Phillip Cannon

3 years before we bought a house, when we had no clue whatsoever what it would take financially or what the process was like, we came to Phillip with lots of questions. Even though we weren’t even a client yet and clearly wouldn’t be ready to be clients for a few years, Phillip spent a bunch of time with us, explaining everything, letting us know exactly what we needed to do over the next few years, and showing us what options there were.
Over the next 3 years, we would check in from time to time, and he would discuss the progress we made and let us know what the mortgage situation was like at the time.
Finally, when it was almost time to buy, things kicked into overdrive. We were emailing several times a week with questions and asking for rate sheets etc. Phillip always made time for us and always answered anything we needed to know. He always let us know all of the various options we had, sending us multiple quotes so we could compare and weigh our choices. Interestingly, we were looking in both Oakland and SF, so we had another broker in Oakland, yet Phillip was always able to find us better rates than the other broker. As we put in offer after offer (the SF market is crazy!), Phillip was available to get us finance letters whenever we needed… even on weekends and nights if we were desperate.
When we finally found the house we wanted, the buyer set a really tight closing date and threatened to fine us *per day* if we closed after the deadline. Phillip and his team miraculously were able to get everything done on time. during this crazy time period, when there are a ridiculous amount of documents to sign and sift through, Phillip made sure we were always on track, letting us know what was finished and what was left, and clearly explaining what each form meant. When we hit a couple of snags with the financing, Phillip was able to figure everything out for us and get us through the problems. What could have been an incredibly stressful and difficult time, ended up being relatively painless.
Did i mention that we got an incredible rate?! We did!
Anyways, to make a long story short, Phillip did a phenomenal job and we couldn’t recommend him enough!

Phillip helped my family achieve our goals of home ownership in SF! We had a very complicated mortgage. We bought property with friends, converted the two-​unit property into a TIC with the goal of Condo Conversion. It was a three-​year uphill challenge and that’s putting it gracefully. Phillip got on board with us and helped us pick a great mortgage, while working with our other TIC-​Condo Conversion partners along the way. He took time explaining how things worked and laid out several different avenue we could take that helped us make good choices for ourselves.
We must have hundreds of emails between our partners, his colleague Robert Imazumi (who is great also), and Phillip remained patient and professional with us.
You want Phillip on your side during the lending process and if you’ve got a challenging road ahead like a TIC or weird credit then you NEED Phillip on your side. Five stars for both Phillip and Robert and thumbs WAY UP!

Wonderful to refi with guaranteed rate! Phillip and his team are so easy to work with. Explained everything to me, easy to get ahold of. Best rates and terms I was able to find for my refi. So much easier than working with large banks, much more on top of everything. Came through with terms and rates ahead of schedule. Would definitely use guaranteed rate again if I need to refi or purchase.

I never expected to write a Unilocal review about a mortgage experience but I’m the newest member of the Phillip Cannon and team fan club! I was introduced to Phillip during the week of Thanksgiving after a stressful situation with another lender and he walked me through all the steps and made sure that we were clear with the seller on a timeline that would work during the holidays. He doesn’t text but answers the phone and emails promptly. He took the time to go through the process and answer all my questions from the get go. We also closed ahead of schedule and that isn’t easy with new regulations and the holidays! Thank you to Phillip and Robert for all your help!

Phillip and his team were fantastic! I knew my loan was going to be super-​complicated and that’s what brought me to Phillip. I was in the middle of a divorce and I wanted to buy my husband out of the house — I needed to pull out money, take my husband off the title, and add my parents on as co-​signers. That was such a stressful time for me personally and gathering the paperwork was pretty daunting. Phillip and his team were so nice to work with, funny and kind and really helped me not only get my loan (yay!), but just generally made my day better by being cool and professional and personable and listening to me complain about trying to gather paperwork from my elderly parents :). I cannot recommend him enough.

Phillip took on my rather challenging case that other lenders would not. In the midst my divorce he was ever patient and was ready to complete the process as soon as my divorce was final. He and his team got the job done! Thank you!

I haven’t owned a home in so long I was practically a first-​time home buyer, and that goes double for the SF real estate madness. But I trusted the reviews on Unilocal and called Phillip to talk through the feasibility of buying, and to get the pre-​approval process in motion.
He was kind enough to take time to listen to my circumstances and explain the options available to me. I felt that he was really listening, and when one is engaged in a process to spend so much time and money, knowing that Phillip is on your side feels great.
I was able to send all of the paperwork back and forth electronically, which is a huge time-​saver given how much paperwork the pre-​approval and formal loan application involves.
Just like all the other reviews, you will have a great experience so don’t hesitate to call him!

Phillip is fantastic. Almost by accident my partner and I found a home we absolutely loved and wanted to buy but we hadn’t yet done any of the work to receive pre-​approval. Phillip came to the rescue, helping us ramp up quickly so we could make an offer that ultimately secured the home of our dreams. This was our first real estate adventure so we had lots of questions throughout the process and Phillip provided prompt responses that helped calm our nerves while moving us toward success. When push comes to shove, you want Phillip on your team.

Philip is truly an outstanding mortgage broker. In searching for a house, we went to Phillip for the best option on loans and he walked us through everything. He is very knowledge and very patient. We wrote several offers with Phillip and even though we were outbid on some, he went on to the next one with pleasure. Just as we were getting discouraged and bid on our last house, Phillip came up with a non-​conventional way to get a loan and walked us through each step of the process. It felt like he was always sitting next to his phone, as he answered each time we called. He had an aggressive loan contingency and we closed quickly. He answered all our questions with pleasure and patience. Phillip made the stressful process of purchasing a home, stress-​free. He was a pleasure to work with and I would recommend him to anyone.

I called Phillip Cannon looking for advice on how to tap into the equity of my property (one that traditional lenders refused to refinance), and although he wasn’t able to help me himself, he gave me a wonderful recommendation which has solved my problems. This recommendation in no way compensated him, and not only did he discuss it with me at length to answer all of my questions and ensure my understanding of the option, he also did some legwork for me and provided me with a contact that he had just discussed my situation with.
Phillip is the consummate professional that you look for in a mortgage broker, and although I’m disappointed that I can’t work with him now, I certainly look forward to working with him in the future.

My wife and I recently bought our first house with Phillip’s help and, as first time home buyers, we needed a lot of help. We searched for almost six months and made multiple offers before we finally had one accepted. Phillip got together all the necessary documents well ahead of time so that the actual loan application was completely painless once we entered contract and we were able to secure a great loan. Phillip was always accessible to answer any questions we had and made us feel completely comfortable and informed throughout the whole process. The bottom line is I cannot give Phillip a more emphatic recommendation to anyone looking to finance a home purchase. He is knowledgable and friendly and I would not hesitate to work with him again.

I called as a first time buyer with little experience. Phillip answered my call immediately, gave me straight answers and left me with some amazing advice. In the end he put together a mortgage that worked for us and we won our very first bid. Phillip had our back during the entire process. I don’t think I’d be a home owner if it hadn’t have been for his diligence and expertise.

Phillip recently helped me and my partner finance the home of our dreams. Phillip is an artist in the way he crafts loans that are specific to his clients. He was specific, detailed and incredibly professional. I was expecting a complicated, scary, intimidating process and perhaps it was, but Phillip always there to answer questions and to provide solutions to our financial questions so we could get the best loan possible. Couldn’t ask for better!

It had been quite a while since I had gone through the process to refinance my condo and I wanted to work with someone I felt like I could trust. A friend had given me Phillip’s name because he had recently refinanced his condo. He said that Phillip was great to work with and that he was able to get a good rate.
It was easy to apply online and submit the necessary documentation via email which really helped simplify the process. Phillip was easy to contact and always responded back quickly. Phillip was patient and very thorough in answering all of my questions. Quite honestly, he cares about his clients and works to minimize the stress associated with refinancing one’s home.
This is my first review on Unilocal and I am motivated to recommend Phillip in hopes of helping someone who may be getting started or as in my case, restart the refi process. If this is you, I suggest checking out Phillip to get a good rate and know that you’ll be in good hands.

Phillip helped my wife and I purchase our first home in the Bay Area. We spent several months searching for the perfect home, which resulted in multiple offers and pre-​approval letters. Notwithstanding, Phillip was incredibly patient and punctual.
When we finally entered contract, Phillip and his assistant, Erin, worked tirelessly to ensure that the paperwork process went smoothly. Phillip took the initiative to reach out to all of the parties involved to streamline communication. We were even able to close ahead of schedule, despite deciding to go with a different lender at the last minute.
Buying a home isn’t easy, especially in the Bay Area. I’d highly recommend Phillip for anyone contemplating a home purchase. His market knowledge, professionalism, and punctuality made things so much easier for us.
Thanks Phillip!

Our loan wasn’t an easy one to arrange, but Phillip worked every angle to get us a great rate and the amount we desired. You never know what’s gong to happen until you close, and despite the inherent uncertainty, I was never worried knowing Phillip was on the case.
As others have said, he’s patient, professional and responsive. From my experience, you’d be hard pressed finding a better broker than Phillip.

We negotiated the purchase of the condo, we were living in, directly with the owners. So, no agents involved. Phillip, however, was in our court the whole way.
We were first time home buyers. We consulted with several other brokers, and a bank, before going with Phillip and Guarantee Mortgage. Our decision to go with Phillip was swayed by his courteousness and knowledge of loan products nobody else was offering.
Phillip was patient and professional, explaining the whole process to us. He consistently followed up with us, and kept us informed at every step in the process. Speaking of patient… the entire process took nearly a year. No fault to Phillip; in fact, he’s been the one thing to make this process bearable. Instead, the delay was more about having no agents involved, working with the MOH, and a sub-​par title company (see my review of Fidelity National Title).
Thank you Unilocal for helping us find this gem. Can’t recommend Phillip enough. Heck, thumbs up to the whole team at Guarantee Mortgage.

First Time Homebuyer or Just Want to Avoid as Much Stress as Possible with Home Loans? SEE PHILLIP CANNON!
He Is The BOMB! (Sorry Phillip, just had to especially with the given surname!!)
I have refrained from writing regular reviews and now, just do a few selected ones that are worth mentioning and I believe deserve recognition, especially when a service was above and beyond what I had expected.
Buying my first place with no guidance from my immediate support group and no additional financial resources … this was SCARY & NERVE RACKING! And thus, finding Phillip Cannon was an answer to one of my prayers, no joke!
In a nutshell and not to be redundant (there is a theme with his reviews, hint hint):
Phillip is one of the nicest, most professional (and very personable), very, very, very patience with all my queries (even those that were very simple).
Stars:
1 Star — quick correspondence via email-​phone-​texts
2 Star — able to clearly explain in laymen terms without any hints of condescending remarks (probably rolls his eyes in secret. jk)
3 Star — although nicest, was also the aggressive bulldog I needed when it appeared the other parties were lollygagging
4 Star — found many alternative options for me that other institutions did not offer
5 Star — continued to follow-​up with me even after we closed/​completed our business together … he’s that nice & professional!
Danke Schön Phillip!
Closed August 2013

Phillip Cannon, or as he is colloquially known as, the «Philly Cheesesteak» is a magical mortgage wizard. I was in a situation where I had been pre-​approved with another mortgage broker for quite a while, and due to some personal matters, had to cut my ties with them due to being «strongly urged» to use another broker. That «strong urge to use someone else» caved in at the complexities of the fast-​paced and ludicrous San Francisco Real Estate market and quickly left me needing someone who could deal with the insanity of this city.
In my despair, I perused Unilocal and found Phillip’s collection of highly rated reviews. I contacted Phillip and had the ball rolling within minutes. Phillip stuck with me through 4 offers, and in one case handing me off to another bank due to needing a specific kind of fractional financing that only two lenders in the city provided. After that offer fell through (27% over the asking price wasn’t enough) we found another property and quickly picked up where we had left our situation.
Phillip was fast to respond, always available to answer questions (in fact even calling me on a weekend once), and his office was very familiar with the kinds of snags our unique financing situation tended to get caught up on. He responded rapidly and in fact set me up with another bank to open a HELOC even before we closed on the unit, in order to finance some renovations we wanted done prior to moving in.
Phillip is definitely one of those trade professionals you hope never changes careers or moves out of this city. He is the best person for anything having to do with a mortgage in San Francisco. As a first time homebuyer, he even was able to give me some advice on similar situations he faced in his journey to own his own property and I greatly appreciated his candid nature. He also had a relationship with my agent’s firm, Zephyr, and their interactions were seamless and without issue. Hope I can work with him in the future!

Phillip helped us secure a mortgage for a condo, helped us get a good rate, and was always patient and courteous through our numerous queries. He was responsive, willing to answer any question, and made the process pretty painless. Even for first-​time homebuyers, we were probably a little on the clueless side, and at times, Phillip might have assumed greater knowledge on our part than we in fact possessed. But his willingness to answer our sometimes disjointed queries made up for that! Thanks, Phillip.
We had a very pleasant experience, but we don’t have much to compare to. Therefore the 4 stars.