I never knew what I was getting myself into.
Folks, this company is the WORST thing that has ever hit home loans. I worked in the St Petersburg office under Ryan Huckstep, aka the "golden boy" of Ameriquest Mortgage.
How much money a year does Ameriquest pay it's employees?
$200,000 for account executives
$700,000 Branch Managers
$1,300,000 Area Managers (like Adam Rothman)
$2,000,000+ Regional Managers (Mariano based in Miramar FL)
How can they afford to pay them so much? Because Ameriquest screws over every single borrower they can.
For instance, people with poor credit who need help. Ameriquest puts these people into a 2 year fixed / 28 year adjustable mortgage. The loan has a 3 year prepay penalty, and on the 3rd year, your rate will JUMP 3 points! Meaning if you close the loan at a 8%, in 24 months you will jump your rate to 11%!!! And you have to pay that for an entire year until your prepay goes away!
Do you know that Ameriquest only uses appraisers who are on their "preferred list"? Meaning they will ONLY use appraisers who will exagerate your home's value by tens of thousands of dollars, to ensure that you are STUCK in your home, and you CANNOT refinance with another company! Either you pay the super high interest rate, or you give them your HOUSE!!!! They put people upside down in their homes every single day!
Did you know that Ameriquest forces people to use their OWN title companies? Did you know that these title companies will shortcut recording mortgages to pocket the extra money? Meaning, if your mortgage was $200,000, they record it at $60,000 in the courthouse, so you pay the tax on the $200,000, but they keep the difference, this can be an extra $1,000 a loan int he title companies pocket!!!
AMERIQUEST DOES NOT LET YOU USE YOUR OWN TITLE COMPANY!!! YOU MUST USE THEIRS!!!
Did you know that Ameriquest Mortgage closes loans WITHOUT an appraisal? Thats why they have a 7 day recission period, it's because they have signed your loan without anything in it!
Did you know that many borrowers are NOT told that their previous mortgage had a prepay on it? Most loan officers are taught to trick the borrowers into thinking they are getting a "refund check" from their old mortgage company from the overpay, which of course never comes. If they list on your HUD that you are paying $130,000 to your old mortgage company, but you think you only owe them $125,000, they know you actually owe 129,000. Not only are you paying their horrible fees, but the prepay on your old mortgage as well!!
I've seen the Adam Rothman, the area manager laugh at borrowers behind their backs because they just paid over $16,000 in closing costs on a $100,000 loan! $6,000 prepayment penalty from their old mortgage, plus $10,000 in ameriquest fees!!! $16,000 in equity GONE!
Do you know that Ameriquest Mortgage REFUSES to send someone a Good Faith Estimate of closing costs and rate when they ask? This is a company policy!
Did you know that Ameriquest designed a way to dodge the Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act (RESPA) by closing loans BEFORE the proper disclosures are mailed out. Basically, Ameriquest has found a way to trick the RESPA law. They slam the loan so fast that the borrower never recieves the proper warning in the mail via a Good Faith Estimate, and Truth in Lending!
Did you know that Ameriquest also refuses to give people copies of their appraisal, because of fear of lawsuits? They will HIDE the appraisal and many times delete and shred it so the borrower doesnt see it.
Did you know that the Branch Managers and Area Managers get kickbacks for double charging appraisals? They force borrowers to pay the appraisal at the door, then they CHARGE them again in the closing costs for the same appraisal. Everytime they do that, the branch managers and area managers get a kickback from the appraisal company, or sometimes get a title company issued check!! Appraisals can cost over $350!