Honestly, my refinance started off pretty stressful, but Angel Chavez completely turned things around. He stepped in and took over my loan and from that point on, things felt much more manageable. He was always clear, easy to talk to, and kept me in the loop. He also made sure the original terms I was quoted were honored, which I really appreciated given how much rates were changing at the time. We closed on time and everything went smoothly in the end. I'd definitely recommend working with him. I'm really grateful for his help and would absolutely recommend him. read more

​Caution: Non-Standard "Teaser" Rates & Bait-and-Switch Tactics ​I had a very concerning experience with Optimum First Mortgage. I was initially quoted a highly specific interest rate of 5.123% (a non-standard figure in this industry). Based on this quote, I submitted my sensitive financial documents and authorized a hard credit pull. ​Once they had my data, the rate was significantly increased. When I questioned this, the Sales Manager (James) admitted in writing that the original quote was based on "incorrect input assumptions" and was a "human error." This feels like a classic bait-and-switch: lure the borrower in with an unrealistic rate to harvest their data and credit authorization, then claim "clerical error" to move the price. ​I have officially withdrawn my application and filed formal complaints with the CFPB and the California DFPI regarding these deceptive practices. If you are shopping here, be extremely wary of any quote that seems too good to be true--it likely is. UPDATE TO RESPONSE: Nice try shifting the blame. The data I provided didn't change, but your numbers did. You provided a correct quote, then dangled a fake 5.123% rate to get me to apply, then 'switched' back to the higher rate after harvesting my data. Your Sales Manager already admitted the error was on YOUR end, yet here you are publicly blaming me. This is exactly why I've filed formal complaints with federal and state regulators (CFPB and DFPI). Prospective borrowers: if they quote you a weird number like 5.123%, run. They are just 'capturing the lead' with a rate that doesn't exist. read more

After submitting all my financial documents, passing the credit check, and meeting every standard qualification, this company refused to issue a preapproval letter. The reason? They demanded a document from my employer projecting future income through 2029. Their message was clear: unless you can guarantee you'll have the same job and income for the next several years, you'll be denied. That's an absolute joke, no employer in the world can guarantee anyone's job for years into the future. By that logic, no one would ever qualify for a mortgage. I took the exact same documents to multiple other mortgage lenders, and every single one issued me a preapproval letter without hesitation. Not one flagged a missing "future income projection" as an issue. Save yourself the headache and go elsewhere. Plenty of reputable lenders will evaluate your application using standard criteria without inventing arbitrary, impossible requirements. It was a complete waste of time. The hit me with an impossible demand at the end. read more

This is my second refinance with Optimum and I am 100% satisfied with the no cost 15-year refi. Alfredo kept me on a watch list and when he was able to offer me the terms I wanted, he contacted me and we completed the transaction. He not only met my target, he exceeded it and I will definitely be back again when rates drop further. The loan processors were also great. They do not control the amount of documentation required as part of a standard loan package, but that would be my only gripe. Being 72 years old and a curmudgeon, I have to find something to complain about! read more

Thanks Alyssa for helping me with my mortgage refinancing! She's very helpful and quick to respond, would definitely recommend!

I do not recommend this lender. Throughout the process, communication was poor and expectations were not clearly set. They did not provide an itemized list of required documents upfront, which led to confusion and delays. There was also no clear or reliable timeline. Our closing was extended, which resulted in us having to pay for a rate lock extension. Despite this delay, we were only given one day's notice before the scheduled closing. On the day of closing, the documents were not ready and contained errors, preventing us from signing as planned. Overall, this experience was frustrating and unnecessarily stressful due to a lack of organization and communication. read more

Jorden Radcliffe has been amazing to work with. He is super responsive and very helpful for me as a new homeowner to understand the ins and outs of mortgage. I compared rates with several others and Optimum First consistently had the lowest rates around. I will continue to work with Jorden as long as I can! read more

Update: Last week both Ben and Nadia said it would expire in 30 days (did not mention this weeks before that) and last week was the end of 30 days. Now you're saying 60 days not 30. Meanwhile, in the past few weeks I've been told multiple versions of "let me check" "waiting on rate drop" "I'll send you a LE today"... then radio silence for days. I was told if rates drop she would try to give me a better deal plus some fees (to unlock). That promise didn't play out too well in my perspective. Clearer communication needs to be had and not keep clients hanging. Why tell me you'll send over some numbers then ignore me for days, then repeat that several times? The LO I worked with was extremely unresponsive after she pulled my credit. Kept me hanging for days and weeks saying rates will be better next week, in a few days etc. meanwhile other lenders I've been working with gave me a better rate every time rates improved in the past month. When I asked to switch to another LO, they had me wait a few more days just to have the same LO to reach out sending the exact same pricing offered a month ago when rates were ~ 0.5% higher and being super rude and passive aggressive when I sent her what I was offered today by another lender. read more

Did my refinance with them and it was amazing!! Robert and Amanda are great, thank you for making it so easy and smooth and getting me an amazing rate!! read more

First, I want to be very clear that Jenny Montoya, Loan Officer, is the ONLY person I worked with at Optimum who demonstrated consistent knowledge, professionalism, and strong customer service. Jenny Montoya deserves FIVE STARS, and Jenny Montoya only. After going under contract on a home, I shopped rates on Bankrate.com because this was the biggest purchase of my life and I wanted to be sure I was getting the best possible deal. Optimum had by far the best rates on the market, almost shockingly lower than competitors. My experience initially started out great. I entered my information on Bankrate and immediately received a call from Jenny at Optimum. She walked me through the application process and helped me compare rates with what my original lender had provided. Jenny was able to get my Initial Disclosure turned around quickly, and the numbers looked excellent. Based on this, I decided to move forward with Optimum. After approval, I was contacted by Julie Sengsouvanthong, a Processor at Optimum. My original closing date was scheduled for 01/02/26, and Julie suggested moving the closing up to before Christmas. After discussing this with my realtor and fiancé, we agreed it was a great idea and selected a closing date of 12/24/25. I then secured homeowners insurance and had completed all due diligence on my end by 12/16/25. Julie's next responsibility was to provide the Closing Disclosure, which is required three business days prior to closing. However, there was an issue on Julie's end regarding how to apply the seller credits, which exceeded closing costs. It is important to note that I was already under contract when I contacted Optimum, so Julie was aware of the seller credits from the beginning. Because she was unsure how to apply the excess credits, the Closing Disclosure was not issued in time. On Monday, 12/22/25, my realtor informed me that due to Optimum's mistake, we would no longer be closing on 12/24/25. Julie did not notify me of this. I had to email her myself to confirm. She did not take responsibility for the issue and never proactively reached out to explain the situation. That evening, I contacted Jenny to express my frustration, especially since moving the closing date earlier had been Julie's suggestion. Once again, Jenny stepped in, listened to my concerns, and coordinated with Julie's team to make the 12/24/25 closing happen. Jenny truly saved the day. On Tuesday, 12/23/25, I finally received the Closing Disclosure and wired my funds to the title company so they would be received in time for a 9:00 a.m. closing on 12/24/25. Later that afternoon, after I had already wired the funds, I received a call from the Processing Manager, Jack, who told me that Optimum was closed on 12/24/25 and that they would not be able to close my loan that day. As you can imagine, I was completely shocked. I had already wired funds and had a confirmed closing appointment with the title company. After forwarding Jack the emails showing that Julie had confirmed a 12/24/25 closing, he assured me that someone would be available to close the loan on that date. By this point, I was exhausted from the constant back and forth. I went into closing on 12/24/25 unsure whether Optimum would actually come through. It was not until the very last moment that I felt confident the loan would close. Overall, it felt like I had to do a significant amount of hand-holding throughout the process, which is not how a first-time homebuyer expects such an important experience to go. While Optimum ultimately saved me money with an excellent interest rate, it came at the cost of an incredibly stressful and frustrating process. In the future, I would be extremely hesitant to work with anyone at Optimum other than Jenny Montoya. She was truly the saving grace in this entire situation. Even my fiancé, who is normally very laid-back, was pulling his hair out. Thank God for Lexapro and Jenny Montoya. read more

Bad communication. Slow communication. Asked about their turn around time and was told to look at all the happy people on Yelp. Asked about if they had done mortgages in my area and was told to look at all the happy people on Yelp. Asked why it took them so long to get back to me and was told I wasn't a priority because they were doing things for real customers in the pipeline instead of inbound business. I do not feel valued nor important. Basically, when I asked them about their competencies and abilities they FAILED to communicate anything of substance. Oh, and I got a lower quote from another company who did answer all my questions. read more

My wife and I just refinanced our house in Anaheim Hills with the help of Jarrett Beach and Melissa Zucca. They made the whole refi process so easy and transparent. I was able to effectively plan out costs and even reduce our principal balance because Jarrett took the time to (1) answer my questions, (2) explain the refi process, and (3) breakdown where various estimated amounts were coming from. He talked through options so that we got the refi that we wanted without surprises. Our initial mortgage and home-buying process with another company was not great and left me and my wife unhappy with hidden costs. This did NOT happen with Jarrett and Melissa. We are so happy with outcome and will be coming to Jarrett and Melissa in the future if/when we need to refi or buy again. read more

Five stars is simply not enough for Cody Deniz. He handled our refinance and was absolutely amazing with everything from start to finish and got us closed in a remarkably short time. If you need a lender who is competent, kind, and delivers incredible speed, look no further. We will absolutely be recommending him to all our friends and family! read more

I had the pleasure of working with Optimum via Jacob Benavides, and he is the main reason I stayed with Optimum instead of choosing another lender. My wife and I had plenty of options, but the level of care, communication, and consistency he brought to the table made Optimum feel like the right place for us. Most of my direct interaction was with Jacob, but every part of the process with Optimum supported the work he was doing. When things slowed down on the outside, Jacob stepped in and pushed things forward. When details needed attention, he made sure they were handled correctly. It was clear that he cared about getting us into our home and about representing Optimum well. What I appreciated most was his dependability. He checked in regularly and made sure we understood what needed to happen next. He took the time to explain everything clearly and never made us feel like a burden. Through every high-pressure moment, he stayed calm and professional, and that gave us a lot of confidence during a stressful process. Optimum should be proud to have someone like Jacob on their team. His work speaks well of the company and reflects a culture that values honest communication and real support for its clients. We are grateful for the experience we had and would gladly work with Optimum again. read more

Optimum is the best! They work quickly, efficiently, professionally. Great use of tech, making the transaction easy. Especially Tiffani Buck, she's great! read more

We did a refinance with Lee and Aaron and it was such a smooth process. They were both very accessible and answered all of our questions. Not to mention they beat every other quoted rate we got. I would highly recommend. read more

disorganized, unresponsive, and ultimately a waste of time, money, and energy: I worked with Alfredo Rivas at Optimum First Mortgage to refinance one of my properties. The process started off very promising -- Alfredo said he had locked in a zero-cost loan for me, except for a few points I had agreed to pay. However, after that initial conversation, things quickly became frustrating. Nothing moved for two weeks. Then he ordered the appraisal and sent a cost estimate -- but several unexpected charges appeared. I reminded him that this was supposed to be a zero-cost loan (with me paying extra only to maintain 80% LTV). He hesitated but later said he would honor the original commitment after "talking to his manager." Next came issues with home insurance documentation. His assistant requested an unusual format for proof of insurance -- something I'd never encountered despite refinancing multiple times in the past. I contacted several well-known insurance companies and agents, and none had heard of such a requirement. After weeks of back-and-forth, I finally found a company willing to create a special letter as requested -- and I had to pay extra for it. Still, I agreed just to move forward, since I'd already paid for the appraisal. I was then told everything was ready and I'd soon receive the closing documents. A week passed with no update. When I followed up, Alfredo said the lender needed additional paperwork for insurance, which he had just submitted. That was four weeks into the process. Another week went by with no communication. After multiple follow-ups and no response, I finally told him -- six weeks after starting -- to cancel my application. He called saying I "deserved a call" and agreed to close it. But even after I sent an email requesting official confirmation and for my documents to be destroyed, nothing happened. Two weeks later, when I checked, my application was still active. Only after I submitted feedback through their website did another loan officer respond and finally cancel it. This was my first time using an online refinance company based purely on positive reviews -- but after this experience, I can't trust those reviews anymore. The process was disorganized, unresponsive, and ultimately a waste of time, money, and energy. read more

I honestly can't say enough good things about Optimum First and my loan officer Kelly. She has been by my side through multiple homes and loans over the years, and every single time she has worked tirelessly to make sure I was taken care of. Because of her dedication and expertise, she has saved me thousands of dollars every month and literally hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years. What makes Kelly so special isn't just her knowledge of mortgages -- it's the way she truly cares. She treats you like family, always looking out for your best interests and making the process as smooth and stress-free as possible. I've always felt like I was her top priority, and that kind of trust is priceless. Thanks to Kelly and Optimum, I've been able to achieve financial peace of mind and move into homes that I love without the constant worry of overwhelming payments. I am so grateful for her and would recommend her wholeheartedly to anyone looking for someone who will go above and beyond. read more

Danyelle our senior mortgage broker was amazing to work with, she is very knowledgeable, fast to respond and honestly the best we've worked with. I would highly recommend Danyelle's services and Optimum First for all your needs. We wouldnt hesitate to use her again!! read more

Getting a mortgage with Optimum with the help of Jon Cave was a great experience! He was very patient and thorough whenever there were questions. Had a few hiccups with the builder and negotiations, and Jon was there to explain to us the options with full transparency. Going to miss the long calls with him on the phone - and the cherry on top: Optimum offers great rates! Would not think twice before using them again. read more

My experience with Optimum was amazing, your mileage may vary depending on who you work / worked with. Specifically for me I worked directly with the LO Vanessa Cisneros and couldn't have asked for a better LO during my time sensitive closing. Long story short, I effectively switched to Optimum about a week into contract. Vanessa reached out to me with a very competitive rate and ensured this rate was not with any point buy downs as I didn't want to do that at all. Outside of that my other main concern along with my realtors was how fast they can close. Vanessa and the president of Optimum reached out to myself and my realtor ensuring that they could deliver and close on time if not sooner. Low and behold we closed actually a lot sooner than we anticipated without any hiccups along with me saving money on my closing costs. I can't vouch for any other LO's within that organization but working with the LO Vanessa Cisnero was an excellent experience. I never felt like a bother to her even though I had a thousand questions, she always answered my texts / phone calls promptly and addressed my concerns. My hand was literally held throughout this whole process. Having a great realtor played a large factor in this as well, as my realtor kept consistent communication between both me and the LO. Overall I can recommend Vanessa @ Optimum First Mortgage enough. read more

I had the pleasure of working with Jon Cave on completing my refinance, he did an incredible job & delivered for what was not an easy loan. For what it's worth, it's refreshing to find someone who actually takes the time to set (and deliver) on expectations. Jon held my hand throughout and took the time to answer all of my questions (even the ones I thought were silly or dumb potentially lol). Never once did Jon make me feel like I was bothering him and if anything, he over-communicated on my behalf to ensure I understood the steps to getting my loan done. I would 100% recommend Jon & Optimum First to anyone! Great work Jon :) Alice M. - Ohio read more

It was such an awesome experience to work with Magan Moore as my Senior Loan Officer for my new home :D ! Even before I truly started working with her, she was already very proactive and communicated very well with me regarding the loan approval process, and she provided me with loan estimates right away based on both a 20% and a 25% down payment :D ! I was REALLY impressed with how quickly she responded and with such high quality customer service, even before I made a decision to choose Optimum First Mortgage as my lender and to work with her as my Senior Loan Officer :) ! Cardinal Financial and Cadence Lending are the preferred lenders for my home builder, Palo Verde Homes, in El Paso. But I really wasn't as impressed with the loan officers from either of those lenders :( . They took such a long time to get back to me, if they even got back to me at all. Optimum also had extremely competitive rates, which were really attractive :D ! So that was also a huge PLUS :D ! Even though Optimum First Mortgage was not a preferred lender for my builder, and Optimum is based in Orange County, I decided to go with Optimum because Magan REALLY impressed me with her exceptional customer service :) ! She was SO much more attentive compared to the loan officers I had talked to from the preferred lenders (Cardinal Financial and Cadence Lending), who really did not do much and took their time to follow up on tasks and matters that really could have been done the same day. Magan from Optimum First Mortgage really shined above them :D !! It was my first time using Optimum as my mortgage lender. But because of her, I decided to give Optimum a try, and I am REALLY grateful that I did :D !! Magan really streamlined and kept on top of an otherwise extremely daunting and overwhelming loan approval process! She kept me in the loop throughout the entire loan approval process, including promptly calling me right away to inform me about my appraisal report, when my loan was officially funded, and also calling me on the day of closing last Friday to make sure that everything went well :) ! I was SO impressed :D !! She really followed through on EVERYTHING from the very beginning to the very end :) !! If I purchase another home in the future, I would DEFINITELY love to work with Magan Moore in the future for my loan :D !! She is extremely knowledgeable, always on top of everything, and she really strives to go well above and beyond for her clients :D !! If you work with her, you will be in such good hands because she REALLY takes great care of her clients :) !! She also has such a great team :D !! I also really enjoyed working with her assistants, Laura Rosen and Shae Richardson, who are also really awesome to work with, really make you feel comfortable, and assure you that everything will be ok :) ! Thanks SO MUCH for everything you do, Magan :D !! And thank you SO MUCH, Laura and Shae :D !! All of you are the BEST :D !! read more

This review is quite belated, as it unfortunately slipped through my consciousness for a few months; however, I would be remiss if I didn't express my profound gratitude for the help and guidance that Annie provided throughout a rather challenging loan process and close. To no fault of Annie's, I must have hit every roadblock conceivable in what should have been a rather smooth closing, but Annie was there, literally night and day (including one day when she was boarding a plane in Detroit), to keep me from throwing in the towel. Because of her kind and calm demeanor, because of her advocacy to help me with a rigorous underwriting process, and because she was so willing to look at all options with me, I now have my little dream residence near the ocean in San Diego. As a final plug, I have worked with numerous loan officers through a variety of transactions, and Annie was the best in my experience...you won't go wrong working with her. Although I would like to say that it is the mortgage company that makes the difference in a selection, it is definitely the people that work there that make or break the experience, and because Optimum is a reflection of Annie's work and customer service, it is because of that that I rate Optimum as excellent. Thank you, Annie, and wishing you all the best in your next chapter of life! If our paths cross again during my refi process, it would be a pleasure. Take care. read more

I'm a real estate agent in WA and my client used Erik Lopez. Working with Erik was great, he was always responsive and he laid out a clear plan and was always ready to pivot when the houses changed. read more

I had been working with another broker for a while but they were unable to refinance my rental property. I found Optimum First Mortgage and worked with Tiffani, and she solved my problems. She was able to get me a great rate, and the entire process was smooth and stress-free. I highly recommend with Optimum First Mortgage, especially if you get to work with Tiffani. read more

The process was smooth as butter. Jonathan ran point from beginning to end, with constant updates along the way. I never had to reach out or double-check anything, He proactively notified me of everything that was coming. Zero surprises, and a quick process to close. I should also mention a great rate, and zero closing costs. This was a no-brainer. Optimum will be my first call for any future mortgage needs, and I'll send any friends and family your way as well. read more

Lee Glen assisted me in refinancing our home - highly recommend. He was super responsive, knowledgeable and transparent throughout the entire process. read more

Matt was amazing from start to finish line. If he couldn't answer my call he'd call back as soon as possible. He made himself available to me at all times and was a voice of reason at times. If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change a thing. Thanks Matt! read more

As a Real Estate Broker of 40 years this is the worst experience that i have ever had with a mortgage lender. I absolutely say Stay away. At the lease minute after funding being 10 days late, they slipped in a pre-payment penalty. read more

My experience with Optimum First for my new home purchase mortgage was nothing short of excellent. Alyssa Gonzales was my plan officer and she was extremely responsive, helpful, and answered any questions that came up during the process. Her team (Claudia Chavez and Julie Vu) were excellent as well. Our loan was processed and cleared to close in 3 weeks, which is insanely fast and made the process less stressful because we were ready ahead of time or closing which was a 4 week time period. In addition to this, Optimum has the best rates compared to the other 4 lenders I shopped and they were the most responsive and fastest. This also includes comparing them to my previous loan processes which includes new loans and refis. If you are looking for a mortgage and don't fill the need to go to a loan office or bank, want the best rates, and best service then reach out to Alyssa. Thank you! Jon read more

If you want your dreams to come true, call Tim Williams!!! I've worked with him through the purchase of multiple houses and I refuse to look anywhere else, or work with anyone else! When I was a first time home buyer, Tim walked me through everything and explained it all to me till I felt comfortable. He's always available to answer any questions, and works hard to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible. He looks out for YOU the customer and ensures everything runs on time, and any possible issues are taken care of BEFORE they may arise. Seriously, best person to work with when making such a huge decision. HIGHLY recommend him, you won't regret it! Also, shout out to Gaby with all her behind the scenes efforts. You guys all made this experience an amazing and smooth one (again)! You have my business lifelong! Thank you both SO much!! read more

As first time home buyers, we had a solid experience with Optimum. Best rates, among the lowest fees, and among the fastest closing times when compared to credit unions, big banks, and others. Vanessa Cisneros, loan officer, was very helpful in answering any and all questions that we could come up with, and we had a lot of detailed questions! She even helped us lock in our rate on a Sunday evening and get the loan process started. Laura Rosen, loan processor, was also helpful during loan processing with her quick communication to keep things moving. We reached "clear to close" in just 12 days. Overall excellent experience, and we look forward to refinancing with Optimum in the future. read more

Lee is great! Quick to respond and is quick to answer all my questions. I'm very happy.

As a home owner, business owner and real estate investor for the last 45 years, working with Jason Boggs and Optimum First Mortgage was truly a refreshing experience. Timely, with just enough "push"; Insightful, with humbly delivered advise; Proactive, with excellent communication; Jason is incredibly talented, creating and leading the smoothest mortgage refinance experience I have ever experienced. PLEASE NOTE: If and when interest rates drop, and after 6 months, Optimum will refi our mortgage at NO COST...FOR THE LIFE OF THE LOAN!! This may well be the last mortgage company I will ever need! Thank you Jason!! read more

Everything went fine, I got the lowest rate from them from the get go. No issues with the transaction. My loan was serviced to UWM after I signed all the documents. read more

As a first time home buyer the process can be a bit intimating. However, Erik was AMAZING!!! He made the entire process seamless! Thank you so much Erik for providing a great experience. I look forward working with you and sending future clients your way! read more

Amanda Hurtado is as good as a loan officer one can hope to encounter and deal with. She is friendly, knowledgeable, and answers all my inquires/questions accurately and promptly. I am particularly impressed with her diligence, efficiency and professionalism throughout the process! read more

Spoke with many lenders and even got super close to closing with Mr Cooper before they suddenly decided they needed 20% down (a week before closing) - Erik with Optimum swooped in and saved the day. Got me a better interest rate and got the deal done only two weeks after our initial planned closing date. Erik was amazing! Chatted with me via text and alleviated a lot of my concerns off hours. Will definitely recommend them to close friends and family - and plan to refinance with them when the time is right. read more

Hassle free quick refinance I was looking for refinancing from local California-based lenders and found Optimum First on bankrate site. I got a good refinance rate and no closing cost loan from James and the subsequent refinance process was pretty much smooth, without any hassles. James was responsive and response was very quick to all my queries. He was responding over email as well as text providing flexibility to me. I would definitely recommend them to my friends and family. read more