Avoid at All Costs.
My experience with Priority 1 and specifically with Patrick was one of the most frustrating, dishonest, and exhausting experiences I have ever had.
Patrick initially reached out to me with what he described as a special refinance opportunity with a significantly better interest rate. I told him upfront that I was extremely busy at work in the middle of a major project, but that I was interested. Despite knowing this, he proceeded to contact me nonstop until I finally agreed to move forward.
He immediately requested a large amount of highly sensitive personal and financial documentation. When I asked for a secure portal to upload these documents, he told me it would take too long to set up and instructed me to email everything instead. That alone should have been my first red flag.
Once the refinance process began, it went downhill fast. Every single conversation I had with Patrick was filled with misinformation or outright lies. I clearly explained that because of my workload, I needed him to over-communicate and clearly explain what was being offered, as the documents were confusing and I did not have the bandwidth to dissect them line by line. He promised he would do exactly that. He did not.
When I eventually gained access to the portal, I discovered that the loan terms were changing constantly weekly. The loan amount increased by $40,000, closing costs changed repeatedly, and items were continuously rolled into the loan. Despite this, Patrick consistently assured me on the phone that the loan amount would be "X" and that there would be NO closing costs. Every time. Without fail.
When I finally sat down and carefully reviewed the documents myself, I realized the loan was for a new 30-year term and the total loan amount was higher than my original loan, meaning I would lose years of equity I had already paid into my home. Even with interest savings, the math simply did not make sense.
When I raised this concern, Patrick genuinely could not comprehend it. I spent 45 minutes explaining basic math to a mortgage broker, showing him repeatedly why this loan was worse for me financially. Instead of addressing the issue, he began talking about how much time he had put in and how he needed to provide for his family. That was my breaking point.
I told him I was done.
A few days later, Patrick reached out again with a "new offer" that he claimed was exactly what I had been asking for all along. By this point, I had zero trust in him and explicitly told Patrick and another member of the Priority 1 Lending team that I did not want to work with him anymore and wanted to speak to a manager.
That call never came. No manager. No follow-up.
After reviewing the new documents myself, the loan seemed to appear to be what I wanted. Against my better judgment, I signed the paperwork and scheduled closing.
My mistake.
At closing, when the notary arrived and I began signing, the loan amount was significantly higher than expected. I called Patrick immediately. His response?
"Oh, that's because the documents you signed had $10,000 due at closing, and I knew you didn't want that, so we had to rework the loan."
Let that sink in.
He knowingly withheld critical information, changed the loan terms without explaining them, and waited until I was literally sitting at the closing table to reveal it. After repeatedly telling me since day one that there would be nothing due at closing.
I told him I would sign just to be done with him and hung up. He never contacted me again.
I sat there absolutely furious with the notary--who told me this was not the first time she'd seen this exact situation and that it was disturbingly common.
In hindsight, the biggest red flag of all was that Patrick could not do basic math. I had to explain the numbers over and over again in multiple ways until he finally understood. I would have had an easier time teaching my 9-year-old niece.
This is his job. This is what he does every single day.
Patrick, if you're reading this: find another career. This is not the one for you. And to anyone considering Priority 1 Lending--run. read more