Consumer complaint received 2020-04-10
Product: Mortgage — VA mortgage
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage — 
Company: SYNERGY ONE LENDING, INC. (NC)

This whole process started on or about XX/XX/2020 when XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX solicited me to refinance my mortgage and take cash out to debt consolidate. I usually get a lot of mail, robocalls and telephone solicitors trying to refinance my VA Home Loan. I usually blow them off and or once in a while Ill entertain whom ever is soliciting me to refinance just to hear what the current rates are when I believe the rates are low from what I hear on television, read in magazines and or see on the internet. I currently have a 3.5 % APR Mortgage Interest Rate on my home ; therefore, the conversations are always very short whenever I do decide to entertain mortgage refinance solicitors because I assume that rate is too low to get below. Sometimes the solicitors would immediately ask if I wanted to cash out my equity after I tell them my current interest rate. I would always tell them no and the conversation usually abruptly ends by the solicitor. Well, XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX calls me little over a month ago and I missed their call and for some reason I returned the call not knowing who it was ( I was kind of expecting another call that was employment related ). Darn it, it turns out to be another Refinance Solicitor and says they got my info from a website where I requested someone to contact me. I have never requested someone to contact me for mortgage refinance. Well I figured once I told them what my current rate, they would abruptly end the conversation and I can go back to whatever it was I was doing. Well this person caught my attention when they eluded that interest rates were so low that I could get below that. My next question : was it low enough to make it worth the closing cost. If I recall correctly, they stated they did not charge any closing cost or fees or something to that effect to further catch my attention. For the first time in years since I refinanced my house to 3.25 % APR from what I remember to be 4.5 % APR, someone captured my attention beyond a few seconds. Big mistake as it turned out to be. I had no thought process at the beginning to cash out any equity to pay any bills, however I became more intrigued after the presentation XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  made telling me it was to my better interest to cash out and pay off high interest debt. I got apprehensive when XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX wanted my personal information. I told the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX my debt as I remembered off the top of my head and offered to print my report from XXXX XXXX. They said that would not be necessary. I also told XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX  during the conversation that I was part of a government program approximately four or five years prior that paid my mortgage for about a year and the government subsequently put a lien on my house that will be in X amount of years completely forgiven as long as I dont sell and move out the house. I explicitly communicated to XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX  that I did not know and or remember the details of the program other than the fact ( after X amount of years the loan is completely forgiven ) XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX told me convincedly that would not be a problem. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX gave me the perception that XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  dealt with this scenario / situation before. Considering I refinanced a few years prior ; no bells went off in my head like they should of. I understand my ignorance has played a factor in this debacle ; however, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  has fiduciary responsibility to protect potential clients. Long story short. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX   did a hard inquiry on my credit, charged me {$520.00} for professional services, convinced me to acquire and pay for a pest report. 
Everything turned out to be done in vain because the refinance never closed because it turns out that North Carolina XXXX XXXX XXXX is the government agency that holds the lien on my property and they will not let XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Subordinate my mortgage. Based on what Im told its against the rules to allow this action. I have no issue with not being able to refinance and cash out to bill consolidate. My issue is : the hit on my credit score, the {$520.00} Professional Charges, me paying for pest inspection and countless hours of my time wasted could have been avoided if XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  had of done their due diligence and verified that it was or was not possible to subordinate my mortgage when I disclosed that a government agency had a lien on my property before any of the process started. 
After the whole process was over and I was obviously displeased and the company kind of avoided me, I wrote a semi nasty email explaining that this whole situation should of been avoided and I wanted to know how they were going to make it right. 
If you read their response, the whole thing was my fault for accepting help from the government. Remember, they solicited me and they are the experts.