Consumer complaint received 2018-09-27
Company: Flagstar Bank, N.A.
State: FL
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage

Complaint:
I am filing this complaint to you so that you will look into the practices and unfair treatment that consumers are experiencing by Flagstar Bank located at XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX, XXXX XXXX, FL XXXX. Last year on or around XX/XX/2017, I contacted Flagstar and explained my finances to one or more of the agents employed with the bank. I was very clear and descriptive about my debt, credit score, income and concerns. I explained to everyone who I spoke with that I wanted to be preapproved for a specific condo located at XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, FL XXXX, but, only and if it was possible to get financing and before running my credit, wasting more time, money and energy. 
The only reason why I made a final attempt to get financing for XXXX XXXX because I was advised that Flagstar had recently gave a mortgage to a buyer in the same building. The reason why this information is relevant is because I was denied twice by two other banks but only because of the pending litigation that XXXX  XXXX had at that time. Once my realtor and I verified that Flagstar had actually given a loan for the purchase of a unit in the building, we thought that nothing could go wrong since my debit to income ratio, credit score nor salary had ever been an issue. We were excited because we communicated all the details with XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX before we decided to proceed with the process, and again, we were assured that the building was ok for financing then and still is now. 
After being reassured, I produced all of my financial information, ID and personal information as requested. I explained to everyone involved, that I was only providing my information, if they could assure me that the building was not going to be an issue which I have emails reflecting this. After submitting my documents over and over again, going through with the appraisal, inspection, HOA approval process, having my credit pulled several times, taking time off from work, driving back and forth multiple times, emailing, scanning and making many trips to the bank and to not be approved has caused me a tremendous amount of stress, anxiety and insecurities, especially now that I was just made aware that again there have been several loans given to buyers in the exact same building before and after the submission of my loan application. 
After packing all of my belongings, telling all of my friends and family, that I would be moving into my new home around my birthday, XXXX Florida experienced Hurricane Irma in the month of XXXX which was when the loan got denied. Although, the Irma was a catastrophe the building did not experience any damage. Following Hurricane Irma there were no new litigations or damages, Flagstar explained that because the building was in a  disaster area, the building could and would not be approved. Again, there was absolutely no damage to the building and XXXX Florida was warned weeks prior to the natural disaster that Irma was going to be a Category 4 or worst. I was still mislead time and time again that the loan would be approved. There was also a follow up inspection conducted to prove that the building was in the same condition that it was prior to the storm. Staff from Flagstar advised me that I was denied because the building was located in natural disaster area and that it did not matter that there were no damages to the building. 
My complaint to you today is because I truly feel in my heart that I was discriminated against for the following reasons and simply because I am a single, middle aged, XXXX XXXX women. If all of my documents were produced from day one, my financial status was the same, why or how could I have been denied? My status or credit score did not change during this process and I was willing to do whatever it took to put myself in a better financial position, if needed. I often ask myself many times since I explained my position upfront, how could I go through the same experience for the third time with the same building? I never would have gone through the stress of trying to get a loan had I known that there was a possibility that I would be denied because of a storm that was predicted to hit XXXX County for  weeks prior to my scheduled closing. 
Again, I was never denied because of my finances or credit but only because of the litigation involving the building that I fell in love with. Even after being denied, my realtor made multiple attempts to find another property and still the bank denied every attempt to make any deal happen at The Wave or property thereafter. 
This traumatic experience has come up again because I am in the market to purchase a unit in the same area but now feel hesitant because I was previously denied for a mortgage loan by the staff of Flagstar Bank. Please look into this matter so that no one else has to live with being rejected because of their race, color, sex, national origin, or age.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation