thorough undrstanding of the approval process and fast turnaround in closing loans. read more

As a first time home buyer navigating the NYC real estate landscape, I was fortunate to have a solid team to guide me. FM Home Loans, specifically Hannah, and also Nathan, were a crucial part of that team. They were extremely knowledgeable, proactive, and responsive throughout the entire process, and helped a complicated process with lots of moving parts run smoothly from beginning to end. I'm very satisfied with FM Home Loans, look forward to working with them in the future, and would recommend them to anyone in need of mortgage services. read more

This was my first home purchase. From day one this office was amazing! I learned all about the process. I worked very closely with Hanna who was the most efficient, fast and organized person I ever met. I felt like I was their only customer. The response to every email I sent was always in less than 10 minutes. I would go through this process all over again with them. I highly recomend them. People say buying a house is the hardest thing you will do but FM Home Loans makes it seem easy. ;) read more

Nathan and Hanna at FM Home Loans did a fantastic job with our mortgage approval process. We had a situation of income change when the closing date was set, but Hanna worked late night to update our financial situation and secured a fix mortgage with good rate. We were able to close the condo within the same month! They are just amazing folks and we highly recommend this team to anyone who would like to get a mortgage, to move into a new home and to have them as your new friends. read more

Working with Nathan was an amazing experience. He is very responsive, kind and on top of things. The entire process was smooth and wonderful and the best part is that he is always there replying to emails, returning calls and taking care of everything in a professional and efficient manner. Thank you so much Nathan for making it happen and for making it a great experience all along the way! I will highly recommend to anyone who's looking for mortgage to use your services! :) read more

Nathan and Hannah offered outstanding service. I had a rather complicated qualification process for my loan as I have several sources of income and a few investment properties already, and only 10% to put down for the purchase. Many lenders said I would not qualify based on the circumstances of the purchase, but they managed to get me 2 loans to swing the purchase and still get me a great rate. I would most certainly go with them again if I am purchasing property again! read more

As a first time buyer, I had many questions and 0 clues about how to get a mortgage. Nathan and Hannah as FM Home Loans were informative and patient about making sure I was educated every step of the way from inquiring about a mortgage to covering all the bases in terms of paperwork to getting me through closing without a hitch. They get the NYC co-op market, which most national lenders don't. read more

This is my first review I think! Just wanted to say that Nathan and Hanna did a great job for me. I worked in real estate for several years and have worked with at least 10 other mortgage brokers over the years. This was by far my best experience from start to finish. I didn't feel rushed or pressured, they always got back with me in a timely fashion and they delivered on what they promised. read more

Hanna and Nathan at First Meridian were amazing. They helped me get a loan that a previous broker had told me wasn't possible for me to get due being self-employed, and got me a really amazing rate, too. Throughout the entire process, they helped me with paperwork, answered all of my questions, and were always friendly and available. I live in my dream home thanks to them! read more

Working with Nathan & Hanna was a pleasure. All was done in a professional & timely manner. Most importantly, I felt comfortable and in competent hands throughout the process. This is not the first time I've worked with Nathan, and it won't be the last. I would have no problem recommending him to family & friends. read more

Working with Nathan and Hannah on our first home purchase was excellent. Their prompt responses and professionalism made the process go very smoothly. We needed to close quickly and FM made it happen. We would highly recommend Nathan, Hannah, and the FM team without reservation. read more

Both Nathan and Hanna do a wonderful job with the entire mortgage process. They have helped me out twice now and have recommended their services to others. With both original loans and refinancing, they were prompt, professional and responsive. I highly recommend them! read more

Nathan and his assistant Hanna are a wonderful team. Professional, thorough, efficient and most of all courteous. They hold your hand throughout the process, you will not be disappointed. In short, you will not find a better team out there. read more