Mortgage Monkey

Mortgage Broker Reviews for Mortgage Monkey, Gary Boyer from Portland, Oregon and Beyond

Gary Boyer is a practical magician when it comes to mortgage brokers. We went to three other mortgage brokers in Portland trying to get a loan for our first house and they all turned us down because we seemed complicated. I make good money but am self employed. My partner makes a good living, too, but he already owned a house that intended to keep. We both have excellent credit but that didn’t matter to the three mortgage brokers who turned us down.

We had almost given up on buying a house when my realtor friend told me about Gary. He works with a lot of gay and lesbian couples in addition to first time home buyers and credit challenged people, which means he has to think outside of the box to make good solid loans happen. Gary goes the extra mile, is kind, accessible and a dream to work with. He found us a great loan for our house in about a week.

I have referred two other friends to Gary since then, and he’s helped both of them get loans, too. My friends of them came back to me with glowing reviews, also. I love referring Gary to anyone who is at the beginning of their home buying process because I know they’ll be really taken care of. Even two years later, Gary continues to be a great resource for home loan and other financial questions. If I could give him six stars, I would. Gary is the best mortgage loan officer I know of in Portland.

~ Katherina A., Portland, Oregon

I’m here to tell you folks that Gary’s great work goes beyond helping those in Portland. I recently refinanced one home in Eugene and then purchased a new home in Corvallis, and Gary was with me every step of the way. Gary is professional yet personable. He knows so much, but he’s also a great listener and let’s folks work their way through the process of home buying. I loved his sense of humor and genuine care. Gary earned my gratitude and respect. I’d highly recommend him to anyone anywhere who wants to get this process done well.

~ Flaxen C., Corvallis and Eugene, Oregon

If you’re reading this far and have seen this many amazing reviews of this man, then I don’t know what else you could possibly be looking for. I first met Gary in January of this year, and my credit was seriously hurting. Like, I was embarrassed to tell anybody on earth how bad it actually was. But, as a newlywed, I wanted to get my head out of the sand and face up to my issues so me and my husband could get our lives started. It was the incredibly positive reviews on Yelp that convinced me to contact Gary, and it was a decision I’ve never regretted. Over the next six months he was constantly available to help me get my issues in check, and in July we were able to close on our home. We owe it all to Gary and his team, and we look forward to sending our friends and family to him in the future. One of the good ones, for sure!

We recently bought our first home in Portland and Gary and his team were wonderful to work with! Throughout the process Gary was always very accessible – replying to what were probably very basic questions (but had us first-timers getting all worked up) between BBQs over the weekend, he was clear and concise in his email follow ups, and diligent about the timeline in order to keep things moving.

~ Danielle T., Portland, Oregon

But the icing on the cake was his team’s support in the final days of the purchase: the listing agent had been a nightmare to work with and repeatedly put off completing projects by agreed to deadlines, which threatened to push our appraisal and signing date back. We were in a pinch, since we had to move out of our rental just a few days after our scheduled signing. But his team jumped into high gear to get paperwork processed and moving – they even sent a notary to our house in order to get things signed in time. We were up against a weekend and otherwise would have missed the ability to move before we were out of the rental – thankfully avoiding living out of a storage unit for a week!

We so appreciated having Gary and his awesome team on our side and I’d recommend him to anyone looking for someone to go above and beyond.

~ Lydia C., Portland, Oregon

Gary puts the AWE in AWESOME.

We bought our first house exactly a year ago, and I was truly awed by the wonderful experience we had — and we weren’t exactly cookie-cutter clients (we’re an unmarried lesbian couple and one of us –okay, me– has had some credit issues in the past that tend to haunt like scary ghosties).  But we had to buy a house quickly and we were referred to Gary by multiple enthusiastic friends, so off we went, pretty much wetting our pants that we’d be turned away — or worse — pushed into a price range we couldn’t actually afford.

Gary was amazing.  He soothed our nerves and handled everything flawlessly.  We had only hoped for a great professional, and we got that — but we also got this guy who really understood our situation and cared about whether we ended up with the right mortgage — it wasn’t just transactional.  And, he was totally ON IT business-wise (at all hours, no matter how late at night, even when he was on vacation!).  He helped me boost my credit rating in the immediate term by having me pay off a credit card and then re-pulling the report so my score jumped higher, enabling us to get  better deal.  When we made an offer late in the evening, he and his team were right there with us, reachable by phone and email, busily calculating numbers and sending us paperwork late at night so we could keep pace and not lose the house to competing offers.  Gary counseled us through some of those icky bits so skillfully that I can honestly say we had a *relaxed* (though exciting!) home buying experience.  Between Gary and Dawn Barry-Griffin (our realtor), we had the most amazing and relentless team working to help us get the house of our dreams and it all happened flawlessly.

We wound up buying a beautiful home in the Montavilla neighborhood and are busy living happily ever after.  At tax time this year, we heard from Gary again —  we got a packet in the mail from him containing fresh copies of all the paperwork we’d need for our taxes, since the first taxes you do as a homeowner are always a little confusing and you aren’t sure what you need.  And we get the best holiday letters and newsletters from Gary to this day — and we actually enjoy reading them.  :)

GO TO GARY BOYER.  YOU’LL BE SO HAPPY YOU DID.

~Jen H., Portland, OR

Short version: Gary made it happen!

Long version: We are first time house buyers, and we had never had any experience with the home loan process. And a long and complex process it is. Fortunately we found Gary on Yelp and he successfully walked us though it. It is amazing how many different documents are demanded by the mortgage companies, the underwriters, the insurers and so on. You need to have someone who will keep his full attention on the status of your application, and that is Gary without a doubt.

Gary received us the same day I called him. Not only was he friendly and warm, but he explained to us the process in detail, while at the same time providing advise on what our purchase ability should look like according to our income and our plans for the future. This to us was very important, for we were looking for a personalized service. I had the option of applying though my employer, which has some deals with large financial institutions, but that would have meant that we’d lack the quality of service that Gary provides, so we decided to stick with him. He was available to us even after business hours, and he even provided us with personalized pre-approval letters almost instantly.

The last mile of the process was very much agonizing. There were additional papers needed, additional explanations required, and a lot of waiting forced upon us to be able to close on time. Perhaps Gary could have kept in touch with more frequency during that week – we were really freaking out, but in the end he pulled it out, which was nothing short of a minor miracle, and that’s what matters the most.

~ Cesar P, Beaverton, Oregon

Long story short: Gary kicks serious butt as a mortgage broker. He is on your side throughout the process, from start to finish. He is a super fast and an effective communicator, and is available by cell even off-business hours. He answers emails ASAP. He is super friendly and very easy to talk to. He was super fast with paper work, and getting paperwork to our realtor. Overall, I couldn’t be pleased with my interactions with Gary…after discovering him on Yelp.

We were first-time home buyers, and didn’t have a clue about buying a house. Gary was the only “easy” part of this entire process. He handled all speedbumps that we encountered along the way with patience. I couldn’t have asked for a better broker.

Trust Gary…and you will be rewarded with excellent customer service. We first went to two other mortgage brokers….one didn’t make the effort to help us after the initial meeting (he found out we were gay), and the second stopped communicating with us after she found out I was gay. You don’t have to worry about this with Gary…he’s gay and straight friendly!

~ Kyle R, Salem, Oregon

My husband and I were just starting the process of searching for our new home when Gary was recommended to us. Immediately upon meeting Gary, he made us very comfortable. He looked at our background, asked us questions about our life plans, and really took the time to understand us. He answered all of our questions, but also directed in the big decisions we had ahead. His advice was conservative, realistic, and took into account everything that he knew about us. In addition to all of that, the turn around time on the loan approval was lightening fast, and this enabled us to essentially make an offer on our very first house hunt (even though we ultimately didn’t get that house).

He was professional, but relaxed; informative, but shared the information just at the right time and in the right way so that we could truly process it.

All in all, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Gary to anyone! He’s the best.

~ Jenny B, Portland, Oregon

I got the keys. For my house. My home.

Over and ended: a lifetime of living out of boxes; of fearful childhood retreats to grandma’s house when the debts came due; a dream shared with my love, gone by that hot July.

When the key clicked in the lock, my lock, smugly I saw his sweltering apartment, crowded with one of the women he got pregnant. Ha. I got a house!

My friends ate pizza, drank beer in the empty echoing living room. Caton arrived with a 4-pack of TP and a bottle of cocktail bitters. Jennifer ‘s newly fuchsia hair left a stain on the wall, now hidden by a bookcase. I chose the same color for my first peony. For my house. My home.

~

It could not have happened without the tireless efforts of mortgage broker Gary Boyer. The man got in the mud and wrestled for it, knife in his teeth.

He was kind, professional, and fierce. And, as I’ve learned as I watch unwise deals implode around the city, whip smart. Did he foist an interest-only loan or a volatile ARM on my uncreditworthy booty? No. The man got me a solid, government-supported, fixed rate mortgage. Golden.

~ Brandon B, Portland, Oregon

We bugged our Yelp friends, our work friends, random strangers and the occasional barnyard animal about finding a decent mortgage broker. Fortunately, one of our dearest Yelp friends provided a ringing endorsement of Gary Boyer and his Mortgage Monkey team.

Now, you probably don’t know me very well, but I confess that I can be a little stuffy at times; especially when it comes to business stuff. The name “Mortgage Monkey” was an immediate turnoff, but the recommendation was so positive that I sucked it up and made the call. Thank God I did.

Gary and his team were professional, personable, and really freaking fast. Just about everyone involved in our home buying process was totally amazed at the speed at which things got done. We closed in record time, we got a great mortgage rate, and we have Gary to thank for it.

If you’re a stick in the mud like me, just ignore the mortgage monkey thing. It’ll be all right. If you like doing business with monkeys, then you need no further encouragement. Go forth and buy a house, monkey-person.

~ Brice B. Portland, Oregon

Gary is the best mortgage person we have ever worked with. He was so helpful and informative from the beginning till we signed our final papers. He advised us every step of the way and he made it all happen. We would not own our dream house if it was not for him.

We are already in the process of working with him on a second mortgage, and continue to send family and friends his way.

~ Jehanne B. Portland, Oregon

We are first time house buyers, and we had never had any experience with the home loan process. And a long and complex process it is. Fortunately we found Gary on Yelp and he successfully walked us though it. It is amazing how many different documents are demanded by the mortgage companies, the underwriters, the insurers and so on. You need to have someone who will keep his full attention on the status of your application, and that is Gary without a doubt.

Gary received us the same day I called him. Not only was he friendly and warm, but he explained to us the process in detail, while at the same time providing advise on what our purchase ability should look like according to our income and our plans for the future. This to us was very important, for we were looking for a personalized service. I had the option of applying though my employer, which has some deals with large financial institutions, but that would have meant that we’d lack the quality of service that Gary provides, so we decided to stick with him. He was available to us even after business hours, and he even provided us with personalized pre-approval letters almost instantly.

~ Cesar P. Portland, Oregon

Gary has helped us buy 2 homes now and I would use him every time. The funny thing is my husband is an AVP and I’m a VP at the largest lender in the country but when it came down to getting into our first home in 2004 and now our dream home it was Gary that we trusted to get the job done with the best rate and to be there for us from beginning to end. He could get us closed quicker than our own company securing the quick sale request of our condo and getting in to our new home fast which helped us to beat out another offer on the home we wanted. The 5 star “Whoohoo! As good as it gets!” is well deserved.

~ Katherine R. Beaverton, Oregon

Gary is amazing. He was able to answer all of our crazy questions and point us in the right direction.

~ Jill T., Vancouver, Washington

Gary is awesome! As a first time home buyer, he made the process very simple and stress-free. He genuinely cares about his clients, can explain the process, set expectations and do it with a great sense of humor. Every time I have a “I love my home” moment I think of Gary and my equally awesome realtor for getting me into such a beautiful home. I’d recommend him to anyone and would work with him again without reservation!

~ Stephanie M., Portland, OR

Gary is amazing.
I walked into his office with no idea about the home buying experience. Gary sat down with me and talked to me about the process and the realities. He was there for me the whole process (even during the meltdowns late at night).
I cannot sing his praises any louder. If you are even thinking about buying a home you should talk with Gary.

~ Shane J., Portland, OR

My husband and I were referred to Gary, by our realtor, Rex Buchanan from Oregon First. Gary and his team were very helpful and led us through the complicated process seamlessly. We met Gary one evening in his office and devised a plan, and over a few month period, got our credit in line so we could be pre-approved without any problems. We had been looking for homes over the course of a few months, and we were really lucky to find the perfect home in the SW area, in our price range. Gary and our realtor assisted us through the way. Gary was even available through email and phone on a weekend when we were making an offer, and at a very critical time.

We would recommend him to anyone purchasing a home, or first time homebuyers, like us. If you have worked really hard to get to the point to purchase your first home like we did, let Gary and his team help you though the loan process. You will not be disappointed!

~Lynn J., Tigard, OR

My wife and I were referred to Gary through a very close friend of mine, and both feel fortunate to have received such a professional, friendly contact in Mr. Boyer. Gary was a fantastic resource for our home-buying experience.  He was patient and calming during the frantic times, which during this process can be common, and was thoroughly informative at every point.  In the end we were able to get a steal of a mortgage during a process that was smooth-as-velvet. We would recommend Gary Boyer twice over, and can guarantee he’ll go to bat for your best interest.

~Jay B., Portland, OR

I cannot say enough about Gary. We met with him a year early so he could help us financially plan and understand what we needed to do to make buying a house possible. There was a mistake on our credit score and he was fighting until literally the last hour before he sent the documents over to the title company to make sure everything was cleared with all three credit bureaus and saves us half a percentage point. He is truly on your team and I highly recommend him to anyone looking to buy a house.

~Ashley H., Portland, OR

Gary, I just wanted to drop you a note letting you know that you’re appreciated!

I just saw a news story about interest rates, and the challenges of new loans, and how long it takes to get a refi…..

And I thought about how lucky I was that you could make it happen – TOOK THE INITIATIVE ON MY BEHALF TO MAKE it happen – drag me kicking and screaming through the process, and I’m way better off at the end.

Thank you very much for your help – and your patience with me.

~Gary N., Portland, Oregon

Gary is the BEST!

We had been trying to refi our condo since the beginning of the year. We went to our original lendor (a major bank), thinking it would be easy since we had not had a late payment in over 6 years. They found reasons to deny us 3 times for various reasons. We reached out to Gary after seeing these reviews on Yelp. The whole process was easy; we communicated by phone & email, he did some research for us. Any time we had questions, Gary and his staff, were immediately responsive. After we submitted our app online, I think it was about a month later that we closed. I have to admit, I was fully prepared to hear we would be denied again. So, you can imagine how ecstatic I was to get the phone call to sign to close the loan!

So, If you are looking for a refinance or are buying for the first time, second time, whatever, don’t waste your time anywhere else, GO TO GARY, online, on the phone, in person, he is the BEST!

~Judi H., Portland, OR

A little less than a year ago my family moved to Portland Oregon. I was searching for a new credit union for myself and my wife, and looking at reviews here on Yelp. I noticed tons of great reviews for a local mortgage loan officer, intrigued due to the reviews and the fact of my wife and I wanting to buy a home, I opened up the mortgagemonkey.com link to Gary’s website in a new tab and continued my credit union search. Here I am about 6 or 7 months later in the dining room of my new home writing another raving review for Gary on Yelp.

My wife and I contacted Gary through the forms on his website. A week or so later we met him at his wonderful office in the Pearl. My Wife, myself, and our 18 month old son met with Gary in his conference room to discuss our wants, our finances, and all the rest of the ‘I want to buy a house’ stuff. Our son ran around the conference room like a wild banshee while Gary patiently took his time explaining to us the whole house buying process and everything else we would need to know. Being first time home buyers, this was a ton of new info to take in and learn. We couldn’t have asked for a better person to help than Gary!

We had a recommendation for a Realtor from a co-worker of mine. After not being completely satisfied, we asked Gary if he could recommend us a Realtor. Needless to say the Realtor agent that Gary recommended kicked you-know-what on every level and then some. She met us on new years eve of 2012 to give us the keys to our new home! The whole home buying situation was full of surprises (good and bad), tons of paperwork, questions, concerns, and every considerable emotion. I know that if it wasn’t for Gary the whole process wouldn’t have gone through so smoothly. It was pretty rocky, purchasing this house. Tons of delays, seller issues, and other things made this quite challenging. None of any of the issues were due to Gary or anything he had control over! His constant communication (Even on vacation!), encouraging words, and knowing that he is taking care of you, makes even a rough situation one much easier to bare.
I can’t thank him enough for helping my family find the house that we loved. Having a home to call your own is a great thing and many many thanks go to Gary for this.

If you are looking to buy a home and are a first time buyer, or a seasoned buyer, you can not go wrong talking to Gary. The only way you can go wrong is by not reaching out to him to help you achieve your dreams!

Gary, Another very sincere ‘Thank You!’ from my family! Couldn’t have done it without you!

~Chris Vespermann, Portland, OR

Gary helped my partner and I in ways other mortgage people couldn’t. Our second refinance with Gary helped us lower our payments to the point we were able to comfortably retire. Efficient, thorough, honest, reassuring and respectful describes our beloved Mortgage Monkey!

~Virginia H., Portland, OR

I went into my credit union this week to talk about a refinance, simply to keep my money in the community. I told the woman I have a broker that I normally deal with, but I was curious about the credit union option. She asked me my brokers name. I told her Gary Boyer, and before looking at any of my paperwork, she said “Go see Gary. He will do better than we can. If you had any other broker, I’d be interested in pursuing this. But Gary will do whats best for you”. I will never stray again…..

~Jarred D., Portland, OR

Gary was great to work with!

He went out of his way to answer our questions (often outside of business hours). He was supportive, had great advice and made the process of buying our home as painless as possible! I will recommend him to anyone who needs to obtain a loan for a purchase or refinance of their home!

~Leah H., Portland, OR

There are too many great reasons to use Gary Boyer and his team to name in an email. But if you are looking for honesty, professionalism, tenacity – someone with a can-do, will get done attitude, then look no further. If you don’t use Gary when buying your first home and all those thereafter, or use Gary for refinancing, please reexamine why. Read all the reviews here and below, and there is a great reason- he iIS THE BEST. In a world with terrible stories of dealing with financial institutions, planners, brokers and more, you won’t find another Gary Boyer.

~Susan C., Portland, OR

I have been calling Gary Boyer for refinancing over several years. We also had a detailed conversation about the possibilities for my parents to purchase a rental house in Portland that live out of state. Our most recent conversation last week really motivated me to write a review, esp after being on hold for hours with our bank.

Gary is enthusiastic, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. He always makes me feel welcomed and never rushes the call. He has always been readily available and prompt returning calls. He spends time discussing strategies to ensure we are in the best position for refinancing when we are ready. He has given us ideas we hadn’t thought of and others hadn’t mentioned. I have never felt any pressure from him to make a move or decision.

His newsletters are hilarious and informative. Normally I dread reading those type of things, but am glad to be on his mailing list. I also like that he has personal experience buying and selling multiple properties in the area. He understands Portland’s diverse neighborhoods.

To clarify, I gave him an A for price. We have yet to make a transaction-but the advice and time he has provided have been well worth my time. Unlike our bank, who again we wasted hours just being on hold.

Don’t hesitate to call even if you are not to the point of making a home purchase or refinance. I have dealt with others and he outshines them! Really wish I knew about him when we purchased this and other homes.

~Angie’s List Member, Portland, OR

You are a wonderful man Gary Boyer.

Not that I don’t send everyone I can to you that I know already, but I think I have a couple more people who need your services soon.
Thanks again man. I don’t often feel that people go above when doing work for me, and you exceed my expectations every time. Keep up the good work.

~Jarred, Portland, OR