Salmon Bay Community Lending

If I could give a no star I would. I was referred here because of their experience with down payment assistance. I worked with Rebecca Ripley Kent. At first her responses where very quick and informative until I paid the fee to have my credit ran. After my credit was checked she said we needed to find a house first in order to find out how much we needed for a down payment, because location and price played a factor, BUT she never gave us a pre approval letter. So we would send her houses we liked but the restrictions were so strict or we didn’t have enough for the down payment. Her responses took longer to get back to us after 2weeks and then sometimes she wouldn’t reply at all or 3 days later. 120days later after they ran my credit, I got my tax return so we had enough for a down payment. Tried to call multiple times to start the pre approval and no call/​email back. I tried to call the manager/​owner to let her know what was going on and She was out to lunch. The receptionist said she would have her call me back. Never got a call, so we switched to BAY EQUITY LENDING and they got me pre approved in 24hrs and have MULTIPLE down payment assistant programs that they use and guess what– I never needed a down payment!!! Don’t waste your time or money here!!!

I was disappointed by the greed of this company… As evident by the bogus fees they charge. I asked for a strait forward 30 year fixed loan. Even though the interest rate was good (I have excellent credit) …the fees I was quoted were a bit shady. They were already charging me almost $ 3000 for the loan fee by adding .85points, but on top of that they tacked on a processing fee $ 595 and an underwriting fee of $ 700+. Really? Front and back end commission. I respect that the girl I spoke to did not defend the fees or could not. Just be smart shop around, get loan estimates from different companies and compare.

The team at Salmon Bay Community Lending are amazing. I came in very discouraged after being turned down by one of the larger mortgage companies and Ruby (my loan officer), after looking through my file, not once doubted my ability to get a loan. She walked me through the process, always available to talk me down from my fears — I work on commission for my full-​time job as well as own my own newer business so needless to say I had a complicated application.
Ruby (and her awesome side kick, Adam) are efficient, knowledgable, communicative and kind, and at the end of the day, I always felt how much they were in my camp and wanting a home to come together for me (and it’s not like I bought a big-​budget place so the dollar signs were definitely not the motivating factor). An otherwise stressful time was more pleasant and manageable because of them.
Salmon Bay is the reason I’m a homeowner and they are awesome. Go give them your business. :)

We’ve used Salmon Bay three times now (2 purchases and one refi) and every time they’ve been great. We most recently worked with Jessica and she was totally on top of it. Wouldn’t hesitate to use them again. Loved all the online upload options for documents — a lot less time consuming than in previous years.

There is nothing I can say about Jessica that is not outstanding.
Jessica was attentive, knowledgeable, creative and patient. She was able to answer my questions quickly and with laser precision, even when I asked them multiple times :) I would not hesitate to work with Jessica on financing at any time in the future.
I will certainly be telling my friends about the great service I received from Jessica at Salmon Bay Community Lending.

I’ve done a number of loans through Salmon Bay over the years, including purchases and refis, and I give them the highest marks. Everyone I have worked with there has been professional, friendly and had a sense of humor. More than that, they listen to and respect your individual situation and find tailored solutions.
For several years we worked with Steph Fairweather, who was an incredible sounding board as we weighed different financing options, and had unlimited patience with us. Steph, Ruby and the whole crew at Salmon Bay made us feel like they were really our advocates as we worked on two loans while I was dealing with breast cancer treatment — I cannot say enough about the warmth and sincerity with which they handled these major transactions during such a stressful time.
Most recently, I worked with Jeanne Neal. We were very impressed with her knowledge, counsel, responsiveness and follow-​through. She helped us make decisions about which interest rate to pursue, and made the whole loan process seamless.
I highly recommend Jeanne and the team at Salmon Bay!

We love Cate at Salmon Bay! We came to her with an unconventional setup– two families buying a single family home in which we would all live. She found us a great loan, and really went the extra mile to explain and support our situation to the underwriters. She is a fantastic communicator– easy to understand and very prompt. I felt like she was on our team. I wholeheartedly recommend her.

I can’t say enough wonderful things about Salmon Bay Community Lending! We just got the keys to our new house in Magnolia thanks to the work of the entire team there (special shout out to Jeanne!). If it wasn’t for her tenacity, persistence, and superior problem solving skills we would be stuck renting an apartment forever.
Jeanne and the Salmon Bay team were communicative, responsive to my many, many questions and emails, and patient yet determined throughout the whole process.
If you’re looking for a mortgage broker and have come across Salmon Bay Community Lending, stop looking you’ve found the right place — they’ll treat you well and keep you informed throughout the entire process!
HUGE thanks to the Salmon Bay team — owning a home in Seattle has been a goal for us for over a year, and without you it likely wouldn’t have happened!
THANK YOU!!!

There is a reason all the reviews for this company are the best possible. I contacted Jeanne Neal at Salmon Bay Community Lending after reading most of them. It’s a local company that is probably as good as any in the country and much, much better than most. Until I worked with Jeanne I thought mortgage brokers were about the same and because of previous experience I was very critical and suspicious. Not only were we treated fairly, our closing costs were just $ 46 with a 4% interest rate. Jeanne was able to change a lock order at the last minute that saved us thousands. She was also extremely patient and understanding. As if that wasn’t enough, she referred us to a very good real estate agent (Kris Murphy) who was of comparable quality. Even though good value Seattle houses are scarce and loans hard to get, we were more than successful and now realize that you don’t have to die to be in a better place.

Ruby and team are fantastic. We first used Salmon Bay last year to refinance an existing property, and then used them again this spring when looking into buying something new. They’re super responsive over both phone and email, they have infrastructure in place to allow you to securely upload sensitive documents, they make the process as clear and navigable as reasonably possible, and they’re always happy to answer questions, no matter how dumb they may seem. I cannot imagine using anyone else for our mortgage financing options in the future.

We had a fantastic experience with Ruby, Jessica, Ellaina, and Adam at Salmon Bay. They provided friendly, personal, professional service, and they also provide a great online file-​sharing service that makes it easy to exchange paperwork online, minimizing the number of trips to their office and time spent waiting for mailed documents (not to say that their office isn’t very nice, warm and comfortably decorated — it was all of those). For a working dad such as myself, it was invaluable to be able to coordinate most of the details of our refinance online. It was as painless a experience as negotiating a refinance while caring for a 2-​year old can be! And we lowered our interest rate by 2 percent! I would highly, highly recommend Salmon Bay to anyone looking to refinance their mortgage. And, they are now set up to do business with credit unions, expanding the range of possible lenders. Check them out!

Jeanne Neal and the team at SBCL are total pros. I have benefited from their professionalism and expertise personally. Better yet, they make me look good to the clients and friends I refer as they are consistently delivering the best customer service that can be found in the new home/​refinance mortgage community.
I especially appreciate Jeanne’s compassionate, non-​judgmental approach to the process. This means that she is extremely resourceful to «exceptional» cases, validating the positive and educating the less informed in a helpful, fun way. An astute listener and problem-​solver, Jeanne is a wonderful teacher of finance, always making sure that information is clear and that her clients feel comfortable proceeding with next steps.
Peace of mind is what clients can expect from SBCL because Jeanne cheerfully manages expectations for her clients by communicating the necessary details and on a very timely basis.
Jeanne Neal is my «go-​to» lender!

These women have got to be the calmest, friendliest folks around. They were there when we had 9 billion questions about numbers and never once seemed put off if we asked the same thing 3,4,5 times in a row — just to make sure.
They are competent, experienced and professional. Jessica and Ruby and all the other gals treated us like we were their only clients — to the point of calling with claps and hoorahs when we finally closed. By the end of the process, we felt like we could be their friends. They are all amazing women, who know their stuff and we couldn’t have purchased our first townhome without them.
If you need a team to help you figure out the nitty gritty stuff in today’s home buying market — then you need Salmon Bay Lending.

I have been referring my clients to Salmon Bay Community Lending for years. They have been and shall remain my first choice. Why? Professionalism, dependability, consistency, integrity, follow-​through (all with a sense of warmth and humor) are only some of the qualities I and my clients may count on when working with the team. Ruby Grynberg and her amazing fellow mortgage consultants have closed dozens upon dozens of deals for my clients. Incredibly, we have a PERFECT on time closing record. When my clients ask if it’s okay to order the moving truck, while getting the beer and pizza for their friends in reward for some heavy lifting on moving day, I want to be 100% certain they are not going to be disappointed by a late closing, last minute surprises or any number of hurdles needing to be jumped over during the home buying process. Literally, I will throw myself in front of a bus for these people. They are beyond the best!
Tyler McKenzie, Managing Broker, Windermere Real Estate Co./Seattle-Green Lake

Can’t get better; this was my first home loan. Jeanne and Salmon Bay Community Lending was, by far, the best part of the entire experience. Not only was she the most competent, but was also the most caring contributor to my home-​buying experience. I would strongly urge anyone in the market to at least give her a ring… you would be doing yourself a great disservice if you didn’t!

As a real estate professional, I am always interviewing different lenders to find the true professionals who I can trust to take good care of my clients. These women are just who I want to send my friends and family to. Their industry knowledge is superior. Their attention to customer experience is excellent. Call them today for a refi, or to find out your options for your next mortgage investment!