We conducted a research study in 2014, comparing the mortgage rates that home buyers received with the sophistication level of the home buyer.

We weren't at all surprised to find, that the more sophisticated the home buyer was; which means they compared more mortgage rates, did more research, had more contacts in the mortgage industry, and spent more time negotiating — the lower the mortgage rate they received.

We find this disappointing. Getting a mortgage is a commoditized, vanilla-manilla, standard process — there shouldn't be any tricks to it. After some investigation, we found that mortgage brokers get more commissions and bonus, and the banks make more money, when your rate is higher. So they use marketing and negotiation as tools to keep your rate high. Yes, a mortgage broker will tell you "this is the best rate I can get you", but if they used James and had more clients — they could afford to lower their commission, still make a living and give you the better rate.

We created James, to cut out the fat in the mortgage industry.

Our goal is to get you the same mortgage rate that mortgage brokers get for themselves. Too many people, are making far too much money, by keeping your mortgage rate high. We strongly feel that leveling the playing field and getting rid of the stacked decks is the right thing to do. Getting a mortgage shouldn't feel like hitting the casino floor in Las Vegas.

Every broker in James' private network must provide each client with the best rate possible — and the best rate, is the lowest possible rate that a lender is willing to provide once the commissions and bonuses are trimmed down to the maximum allowable level. No other organization in the mortgage industry has this mandate, and for good reason; it would slice the brokers pay cheques to bits. Our study found that in most mortgage transactions, the broker and the bank play a cat and mouse game with you, in an attempt to maximize the interest rate while keeping it just low enough that you become a client. Our boiler plate policy is clear — the rate that is typically reserved for the most sophisticated mortgage shoppers, with the most shrewd negotiation tactics and the best contacts — is the same rate every James client receives. This is our religion.

Two guys joined together for a pint and some conversation at a bar across the street from a mortgage broker convention.

They talked about the history of lending — how it was once an act of faith and kindness done between friends and family, and one of the bigger compliments you could pay someone.

Over time and as lending became more common, each community had within it a well known person of generosity, who you could go to for a loan. They'd sit with you, not because they were paid to, but because you were friends or had friends in common. They'd listen to your story, because they cared to hear it. As they considered your request for a loan, they'd ask your friends about you, and those friends of yours would speak about you candidly — because the community looked out for everyone — including the lender. If you were a good person, you got your loan. The interest rate and payback periods were understood, without being discussed. If you fell behind, you wouldn't lose your house. You were borrowing from someone who knew you and cared. You'd have a nice visit, things would be explained; maybe you'd work it off, or make alternative arrangements. What's important, is that it always worked out.

As more time passed, the last vestiges of humanity have almost fully disappeared from the lending system that most people rely upon to make a home for their families. How many people do you know, that have bought a house using money borrowed from someone they know? Really know. Not the broker, not the bank representative, not the branch manager. The answer is probably none or one. People today don't know the person(s) that truly owns their home. The place where they raise their children and create their memories. Perhaps this is a true failure of the system. Perhaps it's just a little weird.

As they talked more, they discussed how buying a house is one of the most exciting times one can experience. How important a milestone a home purchase is, and how usually, when someone buys themself a new house, it's because they got a new job, grew their family, scored a big promotion or had a serious achievement like seeing an entrepreneurial idea take flight! Sharing that excitement filled story seems like the most natural thing to do, but unfortunately, the people you get mortgages from today really don't know you well enough to care to hear it.

That conversation became James.

We want James to be a special place where you tell your story. Once James has your complete biography — a snapshot of you in a moment in time — a mortgage broker on James will arrange your mortgage. After using James once, you might use it again in the future and take a moment while doing so to look at that first edition of your life story. We think it will be a fun trip down memory lane.

Yes, James is an App, and of course, you still won't know the person(s) who's money you are using to buy your new house. However, the mortgage broker that James will introduce you to will read your entire biography with interest and sincerity, because those are the types of people James works with. They will come to know you, and once they do, they will arrange the best mortgage that the industry can offer.

With James, we are hoping to make the home buying experience a little more special — and just maybe, bring a little of that forgotten magic back.