Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/22/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In early May 2025, I submitted a loan application through Eli ****** at The NorthCoast Consulting Group and wired a non-refundable $1,860 application fee as instructed. I was told the deal looked promising and proceeded under the impression that the property—a sub-$100,000 single-family investment home—would qualify. At no point before sending the funds was I advised that rural properties, low population density, or limited comparable sales would pose a problem.
  
  After submitting all required documents, I was informed the file was denied due to these exact issues. These are not minor underwriting details—they are deal-breaking criteria that should have been made clear upfront. If I had known rural properties were outside their lending guidelines, I would not have proceeded.
  
  I believe this was a failure to disclose material information before collecting a significant non-refundable fee. I am requesting a full or partial refund of the $1,860 due to the misleading nature of the process and lack of transparency.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/02/2025

  Dear Better Business Bureau and Ms. *****,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the concerns raised regarding the loan application submitted through North Coast Consulting Group for the property located at *** ******* ******* *********, WI.
  
  First and foremost, we want to acknowledge Ms. *****’s frustration with the loan denial and affirm that we strive to provide a transparent and professional lending process for all applicants.
  
  Upon review of the file, Ms. ***** signed and submitted a Loan & Investment Summary dated April 11, 2025. This document, which was digitally signed, clearly states the following in the disclaimer section:
  “The initiation fee is a non-refundable fee due upon commitment to proceed with the loan. This fee covers administrative, processing, and third-party costs incurred during underwriting, and is not returned in the event of loan withdrawal or denial.”
  
  This non-refundable $1,860 fee is not a profit to our company, but rather covers real, upfront costs including administrative processing, file preparation, due diligence, internal and external underwriting review, and submission through our lender conduits.
  
  It’s important to clarify that North Coast Consulting Group is not compensated unless the loan closes. We take on the upfront costs at our own risk and would not have proceeded with this file had we not believed the deal had the potential to close. At the time of initial submission, the financials and property profile appeared to meet eligibility criteria based on past lending experiences in similar markets.
  
  Upon full underwriting review, however, concerns emerged related to rural location, limited population density, and lack of comparable sales—factors that ultimately resulted in the loan being denied. These considerations, while critical to the final loan decision, are often not determinable until full underwriting is complete.
  
  Furthermore, to advocate for the client, our team went above and beyond by submitting the deal to multiple conduit lending relationships in our network in an effort to find a fit. Unfortunately, the same conclusion was reached by all lenders we presented the file to: the rural nature and loan amount fell outside of their acceptable risk parameters.
  
  We want to reiterate that there was no intent to mislead Ms. ***** at any point. Our team communicated openly throughout the process, including clearly explaining the non-refundable nature of the application fee and the fact that we are only compensated if a deal closes. While the outcome was not what any of us had hoped for, all steps taken were done in good faith, with effort extended far beyond typical expectations for a loan of this size.
  
  We remain open to working with Ms. ***** in the future on properties that align more closely with our lending criteria and are happy to provide further guidance on what types of deals would qualify.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/03/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  
  
  While I acknowledge that I signed a non-refundable fee agreement, I submitted my application with the good faith understanding that basic eligibility, such as the rural nature of the property, would be screened before collecting a large fee. Rural zoning and population density are publicly available and widely known to affect loan eligibility, particularly with conduit lenders.
  
  The fact that the application was denied solely due to rural location suggests that North Coast Consulting either (1) failed to conduct proper preliminary review or (2) proceeded knowing the deal was highly unlikely to qualify. Either scenario undermines the justification for a non-refundable fee.
  
  No appraisal or title work was completed, and I was not provided an itemized breakdown of third-party or internal services rendered.
  
  I believe this outcome sets a harmful precedent for consumers, especially when large non-refundable fees are charged upfront for loans that are never realistically eligible.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *****