Peter Barnes – RPM Mortgage Berkeley

In the apparently geeky world of number-​navigation, Peter Barnes is a Rock Star!
My situation: Needed my ex off the loan, never missed a mortgage payment, fair credit, but high Income-​to-​Debt ratio… and a house with a good amount of equity in it. Banks and lenders alike took reams of paper copies and then dismissed me.
As a broker, Peter is motivated… and he dealt with me as a person, instead of a number to be transferred to extensions that drops calls. In short, he made my refi HIS job, instead of mine!
He was reassuring, professional, and confident throughout the process… he still needed a forest’s worth of paper, but bottom line… HE MADE IT HAPPEN. In an excuse-​oriented world, Peter Barnes delivered results.
I would strongly recommend Peter Barnes and RPM Mortgage for their results-​oriented attitude… nobody works for free, and I had very little liquid capital… yet I paid a fair price and trust their honesty.
To summarize, when you see a guy in tights and a cape flying past you faster then the speed of light, look for the RPM on his chest… Peter Barnes may not be in the phone booth anymore.

Peter worked with me during more than 18 months of home searching, and was patient, responsive, and helpful the entire way. When it came time to close, he was on top of all the paperwork, and made sure to address every concern, no matter how small. Even under tight deadlines and the holiday season, he got things done quickly and effectively.

Peter just helped my husband and I get a loan for our first home purchase, and I highly recommend him! He was extremely helpful when it came to explaining all the details at each step of the way and always made himself available for our questions whenever we had them. And he was always quick to respond for anything we needed (like pre approval letters at the last second before offers were due!) On top of all that he was always very friendly and patient with us as we learned the ropes — he was a true pleasure to work with.

Peter Barnes and his entire team (Cindy Clark) at RPM Mortgage are really fantastic. Peter just guided me through my first home buying experience, taking the time to explain everything along the way in great detail and with infinite patience. Together we came up with a tailored plan, based on my budget that ultimately resulted in finding and closing on a property by the desired date.
As overwhelming as the entire home buying process can be, I felt very fortunate to have Peter and his team in my corner. Peter or someone from his team were always available to answer my questions and provide me daily status updates on my loan.
I highly recommend Peter Barnes and his team at RPM Mortgage and expect to engage his services again in the future.
Thanks!!!
James Halloway

Peter worked with my wife and me on getting a loan for our first house. He was consistently excellent at explaining both our options and our next steps. Everything from pre-​approval to final close went smoothly and exactly as Peter described — he’s an experienced professional and a pleasure to work with. Highly recommended!

Peter walked us thru each and every step of the home buying process. He was helpful and professional and made himself readily available to us whenever we had a question. Even when he was out of state, he made time to speak with my wife and I (at my convenience) to talk thru the finer points of the escrow process. You’ll be in good hands with Peter.

I never used his service…
So why am I writing a 5 star review?
My original intention was to meet with Peter at the beginning of 2016 and get approved for a home loan… I had come across a first time buyer program that helps pay the down payment and I asked him about it… his response was «No, we do not offer that program, but I would encourage you to check it out.»…so I did… and not only am I pre-​approved and looking for a home, but, my down payment is covered!
Peter could have easily told me a «story» to keep me as a client… instead, he was more concerned that I get myself into a better situation to find a home faster… CLASS!
Who knows, maybe we will cross paths again down the road.
I wish everyone in business was like him… refreshing to see it is still alive.

I worked with Peter in securing a loan for my first home in Oakland. He was very expedient in everything we asked of him and he landed us a great interest rate. He was also very patient in explaining the entire loan process and the closing. I would definitely work with him again.

I had a great experience with Peter Barnes at RPM. He was responsive throughout and made sure we understood all the aspects of the process. If anything changed, he communicated it quickly and clearly. His great team also helped close our deal ahead of schedule. I will definitely work with them in the future.

I don’t Unilocal much, but Peter’s service was so outstanding that I had to Unilocal about my extremely positive experience.
I’ve gone through six mortgage lending experiences, both here in the Bay Area and in New York, and my experience with RPM was by far the best I have ever had. I worked with Peter in obtaining an investment property in the East Bay that closed in late September 2015. The process was so shockingly smooth that I was waiting for the hiccup that would cause unnecessary stress, as I have experienced with past lenders. That hiccup never came.
I don’t know how he does it, but Peter was always available for all of my calls. Even in the case where he went away with his family or at a conference, he either answered the phone, got back to me in a really timely manner, or assigned one of his colleagues to make sure he was covered while he was gone. The latter point is a really important one, because a strong lender with a weak support team makes for a weak lender. I experienced that once before in the Bay Area and it almost cost me closing on my home. Peter’s support staff, however, is smart, attentive and a perfect complement to Peter’s outstanding service.
Furthermore, Peter is just an overall great guy to talk to. I’ve experienced all too often the lender who talks to you for a few minutes, but is obviously eager to get off to take the next call. Peter gives you the attention that you need while giving you great advice that makes the most sense for your needs and not the advice that will best line his pocket.
In the Bay Area’s absolutely crazy market, Peter is exactly the type of lender that you need to close on your property. Don’t bother wasting your time looking around at other lenders. Look at RPM’s reviews and know they have a flawless record for a reason. Go with RPM, and when you’re finally sitting in your newly purchased home you will thank yourself for not losing any sleep during the closing process because you made the best choice!

As a real estate broker for Bay Sothebys Int’l Realty, I have done hundreds of deals and can honestly say that the loan I do not have to worry about are the loans belong to Peter Barnes. With some loan agents who bait and switch just to get the deal, peter is not like that. i know 100% that if he says the file is preapproved from the start, it will be done deal by closing. I do not like my clients to worry for 30 days, so it is crucial who does their loan is knowledgable, savvy, ultra responsive, customer service oriented. Plus peter is just an all around nice person! he’s one of the good guys! I have sent him not just my best clients but also I trust him with my friends and family. He is a gem!

I also went on Unilocal and started working with Peter and my experience was not fantastic. And to get a follow up email as if he totally helped me in the first place months later, does not erase the initial crap service at the beginning. Buying a house is a big deal and we are paying you for a service, so it’s not too much to ask for courtesy, communication and follow through. Thank goodness I was able to find a broker who gave great old fashioned service in the end, just not with Peter. I write this only because I went with Unilocal reviews and started working with Peter, though my experience was nothing like these reviews. Just a little checks and balances, here.

As a first time home buyer, Peter provided very practical and insightful mortgage guidance. I felt like he was a real advocate throughout the process. And Peter’s knowledge, white glove service and strategy did not end at just lending. He was an integral part in the whole crazy Bay Area Realestate search/​bid/​win equation.
Peter’s entire team was always professional, courteous and seemed sincerely invested in achieving the best outcome possible. When push came to shove, they even resorted to heroics to get the results they wanted. Special thanks to Cyndi; up at dawn and all over it all night long!

Where should I start — Peter Barnes is God sent!
I was shopping for a loan and wanted to talk to a Mortgage Advisor regarding details (having your HVAC not working during the hottest days in inner bay area is less than ideal…).
RESPONSE TIMES: ¹⁰⁄₁₀
Peter called me back in less than 5 minutes of me leaving him a voicemail. This is outstanding itself. (I have dealt with quite a few Mortgage lenders and advisors, it is a «miracle» for getting a response on the same day… The norm is they call you when they need you than the other way round). Peter, on the other hand, is a complete contrast. He made time on the same day in his busy schedule to meet with me and give honest advice.
WORK ETHICS: ¹⁰⁄₁₀
Today, everyone who runs a business wants to «sell» you something even when you don’t need those things. That is not who Peter Barnes is. Even though it was my first time working with him, I felt completely at ease sharing my situation with Peter. He explained to me my options (even though it meant that I would not be using the mortgage products that he offered), he referred me to others who would offers the loan products that suited my needs. Most people would just leave it at that, but not Peter. He followed up to see how it was going and how he can offer help! He is amazing!
I am sure that I will do business with Peter in the future!
Thank you so much, Peter!

I highly recommend you work with Peter. He’s a pleasure to interact with and extremely prompt in both process and his communication. I have a high appreciation for working with professionals and Peter absolutely falls into that category. Straightforward, knowledgeable and a solid reputation with his clients makes for an easy decision.

I found Peter on Unilocal,and I am so thankful that I did. From the initial consult through document signing, Peter and his team were informative, thorough, helpful, professional, friendly, smart, and efficient. I cannot recommend Peter’s services strongly enough. He even came to the signing at our house (in the late evening) to make sure he was there to answer any questions we had. He’s a consummate professional who runs his practice with integrity and caring.

Peter and his team are an absolute joy to work with. They are fast, professional, knowledgeable, and caring. We just closed on our first home in record time and could not have done it without Peter’s help and guidance! He and his team helped make the whole process as painless and simple as possible. Peter went above and beyond to put us at ease and keep everything on track, taking calls on weekends and late in the evenings and making himself available whenever we had questions. We highly recommend Peter.

I found Peter through Unilocal and couldn’t be happier with my experience. He is a consummate professional, extremely knowledgeable and just generally awesome at his job. Immediately after we spoke I had all the information I needed to make an informed decision regarding refinancing our Marin home. Also, I don’t know how he does it, but it felt like Peter was always there when I needed him. By phone, email… whatever. Two enthusiastic thumbs up for Peter and his team. They are the best!

The fastest friggin’ lender in the West!
This has been long overdue! It’s been over a year since I closed on my house and Peter was a complete highlight during my home buying process! I found him on Unilocal as well as these reviews reflect who he is.
He was informative and brilliant. I unfortunately had about $ 3500 in debt that was due to my stubborness to a business who did me wrong. I did not want to pay! Peter told me I HAD to pay so I called the owner of the business and he wanted CASH. I was actually going to do it but Peter advised me that given our tumultuous relationship, the owner could have said I never paid for it so I had to pay it through the SF courts.
Peter was on top of his game. He also responded to texts and emails quick and swiftly.
I am happily living in my home!!! Thanks Peter! And sorry for being so late on this review!

A year ago, my financial advisor recommended Peter Barnes to handle our mortgage loan. He said, «This is guy is incredible, call him.» And so we did.
Last week we closed on the purchase of our first home with the help of Peter. Wow. The word «help» cannot convey the real meaning behind what he did to get us through a very long and complex short sale. He kept us sane, helped us stay one step ahead of the process at all times, and guided us around every single obstacle along the way. He is responsible for getting us through this past year without therapy.
For our situation in particular, these are the elements that we appreciated most: Peter is very well-​versed in the short sale process. He kept us away from common pitfalls. He explained complicated processes in a way that was understandable to us. Midway through the process we encountered a hiccup and had to change lenders. Peter moved quickly and worked diligently to keep up on track. His manner was very calming and always positive which helped tremendously when it came down to the close of escrow. He took the time to meet with us in person to explain all the tiny print and long lists of figures on our loan documents. He consistently responded to e-​mails and phone calls in a timely manner. One time he even took a panic-​button phone call from me at 9:30pm!
If you are looking for someone that is knowledgeable, straightforward, accessible, responsible, and highly professional, Peter Barnes is the real thing when it comes to EXCEPTIONAL customer service. He operates with honesty and integrity. He will always tell you the truth no matter what. And if he encounters a problem, he will present you with options to solve it.
Many thanks to Peter and his assistant Daina for helping us get our beautiful home! We recommend Peter with the highest and most heartfelt confidence.
This guy is incredible, call him.