Let me tell you a story. Earlier this year I was in the process of buying a house, and I was using the same broker I had used for several previous transactions. This was my first "large" purchase, and what seemed to start ok went downhill quickly. I had a couple of start and stops with different investors and was in danger of losing the deal on the house altogether. In order to procure the house, I was advised by this broker to take out a hard money loan with a promise that he would be able to make things right. One month later, he still had not made things right and proceeded to tell me that he would not be able to close the deal for me. In other words, he hung me out to dry. Besides being righteously pissed, I was now in a very hairy situation with a short term loan with sucky terms and no path forward. To add injury to insult, my credit score had declined over the few months due to expenses I had to take on, and my reserves were much lower. In other words, I went from being a slam dunk prime rate approval (except for the fact that my broker couldn't seem to actually make this work!) to an uphill battle in a very stressful situation. I am an avid 710 ESPN Radio listener and had heard ads for Tom Schwab and Westwood during the Brock and Saulk show. The ads sounded great, and I was in a pretty tough situation, so I chose to give him a call. I explained my situation, and he committed that he would find a solution. In parallel I called a few other brokers and explained the same situation to them, with similar promises of being able to find a solution. Other brokers were fairly non-communicative, but Tom, Ashley, and the entire team were great about staying in touch and keeping me apprised of the situation. Some people go the extra mile, but Tom went the extra many miles, exhaustively exploring options to find the best fit for my unusual situation. In my situation he had to be the broker rather than the lender, which was not his preference, but he treated me like a first class citizen the entire way. He came up with multiple options and worked them in parallel in case some of them ultimately ended up not working out. This was a good thing, too, as it is amazing how flaky banks and mortgage lenders can be. Even with a few of the options not working out and a lot of stress and frustration along the way, Tom was able to deliver a solution that solved my immediate problem with a future path to get into an even better state where he would be able to act as the lender. And the other brokers I called? Crickets. After a few exchanges they all went silent. And my original broker? He and his boss stopped responding to my emails and phone calls. But Tom? He never stopped working until he had a solution. I find this even more impressive that he is also the President of Westwood. He could have given me to someone else or decided early on that my problem was too challenging, but he took it on personally and showed me that there are mortgage lenders that are trustworthy, ethical, and appreciate a challenge. One other thing to call out is that there is a wealth of experience here. Tom can clearly do the standard prime mortgage, but he is able and willing to explore creative options in the non-QM world to ensure he can meet your needs. This level of flexibility and overall knowledge makes him an invaluable partner who will find a solution for you. I was also impressed with Tom's humility. Throughout the process I would thank him for all of his hard work, and he would constantly tell me that I shouldn't be thanking him since he hadn't delivered results yet. He was not satisfied until the loan closed. Once it did, I thanked him again, quite profusely, and this time I told him he had to accept it because we had crossed the finish line! He laughed and agreed and then thanked me for my patience! Tom is made of gold, that is for sure. I own multiple properties and plan on continuing to buy properties into the future, and I can assure you that Tom is a lifelong partner for me. Additionally, I will be referring him and Westwood to anyone I can. If you want a mortgage lender who is ethical, trustworthy, transparent, will be a true partner, AND gets the job done, then you should absolutely call Tom Schwab and Westwood Mortgage. They are the real deal. read more

This is the second time I used Westwood Mortgage for my refinancing. Tom and his staff are top-notch! Both times everything went very smoothly. Tom and his staff were super responsive to my questions. I highly recommend Westwood Mortgage! read more

I refinanced home with Westwood Mortgage. Erika helped me through the process and was very responsive from start to finish. Highly recommend. Their rates were competitive. read more

Pat Dunn with Westwood Mortgage has been doing my home loans and refis for years now and he always comes through with everything he promises. I highly recommend Pat and Westwood Mortgage! read more

The mortgage crisis of the past several years has provided our national narrative with an endless stream of absolutely heartbreaking stories of honest people losing their life savings due to dishonest lenders and unethical mortgage brokers. Let's face it, the process of financing a home is impossibly complex for the average consumer. We are asked to basically turn over our financial history for inspection--pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements. brokerage statements, credit reports, etc. Then, if something is amiss, be prepared to explain why, sometimes in excruciating detail. And that's not even the most intimidating part of the entire process. Once you get your approval, you'll schedule an appointment to sign the paperwork. And oh is there paperwork to sign. Be prepared to put your John Hancock on one form after another, after another...none of which you will really understand. If you've got a helpful escrow agent, (the person representing the company which holds the documents, money, and other materials until the loan closes) he or she will give you a 10 second summary of each page, but don't plan on the process making much sense even at that point. It's just very complex and not consumer friendly, which is why it's easy to understand how so many people were able to be swindled by so many dishonest mortgage brokers and banks. Which is why I'm so glad we know Kevin Haynes. Kevin Haynes has been the only mortgage broker I've used over the past 18 years which includes three house purchases and more re-fi's than I can remember. I trust him completely. Sure the process is no less complex or intimidating, but it makes a world of difference knowing that I don't have to be stressed out about whether I'm getting ripped off in any way--either now or down the road at some point. Kevin is an exceptionally laid back guy. He has never once put a hard sell on me or made any recommendation that I might be uncomfortable with. In all the business I've done with him, there's never once been an ugly last minute surprise. Outside of a quarterly newsletter and an annual birthday card, he leaves it up to me to determine when it's time to be in touch. He does his homework thoroughly and is always prepared with several different options to consider. If you ask, he'll also provide his guidance as to what he thinks is the best option. The team Kevin works with is also top notch, including Laura at Guardian Escrow. They are friendly, prompt and happy to answer any questions. You really feel like everyone is working on your behalf. read more

The Elite of Mortgage Brokers, Joe MacCamy (pronounced Macaimy): Thought about buying a house only to give up before you even take the first step? Are you one of these people who got into a great deal of debt, joined Consumer Credit Counseling, have paid off your debt but are afraid your credit history will keep you from owning a home? Well, that's where Joe comes in. You see, I know a couple of people who were in debt at least 30k and paid it off through CCC and upon my wife's and my recommendation they went to Joe MacCamy to secure a home loan. Now, I can't tell you spit about Westwood Mortgage other than if Joe works for them, they must rock; however, I can tell you about Joe and here's the deal, in spite of their credit history, Joe amazingly got those people mortgages and they are in their dream homes, and loving it I might add. They are raising their kids there and enjoying all of the BBQs and tax breaks that come along with owning a home. Now, my wife and I had excellent credit and had lived in an apartment for five years here in Ballard. It was a nice two bedroom, two bath, top floor apartment with a spectacular view but as Ballard grew hot, so did the rent and then we were paying mortgage prices for our apartment. We had our "list" of what we wanted in our dream home and went in search of it in our neighborhood and finally found one just two blocks north of our apartment on the same street. It met everything on our list and then some. We must have walked by it a hundred times and didn't notice it until that day in 1997 when my wife's visiting cousin pointed out the For Sale sign. The Realtor who was from Windermere Real Estate recommended Joe to us for the mortgage and Joe got it for us. It was a piece of cake for him. By August 30, 1997, we were in our new home which at the time was only five years old. From then on, Joe was our hero. His attributes? Joe is all about customer service Joe enjoys making the seemingly impossible possible Joe loves seeing the tears of joy people have when they get a loan for their dream home. Joe REALLY KNOWS HIS JOB Joe is down-home friendly Joe is nothing short of amazing at what he can do to get you a loan. Joe Totally ROCKS! So, if you fall into that first paragraph, let Joe be your man. Even if you have good credit, let Joe be your man because he has built his solid and amazing reputation by mostly word of mouth from overwhelmingly satisfied customers like us. You can't go wrong with Joe. You can't! read more

Westwood Mortgage - This is Joe - Mortgage Brokers Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I have worked with Patrick Dunn twice on refinancing my property. I have been thoroughly impressed by the high level of care and service that he has provided. Patrick's commitment to me as a client and his perseverance during the whole refinance process has been outstanding. His approach is truly the gold standard in customer service. read more

Last year I posted a review about Patrick Dunn, a mortgage broker with Westwood Financial. He came through for us in a big way , again! He provided an avenue for us to dramatically reduce the interest rate and payments on our jumbo loan! I cannot adequately express our gratitude for his diligence in hel read more

Hi. I just finished buying a property in N.E. Seattle. I used Westwood Mortgage for the financial and couldn't be happier. Tom did a great job guiding me thru the process. Things have changed recently, and it seems the buying a house is much more complicated than just a few years ago. So having a mortgage broker is a must, before you start looking for your dream home. read more

Tom and his team made the process of refinancing our condo easy and a lot less intimidating than we had anticipated. He took time to explain the process and answer all of our questions. He was patient, professional and a pleasure to work with. We would definitely work with him again and highly recommend him! read more

We have had Drew at Westwood Mortgage help us refinance two times now. The whole staff there was so helpful and made the process as quick & easy as possible. I really appreciate the service and will definitely use them again next time we need a mortgage. read more

Pat Dunn worked a couple miracles for us, finding an incredible rate for a 30 yr conventional mortgage for us, made all the more difficult with the fact that I had recently changed jobs. He was also able to bird-dog this thing into closing a day earlier than expected. We couldn't be happier with his service and would recommend him to our friends and family without hesitation. read more

We have now completed one new home purchase, and one re-finance with Westwood Mortgage. Both of our experiences have been so unbelievably positive, in all ways, that I wouldn't consider working with anyone else. From the personal attention, to their creative problem-solving, to their ways of finding a way to "get it done", they have been just phenomenal to work with. We have had the pleasure of working with Steve Daley twice now - and he is amazing. I would highly suggest you reach out to Steve directly if you are considering a re-finance or new home purchase. Such a pleasure to work with! read more

I worked with Jonathan Tcruz at Westwood Mortgage on a new home loan. ( I also have a mortgage on a rental) He has absolutely been fantastic, professional and knowledgeable. I was originally working with another lender, they were limited to only a few options. ( after two months they told me that they have nowhere to go) I then consulted Westwood Mortgage and the next day Jonathan Tcruz called me And was able to think outside of the box and help me out with my situation. He was Very informative and kept me posted at all times. I am so happy with Westwood Mortgage !! I also got a great rate! If you want a true Professional on your side as far as mortgage needs get a hold of Jonathan. read more

Tom and Co went above and beyond first getting my husband and I in our condo and later on making the extra efforts to refinance with a better situation. Westwood was even able to get the escrow folks to come to us at our home for signing when we had a six week old baby and couldn't get out of the house. read more

Tom took the time to help us understand a variety of financing options and made the entire process easy. His team is organized and they communicate well. There were no surprises other than a lower than expected interest rate. We're happy with our loan and our house closed without a hitch. read more

Mortgages. With the exception of a successful career, there's nothing joyous about successfully acquiring a mortgage. Comedians even make jokes about them. Family members and friends will tell you about the pages of documentation needed before your loan is finally issued. Mortgage refinancing, much like a do-over, is supposed be easier and familiar. Unfortunately for us, there were several instances where we felt the process was more difficult than our first mortgage. Pros: * Application: Within a few hours of my spouse being on the phone, providing our social security number, we had a quote and were asked to review the documentation within three days. * Support: On several occasions,we reached out to Brett (Westwood Mortgage) to clarify any issues associated with errors or omissions in our paperwork. Each time he made himself available. Also, Brett was happy to assist us with a real-time review of rates, while discussing rebates which could go towards closing costs and the monthly mortgage payments. In fact, we saved on inspection fees, as one of the institutions we were aligning with didn't require it. * Convenience: If the idea of paper laying around your home or office worries you, then your concerns will be misplaced against Westwood Mortgage. Rather, Westwood uses online forms, with support for digital signature, which can be accessed on any browser or on any device (including smartphones). Additionally, Westwood Mortgage has their own escrow company, which will assist you with the final paperwork, prior to acquiring your new mortgage. Cons: * Errors: While we appreciated the expediency to which Westwood Mortgage took to get our application paperwork processed, we noticed several errors (including years of mortgage, work history, etc.), which never got corrected. On one occasion, having noticed my work history was incorrect, on both the online form and paper form, I corrected (and initialized) the information on the paper document. Unfortunately, upon filling out the final paperwork, I noticed those errors were never corrected (despite being assured several times). * Convenience: During the application process we rarely received any scheduled notices that our paperwork was pending. Instead we were often emailed notices (with an includeds URL) of paperwork requiring our signature. Often the language in the email included phrases like "It is important that you find, open, and sign this document TODAY", which can be intimidating when initiating your first refinance. Overall Satisfaction Given everything we went through, we will more than likely not be aligning ourselves with Westwood Mortgage in the future. Our decision is based on several key areas. 1. Accuracy. During the application process and the final sign off, we were presented inaccurate paperwork which (despite assurances) were never corrected at signing. 2. Convenience. During the application process, we were consistently contacted for signatures during work hours. While the convenience of filling out online forms is appreciated, the notices are less than convenient during a time when work should take priority over private matters. 3. Followup. Recently we were contacted by Westwood Mortgage to gauge our experience. At no point did the Vice President make mention of the mistakes that were made during our application. Rather they requested that if our satisfaction was met, that we refer them to friends and family. Furthermore, we were asked to reach out to them if we had any issues, so they could make it better. I can assure you that, short of refunding their fee, we don't think they can change our perception of their business practices. Let me be clear on something, Westwood Mortgage is rated highly by other customers. So my experience should not overshadow other people's perceived positive outcomes. However, I advise you to do the following: 1. Get your terms of the mortgage in writing, prior to Westwood Mortgage submitting your application. If you don't then you will be forced to fill out a Change of Circumstances form. 2. Ask them how often they will check with you, regarding the progress of your application, or if you're responsible to track the progress. 2. Review any and all errors on your application and get them corrected, prior to signing. No one should be pressured to sign paperwork, especially when there are legal ambiguities (associated with misrepresentation of information) listed in almost every form. 3. If you find yourself filling out several Change of Circumstances forms then walk away. In conclusion, we will not be seeking out Westwood Mortgage for future refinancing needs. They never corrected several key mistakes, despite having been issued corrections. It might seem petty, but when you've fulfilled your legal responsibility to provide accurate information, prior to signature, they should do the same. read more

Brett Bly from Westwood Mortgage has worked with us for years on a number of refinances & new purchases. We have always been extremely impressed by his professionalism, knowledge of the mortgage market and his patient demeanor. He explains things very thoroughly and will answer any/all questions. He is also proactive in reaching out and has contacted us when rates were favorable. We just finished refinancing our primary residence last month so that is how recently we've worked with him but he's been our mortgage broker for over 8 years. We have recommended him to friends and co-workers as well. I can't stress enough how knowledgeable he is about how other aspects like current events, bond rates, the stock market, etc. all influence mortgage rates and what that means for the process of getting a loan. He is enthusiastic and smart. read more

My fiancee and I recently went through the process of purchasing a new home with Joe. He appeared knowledgeable and helpful at first, but the further we got in the process the less informative he became. The entire process was disorganized and frustrating, extremely different from our prior experiences. He had little to no experience with a VA joint loan and incorrect information was provided on numerous occasions. We requested a longer than usual time to close, 45 days, and still missed our closing date. We were on track 30 days into the process without any issue and then suddenly we were up against the wire and unlikely to close on time. We would have started working with another company, but felt like we were held hostage once under contract. If you want to be frustrated and stressed out, I'd highly recommend them. read more

Tom and his team at Westwood Mortgage provides us quality service and timely attention on our mortgage business. Our working relationship with the company spans 20+ years and multiple transactions and we recommend Westwood Mortgage as a top service provider to those looking at mortgage brokers. read more

Brett Bly did a great job with getting our mortgage closed and has done an even better job answering followup questions about other financing options for this such as a home remodel. read more

We worked with "George Spano", he is outstandingly good. He was honest, he listen to our needs, he was NEVER pushy, but always helpful! He was trying to give the best deal and best fit mortgage for us. My husband and I were so pleased worked with him. He was NOT like most sales man, who does not care about your money and do quick short cut job. He really want to you to save money and find the good deal for you! I cannot say good enough for him. He is very professional, and such a lovely person to work with! I totally recommend him. You never go wrong working with him. read more

We followed George Spano when he starting working at Westwood Mortgage. He was our first mortgage lender when he ran his own company, and when we decided to refinance, we had no hesitation in going to Westwood Mortgage to continue working with him. George is wonderful, down to earth, honest and knowledgeable. Even though it's years between our visits, it always feels like we last saw him just the week before. read more

Joe was wonderful to work with! He got us in a mortgage program almost 3% lower than we were offered by another broker and it included a lender credit that covered all of our closing costs. We were worried it was too good to be true until we successfully closed on our new home. Thanks so much for your amazing work and for being so easy to communicate with, Joe! read more

We recently felt we didn't have enough confusing paperwork in our lives so we decided to refinance. We selected Westwood based on its stellar reviews (on Yelp and other places) and were placed with Shelle Harmon. Here's the thing about me: I have to understand why I'm signing something. I'm literally the person who will hold up an entire group while I scan every page of a contract. It's (one of my many!) annoying traits. I'm thorough. And I'm especially thorough when there's $100k+ on the line, all in my name. Shelle, God bless her, was incredibly patient and answered all of my questions (even the dumb ones! And there were plenty of those) without ever skipping a beat. She was also quick to drop me a phone call to get updates or answer my questions. She was even sympathetic to the horror I was experiencing in the form of a Bathroom Remodel (yes, I now know it would have been easier to just move if I didn't like my bathroom). I really felt that Shelle was there for me, from first contact to setting up the notary for the final signing. And thank God she was, because if you think buying a home the first time is bad then a refinance is just as bad, if not a little bit worse. Buying (or refinancing) a home is an incredibly stressful process, and I feel like Westwood made it a LOT less stressful by genuinely listening to my needs: Shelle was available to answer my questions and concerns anytime I had them (at one point I literally called her during the notary signing), she was professional, and she was just plain pleasant to talk with! I have a feeling I only saw maybe 1/10th of the work they did, including Shelle battling it out with our old mortgage company to release our paperwork (they did not want to release it. At all. But that's another story - and review - entirely!) TL,DR; Our experience with Westwood was ideal, from the first contact to the last signature. If I ever go completely insane and decide to move, I will definitely be in contact with Westwood Mortgage again. read more

I just completed my third transaction with Shelle Harmon at Westwood Mortgage. That's right, I liked her enough after the first two transactions to come back to her for a third time. Shelle is always so happy and positive, you can't help but have a good experience with her. I personally find the home lending process tedious and exhausting, but Shelle is so helpful and supportive the whole thing seemed to be over in a flash. I e-mailed Shelle on a whim the night before Thanksgiving, and she had our loan approved and we were ready to close before Christmas! read more

Kevin was so great to work with, this is the second time we have been able to work with him. He is super patient, and we really feel like he was trying to get us the best rates. Unfortunately due to a number of things mostly the massive amounts of documents requested since one of us is a business owner, and the time it took to do a repair necessary, the pre approved rate went up when we were finally ready to close. We were ready to sign, but he took one last shot to see if he could lower our rate again, it really made me feel secure that we made the right choice with Kevin and Westwood Mortgage. My only complaint right now is that due to covid we had to do all of our signing in a public lobby, there was no table just an end table and the escrow people had to stand. It would have been really nice to have a room or something a little more private. I would absolutely recommend the company and hopefully post covid the signing process issue will be resolved read more

The BEST Mortgage company I have ever worked with (I have worked with 4 other big companies). Tom Schwab and his team at Westwood Mortgage are very responsive, very knowledgeable, and are all about doing the right thing. Other big mortgage companies don't even come close to Westwood's level of service. Tom is off-the-charts-good at what he does. We quickly closed on our refinance in November. Five months later I am just getting around to writing this review and I am still amazed by them!! read more

TO START THIS BUSINESS IS COMPLETE CRAP...... We recently purchased a home with Jesse Binkley at Westwood Mortgage, and to be completely honest the experience was terrible. It was a home that was being built, therefore everything should be set up long in advance and been a breeze. Unfortunately though, our loan officer was very poor at completing his job on time and would request items from us "ASAP" only emailing one of us, knowing darn well that we both work 60+ hours a week. When he had been told multiple times to email both of us and our realtor as well when items were needed. We would ask if he needed anything else after getting him items and he would tell us he did not... then we would not hear from him for weeks, and all of the sudden he would suddenly need something "ASAP" once again. I was thinking to myself this is getting ridiculous surely this guy knows his job well enough to let us know in advance what we will need and what he will need. Clearly he needs some refresher training on the timeline of a loan and buying a home, it was as if this was his first loan and he was stumbling through the whole thing reading a "Being a Loan Officer for dummies" handbook. To add to the anger and frustration, apparently and LES(leave and earnings statement) is no longer enough for verification of employment for a military member. Not only that it was not enough, but adding my orders to the LES wasn't enough either. They wanted me to get official letterhead and a letter from the base commander stating I was gainfully employed with the US Air Force. What a bunch of crap considering everyone else that purchased homes needed only their LES statements. When we buy another home to rent out in the near future it will most certainly not be with Westwood Mortgage, and we will be sure to direct all of our friends and family away from this poor excuse for a business. Overall, our experience was no where near that of an enjoyable one and I would highly not recommend Westwood Mortgage to anyone...... not even my worst enemy! read more

Just completed a first home purchase with Tom Schwab, and everything went extremely smoothly. As first-time home buyers, we really appreciated how willing Tom was to take the time to talk us through what everything meant, and what every signature was committing us to. Funnily enough, we never actually met in person(!), but the process was managed so vigilantly by Tom and his staff that we never had to! read more

I worked with Jesse Binkley on getting my first ever home loan. We got an FHA loan due to the short notice we had received in our rental house/down payment money. Once we chose our house, Jesse was on it! Over the entire process, he explained everything clearly to us, got a great rate, and stayed onto of the banking and escrow process. He also communicated well with our buying agent. We definitely recommend Jesse!!! Thank you so much for getting us our loan in the time frame we needed. read more

Tom Schwab helped me with a refinance recently. Tom was very patient and thorough throughout the process, and kept me updated on the progress of the loan. Paperwork was a breeze with the secure online signature technology. Tom took the time to carefully explain everything and there was never any pressure to move forward. Once we did start the process, everything moved along smoothly and the loan closed on schedule. I would definitely recommend Westwood mortgage to anyone looking to refinance or purchase a home. Thanks for everything! read more

I won't detail how we almost lost our house because we were told things that were false under standard mortgage policies. Instead, while Joe was busy thinking about golf, our application was blocked in underwriting while we were given multiple false updates and timelines for getting our approval. I already wasted enough time and stress on Westwood Mortgage. I hope Joe enjoyed the golf though. read more

My husband and I recently refinanced with Patrick Dunn and give him our highest recommendation. Patrick was professional, knowledgeable, accessible and dependable. Beyond that, it was just a pleasure to talk with him; we enjoyed his relaxed, attentive manner and talent for explaining the ins and outs of the refinance process. Our refinance was a great deal and was as painless as possible, thanks to Patrick. read more

I can't say enough great things about Brett Bly and the staff at Westwood Mortgage! He is the reason my children and I have a home. He worked tirelessly and was always available to answer questions and make the process as easy as possible. He was kind and patient when I would call with my million and one questions, or ask the same question over and over. Shout out to Shalin Chhabra from Guardian Escrow for meeting me at Starbucks to sign my papers. Seems fitting in Seattle to sign papers in a coffee house. Brett was recommended to me and I will be recommending him to everyone. read more

I have used Westwood Mortgage twice over the years - using Tom Schwab both times. I can't say enough good things about Tom and his team - I have been impressed by their patience with my endless list of questions, suggestions to get the most value out of my refinance, and great customer service. He has provided insightful information about the mortgage industry and his perspective on how rates are moving. Between my two experiences with Westwood, I've also had the unfortunate experience of refinancing through a very slippery broker who was offered as a 'preferred provider' at my office - and immediately regretted it. They had offered an incredible rate, but later I realized I was being nickeled and dimed after reviewing every single line item before closing. After that experience of fighting and trying to get that mortgage straightened out, working with Tom and Westwood was truly a breath of fresh air. I had total peace of mind that my refinance was being handled with integrity with no hidden fees or extra 'padding'. If you are looking for a mortgage planner who has your best interests in mind - contact Tom at Westwood Mortgage, you won't regret it! read more