Overview of the Company
The Guild Mortgage Company is a California-based mortgager. They offer FHA loans, mortgage loans, refinancing, and other programs.
Guild Mortgage reviews vary widely online. This is to be expected from any mortgage company. Be warned, however. The majority of Guild Mortgage complaints involve the professionalism and communications skills of individual employees.
The mortgage company has survived throughout the decades and managed to survive several recessions. While this is an added plus for many mortgagees, keep in mind that this is not proof-positive of high quality service.
We at AdvisoryHQ want to provide all the information you need about the Guild Mortgage Company conveniently in one place.
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History of the Company
When it comes to the history of Guild Mortgage Company, their motto is “Started by one, built by many.” Guild Mortgage began humbly. They started out in 1960 in San Diego, California. To this day, most of their locations are centered on the West Coast of the United States.
In the beginning, the company acted as the sole mortgager for the American Housing Guild. In following decades, the company expanded their reach to 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.
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The Process
After following the initial prompts, you will be redirected to Guild’s Home Loan Guide. These sections can be helpful in the initial process but do not provide detailed information.
In order to learn rates or availability of a mortgage, you must first create an account with Guild Mortgage. However, if you speak to someone in person or over the phone, you might be able to get more answers without signing up for anything.
First, mortgagees fill out an application either online or in person. Then, Guild will determine if you are eligible for a mortgage loan through their various mortgaging programs. An underwriter is assigned to the loan to determine the specifics of your loan, like interest rates and monthly payments.
Some consumers have felt that the underwriters are often unprepared for the process. More than a few Guild Mortgage reviews find that the underwriters asked a series of questions that were unrelated to the loan process.
Once the loan was approved, the problems began for many customers. Representatives have been known to give delayed responses to mortgagees’ questions. Worse still, the loan specifics will change right before closing, leaving little time to renegotiate.
The Guild Mortgage Company appears to be making some efforts to respond directly to customers on certain reviews.
What They Offer
Guild Mortgage Company offers their customers a wide range of services. All these services are easily accessible from their website.
- Veterans or active military
- FHA mortgages
- Flexible credit and down payment
- Flipping houses
- Low-income area home
- Down-payment assistance
- Fixed payments
- Low rates
- Renting property
- Fannie Mae REO property
- Manufactured home
- Investment property
- Loan refinancing
- Tax credits
Guild Mortgage offers their customers a program for almost any financial need. Do not be fooled, however. Some consumers have reported that their loans were not processed quickly enough—despite promises—causing them to lose their investments.
Other consumers were able to receive loans, but their interest rates or monthly payments were skewed at the last minute. With the pressure to sign and move in as quickly as possible, it is important to take these reported last minute changes into consideration.
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Rates
Guild Mortgage boasts flexible rates on their mortgages. According to one Guild Mortgage review, the rates are “only average” and the service was “terrible.”
Interest rates will depend on a few things:
- Other real estate properties owned
- History of owning or renting property
- Pay stubs and W-2 forms from the prior two years showing income
- Self-employed customers: tax returns from the prior two years showing income
- Account numbers and three months of bank statements
- Names and addresses of employers from the prior two years
Guild Mortgage will charge fees depending on the mortgage situation. The fee amount and type will vary depending on the needs of the mortgage. Fees are standard with any mortgage or personal loan.
Locations
What began as a small endeavor, soon ballooned into a national effort.
Mortgage Guild offers pre-approved loans and loans to those who qualify pending further review. According to their website, they offer several programs to handle financial difficulty, and Mortgage Guild reviews do not offer any negative indications about this sentiment.
The Guild Mortgage Company boasts 250 branch locations and satellites in the states listed below. The convenience of these locations is an added benefit, unless you live on East Coast.
Borrowers can also apply for a loan conveniently online if they cannot apply in person.
Mortgage Guild only offers mortgages in certain states:
- Alaska
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Louisiana
- Missouri
- Montana
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Washington
- Wyoming
Guild Mortgage Reviews and Complaints
The Guild Mortgage Reviews range from satisfied to extremely angry. According to Guild Mortgage complaints, the people are nice to work with but the outcome leaves something to be desired.
From an overview of the negative reviews, it seems that Guild Mortgage fails to meet the standard set out in their tagline: “Closing loans and opening doors since 1960.” Multiple mortgagees have reported that Guild Mortgage failed to close their loans in a timely fashion, causing them to lose either their house or potential buyers.
The overarching theme seems to come back to communication. The majority of Guild Mortgage complaints revolve around promises made by the representatives that were never fulfilled. A few complaints state that their representative deliberately dodged their questions.
When mortgagees thought the process was close to complete, Guild Mortgage would suddenly change the terms or process at the last minute, as mentioned before.
Not all reviews were negative. Recent reviews detailed their experiences as “smooth” and that the communication was not as poor as other Guild Mortgage complaints have stated. More than a few customers reported quicker loan closures than expected.
Overall, there seems to be few complaints with the refinancing process except the level of communication on the whole. There are few reports of last minute changes on the refinancing front.
The Guild Mortgage Company review from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is favorable with an A+ rating. The BBB has received a total of 25 complaints in the last three years, ten of which were resolved.
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Takeaways
After reviewing the company, there are a few things to keep in mind when making your mortgage decisions.
The Guild Mortgage reviews are not overwhelmingly positive; “buyer beware” is the overarching sentiment in reviews.
If you are looking to refinance, most reviewers found the refinancing process anywhere from okay to amazing. Refinancing may be easier than processing a loan to buy a property based on reviews.
Also, communication is crucial in any financial decision that you make. Given that Guild Mortgage has a poor reputation in that department, it might be wise to also give other companies a look before making a final mortgage decision.
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