“Buying a home can be stressful, but working with Doug made the whole experience feel so much more manageable.”
Buying a home can be stressful, but working with Doug made the whole experience feel so much more manageable. From the very beginning, he was not only knowledgeable but also genuinely supportive, always taking the time to answer my questions and make sure I felt comfortable with every step.
One thing that really stood out was this great tool he uses where he breaks down the total cost analysis in a simple video format. Being able to actually see everything explained so clearly made a huge difference and took a lot of the guesswork and confusion out of the process.
He also did an amazing job leveraging his experience and local connections around Raleigh to keep everything moving forward. Anytime something could have slowed things down, Doug was already a step ahead, making sure it got handled. Thanks to him, we were able to close right on time without any last-minute surprises.
I’d absolutely recommend him to anyone, including investors, buying in the Raleigh area.
Response from Lender
Samuel, I really appreciate you sharing your experience. Navigating the Raleigh market is much easier when working with someone as prepared and dedicated as you were throughout this process. It was a pleasure helping you make sense of the numbers and keeping everything on track for a smooth closing. Enjoy your new property!
“Doug Schoonmaker and the team at Rate were awesome. The guidance, process and outcome were all as explained and smooth/easy.”
Doug Schoonmaker and the team at Rate were awesome. The guidance, process and outcome were all as explained and smooth/easy. 10/10 a great professional and a caring human who makes it easy to do this otherwise stressful process. Kudos for the great work and making life easy :)
Response from Owner
Judd, thank you so much for taking the time to share such a warm note. It was truly a pleasure walking alongside you through this journey, and I'm so glad our team could keep things smooth and comfortable for you from start to finish. Building a genuine connection means everything to me. Wishing you the absolute best.
“Working with Doug was a great decision. He was responsive, knowledgeable, and explained every step clearly.”
Working with Doug was a great decision. He was responsive, knowledgeable, and explained every step clearly. The process was smooth, stress-free, and closed on time with no surprises. He truly cares and goes above and beyond. Highly recommend!
Working with Doug was one of the best decisions we made. He was responsive, knowledgeable, and took the time to clearly explain every step of the process.
He made everything smooth and stress-free, and our loan closed on time with no surprises. Doug truly cares about his clients and goes above and beyond.
We’d highly recommend him to anyone!
Response from Lender
Akram, it was a pleasure guiding you through your home loan and making sure everything stayed smooth and stress-free. I'm grateful for the chance to help you reach this important milestone. If you ever know of any friends or family who could use a hand with their mortgage, please keep us in mind.
“Fast, reliable, responsive, follows through, follows up, gets it done. And a pleasure to work with on top of it all.”
Fast, reliable, responsive, follows through, follows up, gets it done. And a pleasure to work with on top of it all. Would highly recommend him to anyone - excellent service!
Response from Lender
Peter, I appreciate that fantastic feedback. Keeping things fast and reliable is always the goal, and it was a true pleasure helping you get this done. Reach out anytime you need anything!
“Doug provided outstanding customer service, guiding me through the complex process of securing a mortgage with expertise and care.”
Dear [Doug Schoonmaker. ]
Doug provided outstanding customer service, guiding me through the complex process of securing a mortgage with expertise and care. They were always available to answer my questions, no matter how small, and went out of their way to explain each step in detail, ensuring I was comfortable and informed at all times.
What really set Doug apart was their ability to tailor the mortgage options to meet my specific needs. They took the time to understand my financial situation and long-term goals, providing personalized advice that ultimately led to a great loan with favorable terms. Doug was always proactive, staying on top of deadlines, paperwork, and even navigating unexpected challenges without a hitch.
I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for the help and support you have provided me in obtaining a home loan. Your role has been vital in facilitating the process and making my dream of owning a home come true, and I am very grateful for that.
I greatly appreciate your time and effort,
Thank you again for everything.
With all due respect and appreciation,
I wish you all the best and success, and I hope we can work together again in the future.
With sincere thanks and appreciation,
[Mohammed Alsaidi ]
Response from Lender
Mohamed, it was such an absolute joy partnering with you to bring your homeownership dream to life. I'm so glad our team's guidance made the financial details feel clear and stress-free for you from day one. Thank you for placing your trust in us, and I hope you enjoy every single moment in your wonderful new home.
“Doug was awesome. I highly highly recommend him. Responsive, thorough and detail oriented.”
Doug was awesome. I highly highly recommend him. Responsive, thorough and detail oriented. Closed on time. Very high marks for being a thorough professional. He even attended the closing to make sure everything went smoothly.
Response from Lender
Raj, it was an absolute pleasure guiding you through your home loan process from start to finish. I always want to make sure closing day goes off without a hitch, so being there in person was the least I could do. Thank you for trusting me with your financing needs, and please reach out whenever you need anything down the road!
“Doug and his entire team made the process of securing our dream home a BREEZE.”
Doug and his entire team made the process of securing our dream home a BREEZE.
The level of care and support as well expertise was simply amazing.
Having been through this process many, many times with other lenders, it is with the utmost confidence that I would recommend Doug to anyone looking for his services.
Fast, friendly, efficient, communicative, supportive and kind. Just the best!
Response from Lender
Judd, it's been an absolute pleasure working with you to secure your dream home. Knowing you've been through this process many times makes your kind words about our team mean that much more. We always strive to keep things fast, clear, and supportive from start to finish. I'm grateful for your trust and hope you enjoy your gorgeous new property for years to come!
“Doug was so easy and helpful to work with. He answered all of our questions in a timely manner”
Doug was so easy and helpful to work with. He answered all of our questions in a timely manner and in a way that was easy to understand. He's truly so kind and can tell he genuinely cares about the people he works with.
Response from Owner
Leah, working with you and Richard was an absolute joy from start to finish. I always want the home loan process to feel clear and stress-free, so your kind words truly mean the world to me. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to help you reach your goals, and I hope you're enjoying every single minute in your new space!
“Doug was recommended to us by a friend and we are very happy we went with him! … He was always easy to reach, and explained everything very well.”
Doug was recommended to us by a friend and we are very happy we went with him! As first time homebuyers, we didn’t know what we were doing but Doug and his team helped us through every step of the way. He was always easy to reach, and explained everything very well. We are happy with our new home!
Response from Owner
It was such a joy helping you navigate your first home purchase, Madison. Stepping into the housing market brings plenty of questions, so I'm genuinely glad our team could make the journey clear and straightforward for you. Wishing you wonderful moments ahead in your new home!
“Doug is awesome to work with I’ve worked with him in the past and he goes beyond my expectations. He answers all my questions and gives great detail to make sure I’m understanding.”
Doug is awesome to work with I’ve worked with him in the past and he goes beyond my expectations. He answers all my questions and gives great detail to make sure I’m understanding. Everyone has been prompt and quick to respond to get me to my closing on time. I would recommend this group of people anytime they are good at what they do. I greatly appreciate all the work put into my loan. One other thing is that he also leaves me information to review about my loan at my convenience. This helps me to make sure I’m making the right decisions about my loan. I give 100 stars ⭐️ to this group.
TTressa M.
“This was a very smooth process without much stress! Communication lines were always there for when I needed answers. Highly recommend this team.”
This was a very smooth process without much stress! Communication lines were always there for when I needed answers. Highly recommend this team.
Response from Owner
Thanks, Jay! Keeping things stress-free and keeping those communication lines open is always our main goal. Enjoy your new home journey!
“Doug is amazing and offers incredibly timely, professional and expert service”
Doug is amazing and offers incredibly timely, professional and expert service
JJudd W.
“This is my first time buying a house, and Doug has made the entire process easy and understandable.”
This is my first time buying a house, and Doug has made the entire process easy and understandable. Buying a home can be overwhelming, especially when you’re receiving so many documents and paperwork at once, but he took the time to explain everything clearly and simply. He was always available to answer my questions and made sure I felt comfortable and informed every step of the way. I truly appreciate his patience, professionalism, and support throughout the process.
Response from Lender
Ali, guiding you through your very first home purchase was such a wonderful experience for our team. Stepping into the housing market comes with plenty of paperwork, but you handled every step with such grace. I'm so glad I could make the details clear and keep things stress-free for you. Enjoy every single moment in your new home!
“From start to finish, the process was smooth, efficient, and stress-free. He was incredibly knowledgeable and responsive.”
I recently refinanced my mortgage and had an outstanding experience working with Doug Schoonmaker. From start to finish, the process was smooth, efficient, and stress-free. He was incredibly knowledgeable and responsive.
If you're looking to refinance or secure a mortgage, I highly recommend Doug. He truly goes above and beyond for his clients.
Response from Lender
Db, it was a pleasure helping with your refinance. I'm glad our team kept the process smooth and stress-free for you. Thank you for the recommendation, and please reach out anytime!
“You can’t ask for a better person to help you buy a home!! He was there no matter to answer questions, and the process was truly seamless.”
You can’t ask for a better person to help you buy a home!! He was there no matter to answer questions, and the process was truly seamless. They have a portal to help you keep track and submit everything so you can close on time.
Response from Lender
Natashia, working together on your new home was such a rewarding experience. I'm truly grateful for your kind words about our communication and the digital portal, and it's wonderful knowing everything felt seamless from start to finish. Enjoy settling into your new space, and please always know my door is open if you ever need anything down the road.
“Doug got the job done when nobody else could. I needed a construction loan to complete the final stages of building my home”
Doug got the job done when nobody else could. I needed a construction loan to complete the final stages of building my home, I had tried other banks and had plenty of collateral but showed a loss on my business; the other banks I tried didn't want to help me because of that. I was introduced to Doug and he worked diligently with me from start to finish. I couldn't be more pleased, as I am now able to finish building my home.
Response from Lender
Brian, it was truly a pleasure rolling up my sleeves to find a solution for your construction financing. When traditional banks couldn't look past standard business tax nuances despite your strong collateral, I knew we had to find a better way. I'm so glad we could get this across the finish line so you can complete your home. Enjoy every step of the final build!
