Client Testimonials

Dear Daryn at Smart Money,

Who knew that a simple inquiry into refinancing could gain my family and I a friend for life? What started as just a fact-finding mission into refinancing our mortgage turned into a no stress, painless process that changed our lives. We not only got a fantastic lower interest rate, but we are also debt free!

After going onto the MyFico.com website and checking out mortgage rates, I decided to press the button that said I wanted info locally in Hawaii. Instantly, Smart Money was the name of the company that popped up on the screen. It was the only name. I was very hesitant about Smart Money because I didn’t know anything about the company. Soon after (within a couple of hours), I received a call from a Smart Money representative named George Kumpis.

From the first call, I felt at ease and comfortable talking to George. He immediately told me Smart Money’s history and encouraged me to check out their website to learn more. I found Smart Money to be a highly reputable wholesale mortgage/loan company with numerous satisfied clients. I decided to give them a shot based not only on what I had learned about the company, but because of George.

George’s energy and drive made refinancing a successful experience for our family. He was so easy to talk to: genuinely friendly without being phony, and really, really knowledgeable about mortgages. He made sure that we understood the whole process from the start. No question was stupid! Throughout the entire process, he kept in touch via email and phone calls. Not too much and not too little. We knew exactly what was happening because George told us. There were no secrets. After some hard work on his part, George was successful in locking us into a fabulous rate and securing us a new mortgage loan. We were ecstatic!

We finally got to meet George face-to-face for the Official Signing of the Papers. And being George, he agreed to our request to come to our home to do so. He came and even though the signing took a short time, we talked stories for a couple of hours!

I encourage anyone who is interested in refinancing to contact Smart Money. They have a team there you can trust to help guide you through what is sometimes a confusing process. And if you’re lucky, you’ll get George to help you out!

Mahalo George for your exceptional people skills and knowledge in your field. Even though our professional relationship is over for now, our family will definitely keep in touch and follow your every success.

Aloha,

Lee ‘Ohana

I cannot thank you enough for what you did for me and my family. I know its your job, but your efforts to get me qualified seems to have gone “beyond the call.” I feel very fortunate to have hooked-up with people like William and you. I will be forever grateful for what you both have done for me.

Thank you very much,

S. Nakamoto

Tanya,

Lita and I would like to thank you so much for all that you have done to help us. It feels so good to have no more credit card debts and that we now have a low interest 30 yr fixed mortgage. I checked with USAA and our mortgage loans amounts owed is zero. Our mortgage now is lower than before, we literally are able to save more money for our retirement. We were in contact with other lenders, but, decided on you, because you just genuinely cared and kept us informed every single step of the way. The other lenders would call us once a week. That added personal touch is what made us decide to sign with Smart Money Inc. Thanks again.

R. Agliam

We just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate all the hard work that Eddie Akabane did to arrange the refinancing of my son Edward’s house to lower the interest rate.

My son Edward is very happy that he can save some money to go towards his gas bill, put food on the table, and buy clothes for his daughter.

Eddie Akabane and your company deserve all the best and success in the business world in helping family’s with their personal finances, to be able to afford their home mortgage. Again Mr. Akabane is a dedicated employee of your firm and strives to serve the best for his clients. God bless you all.

Sincerely,

K., E., & E. Hayward

To: Smart Money Inc

In October 2008, I submitted an online qualification application, for a home I wanted to purchase in Papaikou, Hawaii. Angie made contact with me immediately after, replying by email and telephonically.

I am so grateful we made contact, as the first conversation we had I was so very comfortable with her, I decided that she was the one that could help me with the financing and reaching my goal. Through out the transition Angie made sure that I received the lowest rate she could acquire, and with her expertise, she did. She also made sure the contract and all documents were in order. She is a natural for attention to detail, which I noted working with her, with this trait, I knew that I could depend on her.

During the process, Angie had the misfortune of having to work with the sellers’ real estate agent. This agent was extremely difficult and demanding, as I had to speak with on a few occasions. This agent was very rude and demanding to me, so I can only imagine the difficulty Angie experienced with her. She handled this agent’s demanding ways with patience and in a highly professional manner.

It is with pleasure to personally thank your company, especially your Senior Mortgage Specialist ANGIE JOY for the services rendered in such a timely and professional manner. Angie is such a Joy, to talk and work with, that I would recommend her to anyone seeking assistance in obtaining a loan.

I also would personally recommend her to anyone as the service she rendered to me was extremely exceptional.

D. Diama

Dear Mr. Rodriguez:

I wouldn't let another day go by without my having to comment on the service rendered to me by your loan specialist Noelani Chong. The whole experience from start to finish was handled professionally and efficiently. When I inquired on-line about refinancing to a lower mortgage interest rate, I was bombarded with phone calls and e-mails, all eager to assist me. I was really taken by Noelani's mannerism when she called me. She spoke patiently with me answering all my questions and educating my husband and I to get a lower life of the loan option. We never once felt pressured to do anything because of a time factor. I especially appreciated her and her efforts when she found out the rates dropped even lower and got us in on that. She left no stone unturned and was really looking out for our interest. I will recommend Noelani to my family, friends, and peers as I know they too will be very comfortable and happy working with her.

With best regards,

P. Torda-Saballa

Sometimes it is very difficult to work with others who are not on the same island as you, but Eddie always made me feel that we were on the same "rock" by providing me excellent customer service and quickly providing documents and responses. (I actually feel that he responded faster than working with someone here on my island). I am very impressed with the turn around time of our loan.

I am very happy that we decided to use Smart Money and that Eddie provided us with outstanding service. Will definitely recommend you to others. Keep up the GREAT work.

L. Richards

Dear Gregory Studt,

Just wanted to inform you of the excellent customer service I received from Matt Pini. His professionalism is outstanding. From the very beginning, he was most informative as to the status of my application, either by phone or email. I am most appreciative of his diligence in every aspect of processing and expediting my mortgage loan. If I had any questions, the response time was excellent.

I must say it is just fantastic to be able to speak to someone locally and to have a company located here in the islands. Your company's willingness to assist customers at their convenience is just awesome! The notary who came to my work location to sign papers due to my time constraints is one example. Another example, you, yourself met me at my work location when other paperwork needed my signature. I will surely tell my family and friends what excellent service I received from Matt and your company.

With much appreciation, and much Mahalo!

C. Whitmore

Dear Miss Angie,

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! You are truly a wonderful person.
I know we don’t even know half of what you had to do to pull this loan
Off for us, considering all of our circumstances. We appreciate your patience
And time explaining all of our options to us.

Love,
The Desatoff’s

I am writing to thank you, and Your wonderful staff at Smart Money, Inc. Honolulu office. I would like to send a special thank you to Kaulana Marumoto. Kaulana’s dedicated work ethic, expert knowledge of the industry, mixed in with his Local boy compassion was refreshing. I could not have asked for a better person to help me with my Family’s Home financing.

About 6 months ago, I was faced with taking over my mother’s financial affairs along with refinancing her home. I thought I understood the Process, and had basic knowledge of Home loans & refinancing, until the wave of fake offers & empty promises flooded in. With ever Good offer came a high price or false hope. I was overwhelmed and ready to quit. A friend gave me Kaulana’s name & number, and told me that he could help or at least point me in the right direction. I was skeptical at first, but after my first conversation with Kaulana, my anxiety lifted.

He made this once stressful process, manageable and clear. He really was Outstanding, explaining each step in detail, without any pressure to sign or jump at a deal. Kaulana always kept me informed by Email and phone calls. At times I worried that my questions were naive but Kaulana approached each situation with respect and understanding. I felt comfortable and confident that I selected the right Company and found the right person to refinance my Family’s home. Kaulana worked hard and found the best interest rates available, getting fixed rates considerably lower then what my Bank & credit union could offer. And then cutting the loan fees considerably, I thought I would cry.

It has been a few months now, since the closing and I still have that feeling of
satisfaction knowing that I got the best of the best, the best service, the best Loan officer and the best mortgage for my family. Excellent service and dedication can hardly describe Kaulana Marumoto’s work. Thank you Kaulana, my family wishes you the best that life offers.

Mahalo,
T. Ripley

Letter of Appreciation Tanya Heidenfeldt

Mission accomplished and Thank you Tanya! Almost 4 months ago I began the initial process of re-financing my home. I was somewhat naïve to the process and unfortunately I did not choose Smart Money Inc. to begin with. I went with the first broker agency that reviewed my financial information that told me they could find a lender to refinance my loan at a much better rate than what I currently had.

I did no research as to whom these folks were and ultimately paid the price by having my loan tossed from one agent’s desk to another, misrepresented and eventually denied by the lender.

After licking my wounds and discovering not all broker agencies are equal, I became a client of SMIHI. My representative was Tanya Heidenfeldt who was diligent in helping me achieve the loan that I wanted. She thoroughly explained every detail of the procedure was readily available for any question and accurately processed my loan papers in the time frame she had promised - less than 30 days. Her honesty restored my faith in the industry. I could not have asked for a more professional mortgage loan specialist. Not only did I get a better rate through Tanya and SMIHI, I received more cash out than I had originally anticipated.

Do yourself a favor, make SMIHI your first choice if you are considering refinancing your home loan.

To Whom it May Concern,

I would like to pass on to you my experience with refinancing my home mortgage. I applied on-line so I received calls and emails from many different brokers and companies and settled on three. After talking to the different loan officers I got it down to two. One of whom was Abraham Jazmin and the other I won't name.

I started the paperwork at the same time and they both locked me in at 4.875 % fixed for a 15 year term. Abraham and Smart Money were able to process the paperwork faster because he made a trip to meet me at Kinko's, across the street from The Home Depot Pearl City, where I was going anyway to get materials.

He was courteous and professional throughout out the process and when I compared the fees from both companies for the same 4.875% 15 year loan, Smart Money was nearly $17,000 less in loan fees. The decision was easy one for me. The loan agreement was signed at my house because Abraham sent the Notary out to me and saved me a trip to town. By the next week the checks were delivered to me.

I would not hesitate to recommend Abraham and Smart Money to my family and friends.

Thank you,

J. Mensching

Thank you very much for helping me refinance both of my homes.  You not only helped to save me tons of cash but helped me save my home.  I did not realize I could have lost my home by getting by on making minimum payments (negative amortization).

In addition, I wanted to acknowledge your professionalism in handling my personal situation.  There are no excuses on why such a situation should have ever occurred with you being in the middle of it all.  You handled your self brilliantly and managed to succeed in helping me in the end.  Thank you for turning something negative into a very positive experience.  You are simply the best!!!

Thank you again for all your help!!!

Respectfully,

We have been working with Eddie for the past four months trying to establish a goal to refinance our property in Hawaii with the lowest interest rates available. Eddie has surpassed all my expectations in jumping over hurdles and completing task on a timely basis. He has shown to be a true person I can depend on. Both Eddie and William worked together on completing our refinance in a timely manner. I would highly recommend Eddie to my co-worker and friends to have excellent customer satisfaction. William has also believed in us as a true customer and given us 100% customer satisfaction.

Sincerely,

D. Shimabukuro

I just wanted you to know that you are a true professional and a great person whom I now consider to be a wonderful friend.

Deciding to settle down in Hawaii and buying my first new house was quite an experience in itself.  I looked forward to the day I could re-finance my mortgage so I could really start enjoying a place I could one day call my own. 

I knew I needed to shop around for the best deal.   I went online and submitted a couple of inquiries.  I spoke to a couple of friends who re-financed their homes as well as a several different loan officers.  

Timing is everything and you could not have timed your phone call to me at a better moment.  I was contemplating on what my friends and co-workers felt was a “great” deal.  However, you instantly earned my trust by simply listening to me.  Although I had never met you in person I felt that you were going to work diligently and was very realistic in what I should expect. 

Throughout the whole process I felt as though we worked as a team.  By the time I met you I had decided to close the deal with you.  Now I can truly now enjoy the house I bought as my home.  I can't thank you enough Angie. You're the BEST!!!

Sincerely,

M. Zamora

Kaulana Marumoto did an excellent job of facilitating our refinance. He kept in constant communication with us and expedited all details as much as possible. There were no difficulties on anything he handled.

I could not have been more pleased with anything he did for us. As a matter of fact everything Kaulana did for us was effective. In addition, he was always courteous and prompt returning communications. I can recommend Mr. Marumoto as a loan officer without reservation.

I will recommend Smart money to any of my friends who are in the market to refinance and I will especially recommend that they work especially with Kaulana.

Sincerely,

B. Luterman, Ph.D

To Whom it may concern;

This is a letter of reference for Angie Joy who worked with us to refinance two of our properties.This was the first time we did any financial work with anyone that we did not have a face to face meeting with. We did a search online and after some reference checks chose to go with Smart Money.

We have great respect for Angie's integrity. She was thorough and prompt, keeping us notified with every step of the process. She was always available by phone and/or e-mail anytime we had a question.

She worked very hard to get us the best rates possible at the time and she was very successful. Everything went smoothly right down to sending a notary to our home to sign the papers at our convenience.

Whenever we need to finance or refinance we will be certain to call Angie.

Aloha. I just wanted to let you know that I am very pleased with the service I have been receiving from Tanya Heidenfeldt. She was persistent in the beginning when I was waffling about whether to stay with a Retail Lender for my refinance or choose a Whosale Lender. She wasn’t pushy, but was convincing when she informed me that the Retail Lender would charge me more for rates and she could get me a discounted (whosale) rate. She was right, and I’m glad she stuck with me. I wouldn’t have chosen to go with the wholesale lender if she hadn’t been willing to conduct all transactions by email. I did not want to be bothered by telephone at work, and I’m too tired at night to take calls at home. She was very friendly and quickly responded to all my questions and concerns. She’s a keeper!

Angie,

A Big Mahalo for all your efforts in helping us get the best deal possible! Your determination, professional judgment, insight and client advocacy made all the difference. From the very beginning you were there to help guide us and provide important information to assist us in making decisions. We will definitely recommend your services to others. Thank you again.

S.Vaioleti
Oahu, HI

My expericence with Smart Money, Inc. was pleasant and painless! Not to mention a very quick close! As a realtor I have dealt with many different companies in the past and I must say that using Smart Money, Inc was one of my best experiences with a lender.

I also had a very pleasant experience working with Kaulana Marumoto who is a Senior Loan Officer there, he was very prompt and efficient, and was sure to keep all parties informed of what was going on every step of the way. For myself that alone is a very important aspect when servicing my clients.

Purchasing real estate is one of the biggest purchases anyone will make in their lifetime, clients like to have their hands held and guided along the way not left in the dark. I would highly recommend using Smart Money, Inc. and will definitely use them again in the future.

I'm sorry this letter has taken me so long to write. I wanted to let you know what wonderful service I received from Mr William Rodriques. I can't say enough nice things about him. He was attentive, timely and worked very hard to find the best possible loan for me. He inspired confidence in me throughout the entire process. He always made me feel like I was a priority, even though I never actually met him in person as I live on Kauai. I will be happy to recommend your company to anyone I know interested in refinancing.

Thank you very much to your company and Mr. Rodriguez,

Sincerely,
R. Cottingham

I would like to let you know that William was very helpful and pleasant during the process of refinancing my mortgage. He followed up with phone calls and provided information as requested. I am very pleased with his service ,he is an asset to your company and I would highly recommend his services.

Sincerely,
J. Eastment

I would just like to comment on services with Smart Money. We worked with Noelani Chong who helped us with refinancing our mortgage. We have been searching for a 15 year mortgage and was not able to acquire one until we were approached by Noelani. She has been very helpful and knew her job well. We were very happy with the way we were treated and her services were outstanding.

To whom it may concern,

This is a letter of recommendation for Abraham M. Jazmin of Smart Money Inc.

Abraham recently represented Smart Money Inc. as a Loan Broker and consultant for a recent refinance that we enacted on our principal residence on Maui. 

I have been involved in the real estate business for the last 25 years both as a Real Estate Broker in California and as a sales person licensed in Hawaii.  During that time I have had countless opportunities to use the services of a loan broker and mortgage facilitators.

Abraham provided superior customer service during our recent refinance.  He stayed on top of the paper work and followed through when trying to find a product that was appropriate for us and in communicating the details of the loan process.  When asked for information, he promptly responded and kept us informed every step of the way.  When we encountered road blocks, and who doesn’t?, he was quick to be creative in solving issues that presented themselves,  to the satisfaction of both the lender and the borrower.

I would strongly recommend Abraham to my friends and family and when the matrix is appropriate for us to refinance other pieces of property that we own on Maui, will use his services again.

Thank you for your attention.

K. McGinnis and S. Frayer