We recently completed our fifth home purchase and had the pleasure of working with The Mortgage Mark Team at CMG for the first time. Having previously used CMG for a VA loan years ago, we were initially drawn to them due to the competitive buyer incentives they offered compared to traditional VA loan lenders like USAA and Veterans United. Although we were already prequalified with a different lender during our house hunt, we decided to explore CMG's offerings as we were in the process of purchasing a model home, and the builder had an established relationship with them. Historically, I've been cautious with mortgage teams, as they often come off as overly sales-driven, and underwriters can be very intense. My expectations were tempered, but I’m happy to say that The Mortgage Mark Team exceeded all of them and delivered the best home buying experience we've ever had. As a military family, we’ve faced challenges with VA loans, particularly with the appraisal process. Real estate agents and sellers sometimes shy away from VA loans, and we’ve experienced the frustration of low appraisals when buying and selling. Tamara, our mortgage representative, was incredible in navigating these concerns. She thoroughly understood our situation and was proactive in discussing various scenarios should the appraisal come in lower than expected. This was particularly important to us, as we had already lost out on a home earlier in the year due to an inflated listing price that didn't match the local comps. When the appraisal did indeed come in low—something outside of CMG’s control—we were disheartened but not left without support. Mark and Tamara immediately scheduled a three-way call with my husband and me, spending over an hour patiently explaining all the possible options. They empathized with our situation, offered guidance on how to move forward, and even provided insight into how different decisions would impact our payments in the coming year. It was an unprecedented level of customer service that I’ve never experienced, even from real estate agents. The empathy and professionalism they displayed throughout this process made us feel like we had true partners advocating for our success, despite the challenging circumstances. They were with us every step of the way, and we never felt alone navigating this wild ride. I cannot recommend The Mortgage Mark Team enough, especially for military families. Tamara was the most empathetic and knowledgeable loan officer we have ever worked with, and her dedication to ensuring our success was unparalleled. If you’re looking for a team that truly understands and supports the unique challenges of VA loans, look no further. Thank you, Mark and Tamara, for turning a potentially stressful experience into a positive and empowering journey.