Is GuardianNationalBank a real lender?

All lender and Loan Officers MUST have a Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System number (NMLS), which you can check through a Federal Website. Go to www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. I just looked at USLocal Bank.com, and that looks like some weird advertising not, not anything legitimate.

I wouldn't be concerned about whether they are a "real" bank with "brick and mortar" as lbennett said earlier. New licensing and regulatory monitoring of mortgage lenders has pretty much cleared out the problems (and many others too). If you are looking to refinance you will probably be able to close more quickly but the major lenders (your local bank) are still pretty backlogged in most areas for refinance transactions. As always, call a couple places to get quotes including a breakdown of their fees but generally there is no reason to have 3-4 places check your credit as long as you accurately can tell them your scores. Credit score affects rate, as does the amount of the loan as compared to the lower of price or appraised value. Good luck!

Yes they are a real mortgage broker.. not a bank.. and I understand your hesitation.. I always suggest using someone local.. a company that you can walk in the front door if you want to, but a mortgage broker, not a bank.. as Bennett said, turn times are horrific and their product selection is limited.. using a broker gets you access to numerous lenders at one place and they can shop for the best product / rate for your particular scenario... WilliamAcres.com

My answer is simple. If they are not "Chartered" as a National Bank by the Federal Government (Office of the Comptroller of Currency) or by the State your property is located in, they are not a legitimate bank. All firms operating as a bank MUST operate under the governance of the FDIC. Any firm using the word "Bank" in their name that isn't, in my opinion, is operating suspiciously, and I would not send them anything. By the way, a search of "Guardian National Bank" at the FDIC's website reveals NO firm with that name in their database. Instead, I suggest you locate a local Mortgage Banker/Broker to work with. You can check out your selected Mortgage Originator at the National Mortgage Licensing System at www.NMLSConsumerAccess.org ~ Bert Carpenter, The LoansA2z team of NOVA Home Loans ~ NMLS 40586 ~ www.LoansA2z.com