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Tri-Emerald Financial Group

Tri-Emerald Financial Group review: Misleading disclosure, switch and bait tactics 5

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3:53 pm EDT
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In February of 2013, I signed a contract to buy an investment property in Temecula, California. I was shopping for a 30-year conventional loan for the property. My real estate agent kindly referred me to Robert (Bob) Krowel (DRE: [protected] NMLS: 173317) of Tri-Emerald Financial Group located in Lake Forest, California. He told me Bob could close the financing quickly. Since the contingency on the purchase was only 10 days or so, this would help. So I contacted Bob and after several phone calls and initial set of document, Bob quoted me a 30 year fixed rate of 3.75% along with GFE and a complete set of initial disclosure documents. Among other disclosures is a “Closing Cost Worksheet” which stated that I will receive a lender credit of $3, 375 (screen print below). Needless to say I was quite happy with the deal and the turn-around. The date was February 11.

Ten days later on February 21st I was able to remove all the contingencies for my purchase. When I contacted Bob to lock the rate. Things got changed.
First he claimed that I reduced the down payment amount from 25% to 20% and his initial rate quote was based on the higher down payment. I explained to him that I had never changed the down payment amount. It was always 20% to begin with. Nonetheless in order avoid a higher rate, I agreed to increase my down payment to 25%.
Second he explained to me that the rate actually increased “quite a bit” in the last 10 days. So despite the increase in down payment my new rate will still be 3.875%, a 12.5 basis points jump. The rate did increase somewhat during the 10-day period, but nowhere near this large, especially considering I also increased the down payment level. As a frame of reference, here is the historical rate information from Mortgage-x.com covering the same period.

At that point I had already removed all my contingencies. If I refused the financing, the only other option would be to call off the purchase. Unwilling to do so, I decided to go along with the deal.
I was then presented with another set of documents with modified rate etc. Missing in the document was the revised Closing Cost Estimate. Since the revised estimate was missing, I had no reason to believe it would be different. After all the rate change would only affect my monthly payment, why should it the closing cost? Besides the revised documents I sign off this time is only a subset of the original paper work, right?
In the evening of March 6th, when the signer showed up in my house with the escrow package, I noticed the lender credit $3, 375 quoted in the initial estimate had disappeared. Failing to reach him over the phone in the evening, I signed off the paper work. I had done more than a dozen purchases and/or refinancing in the past. There had always been something on the paper that’s not quite right. It was normal for parties to amend the escrow to correct clerical errors. I wasn’t too worried.
When I was able to reach Bob on the following day, he told me the lender credit was not available anymore. “I cannot give you the credit anymore. I was not able to get that because the interest rates have went up. You and I have discussed this and you said you wanted the lowest interest rate.” No we did not discuss this point Bob! We talked about rate change and you had me sign a revised document; we talked about the down payment increase and you had me sign a revised document; we supposedly talked about you taking away more than $3000 from the deal and you didn’t even care to ask me to sign a revised document?
It is clear to me Bob Krowel in this case breached his fiduciary duties as a real estate agent. He engaged in a bait-and-switch tactic through the deceiving practice of improper disclosure. He took advantage of the uncertainty period before the rate lock takes place, and put his customer in a hard position to choose between canceling the purchase and accepting his outrageous fees.
I have since made several attempts to engage Bob for a rational discussion. Unfortunately at that point he seemed to have lost his mind, babbling things like he should have just canceled the deal and I was lying about not hearing what he told me. Eventually I was referred to Bob’s manager Nick. Nick reviewed the email chain and paid me a rate change fee Bob initially promised but charged me anyway and refused to refund. On the dispute of improper disclosure, Nick sided with Bob and refused to acknowledge the issue. From my research Nick is not a registered agent. Nor did he claim to be.
I have subsequently requested that Nick escalate this matter to the company’s owner, Mr. McQuiggan. Despite repeated promise, I have never received any phone call or message in that regard to date.

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5 comments
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Robert Krowel
, US
Jul 02, 2016 9:19 am EDT

This is quite funny to be honest. So this last comment is either my ex fiancé or this ### 350 lb child molester in Georgia. This has been dealt with and I have admitted all guilt. My Attorneys and legal advise all agree that it's dumb. We are all right. I wasn't a Seal. I was in the Navy 26 years ago.. MY parents and kids all know the truth about my Navy enlistment. A matter of fact everyone has heard me not only say it on Facebook but also everywhere else. My friends from the Navy knew all of this as well. I did lie to my fiancé and for that I am sorry I did and have faced the aftermath of it. I am free of all now that I have admitted my wrong doing and lie.

As far as my career. I am a very successful business professional that has built a strong base of relationships with key investors, realtors and clients. I have closed a lot of transactions this year and since I admitted that I am human and made a mistake, my business has grown even more. I am on track to have my best year ever. I am not a compulsive liar. I will not ever jepodarize my life, career, kids and family with a false claim. The most important thing people need to realize is you need to be responsible for your actions, accountable, and not feel the need for self entitlement. I work hard, I do what's best for my family and I learn from my mistakes. So if any of you have a problem still, then you have to go get a life. This is old news. Also if you are going to call people out. I would make darn sure you have nothing to hide or have any issues that can be brought in to the world.

As far as this one Complaint over a span of 17 years in the business. This is a person that wanted everything for free. Unfortunately I was not able to give him a great interest rate and pay for all of his cost as well. We never bait and switched him and we were upfront at the very beginning which the paperwork shows. I cannot control interest rates and am not paid by them. This was a client that wanted the whole world for free and here in America. There is a cost to do business. I am sorry that we didn't hit his expectations. I do everything that I can to make a client feel like they got the best experience possible. I have a team that has brought our customer satisfaction up to nearly a 99%.

What I've learned is as I grow, as I admitted my mistake and have not only donated money and time to veterans. I am still a veteran, I am still a war veteran during Desert Storm. It's in my service jacket. As my team grows and becomes more and more successful. I get more and more haters. I am fine with that. I will still grow, fail and will always admit my mistakes. If you have a problem with me then it's you that has the problem. So for every hater out there. I do have plenty of friends that have always known the truth. I'm sorry I offended you. I am sorry I hurt my ex. Fiancé.
Time to let it all go. Get a life and move on or don't I can care less. What's funny is certain people want to paint a horrible picture about me and all you are doing is making me more successful. I've been asked And I tell them the truth. Also if you are going to try and be a hater. At least have the guts to use your real name. I admitted it on Facebook to 3700 and nothing but people saying okay. You are a man and can at least admit when you made a mistake with a lie. good luck to all of you!
Robert

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StolenValorDisciple
, US
Jun 24, 2016 11:33 am EDT

Bob Krowel is a compulsive liar. The outrageous SEAL claims bring all of Bobs professional relations in to question. If Bob is willing to lie to his fiancé, two kids, father and mother- what makes you think he will tell you the truth about your real estate endeavors.

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Yvette Mendoza
, US
Mar 07, 2016 1:55 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Bob Krowel is a mentally disturbed person. Not only has he lied about being a Navy SEAL he has also assumed the identity of a sailor who has been dead for 22 years. Terry Adkins was in the Navy with Bob, but died during a non-hostel incident in 1994. If you watch the above mentioned video he references Mr. Adkins multiple times. To add insult to injury Terry Adkins was never a SEAL, but Bob insists that he was in an attempt to corroborate his false claims. SAME ON YOU BOB KROWEL.

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donsfriend
, US
Jan 03, 2016 4:48 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Bob is a lier and here is the video to prove it as this man Don Shipley calls him out on false Navy Seal Claims. Run as fast as you can from Bob Krowel - http://videos.extremesealexperience.com/movie_Phony-Navy-Seal-Of-The-Week-Douglas-Sinclair-Doria-The-Child-Sex-Offender-Phony-Seal

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Needtoknow?
laguna niguel, US
Jun 05, 2015 3:29 pm EDT

My wife and I are dealing with this right now with BoB do you have any more information?

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