Consumer complaint received 2020-09-22
Company: AMERISAVE MORTGAGE CORPORATION
State: OH
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: VA mortgage
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I was searching for a refinance lender using XXXX XXXX. After submitting my details, I was contacted by several companies almost immediately. I chose to use Amerisave out of XXXX, GA as I had heard decent remarks about them. I initially spoke to someone " qualifying '' me and was then connected to loan officer XXXX XXXX. I explained that I currently had a balloon note that was due and payable on XX/XX/XXXX and what type of refi was available to me? I told him I would prefer to do a VA refi and that I had my COE. I asked it there were enough days left to do a VA refi when the original loan was a conventional. He said it would be tight since there would be about 45 days, I am assuming he meant business days, but that it was probable and should be enough time. So, I agreed to continue with the VA cash-out refi. An account was established, the application information was taken and XXXX, myself and my also veteran co-borrower with a COE, then proceeded to go over the details and sign documentation via the internet, which was fine. During this process I asked about locking the rate and was told that I could not do that, the rate had to remain floating. Our credit scores and reports were fine and acceptable. A fee was charged by Amerisave of  {$500.00} or maybe a little more, I don't have a statement in front of me. This fee was explained to me by XXXX XXXX at the time and I agreed to pay it upfront. However, I truly believe that the fee is all that Amerisave is really after. I believe they are picking and choosing which loans they want to proceed with and close. The evening of XX/XX/XXXX and part of XX/XX/XXXX, I spent getting and uploading all of my documentation to Amerisave via my account. Complete documentation was provided. I responded to any other requests within hours the same day as I needed the loan to close and fund by XX/XX/XXXX. An appraisal was scheduled and an XXXX with 4 property deficiencies was issued on XX/XX/XXXX. I promptly corrected the 4 issues and  attempted to contact XXXX XXXX via phone on XX/XX/XXXX to have him schedule a re-inspection of the property. I left a voicemail and it was never returned. I attempted to call him again on XX/XX/XXXX and again left a message to call me. He did not. I went ahead and emailed him on XX/XX/XXXX, pictures of the completed repairs, putting the property in compliance with the VA minimum property standards. I asked XXXX  in that email to schedule a re-inspection ASAP. I then emailed again that same day, XX/XX/XXXX, telling XXXX I was aware of the {$150.00} fee for re-inspection and would pay it. I received the following email response on XX/XX/XXXX from XXXX, AFTER calling his supervisor and leaving a voicemail on XX/XX/XXXX about XXXX not contacting me and that I would like the supervisor or XXXX  to contact me, ... .. " Just checking in. Thank you for uploading everything and sending in the pest inspection. As far as re inspection, that is something my processing team will handle when we get someone assigned to the file. I placed your pictures in the file. I forwarded your file off to processing yesterday afternoon after I got confirmation this was something that I couldn't do. Thank you for your patience! '' On or about XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email from Amerisave saying I had to choose my rate, I believed that perhaps progress was being made on my loan. I was presented with many different types of loans, terms, and rates and wondered why I wasn't presented with all of this in the beginning, but oh well, we started VA so I'll scroll waaaay down, find VA rates and choose one, believing this would FINALLY LOCK my rate, however, it continued to show floating. Then on XX/XX/XXXX, I emailed XXXX  to request him to change the rate I chose BACK to the original rate we started with. I heard nothing for two days and then on XX/XX/XXXX I received notice of new disclosures, changing the rate BACK, per my request, and these were promptly acknowledged that day. Right after this, the Amerisave account site indicated my loan was ready for underwriting. I wondered about this due to the VA requirements for property standards issue that seemingly hadn't been addressed, but I couldn't get an answer. So, I thought, good, progress, we should close well before XX/XX/XXXX. However, by not having any communication, I had my doubts, so much so that on XX/XX/XXXX I reached out to another company to explain to my NOW SHORTER timeline and to inquire if they thought they could get the loan closed by my deadline since I had now wasted around 28 days with Amerisave. I proceeded with the other company as they could not promise closing in time, which I understood, but I was willing to try anything at this point, hoping one of these would close in time. I went with a traditional conventional with the 2nd company. ( Same hoops and appraisal hold-ups, but the 2nd company managed to do a QM loan with all due diligence and close on XX/XX/XXXX. ) While the XXXX was starting, I again attempted to contact XXXX XXXX via email on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX, asking for a return call or email, some kind of contact. None was ever forthcoming. The Amerisave website was updated sometime around the beginning of XXXX. I could no longer see any type of loan progress, nor was I getting any communication from my loan officer. The new site only showed all of my previous documents, appraisal, etc., but it DID NOT show anything about the loan. I also tried to contact Amerisave several times via phone calling their customer service number. There was always a long wait and when I was finally connected to someone I would ask if they could give me a status of my loan. Was it at underwriting? Was it out of underwriting? NO ONE would answer my question, they each told me " Your loan officer is the only one that can answer that '', leading me to believe there was a problem. When I said that that was a problem, I wasn't able to reach my loan officer via phone or email, they said well, that's just what you have to do. One of them even laughed at me and when I asked to speak to a supervisor, she said sure, hold on and immediately disconnected the call. I NEVER received any call back on any of these calls. Periodically, from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, I was texted by different people, but coming from the same number, claiming to be representing my originator and requesting additional documents. I texted responses that it was done, or that and a question about the website or if they could verify receipt of documents and I NEVER received a response from any of them either. I have continued to check the Amerisave site periodically and there was never any change, no status, no communication, no nothing. Anyone would feel baited by this behavior of no communication. I certainly felt they had gotten their fee and had no further use for me and never intended to follow through with this loan in the first place. It is now XX/XX/XXXX, I did not go into a default situation, thanks to another company, my loan closed quickly and my balloon note was paid on its ' due date. It was never a question of qualification, it was always the deadline. So, here on XX/XX/XXXX, I receive a text from the same ( Amerisave ) number, from yet another person, telling me that they needed new documents. I then check the Amerisave account site and yes, there is a request for several documents, all of which had been provided before, such as ID, or required new information because so much time had gone by. I replied via text that this loan should be canceled and that all fees should be refunded. I received no reply, shocking, I know. Again very little contact in XXXX and then NO CONTACT from XX/XX/XXXX, and that was automated, until today, XX/XX/XXXX. I feel they never had any intention of following through with my loan and because of this, I wasted valuable time with them and they could have caused me to enter into a default situation on my prior note. I do fully realize I should have started this process sooner, however, I was unaware of some of the delay caused by COVID 19 and the sheer numbers of people refinancing due to historical low interest rates. Had I known that, I would have started the process in XXXX or XXXX, but of course, so much was uncertain then and besides, another company managed, thankfully, to originate and close my loan with a much shorter timeline than Amerisave started with. MY TIME. None of the extenuating circumstances in the world at the time was any excuse for NOT communicating with me. You may omit the loan officers name as I do not know if he IS completely at fault here, or if it is company policy at fault. My loan number with Amerisave application # XXXX. Throughout this time, I have wondered often if they just don't like veterans or women? And I should have never had to wonder that!

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief