This is the second time we've used Box Home Loans for refinancing. The first time, two years ago, went perfect and smoothly. This time, everything was fine until we got to closing. I do not believe this is the fault of Box's process or staff; it is their title company. First, our closing appointment was scheduled for us, without verifying we were even available (as it happened, it interferred with my son's swim lesson). We were notified of the closing only via email on the same day of the appointment. How's that for short notice? What if I wasn't at work that day to check my email?
They sent a notary to our house. She reeked of cigarrete smoke and it gave me a headache just sitting next to her. This was her first closing and she didn't know what she was doing. She had me sign the documents wrong (my middle name was excluded). She messed up on one document, had to call someone else, and then I was told to cross out my signature. When I looked at the document, it said "Borrower signature", and she told me I shouldn't have signed it because "I was not the borrower". Really...is someone else going to pay the mortgage then?? Anyway, I re-signed that form. About half way through, I noticed an error of $1,000 on the loan app and I asked her about it. She panicked, told me to have my loan officer fix it, and then she left! And because the closing was scheduled for after business hours I couldn't get ahold of anyone at Box. Luckily, this notary's superviser came back to our house at 8:30pm and finished the process so they wouldn't have to re-print all the documents and schedule a new closing.
After that, we thought everything was fine and the loan had been processed. Wrong! A whole week later, I got a call from someone at the title company saying that they wouldn't fund the loan until I re-signed one form and that they would have a notary contact me to come over later that afternoon for me sign it. Didn't hear from any notary that day.
The next day, I informed my loan processor about what had been going on and that I still hadn't signed the form. (Keep in mind, by this point, we were one day from the deadline to fund the loan or lose the rate lock). Finally, later that afternoon, got an email from the title company saying that I had a notary scheduled for 5:30. The notary never showed up! (And of course, after business hours so I couldn't contact anyone at Box or the title company)
On a whim, I called the same notary supervisor who had helped us before, and she didn't know anything about the missed appointment but agreed to come to our house to help us first thing the next morning. When she got there, she told me that the same rookie notary had been scheduled and missed the appointment because the title company didn't call her; they only emailed her about the appointment and she didn't check her email (only about 1 or 1.5 hour time frame between when they sent the email and the time of the appt).
Finally got the stupid form signed on the day of the funding deadline and apparently the loan funded later that day. If I hadn't been pro-active and called that other notary, we probably would have lost our rate lock.
In summary, the title company has the worst communication practices, both with the borrower and with their own notaries. All appointments were set for us, on short notice, after business hours, and only communicated via email. The notary that they sent was not properly trained. Thank goodness for the notary supervisor who saved us twice.
Anyway, Box Home Loans is a great company and a great value for mortgage loans. I would use them again. I just hope all the problems with our closing are not common.
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