“With every situation they have always been friendly, fast and professional and gotten us the rates that we needed. Your customer service is beyond exceptional.”
This is our fourth refinance with Guaranteed rate and Team CJ Kerls.
Cj and his team have helped us refi to purchase our home, borrow money on our home and buy a vacation property. With every situation they have always been friendly, fast and professional and gotten us the rates that we needed. We will never go with another company. Thank you so much Cj and team! Your customer service is beyond exceptional.
Response from Owner
Thank you Dalia for the kind words! It is always a pleasure to work with you and to be the mortgage financing team you can count on! All the best!
“Every step was covered and we were always informed. He and his team are amazing at working through more complex situations... always available, quick to respond and just the nicest people!”
I would absolutely recommend CJ and his team at Guaranteed Rate. He has worked with us through 2 mortgages and in both cases every step was covered and we were always informed and clear on the process. But also he and his team are amazing at working through more complex mortgage situations. From 2 loans for a less than 20% down first mortgage (starter home) to helping us purchase our upgrade leveraging a HELOC so that we could be in the house hunting market without a time pressure and without moving twice. CJ and his team were always available, quick to respond and just the nicest people!
Response from Owner
Thank you Statia! It was a pleasure to work with you. We are grateful to have you as a repeat customer and to be of service in your home financing needs. All the best!
“They are professional, extremely responsive and just really nice people. They have twice gone from pre-approval and accepted offer to closed and funded in 28 days or less for us!”
The Team at Guarantee Rate is amazing. We have used them for numerous transactions throughout the past ten years. They are professional, they are extremely responsive and are just really nice people. They went through the process of house buying with us twice as well as a refi. Anyone buying a house in the bay area knows you need a loan agent who really comes through as competition is tough. They have twice gone from pre-approval and accepted offer to closed and funded in 28 days or less for us! Making an offer using a loan but not writing in a loan contingency is a risky move if you don't not trust your loan team. We always check rates and they always come in ahead for us. It amazing to have CJ and his team on our team, we would not be where we are today without them!
Response from Owner
Thank you Nathan for all the kind words. I'm glad to hear we made the process go smoothly and we love being the team you can count on! Always here to help.
“Their service is superior, their rates extremely competitive and the entire team works like a well oiled machine. They do not let obstacles get in the way and keep the process on track.”
I have closed a number of residential mortgages over the years with CJ Kerls and his team of mortgage pros. Their service is superior, their rates extremely competitive and the entire team works like a well oiled machine. They do not let obstacles get in the way and keep the entire process on track and timely. I have and will continue to refer friends and family to them for their mortgage needs. No matter what you are trying to do when it comes to residential mortgages, CJ knows how to get it done! And, has a mortgage product to match your needs. In a world that sorely lacks in service and personal touch, these folks are the ones to call.
Response from Owner
Thanks David. We greatly appreciate your business and are grateful to have you as a long term client in serving your home financing needs. Thank you again!
“CJ and his team always communicated clearly, answered questions quickly, and delivered a 25-day close. I consider myself lucky to have had a dream team of professionals.”
If you want to work with knowledgeable and straightforward loan professionals, CJ Kerls and his team are the team to work with.
I had the privilege of working with CJ and his team when I bought my home last September. I had previously had contact with CJ about 4 years prior when I was first entertaining the idea of purchasing a home and began working with him again this last time in July of 2020. The first time we worked together CJ showed the same level of attention as he did this last time. Both times he was incredibly knowledgeable and responsive throughout the process of getting me pre-qualified for a loan. Each time he presented me with several loan options to see what best suited my budget and desired loan value. He always made himself available to modify my pre-approval letter depending on the properties I was interested in making an offer on. Four years ago, after viewing several houses, I decided it was not the right time for me to make a purchase. I reached out to CJ to let him know I would not be moving forward and despite already having done work to prequalify me, he was incredibly understanding and asked that I keep in touch should anything change.
Over the years that followed, CJ would often check in with me to see how I was doing. He was always attentive and never pushy. Because of the way he nurtured the relationship, it was easy for me to know who to call once I was ready to look at homes again. We started working together again right in the middle of the pandemic. It was an absolute seller’s market in the area I was interested in buying and CJ helped me revise my pre-approval letter several times (sometimes at a moment's notice) to make my offer more competitive. After a few rejected offers, I put in an offer for my dream home, and it was accepted.
At this point CJ and his team moved like a well-oiled machine. CJ locked in an amazing rate for me the day my offer was accepted. His team clearly communicated to me the documents they still needed from me that hadn’t already been collected during the pre-approval process. They quickly scheduled the appraisal, and it was completed well before I had to remove the appraisal contingency on my offer. The remainder of the process was equally smooth. CJ and his team always communicated clearly with me about all closing costs so there were never any surprises. He and his team were always there when I had a question and answered quickly. My realtor had asked for a fast close to make my offer more competitive and CJ and his team were able to deliver a 25-day close. I consider myself lucky to have had a dream team of professionals when it came to purchasing my home and that is due in large part to CJ and his incredible team.
Response from Owner
Thanks Ernesto! We are grateful to have you as a long term client and to be of service in your home financing needs. All the best!
“I could not recommend a more thoughtful, intelligent, ethical and accomplished mortgage broker. He is the ultimate under-promiser and over-deliverer in an ever changing market.”
CJ has closed many loans for me over the past twenty years, and I could not recommend a more thoughtful, intelligent, ethical and accomplished mortgage broker. I have referred him to dozens of people and they always come back thanking me. He is also the guy to go to for creative ideas of financing, including bridge loans and other out of the box scenarios. Just last year he refinanced our second home and financed the purchase of our new single family home, both with incredible rates. His entire team is responsive and dedicated to ensuring a positive consumer experience. With the myriad of new rules related to financing mortgages, CJ is THE guy to go to. He is the ultimate under-promiser and over-deliverer in an ever changing market. Five stars!
Response from Owner
Thanks John! We are happy to hear that we could provide a great experience. One of our goals is to make sure our clients have peace of mind from start to finish. We look forward to working with you again in the future.
“I had so many questions going into the process... and [CJ] and his team were excellent at answering them and guiding me through it. The whole team worked so fast!”
CJ was referred to me by my Real Estate agent, and I could not be more satisfied! I had so many questions going into the process, and during Escrow, he and his team were excellent at answering them and guiding me through it. We also had a very short escrow period for our home, and the whole team worked so fast! I would highly recommend!
Response from Owner
Thank you so much for the kind words! Referrals mean the world to us, and I'm glad we could answer all your questions and help you move through a short escrow with confidence. It was a pleasure working with you, and I truly appreciate the recommendation!
— CJ
“As first-time home buyers, we had a lot of questions... and CJ was incredibly patient, responsive, and helpful. His guidance made the experience so much smoother and less stressful.”
As first-time home buyers, we had a lot of questions throughout the process, and CJ was incredibly patient, responsive, and helpful every step of the way. He took the time to explain everything clearly, made sure we understood all of our options, and always made us feel comfortable reaching out whenever something came up.
Buying a home can feel overwhelming, but his guidance and professionalism made the experience so much smoother and far less stressful. We truly felt like he had our best interests in mind from start to finish. We’re so grateful for all of his help and would absolutely recommend him to anyone who is in need of a mortgage lender.
Response from Owner
Thank you so much for this thoughtful review! Buying a home for the first time comes with a lot of questions, and my goal is always to make sure you feel informed and comfortable at every step, not just rushed through the process. I'm so glad that came through for you, and it truly means a lot to know you felt we had your best interests in mind. Congratulations again on your new home, and thank you for the kind recommendation!
— CJ
“I've been working with CJ for 30+ years.... He is always responsive, smart and has his pulse on the market. I value his advice and will never do a real estate transaction without him.”
I've been working with CJ for 30+ years and hold him in high regard. He is always responsive, smart and has his pulse on the market. I value his advice and will never do a real estate transaction without him.
Response from Owner
Thank you so much — 30 years is a long time, and I don't take that trust lightly. It's relationships like ours that make this work so rewarding. I'm grateful for your continued confidence and look forward to many more transactions together!
— CJ
“As a first time home buyer, CJ was extremely prompt and helpful throughout the journey and pulled out all the stops to make a super fast close happen when we found our dream home.”
As a first time home buyer, I had a ton of questions and a lot of unknowns about the process. CJ was extremely prompt and helpful throughout the journey and pulled out all the stops to make a super fast close happen when we found our dream home way faster than expected.
I highly recommend him and definitely would work together again in the future!
Response from Owner
Thank you for the wonderful review! First-time buying can feel overwhelming with so many unknowns, so I'm glad we could keep things moving quickly and get you into your home without missing a beat. It was a pleasure working with you, and I'd welcome the chance to work together again down the road. Congratulations again!
— CJ
“CJ and his team were excellent from start to finish. Their communication was timely, and they consistently made a rather arduous process seem and feel easy.”
We recently secured a mortgage for a new home purchase through Guaranteed Rate. CJ and his team were excellent from start to finish. Their communication was timely, their answers to questions were thorough, and they consistently made a rather arduous process seem and feel easy. We are very grateful for their expertise and thoughtful guidance. Would heartily recommend them for anyone seeking a home loan or advice about this process.
Response from Owner
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this — we're truly grateful for your kind words and for trusting us with your home purchase. Making a complex process feel easy is exactly what we aim for, and it means a lot to know we hit the mark for you. Congratulations again on your new home, and thank you for the heartfelt recommendation! - CJ
“CJ was a great resource for the purchase of our new home. His team was able to get us approved quickly when a last minute deal came our way, all with friendly communication.”
CJ was a great resource for the purchase of our new home. Rates were high and our budget was tight, but his team was able to get us approved quickly when a last minute deal came our way.
A few hours after our contract was signed by the seller, they received a back up offer that was considerably higher (all cash) so it was critical for us to meet every milestone of the contract. CJ and the Rate team made it happen! All with friendly communication and an easy online portal for document exchange.
I will definitely work with them again on any future home purchase or refinances.
Response from Owner
Thank you Joe! It was great working with you both. I'm so happy we were able to move quickly and beat out an all cash offer! Thank you for your business.
“He follows through on what he says he will do and constantly overdelivers. He's an expert on the loan process and works hard to get the best loan for his clients.”
CJ and his team are the best out there and I highly recommend using him on your next home purchase. He follows through on what he says he will do and constantly overdelivers. He's an expert on the loan process and works hard to get the best loan for his clients.
Response from Owner
Thank you so much for your kind words and recommendation! It means a lot to us to hear that you appreciate our dedication and expertise in the loan process. We're committed to delivering the best possible service for our clients, and it's wonderful to know that our efforts are making a positive impact. Looking forward to continuing to work together!
“Professional yet friendly. He/they return your emails, texts and phone calls promptly. They keep you on track... We would definitely use him again and would have no trouble referring.”
CJ was our loan officer 18 years ago. So when we decided to buy a new home we didn't hesitate to call him. He and his team at Guaranteed Rate are wonderful. Professional yet friendly. He/they return your emails, texts and phone calls promptly. They keep you on track with the tasks needed to get your loan approved in a timely manner. We would definitely use him again and would have no trouble referring family/friends.
Thank you CJ and Team!
Response from Owner
Thank you Kevin. It is always a pleasure to work with you. We are grateful to have you as a repeat customer and to be of service in your home financing needs. All the best!
“His level of professionalism, customer service, and expertise is outstanding. He makes the process simple and even fun.”
We have worked with CJ and his team to purchase our first home, refinance, and now to purchase our next home. His level of professionalism, customer service, and expertise is outstanding. He makes the process simple and even fun.
Response from Owner
Thank you Melanie! We are very grateful to have you as a repeat customer and to be of service in your home purchase and mortgage refinance needs. It is always a pleasure working with you. All the best!
“They are super responsive and move quickly, whether turning around approval letters, coordinating with lenders, or answering questions along the way. Highly recommended.”
We've worked with CJ and his team three separate times now (2 purchases and 1 refi) and can't say enough good things about them. They are super responsive and move quickly, whether turning around approval letters, coordinating with lenders, or answering questions along the way. Highly recommended.
Response from Owner
Thank you Ryan! We appreciate your business and are grateful to have you as a repeat customer for your home financing needs. Happy New Year!
“From start to finish the team walked us through the various steps of the process and diligently guided through what was needed... [W]ould highly recommend reaching out to them.”
I had a great experience recently refinancing my home with Guaranteed Rate and CJ Kerls and his team. From start to finish the team walked us through the various steps of the process and diligently guided through what was needed in order for us to be successful. The team at Guaranteed Rate are top notch and would highly recommend reaching out to them for any home loan needs--no doubt you'll be as happy as we were!
Response from Owner
Thanks Michael! It was a pleasure working with you and we are grateful for your business. I'm glad to hear we made the process go smoothly. Always here to help!
“I don't recall ever having such a painless, stress-free experience with such a quick turn-around. CJ is very knowledgeable, a delight to work with, and a champ!”
I recently re-fi'd one of my properties using CJ Kerls at Guaranteed Rate. I don't recall ever having such a painless, stress-free experience with such a quick turn-around. I even threw him a curve by changing the whole loan strategy after completion. He was very open to the idea and is working as we speak on resurrecting my loan and taking it in its new direction. What a champ! In fact, I'm using him once again for another upcoming investment! CJ is very knowledgeable and a delight to work with. Can't recommend him highly enough.
Response from Owner
Thank you Jan! We love a good "curve ball" challenge every now and then ;-) and are glad we were able to accommodate your home financing needs. Onto the next adventure. All the best!
“CJ and his team provided excellent service [...]. They told us what to expect, communicated frequently and clearly, and got the deal done in what seemed like record time.”
CJ and his team provided excellent service in connection with our mortgage refinancing. They told us what to expect, communiated frequently and clearly, answered our questions and got the deal done in what seemed like record time. They utilized great technology to make the application, document submission and review processes easy and fast. 100% recommend Guaranteed Rate!
Response from Owner
Thank you Nathan. We are happy to hear that we could provide a great experience. One of our goals is to make sure our clients have peace of mind from start to finish. We look forward to working with you again in the future.
“CJ and his team were fantastic! They answered any questions quickly and made the whole process of buying a house simple and straightforward. I would recommend them to anyone.”
CJ and his team were fantastic! They were happy to answer any questions we had and always responded quickly. The whole process of buying a house was made simple and straightforward. Everything was done on time and at no point did we feel anxious or that they didn't have the process under control. I would recommend them to anyone shopping for a mortgage lender.
Response from Owner
Thanks Ben! We appreciate your business. My team strives to make the process as smooth as possible. Thank you again for choosing us and Guaranteed Rate.
“His support, deep knowledge, and availability to jump in and help us on short notice are invaluable. I'd like to highly recommend CJ Kerls!”
I had the pleasure of working with CJ Kerls at Guaranteed Rate 10 years ago when he helped us buy our first home. Then, more recently, we reached out to CJ again to help us with our refinance. His support, deep knowledge, and availability to jump in and help us on short notice are invaluable. I'd like to highly recommend CJ Kerls!
Response from Owner
Thanks Chaska! We are grateful to be able to have you as a long term client and to have helped in your refinance.
“The document handling process was super easy and CJ was extremely helpful in guiding me through the entire loan process. Communication was well established... We will definately use CJ's services again.”
My wife and I worked with CJ and his team on financing two new-purchase properties and we are very happy with his services and the interest rate he gave us. The document handling process was super easy and CJ was extremely helpful in guiding me through the entire loan process. Communication was well established from the time he sent us the perliminary estimates all the way to signing the final documents via Notary Public agent. We will definately use CJ's services again; in fact, we will be refinancing with him very soon.
Response from Owner
Thanks Mehrdad! We are grateful to help you with your home purchase and wish you all the best.
“They made the refinance process as easy and simple as possible for me. It helped that Guaranteed Rate is high tech to make the mortgage process smooth.”
CJ Kerls and his team are very responsive and professional. They made the refinance process as easy and simple as possible for me. It helped that Guaranteed Rate is high tech to make the mortgage process smooth.
Response from Owner
Thanks Gilbert. We appreciate your business. My team strives to make the process as smooth as possible. Thank you again for choosing us and Guaranteed Rate.
“He was great at walking me through different loan options and finding a low rate with no closing costs that really worked for our situation”
Just had a fantastic experience refinancing with CJ. He was great at walking me through different loan options and finding a low rate with no closing costs that really worked for our situation and far exceeded my expectations. I really appreciated how responsive, patient, and thorough he was in explaining everything. He also handled a subordination issue with my heloc with no problem, when other banks made it seem like a heloc second mortgage would be a dealbreaker in easily refinancing. In addition, his entire team ensured a smooth process and clear communications throughout all the different stages until signing.
I should also add that CJ came to my rescue when I was a first-time homebuyer, and our house did not appraise at what we offered. My original bank basically said we were out of options, and I thought we were going to lose the house after our offer had been accepted. But CJ came in with a piggyback mortgage option that allowed us to still close with less than 20% down and no mortgage insurance. He saved us from a super stressful situation, and we are so happy with the house to this day.
In short, I can’t recommend CJ enough – he’s all you could hope for in a lender and more!
“Both times he was incredibly knowledgeable and responsive throughout the process of getting me pre-qualified for a loan. Each time he presented me with several loan options”
I had the privilege of working with CJ and his team when I bought my home last September. I had previously had contact with CJ about 4 years prior when I was first entertaining the idea of purchasing a home and began working with him again this last time in July of 2020. The first time we worked together CJ showed the same level of attention as he did this last time. Both times he was incredibly knowledgeable and responsive throughout the process of getting me pre-qualified for a loan. Each time he presented me with several loan options to see what best suited my budget and desired loan value. He always made himself available to modify my pre-approval letter depending on the properties I was interested in making an offer on. Four years ago, after viewing several houses, I decided it was not the right time for me to make a purchase. I reached out to CJ to let him know I would not be moving forward and despite already having done work to prequalify me, he was incredibly understanding and asked that I keep in touch should anything change.
Over the years that followed, CJ would often check in with me to see how I was doing. He was always attentive and never pushy. Because of the way he nurtured the relationship, it was easy for me to know who to call once I was ready to look at homes again. We started working together again right in the middle of the pandemic. It was an absolute seller’s market in the area I was interested in buying and CJ helped me revise my pre-approval letter several times (sometimes at a moment's notice) to make my offer more competitive. After a few rejected offers, I put in an offer for my dream home, and it was accepted.
At this point CJ and his team moved like a well-oiled machine. CJ locked in an amazing rate for me the day my offer was accepted. His team clearly communicated to me the documents they still needed from me that hadn’t already been collected during the pre-approval process. They quickly scheduled the appraisal, and it was completed well before I had to remove the appraisal contingency on my offer. The remainder of the process was equally smooth. CJ and his team always communicated clearly with me about all closing costs so there were never any surprises. He and his team were always there when I had a question and answered quickly. My realtor had asked for a fast close to make my offer more competitive and CJ and his team were able to deliver a 25-day close. I consider myself lucky to have had a dream team of professionals when it came to purchasing my home and that is due in large part to CJ and his incredible team.
“CJ has been an incredible partner. We really appreciate him and his team’s help throughout the process and the speed at which they were able to usher us through.”
CJ has been an incredible partner during our most recent home buying experience. We really appreciate him and his team’s help throughout the process and the speed at which they were able to usher us through the all of the numerous steps. We highly recommend him!
Response from Owner
Thank you Shilpa! We appreciate your business. My team strives to make the mortgage loan process as smooth as possible. Thank you again for choosing us and Guaranteed Rate for your home financing.
“I have worked with CJ as a real estate professional as well as on behalf of my clients. He is quick, efficient and always closes on time if not early! I highly recommend him!”
CJ and his team are the best! I have worked with CJ as a real estate professional as well as on behalf of my clients. He is quick, efficient and always closes on time if not early! I highly recommend him!
Response from Owner
Thank you Gary.We love being the team you can count on! Always here to help.
“CJ and his team were amazing throughout the entire process. They helped me get a great loan and in the process the house we wanted. Everything was done electronically.”
CJ and his team were amazing throughout the entire process
They helped me get a great loan and in the process the house we wanted.
Everything was done electronically so it was super fast, so I only had to upload documents and everything that required signing was done digitally.
Best of all I never had to print anything.
Thank you again CJ and team
Response from Owner
Thank you Leslie! We appreciate your business. My team strives to make the mortgage loan process as smooth as possible. Thank you again for choosing us and Guaranteed Rate for your home financing.
“Very professional and personal support helping us get the loan we needed. CJ and his colleagues were very quick to respond when we had questions.”
Very professional and personal support helping us get the loan we needed. CJ and his colleagues were very quick to respond when we had questions. They made the process painless. Thank you.
NNorbert R.
“It has always been an easy, smooth, and pleasurable experience working with CJ and his team. I highly recommend them for your mortgage needs.”
We first financed our home purchase with CJ Kerls 18 years ago. Since then, we have refinanced our mortgage several times and it has always been an easy, smooth, and pleasurable experience working with CJ and his team. I highly recommend them for your mortgage needs.
“His support, deep knowledge, and availability to jump in and help us on short notice are invaluable. I'd like to highly recommend CJ Kerls!”
I had the pleasure of working with CJ Kerls at Guaranteed Rate 10 years ago when he helped us buy our first home. Then, more recently, we reached out to CJ again to help us with our refinance. His support, deep knowledge, and availability to jump in and help us on short notice are invaluable. I'd like to highly recommend CJ Kerls!
“CJ was very prompt in correspondence and thorough throughout the process. He answered all our questions and made the process as easy as we could ask for!”
CJ was very prompt in correspondence and thorough throughout the process. He answered all our questions and made the process as easy as we could ask for! Thank you for your time and expertise
Response from Owner
Thank you for the kind words Janelle. My team strives to make the mortgage loan process as smooth as possible, and we really appreciate your business!
“Helped us really well to get the mortgage. Quick work helped us get a good rate. Very prompt in communication and always available. Recommend him”
Helped us really well to get the mortgage. Quick work helped us get a good rate. Very prompt in communication and always available. Recommend him
Response from Owner
Thank you so much for your kind words! I really enjoyed working with you and am grateful you trusted me to help with your mortgage. Your recommendation means a lot to me.
“CJ and his team have been very helpful and efficient.”
CJ and his team have been very helpful and efficient.
MMichael P.
“CJ was great from start to end. Made it all very easy.”
CJ was great from start to end. Made it all very easy.
KKerrin J.
“CJ and his team were excellent from start to finish. They were clear communicators and answered all questions promptly.”
CJ and his team were excellent from start to finish. They were clear communicators and answered all questions promptly. They also closed our loan on a very short timeline with no hiccups.
JJames W.
“CJ Kerls and his team are very responsive and professional. They made the refinance process as easy and simple as possible for me.”
CJ Kerls and his team are very responsive and professional. They made the refinance process as easy and simple as possible for me. It helped that Guaranteed Rate is high tech to make the mortgage process smooth.
“CJ jumped in and provided better rates, and presented the costs and options in an extremely clear an concise manner. He did this all within one afternoon for us.”
I reached out to CJ for a pre-approval on a 30y fixed jumbo after the market rates changed and our other lender was coming in high - quite stressful. CJ jumped in and provided better rates, and presented the costs and options in an extremely clear an concise manner. He did this all within one afternoon for us.
Ultimately, our other lender matched and we decided to go with them because of complexities with the appraisal and underwriting approval while improvements being made to the building (headache).
After interacting with CJ over the period of a few days, I have no hesitation in recommending him as a great person to approach when you need a mortgage.
“We closed on very aggressive timeline. It really felt like we had a great team behind us and, even though we moved quick, we felt well informed during the whole process.”
We closed on very aggressive timeline. It really felt like we had a great team behind us and, even though we moved quick, we felt well informed during the whole process.
MMark C.
“The team at Rate got us our mortgage in a very short amount of time. The team moved quickly, efficiently and helped us make our dream come true of buying a home.”
The team at Rate got us our mortgage in a very short amount of time. The team moved quickly, efficiently and helped us make our dream come true of buying a home.
NNicole N.
“Rockstars! The speed these people work along with the ease of the entire process is amazing.”
Rockstars! The speed these people work along with the ease of the entire process is amazing.
WWayne L.
“Excellent service and an extremely knowledgeable broker.”
Excellent service and an extremely knowledgeable broker.
LLise A.
“CJ was super helpful and his team went above and beyond”
CJ was super helpful and his team went above and beyond
DDavid S.
“Everyone was extremely helpful, understanding, and supportive!”
Everyone was extremely helpful, understanding, and supportive!
MMichael S.
“Thank you for your patience and helping us navigate this process!”
Thank you for your patience and helping us navigate this process!
Response from Owner
Thank you for your kind words! Navigating the process together is what it's all about, and I'm so glad we could help make it a smooth experience for you. Congratulations again, and thank you for taking the time to share this!
— CJ
