Mortgage brokers, mortgage agents, and mortgage lending

I am Senior VP at Topdot Mortgage, and I was responsible for the Topdot name change and re-brand of our company. I just happened to come across your post, and I am happy to see that you "get" what we are all about.

It is crucial to care in a service industry, and while some say it, we actually do care about our clients. Sales is defined as "helping people make decisions that are good for them." That is the philosophy we employ on a daily basis. It is imperative to help people uncover their needs and then unleash the potential of their equity. For some it doesn't make sense, and they need to be educated as to why. For most it does, and they need to be guided into the best possible solution. Either way, everyone deserves great service and A+ attention.

Glad to see the message is getting out there! Always happy to speak with you on any industry topics.

Adam...

I did business with "TopDot" and they had a title company who took my money from the loan and never disbursed my money during my Refinance its been 2yrs with no resolution I have been dealing with Mr.Habanec and still no resolution I have been getting the run around I am fed up and need assistance What can be done?

Gee, I wonder if the initial message was planted by Topdot....

I had nothing but a positive experience with Topdot and Jason Habanec. He ensured my loan was being paid full attention to and kept my worries at a minimum. Good follow up and follow through. I am referring my family to him as we speak. Thanks

Sounds like Jason read the post and decided to hype himself up...The name makes it sound like a candy or game not professional IMO

I have been dealing with Mr. Kozora at Top Dot.. He came highly reccomended and I can say nothing but magnificent things about him. He has helped me not only with my mortgage but with other financial needs.

I refinanced with them, and know people that work there. THEY ARE ALL THE SAME. Topdot is no different than the 30,000 mtg comopanies on long island. A big room filled with wannabe boiler roomers, who are told to make 1,000 calls a day, and that its all a NUMBERS GAME, The name TOPDOT is cute and stands out...thats it. They do have nice management that treat the employees to lavish vacations, and do promote from within. But the mortgage industry has become a RAT race. Its eat or be eaten, kill or be killed... the name TOPDOT doesnt stop a middle aged man or a young boiler roomer from sitting in an office, making calls to the same folk the other 30,000 brokers are calling, and promising them the world. They are all competing for the same piece of a shrinking pie.
ohhh and by the way,,, my closing costs were VERY HIGH!!!

I had nothing but problems with Kyle Kozora. He is rude and trys to twist everyhting you say. His reps do NOT return calls and promise the world and NEVER deliver.
DO NOT USE THESE GUYS unless tyou have a month or two to waste.

I recently had the experience of dealing with a Tricia Gadson. Since we started the loan process she has used threee different company names that she works for. The latest is Top Dot. Twice I stopped the process becuase (1) who do you work for (Tri-Star, Top Dot, etc). It keeps changing every other week, and (2) you promise one thing and it keeps changing. I would think if I say no escrow then that means no escrow. Any way, we got past that. While under Top Dot things moved quickly. I still felt funny because she would send me emails under her personal email sometimes. Next we switch from a conventional to a FHA. Closing cost were high, but she explained the process. Got to closing and signed the paper work. In Georgia you have 3 business days to close. While when we got back over Thanksgiving another mortgage company called, Mid-Atlanta and wanted to know if we are OK with terms and such. What I found out was that she submitted my info to many places that I didn't authorize. She never once told me they where a broker company. She told me the loan was in house. After reviewing the paperwork again, it was going to be sold. This was never mentioned in the process. Also, we went over the fees the the numbers keep chaning. And finally, what I thought was going to escrow was not. I was not completly informed. I lesson would be to read the paperwork in detail, because there not going to tell you everything. I cancelled the paperwork in time. They give you 200 pieces of paper to feel out. The total closing costs where like $14,000. Now they call me everyday. Don't bother. I sent them an email today telling them not to submit my info to anyone else.

While I was deciding on closing they submitted my info to several places and my insurance company call me and wanted to know what was going on because they had received 3 requests to change the lien holder to 3 different companies in 7 days.

My name is Kyle Kozora. I am the branch manager of the Bethpage, NY branch of Topdot Mortgage. My phone number is 516-870-1257 and I am available 6 days a week from 8 am - 8 pm since I open and close my branch each day. Mike, I am sorry you didn't have the best experience with my company, but I don't think you worked with me. If I can be of any help in answering too whatever concerns you had when you dealt with us please do not hesitate to call me. I always answer the phone and I assure you that I treat everyone of my clients like family. KKOZORA@TOPDOT.COM

I once worked for Topdot, Jericho for just a few days. It did not take me long to see they were not fair with customers nor their employees. All the former Premier Capital Sharks worked on the top floor while the newer, naive sales people work in the basement level of the building in Jericho NY. I was not impressed with their sales tactics nor their level of professionlism. My so called manager was rude and lacked education. Even teaching me techniques to be more, and more agressive when cold calling customers. Customer who dont even know why we are calling. The sales leads that I received as a new employee were people on the National Do Not Call List. Topdot is trying, but not hard enough.

I recently refinanced with TopDot mortgage with a lot of promises from Mr. Richard Hernandez. I chose this company because he promised a 300dollar refund from the company for my appraisal cost, mortgage would not be sold, and he guaranteed me that they were not brokers.

I had an appraisal done a few months earlier but he told me that I needed a new one after he contacted the prior appraisal company. He told me that it needed different information and that I would have to pay for it again, but assured me that it would refunded by them after closing. When the appraisal company showed up, it was the same exact company who I had paid a few months earlier, and they brought the prior information with them but still I had to pay 300 dollars-due to Mr Hernandez insistance that they do this appraisal.

Well, it took months to close and when we were closing I asked the closer where my refund was for the appraisal. We spoke to Richard and the stated that it would be in a separate check from TopDot. On the closing papers, my mortgage had already been sold-it appears that they do sell most of their mortgages even though I was assured that this does not happen with this company.

After Mr Hernandez making many(and I do mean many) calls to me prior to closing this loan, I could not get him to call me back after the closing. I never received my refund for my 300 dollars. After several attempts of calling, I had to contact his boss, Mr Miller and miraculously Mr Hernandez contacted me right back and told me that there was a problem with my appraisal and it needed to be audited due to a fear that it was inflated. I asked him how it could be in auditing if I already had my payment book from my mortgage company and had received checks to pay off some bills from the closing company. He stated that there was some questions as to the real value of my house.

I tried to contact him again about 15 times and again had to go through his boss and got a return call from Mr. Hernandez a few minutes later stated that my 300 dollar refund was in processing.

I called many times again a few weeks later and still ended up going through his boss just to get a return call from Mr Hernandez asking where my refund was, he stated that he went through my paperwork and that I did not have enough equity to get a refund. I then hung up and informed Mr Miller about above. He got Mr Hernandez and questioned him and me together. Mr Hernandez got on the phone and stated that I had no right to contact his boss and that I had his direct line. I stated that I had made many attempts to contact him directly and throught the front desk. I had even went to the extent of contacting a co-worker who stated that Mr Hernandez was sitting in front of him on the phone and stated that he put my name and number in his hand.

He began yelling at me in front of his boss and I never even heard his boss re-direct him to not speak to me that way. It got so out of control that I could not get him to stop yelling so I had to hang up.

I am pleased that they were able to refinance me, but the only reasons that I went through them as opposed to the several other offers that I received was that I was told that I would get a direct refund from the company for my appraisal, they would not sell my loan and that they were not brokers.

BEWARE!!!! They(or their employees) are liars. They will hound you to death and promise you the world,but when the deal is closed and they have their check you will not get to speak to them again. Management obviously allows their staff to speak to customers this way and they know that this was done to me yet no amends were even offers-not even a "I am sorry". Find another company-they are a dime a dozen.