VanKeef Financial LLC NMLS 119517, Lake Mary, FL

Trying to secure a refi loan through VanKeef was an extremely difficult experience, and ultimately it was impossible. We spent 11 months trying to satisfy their requirements and close the loan. We put an addition on our house, but the work in the addition was incomplete, so we applied for a re-fi in June 2020. Throughout our loan process, we supplied all paperwork promptly. In August 2020 the appraisal was done, it was appraised "As Is", and it appraised for more than enough to get the cash we were asking for. However, VanKeef requested our appraiser to change the appraisal from "As is" to "Subject to improvements". They wanted us to complete the bathroom in the addition, and finish some exterior work. At this point they had full pictures of our home, including our kitchen, and all other rooms, and these above mentioned improvements were the only work requested. We were going to redo our ugly (but functional) kitchen after the loan was finished. We did the work that was requested ourselves, so 5 months and $8000 later, we were ready to proceed. We contacted VanKeef on Jan 11 and asked for the appraiser to be sent. 3 weeks later and we still had not heard a thing. When I called to inquire, I was told that they could not find an appraiser. Finally, one was sent on Feb 17. He appraised our house "As is", no upgrades required, and once again, it was valued plenty high enough for us to qualify for the cash out we were asking for. After the appraisal, we were not kept updated. Another month passed with no word. During this time, communication from Larry, our agent at VanKeef was non-existent. Any information we got was by calling and asking, and hoping for a response. A number of times messages left for call backs were not returned. I told Larry I was worried about rising interest rates, and could we hurry it along. (We were always polite, I promise) Larry said that if we lost our interest rate, it would not be their fault, it would be ours for taking 5 months to finish the upgrades On March 23, I wrote to Patrick, the owner of VanKeef, and told him that our experience had been frustrating and exhausting, and I asked if he could give us a firm closing date. He said he hoped that we would close within two weeks. A lot more paperwork was requested, which we promptly sent. Finally, on April 1, VanKeef informed us that our appraisal was now saying "Subject to improvements", and they had decided we needed to redo our kitchen with new cabinets, countertops, flooring and appliances before we could proceed. They had pictures of our kitchen since August 2020. I contacted the appraisal company to see why the appraisal was changed, and they said that VanKeef contacted them 4 weeks after they had submitted it, and Van Keef was the one that requested it to be changed to "Subject to improvements" On April 2 we left VanKeef and applied with Stephenie Becker at Home First Lending. She called us every day, and kept us apprised of every step. And in 33 short days she closed our loan! We got the same interest rate, and the same cash out as offered by VanKeef, with no upgrades required to qualify for the loan. I wrote to Patrick and told him that we were able to close our loan in 33 days start to finish. And he said that is because it is easier to close a fresh loan than one that has been ongoing.

Having recently completed a refinance with VanKeef Financial, I wanted to give others an idea of what working with them is like. Having gone through several purchases/refinances in the past, mostly with big banks, I was usually the one who was emailing/calling asking for updates on the loan process. In this case, I was the one who was trying to keep pace with the speed that VanKeef was able to work through my file. From start to finish, VanKeef Financial created a plan for the refinance and stuck to it, all the way through closing. Throughout the process, Bradley Laws and Tristan Miller made communication easy, whether it be to provide updated loan documentation or just to check on the status of the loan. While the terms provided with the refinance were competitive and are what connected me with VanKeef Financial in the first place, the high-level of professionalism and customer service shown by these two individuals throughout the process are what will bring me back to working with VanKeef Financial in the future. In closing, always do your own research when deciding who you want to work with for a home purchase or refinance, but based on my experience working with Brad, Tristan and the rest of the team at VanKeef Financial, I would highly recommend them as a start, if you are in the market.

My wife and I were searching for the best rates for a home refinance. After reaching out to six companies, VanKeef Financial had the best rates and it WASN'T EVEN CLOSE. They gave us their best rates upfront. We offered other lenders a chance to beat VanKeef's rates, but always got the same run around: "Let me talk my manager and see what we can do" - and always came up empty. We worked with Larry Keefauver and Tristan Miller to get our loan to the finish line and the process was super smooth. The team was responding to my questions during non-business hours and worked up several estimates to make sure I had all of the information I needed to feel comfortable. Tristan made calls to vendors to acquire information on my behalf when I didn't have all of the necessary data. These guys do everything in their power to make the customer experience a pleasant one and ensure my wife and I were happy in the end. This is our second time using VanKeef; each time they've had superior rates and outstanding customer service. I wholeheartedly recommend the team at VanKeef Financial for anyone looking to purchase or refinance a home.

We used VanKeef financial to acquire a loan on our first home in Boca Raton, FL. The process was easy and extremely fair at first. Patrick who was our loan officer was on top of everything..... So he said... Until it all went sour. Passed us on to multiple people that didn't know what they were doing. To Patrick's defense he had a newborn with multiple issues in NICU for 6 months. Patrick is a good man.

VanKeef Financial LLC made our refinance process painless, Tristan Miller was our approval processor and he was a pleasure to work with, He stayed in contact with us answering all our questions within minutes. We definitely recommend VanKeef Financial LLC anyone wanting to refinance a home. Thank you