Sonya Valia at Vista Lending was recommended to us by our realtor, Jake Joseph. I procrastinated on getting prequalified. I reached out to Sonya thinking we would be putting an offer on a house within a couple of days. Not knowing what the recent lending requirements were, I figured I was late to the game. During our initial call, Sonya brought me up to date with the latest lending requirements, along with the documents required to get things started. Quickly on the call, I realized Sonya was well adverse in the industry. In addition, she focused on building a relationship rather than the transaction. I told her about the potential house we planned on putting an offer on. She assured me she would be able to provide the prequal letter in the time frame we needed. We ended up not putting an offer on the house. While we searched for our home Sonya was always available to answer questions. When we finally found the house, Sonya worked with our relator in submitting our offer. As we worked through the financing period I was uncertain on the term, putting more down and whether buying down points made sense. Sonya worked out projections on the different scenarios and walked me through it, while keeping in perspective our financial goal. We received exceptional service from Sonya but given the significant investment I did contact a couple other mortgage brokers. I was pleasantly surprised that her rates were the most competitive I found. It's a rare combination to get competitive rates combined with exceptional service but we received that with Sonya. I was expecting the financing part to be the most time consuming and tedious process but Sonya and her team made it easy. Sonya's diligence saved us a few hundred dollars in closing costs, as she identified a couple unnecessary survey and redundant title policy. We are grateful and very fortunate to have been able to work with Sonya and her team. read more

I'd give 10 STARS if I could! I am utterly grateful to Mike and his team (shout outs to the Sarah's!!) for the professionalism, patience, hard work, and constant availability, on all channels. The STANDOUT quality, though, was the rapport and trust established. The human quality on this team is unsurpassed. Clearly, they do this to make a living, but the feeling throughout my journey was that of having an all-star coach in my corner. My realtor pointed me at Mike Robertson to begin the mortgage conversation over a year ago. I made him aware immediately that I was in research mode and could not pull the real estate trigger until my divorce was complete, which was a distant question mark. Out of the gates, Mike went above and beyond. Not only is he knowledgeable and patient in explaining, in simple terms, the; products available to a buyer, the pros and cons of the various options, and spinning up both predictive and real figures in minutes, in my case, he was also able to offer advice (wisdom even) on how best to navigate certain parts of my divorce in order to achieve my goals. My goal is accomplished! and it was lofty... Can't wait to have Mike and the team to my house warming party! These people have your back. Thank you, Vista Lending. You rock! read more

Russ at Vista Lending went ABOVE and BEYOND. When we began the process, I didn't even have credit. Russ made some recommendations for me to get established. Once I had a decent score (a mere month later), I called Russ back and he found me a rate an entire 2 points under every other lender I contacted. He quickly became my go-to guy for stupid questions that only a first-time buyer such as myself would ask. He was patient, and kind throughout the entire process. And talk about responsiveness: We received my appraisal while he was on his honeymoon and he emailed me the great news immediately. (I don't know how his betrothed felt, but it won my loyalty for life). I hope I never have to sell, I love my house, but If I do, I will definitely reach out to Russ at Vista Lending. He even came to my closing, and just now, a month after selling, I emailed him a picture of mail to ask if it was valid. He's a rock star. Hands down, a true rock star. I also have to mention how awesome Sarah was through Vista. She worked with me to gather all of the necessary paperwork and kept in touch throughout a flu, vacation, and Christmas. Truly an amazing team. read more

There is a reason Vista and Sonya Valia have so many stars. I am a Realtor and just used Sonya for the purchase of our new home. Early on in the process, we realized that the builder messed up on filing some paperwork that affected our closing. They would not be ready to close on time which affected our moving date, etc. With a 3 year old and a 5 month old, I adamantly did not want to have to move 2 times (out of our house into temporary housing and then into the new house when it was ready). Even though the issue was with our builder, Sonya stepped in and worked her magic to get the paperwork filed. It was because of her diligence and industry knowledge we were able to close on our home. She and her team are the best... including Sarah and Sarah! I recommend them to all of my clients because of their great service and knowledge. I don't think people understand how many things can go sideways in the sale or purchase of a home. Make sure your team knows what they are doing and that they are available when you need to talk to them.... that doesn't always happen with the big banks. read more

We have used Russ for two home purchases now. They have an incredible team that has made each a hassle free and easy adventure. Top things that we loved is how responsive and proactive they were at providing updates and keeping us informed. E-mails were usually responded to within minutes, even after hours. They also came out ahead of all of the other lenders for cost as well. Keep in mind that customer service and the loan origination fees (the actual lender fees) are the only thing that is different between lenders. These guys have the best service of any lender I have ever worked with and also worked hard to make sure they offered the lowest lender fees. We also appreciated that there was zero pressure and very honest recommendations about the best time of loan option. Russ always strikes a perfect balance to share options and trade-offs and guiding while leaving us with the decision. For context, I never write reviews. This is the first time I have ever written a yelp review and I wouldn't do it unless I felt it was someone that I would absolutely recommend to anyone. read more

Vista Lending is the best loan company in town. Mike and Sarah and all the coworkers were working as a good team. Everyone has their own specialty working hard to help you to get the work done. Without their knowledge and help, I don't think I could get the loan to close my deal. I had been declined by many other companies because my tax return had a lot of write offs which shows I don't have enough income to qualify for a loan. I was so disappointed. Then I told to my realtor Amanda that I need to cancel the deal because I could not get the loan. Then she referred Mike to me. Mike took my case very seriously. I remember the first day he was trying to find the right loan for me and he was working very late at night. Next day I got the good news, he found it and his coworkers Sarah started helping me step by step until the loan closed. They are very efficient, smart and friendly. I need to mention that Mike is a genius. He has a lot of experience and he knows all different kinds of rules to fit for different people's situations. read more

Russ Laing handled our home loan from start to finish. From the start, he provided several options with different scenarios regarding the down payment and interest rates. He served as an Information broker providing easy to understand lingo and was always available to answer questions. He made it clear we would not experience pressure from him our Vista to select any product or option but it was an individual decision on our part. Russ is professional, dependable, honest and would rather take a loss than gain from unethical, untrue methods. He is proactive and engaged throughout the loan process. We felt like he was always on our side as he had multiple conversations with our builder and researched local HOA and County rules. When we walked into our closing with the Title Company and before Russ arrival, the Company rep said" Russ is the best loan officer they have ever worked with" and they work with several companies throughout the area. His attention to detail is unmatched by any loan officer in the business. read more

Russ and his team made buying my house SO easy! I've bought many homes and none of them were this easy. I've never even thought once "I should give my lender a Yelp review" until now. I was referred to Russ by a friend of mine. I'm so glad I went with them instead my agent's referral. Russ is FAST and responds immediately. I had to ask him to change my approval letter so many times for different homes I was making offers on. He would get the new one back to me within seconds sometimes!! In addition to Russ being awesome so was Jennifer! She was just as responsive as Russ and never once made me feel silly for all the questions I asked. She handled everything with grace and professionalism. My real estate agent was so impressed with this team he might even switch his clients over. Russ also showed up to my closing and according to my agent, that's rare but really good in case there are any hiccups. He also brought me wine so honestly, that's what really made me want to write this review. Haha. Just kidding. Kind of.. read more

Thank you Sonya and Sarah!! My first time home-buying experience was extremely easy with Vista Lending. I was very hesitant about trusting any institution, as I was very much uneducated in buying a home, the market and finding a great rate on a loan. I can't thank their team enough. Sonya and Sarah made me feel like a family member throughout the entire loan experience. I am extremely satisfied with their knowledge of the market and the loan process. We encountered a few speed bumps along the way, however, there was always a solution or another way around the problem to make my loan successful and affordable. After finally finding a home, the team were supportive all the way through the closing process, and I came out of it much more educated and confident. As well as being by my side the whole time, they took the time to teach and make sure I understood exactly what was taking place and all of my options. I will ALWAYS recommend Vista Lending to friends and family. You rock Sonya and Sarah!! Steven A read more

Russ Laing is one of those people who restores your faith in people in the financial industry. He seems to have an easy time mixing professionalism with approachability to such a degree that you're almost unaware you've entered into a business relationship. Conversations with him are so easy and free flowing that you're never left with questions or concerns. in fact, I realized he was someone I was comfortable working with when he would walk me through the process and answer questions that I haven't even thought of asking yet. I felt taken care of, prepared for the home loan process, and better informed overall. In fact, I've called on Russ 3 times to refinance/purchase my homes and also referred him to several friends/coworkers. And have heard nothing but positive responses. You'd be hard pressed to find someone better suited for your lending needs. And his team looks out for you. They were patient and courteous as well. As long as I'm in the area, I won't be using anyone else. read more

In Austin's hot real estate market - especially in the Mueller District - the promise of closing quickly made all of the difference in my offer being chosen by the seller from among the many offers they received. My realtor had told me that if I wanted to be able to ensure delivery on that promise that Vista Lending was a good firm to use, and definitely to not use a big "box" loan company as they would have been slower. She said that Vista has a reputation for using a personal touch and said that many of her clients had used Vista and that she never had one miss an on-time closing as promised. Mike Robertson and the folks at Vista really delivered on that promise - a 4 week whirlwind closing - their staff guided me through every step. Many thanks to Mike and Sonia, Sarah, Russ, both Jennifers, and the rest of the folks at Vista - we love the new house, and would not hesitate to use your firm again for our next home purchase as well! read more

Sonya Valia at Vista Lending is an angel. When we started the process of looking for our first home we met with Sonya and she gave us a much needed education on how we could get pre-qualified. She was kind, sensitive, asked us a million questions, and let us ask her a million questions. She patiently walked us through each step and we left that meeting feeling much more confident in our financial understanding of buying a house. When we wanted to make an offer she was extremely responsive, timely, and thorough. Though we ended up deciding to build a new house and had to go with the builder's preferred lender, Sonya still offered us her help! She reviewed the quote that the preferred lender gave us to make sure it matched with the market and our credit score. I cannot say enough good things about our experience with Sonya. She truly went above and beyond and I will definitely recommend her to everyone I know. read more

My fiance and I had a great, seamless experience working with Russ Laing and his team when we were buying our first home together recently. We were referred to Russ by our realtor, Mark Strub, and we are so glad that we were. Out of the whole selling/buying experience, getting pre-approved and approved for our loan was, by far, the easiet part. We did our best providing our documentation as quickly as possible and Russ and his team did their best getting our loan written and approved! Between the lender of our buyer and Vista Lending, it was like Night and Day. Where the other lender had multiple delays and little communication, Russ and his team had zero delays (in fact, our loan was approved must faster than anticipated) and no gaps in communication. Definitely would love to use their services again! Thank you again to Russ and the other great people at Vista Lending! read more

Sonya Valia is my hero. I cannot say enough good things about her and her wonderful team. My fiance and I just closed on our very first home - why we thought making the biggest purchase of our lives right before we get married was a good idea, I don't recall. As first-time home buyers, we attempted to educate ourselves on the process, but still felt nervous and uninformed. Sonya walked us through every step of the process (sometimes two or three times) until we understood the ins and outs. Inevitably, there were little hiccups along the way and she always eased our worries and calmly led us to safety. Her team patiently responded to all of my emails - even after hours. We really felt like we had a team behind us. I can't imagine going through the first buying experience with anyone else. THANK YOU Sonya, Sarah, Jennifer and Karen! We are so thrilled to be homeowners. read more

Our realtor recommended Russ when we suddenly needed to get an offer together in a matter of hours. He confidently put together the approval letter we needed to submit with the offer. After shopping around we decided to go with Russ for lending as well and we're so glad we did! Russ goes above and beyond in his communication with clients. On multiple occasions Russ emailed or called us during off hours (I.e. late evenings and weekends) to sort through and explain our loan options. Even since our loan was transferred he has been extremely responsive in answering our questions. This kind of attention was really important to us when buying our first home. And we didn't feel we would get it from a big bank. All said and done- we closed on time, we feel good about our loan, and we feel 100% supported by the people at Vista Lending. Would definitely recommend to anyone! read more

I will start off by saying that I very rarely leave Yelp reviews and that I had a hard time believing anyone could have a near perfect rating. Especially when it comes to a financial service. We were first time homebuyers and pretty nervous about the whole process of buying a home. Shawn is not only an extremely nice person but he also does a wonderful job of keeping you updated on the process, and what is to be expected each step of the way. Early on we were recommended to try a larger mortgage company. This was an apparent mistake from the start. They lacked the ability to even answer the most basic of questions in a timely manner. Shawn or someone from his team would answer our questions immediately and confidently. We knew that after speaking with him over the phone this was the company we would go with. We could not be happier with our choice. read more

Sonya was recommended to us by a friend when we purchased an investment property and she turned out to be awesome. She gave us all the necessary information, was upfront and extremely helpful. She even suggested that we go with the builder's mortgage since that would be a better deal for us. Who does that at the potential cost of losing a sale?! That was when we knew that that next time we purchased a home and wanted to finance, it would be through Sonya. A few months later when we purchased a home, we went to Sonya and as expected, she did not disappoint; always concise, clear, quick and honest. Sonya even answered my texts on weekends and answered all the necessary questions. Sonya and her team are just amazing folks and I very highly recommend them. Thanx Sonya, Sarah and Aasha for this home and for all that you do! read more

We have purchased numerous homes in the past but this is a first that involved acreage. To further complicate matters we had not sold our current home so two liens were necessary. Russ made the process seem fairly effortless and low stress. He was prompt to return calls and made every effort to answer our questions. He was flexible regarding our frequent changes to the loan terms and worked hard to communicate changes during the entire process. In addition, his team assisted us as we navigated through the maze of document requests and made this process, although not pleasant, easier than with other lenders we have dealt with in the past. Closing went extremely smooth. Thanks to Russ, Jennifer(s), Sarah and other staff members who worked behind the scenes to make our experience positive. read more

Mike Robertson and his team at Vista Lending were phenomenal during our home buying process in Austin. We just closed last week! We were first time homebuyers and Mike took the time to explain every step of the process so that we felt comfortable and had a complete understanding of the loan. He was also able to work with our real estate agent to get us the personalized approval letters we needed to make our offers quickly (they day we decided to make the offers!). Austin was a competitive market to buy in and we were happy that we choose Mike and Vista Lending. Mike was wonderful to work with, always responded quickly and his attitude showed that he cared about our business and us. I want to thank him and his staff for their professionalism and highly recommend them. read more