Consumer complaint received 2021-07-19
Company: Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
State: ME
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: VA mortgage
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I was advised by my realtor in XXXX to contact one of the mortgage companies that she has before she could even let me show those houses. She suggested to contact Fairway independent mortgage company cause she works with them all the time. I left a message cause no one answered. 

Mr. XXXX has called me a few hours later telling me that he would send me a link where I could fill out the loan application. I did, however there was a technical issue. I let him know everything, including bank information, work history, etc., and he asked me to send him 2 tax returns, savings and checking bank statements, my VA XXXX letter, and the certificate of eligibility for the loan. He emailed me asking what I did between the jobs. I told him I had to stop working cause I had one to two appointments a week and no employer likes that. I believe that should be fine. 

Then the next day I got a phone call from XXXX who is Mr. XXXX 's teammate, asking about the appointments I had, why that is a reason for a gap between employments. I told him it is personal and again no employers like to have employees having a lot of appointments. Then I received an email on XX/XX/XXXX from MrXXXX XXXX asking what degree I have, get the XXXX employment letter, make sure to hand us the lease when you rent your current home in XXXX, if I sought out the employment and stopped when COVID started, and if not, why again there was a gap between employment. 

So I emailed him. Here it is. 

From : XXXX XXXX XXXX Sent : Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX To : XXXX XXXX XXXX Subject : Re : Fairway - Update My degree is XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX. However, like I mentioned, it is NOT evaluated ( all the foreign degrees should be evaluated to match the equivalency to the XXXX XXXX XXXX and I wasnt about to spend XXXX to make sure it is equivalent ). 

I got an email saying I am accepted and welcoming me to XXXX. I havent gotten any paper to sign but I did fill out employee screening form so far. First paycheck usually comes on the third week, on Friday as far as I remember with the VA. So the pay period starts on XX/XX/XXXX and it goes for 2 weeks, and if it is anything like the VA, my first paycheck will be deposited on the XXXX of XXXX. 

I am aware that you will need a signed lease if I decide to rent this out. This whole renting idea came yesterday around XXXX. So I havent decided yet, I havent spoken to my realtor yet, I know what the rent for a single family house with a garage goes here. And I can always sell it in 5 years if I dont want it ( and I really dont but if I can make money off of it without giving my realtor any commission, why not ). So this idea is still up in the air. But I cant tell them that the move in date for the renters will be XX/XX/XXXX when I cant move out till lets say XXXX. 

What is new ( Im thinking it is new cause I didnt have to do anything like this ) is that they never asked for employment status since I purchased this house before starting to work at the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX. But here it is again. I graduated in XX/XX/XXXX, moved back to XXXX, purchased the house cause I got a job with the XXXX XXXX XXXX, worked there for a couple months because my then partner was stationed in XXXX, so though I kept the house in XXXX, I mainly lived in XXXX I went back and forth, staying in XXXX for a month, coming back to XXXX for a few weeks, etc. and I didnt travel much due to COVID and quarantine. I didnt pack everything and move in with him because he was not sure if his class is going to be in XXXX or XXXX. Then a few weeks he had orders ( hes in the military ) to go to XXXX. While we are going to get together and live together. And from here it gets a bit personal and Id rather not say but it seems you need to know that. I went through XXXX XXXXXXXX situations with him, I was XXXX XXXX and XXXX, so I reported him to the XXXX and came back to XXXX to be away from him, and got a job at the VA. I quit the VA because I was dealing with XXXX discrimination at work. I heard comments such as sorry we bombed your country twice. Your mom should have married an American GI so that you would have a US citizenship. I have killed more of you in XXXX XXXX than you can possibly think of. Are you XXXX? Is your name XXXX? Your dad should have been dead during the XXXX XXXXXXXX. etc. I have reported this to the EEO but they said they couldnt do anytime because I havent been working there for a year. Let me ask you something, If you are XXXX, and your co-worker kept saying your parents should have died during XXXX, how would you feel? So I quit. I could live here comfortably without working. I also worked as a XXXX XXXX during that time on and off via XXXX I made about XXXX dollars in two weeks on a good week. Kids were learning and once they all went to school that ended. 

So state of maine is XX/XX/XXXX ( that is the reason why I moved to XXXX from XXXX ) to XX/XX/XXXX, then covid happened, my relationship started going down the hill, I survived for about 9 months before I said enough. I reported him to the XXXX, and came back to XXXX, applied for a job around XXXX, interviewed and hired, started onboarding process in XX/XX/XXXX and started on XX/XX/XXXX. 

How long is that approval letter good if I get it? Please let me know. I know I will have to get a PAYSTUB, but no I dont have it. But let me forward you an email if that helps, not from my supervisor as you got yesterday but from the HR. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX They told me that they weren't forcing me to tell them the things I went through. But one person calling me and another emailing me twice asking the same thing? Do you still thin it is not forcing? NO they didn't have a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. No they didn't. But you don't have to have a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to force someone. I felt pushed against the wall and saw no way out other than telling them exactly what happened. Maybe they have no knowledge on dealing with veterans. They said they are the nation 's XXXX biggest lender, when they are XXXX in the third quarter in XXXX, and XXXX in the second quarter. So that is a false advertisement. Not only they don't know how to deal with veterans ( was I supposed to tell them about my war story, how I XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Is that what they want to hear? indirect action? is that what they want? I felt embarrassed, I thought why the VA would ask those questions. They kept telling me that is what the VA wanted them to ask. I did speak to the VA representative who told me no, what I told them first was more than enough. Yet this company, Fairway independent mortgage is saying that it is what the VA asks. I guess they didn't know how XXXX XXXX soldiers are more aggressive than national guardsmen or reservists.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation