Client Testimonials

I am pleased to be able to write a testimonial recommending the services of Craig Kessel, a loan officer with LendingFriend.com, a division of Fortress Financial.

As someone who does most of my financial research on the Internet, I was pleased that LendingFriend.com provided timely updates of their current lending rates in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area to HSH, a nationwide source of home lending rates on the Web. I found that LendingFriend.com was consistently very competitive with other Minnesota lenders, typically at or 1/8 percentage point below the next most economical rates and most rates quoted where not contingent on origination points.

While this is what initially directed me to LendingFriend.com, in all of my dealings with Craig I had a strong assurance that he was a person dedicated to delivering the lowest fee structure he could manage while providing a home loan for his clients. I compared his loan programs with the loans available from four other lenders that had been recommended by my realtor, bankrate.com, and well-meaning acquaintances. When the loan expenses were estimated from all of these other sources, I found that similar loans in regards to term and rates usually had origination fees, points, and spurious closing expenses that would have cost me an additional $3K to $4K at closing compared with the loan offers in Craig's portfolio. Beyond this, Craig even shopped for the least cost title and closing services and could have saved me hundreds of dollars below the fees charged by the firm my realtor was intent on using.

Completing forms was very simple and could be handled via fax and email for the most part. Craig had to go through the process of preparing a loan commitment form for me multiple times during our extended home search and never complained about the imposition. Our loan required some consideration and thought as it involved both a conventional and a jumbo loan to cover the borrowed amount most economically. Craig did a good job of evaluating these choices for us and simplifying the application process. While the loan package was delivered to the title company with a couple of days to spare, Craig still went the extra mile to attend the closing to be available should any problems arise.

I appreciated the entire experience for the honesty, service, and sense of fair deal that went along with our loan process. I can truly say it was the most straightforward step in a long, winding home search. I will recommend Craig Kessel and his firm without reservation to anyone looking to purchase or refinance a home.

"Closing costs were over $3000 cheaper than anyone else on my $390,000 mortgage..."

What impressed us most about Craig and Lendingfriend.com was his way of explaining everything in detail so we understood exactly what the process was and what we were paying for. This was only our second time through the home buying process and Craig was a great asset to have on our side. His honesty and integrity were far above anyone we had worked with in the past. He was with us through the entire process of helping us find our new home to closing the deal and singing the papers. He also attended our closing to make sure everything went smoothly. We will definitely recommend Craig and Lendingfriend.com to our family and friends for their mortgage needs.

Thanks Lending Friend. This was my 4th mortgage and your application process was the easiest, most hassle free of any that I have had. In addition to the lowest rate I could find without buying down the interest rate, the closing costs were the over $3000 cheaper than anyone else on my $390,000 mortgage. LendingFriend .com may not be well-known yet but with deals this good, it won’t be long before a lot more people become aware of LendingFriend because with the closing cost savings, coupled with lower rates than the big mortgage lenders and the ease of the application process, your name will spread by word of mouth. Thanks again for your service that was truly world class!

I admit it, I like the best deal I can find. For my refinance, I used the internet and found many national companies offering all kinds of deals. But, after reviewing the good faith estimate Lending Friend sent and the fact that you were local, my choice was clear. My actual costs of the loan at title-one were even less than the estimate given. Great Experience. I'll be back

"Craig, I just wanted to thank you for your excellent service and communication with me on my home purchase. Thanks for attending the closing and making the process stress free."

"This is our second loan with LendingFriend, so you know I'm a fan. I work at wells fargo mortgage and they still beat the deal my own Company offered and had us closed in 11 days. Great job! I'll be sending folks your way."

I definitely can be difficult to deal with at times, just ask my husband. I am always wanting the best possible deal I can find. Lendingfriend.com was the perfect solution. You know EVERYTHING upfront and exactly what is going on the entire process. No random extra charges/fees like most other companies.

Craig was great about explaining everything we needed to know in detail, especially, because this entire process was fairly new to me. We felt completely comfortable knowing that Craig was on our side and nothing was different than what he said from the beginning. I would definitely recommend Lendingfriend.com for others in the future. If you want an easy to understand, comfortable low cost experience, this is the perfect company for you! Thanks so very much!

"We did quite a bit of research for our new mortgage, learning about both in-state and out-of-state mortgage brokers. We chose LendingFriend/ Fortress because we found the rate to be very competitive and the service personal, friendly and trustworthy in every way. "

"I really appreciated the ease of my refinancing experience. Communication was timely and thorough leading to little chance of anything falling through the cracks. The fact that Craig showed up at my closing to ensure all was in order was a nice touch in finishing up the process - this was a first for me after having used a couple of other mortgage brokers in the past. When my next financing need arises, I will not hesitate to contact Lending Friend, and I am comfortable recommending their services to friends looking for a reference."

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