Consumer complaint received 2021-02-21
Product: Mortgage — VA mortgage
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage — 
Company: EMBRACE HOME LOANS (FL)

My name is XXXX XXXX, a XXXX veteran and government employee for over 20 years service. I am writing your organization pleading for help as well as an investigation on what has been a horrendous 6-month ordeal for me and my new fianc. 

XX/XX/2020, we considered getting engaged and decided to look for a larger home. Our relator XXXX XXXX showed us different homes and due to our budget advised us of the upfront savings we could have considering a newly built home. Shortly afterwards, we visited XXXX XXXX built my XXXX XXXX. 

XXXX  represenetive, XXXX XXXX showed us the property and due the benefits of VA loan reiterated the upfront savings we would have building a new property. XXXX assured us that we would only be responsible for a {$4000.00} earnest deposit, of which was to ensure were serious about the purchase and that check would be refunded back to us at closing. 

We were also told that additional savings of {$8500.00} closing cost would be taken care of by XXXX. We were advised of the stipulations of the agreement of which we would have to list and sell my current home by a certain dates as well as pre-qualify with their lender. After consideration we agreed to the offer and paid the earnest deposit. We had also been pre-qualified with their chosen lender. 

In a few months after the pre-qualification, we had kept our end of the contract and listed and sold our home within the specified time frame. We were then contacted by the lender advised that we were not qualified anymore because I had been in a loan modification and was now ineligible due to. I assured him that was an error and that had not been in a modification and regardless was told I no longer qualified. 

I went back to XXXX of which XXXX then told us that he had gotten approval to honor the agreement with any lender we chose. We immediately found another lender, XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX who pre-approved us with no issues even at a better interest rate. The previous lender then found and error they made as we advised them and then tried to come back and continue business after they had rudely treated us. We had another hard inquiry on my credit report but other than that XXXX had been very professional and had worked diligently to ensure our loan process was timely, so we happily continued working with him. 

Around XX/XX/XXXX we were notified by XXXX that XXXX was nullifying their previous agreement and to continue to have the {$8500.00} of closing cost I would have to go through another of XXXX chosen lenders, Embrace Home Loans. XXXX XXXX was the loan officer and I unwillingly gave him authorization to run my credit again when I had absolutely no problems with our current lender. 

I was told for the third time that I was pre-approved, and this would be a simple procedure. XXXX also let me know I was only 4 points away from an even better interest rate. Since then, it has been a complete nightmare. I have been under the impression that due to the changing value of the home since the pandemic XXXX has been trying to push me away intentionally. 
We were notified that we would not be getting the {$4000.00} earnest deposit back. I have purchased homes in my past but never have I been made to give 12 months of bank statements. I was told I am not allowed to redact ANY of my personal information off my bank statements down to the price if gas and a cheeseburger. 

I was accused of not providing correct information of my child support and that I was delinquent on the payment. I have been not only proudly taking care of my children I have been employed with same employer for over 10 years. I had also supplied several of my government pay stubs that showed child support had been continually taken out of my check and the exact same amounts on each check. 

I provided several documents from the attorney general, all of which proving I have not been delinquent. I was finally told they understood my payments and then other issues arose regarding bills that I have timely paid. At the time of pre-approval, I owed {$600.00} on my XXXX account and regardless of providing bank statements as well as XXXX account statements, I was then delayed and ridiculed of why I made a monthly payment of {$40.00} of which was left on what was then a {$70.00} balance. 

I asked XXXX to pull my credit due to me attempting to pay down debt to qualify for the 4 points I was away for the possibility of a better interest rate. My score went up over 20 points and did not complain when I was then told I would not get a better interest rate, however more delay and issues arose from my efforts of paying on time monthly bills. 

I was then advised the latest issue was two cards : XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, one having the limit of {$7000.00} the other {$5000.00}. The amount owed on my credit report reflect {$10.00} for one {$5.00} the other. As if that isnt awful in its on regards, I am also only listed as an authorized user on those accounts and have never once held a card for them. This can be verified on my XXXX credit report as I have also submitted to them. 

This has all been coupled by the constant delays and changes of the closing date. One of the reasons we had been provided was we had as design meeting of which we requested 2 HDMI cables. We contacted the office, XXXX and our relator countless times for over 3 months. We were finally told they install the 2 HDMI cable, however it delayed the closing date 2 more months. 

These delays have cost us money from extending rental agreements, to extended storage facilities. This has also delayed my finance on starting a job she was most recently offered because we can not trust anything given to us from the builder nor lender. I ask for not only a full investigation into the frivolous constant issues as well as invasions of my privacy but also a comparison on what other applicants do and do noy have such horrendous encounters.