DC Purchase Testimonial

May 4, 2011

Dear Sir or Madam:

"It is with great pleasure that I write this letter to commend the wonderful service that I received from Brent Mendelson of Monarch Bank, who acted as my loan officer during the purchase of my first home in December 2010.

Throughout the process of purchasing the home, I felt like I was securely in the hands of an experienced professional. It was clear in my frequent communications with Brent that he was very knowledgeable about the mortgage loan process and the real estate industry generally. He was fantastic at explaining complicated concepts of finance to a lay person such as myself and particularly familiar with the various ways in which the market has changed in recent years from both the perspective of the lender as well as the borrower.

In working with Brent over the course of several months, I found him to be trustworthy, sincere and reliable. His ethical approach to his work stands in stark contrast to the prevailing public perception about the real estate and home mortgage industry as a result of the national financial crisis. Contrary to that image, in Brent’s hands, I very much felt as though his word could be trusted and depended upon. For example, although he had no problem explaining the roles and obligations that exist between Buyer and Seller and between Buyer and Agent, he did not hesitate to let me know when I was soliciting advice that extended outside of the financial side and into the purview of my agent. Nor did Brent ever promise anything to me that he could not deliver in the end, which I very much appreciated.

I also found Brent to be exceptionally patient, diligent, and most of all, accessible. Brent went out of his way to make my experience as a first-time home buyer a pleasant one. Brent took the necessary time to explain things and to quell my frustrations during phone conversations that often took place late in the evening just to accommodate my schedule. On one occasion, he even went the extra mile to smooth out a problem that arose between my agent and myself related to securing verification that a repair was done prior to closing.

Brent’s commitment to old-fashioned customer service was on full-display when he personally appeared for my closing bearing a congratulatory gift, no less. His appearance impressed the seller, an experienced investor, who had thought the days of mortgage lenders showing up for settlements were long over."