Weststar Mortgage Arrogant, Ignorant, Lazy Originators Internet

On October 6, 2011, I provided certain personal and financial information to the COSTCO Wholesale mortgage program. In return, I received responses from a number of lenders recommended by COSTCO. Soon, I was speaking with a loan originator, Craig Koren, from Weststar Mortgage. Craig asked me a few questions and soon determined that I was eligible for a VA home loan. Craig told me that he and his company specialize in VA loans and do more of them than most other lenders. He stated that he and Weststar are expert in processing and closing VA loans. He told me that VA loan interest rates are the lowest available and that, due to my disability, I am exempt from paying certain VA fees. I asked Craig to lock in the 3.75% interest rate available that day. On October 8, after emailing Craig about not hearing from him as he promised, I received an email from him stating, in essence, that he was too busy to contact me. I expressed concerns about his performance but he assured me that it would not happen again. Craig missed the opportunity to lock in the 3.75% rate on the first day but was able to lock it in a few days later.

During a telephone call on October 7, Craig told me that he would immediately send me some documents that required wet signatures along with a list of other documents that he needed from me to open the loan application. I finally received the wet sign documents on October 11. I spent two entire days gathering and sending all of the documents Craig requested. We immediately wet signed and returned all of the requested documents. Craig was often slow to respond and he never answered all of my questions but he assured us all was going well.

On October 25, Craig called me regarding a Condo ID Number for VA Approval. He did not know where or, even, what that number really was so asked me to find it. He implied that this was a minor logistical problem. I found all of the numbers I could but none seemed to be what Craig wanted. I did an hour of research and discovered what ID Number he was looking for and, that our condo does not have one. I learned that the VA will only finance or refinance a condo that has gone through a clearly defined approval process. I also learned, quickly, easily and definitively, how to determine if a specific condo has VA approval. This is an extremely important and easily found piece of information. It should be verified in the first steps of originating any VA loan application. I provided Craig with detailed information about how to obtain a VA approval but, in the end, it became clear that he was not interested in initiating the procedure. When I confronted Craig about his sudden loss of interest, he started to talk over my questions and ignore anything I said. I finally asked him to be quiet for just a moment and, when he complied, I told him that I was angry that he had represented himself as an expert on VA loans when he, clearly, was not. Craig became quite rude and I asked to speak with his supervisor.

Craigs supervisor, Evan Pruzan, returned my call October 29. I told him about Craigs claim to be an expert in VA loan applications. I described the events that made it clear Craig misrepresented his expertise. Evan told me he understood my concerns and assured me that Weststar still wanted my business. He understood that I do not want to work with Craig Koren. Evan volunteered to take over my application process himself but asked me to give him a day to collect my file and look into my concerns. On October 31, I sent Evan an email asking why I had not heard from him. Evan has assured me that I will not be dealing with Craig any longer. However, on November 2, I received this email from Craig: Evan told me to contact you and quote you some rates on a conventional loan if you want to proceed with closing your loan with us. Please let me know what your intent is and I will supply todays convention rates for you, lock it in if you wish and get the appraisal ordered. Please advise. On November 3, Evan sent me an email apologizing for not contacting me and asking if I had time for a call. I replied that I would stay near my telephone for the entire day, awaiting his call. It has never come.

We aare more than a month into a grueling loan process with Weststar and have not gotten any closer to a loan than I was at the outset. I have been told that Weststar is expert at VA loan applications only to find that they are unaware of even the most basic requirements of the VA program. I have promptly done my part, gathering and mailing myriad documents and anything else Weststar has asked. Weststar has been unresponsive and inept. Almost three weeks into the process, I was notified that my condo did not meet a very basic requirement for all VA loans! I have waited, and continue to wait, for calls and information from Craig and Evan and been very patient with their late and incomplete responses. I have now come to the very unhappy conclusion that Weststar is not interested in me or my business.