I have been in home loan financing since 2005 and during this time built a solid foundation of expertise, knowledge and professionalism. I am patient, honest and methodical, working closely with new home buyers and those wishing to move up or refinance. For every loan transaction I work hard avoid potential obstacles, close on time, and take the stress out of buying or refinancing a home. Prior to my current profession, I was in the Peace Corps working with farmers in Grenada West Indies. This led to positions in transportation with Maersk Line loading container ships at the Port of Oakland and sales with UPS. I earned a B.S. in Agricultural Economics from UC Davis where my wife, sister, brother-in-law and daughter all attend. Go Aggies! I currently live in Alameda and enjoy bike riding, hiking and traveling with family and friends. Please call me at 510-220-6610 to start the loan pre-approval process. Matt L. 3/18/2020 My fiancé and I took on the endeavor of purchasing our first home in the Bay Area with little knowledge of the complexities and challenges ahead. We knew the market was competitive, but this was more than we expected! We were fortunate enough to come into contact with Jim Valler from Holmgren & Associates to help guide us through the offer and closing process. Jim would literally respond to emails, texts, calls at all hours and on weekends. For how quickly you need to move out here to go into contract and close on a home, we were extremely happy to have Jim on our side as a trusted advisor. Jim continually went out of his way to make sure we understood the financials and all the documentation we encountered. I highly recommend Jim to anyone looking to buy a home in the Bay! Manuel C. 11/15/2019 My wife and I worked with Jim Valler for our first (condominium) purchase. Jim was very patient and took his time to tell us everything we need to know. He is extremely dedicated, I'm happy I chose him to help us. As first time buyers, we really needed guidance and Jim advised us through the process. We now know that buying property will always have some surprises along the way. We relied on Jim to help us through most of those surprises. We recommend Jim whether you are a first time buyer or a seasoned veteran. He really came through for us. Thank you Jim. Beverly K. 11/6/2019 I worked with Jim Valler over a period of about 2 years because I took that long to find my dream home in a very competitive market. Jim was always patient with me explaining in detail what my options were in the loan market. He was always very responsive to my emails, phone calls and texts. Because I am retired with minimal income flow, he helped me in securing the best loan for my situation. Over the 2 years, I raised my purchase price several times and each time, he was able to prequalify me for the best loan. It was a pleasure working with him and I highly recommend him to help you with your loan. Twiggy C. 10/2/2019 My partner and I were lucky to work with Jim Valler for our first home purchase. We were introduced to Jim through our family, and we were very impressed with Jim's dedication to his client from start to finish. During our first meeting, Jim was very patient and took his time to tell us everything we need to know when buying a home. We especially appreciated how detail-oriented and organized he was. Virginia H. 7/14/19 Working with Jim Valler was amazing. As first time home-buyers, he was incredibly patient answering all of our questions thoroughly. He is extremely professional and trustworthy. My husband and I felt very comfortable knowing that he would work diligently on our behalf. He took the time to explain every detail during the pre-approval process and the purchase process. Jim made sure that everything was perfectly in place and made sure that our purchase process was seamless. We had always heard how stressful and difficult it could be to go through the home buying process but we had none of that working with Jim. He really made it easy for us. I would highly recommend Jim Valler to anyone looking to finance a mortgage! Nathaniel T. 5/16/19 Jim was incredibly helpfil throughout the entire process. This was my first home purchase and he was always patient and responsive to me. I cannot express how grateful I am that I ended up with Jim. He helped me understand and secure a loan at a fantastic rate as well as educate me on the process and market in general. I would highly suggest anyone looking to buy to reach out to Jim and the team for a meeting. Thao T. 4/16/19 Jim Valler is extremely dedicated, professional, and kind. He always works on his best to have the best things for us. He explained to my wife and me every single detail of loan, rate, insurance, and tax. He spent tens of hours talking to us on the phone, replying our emails, and meeting us face-to-face. Honestly, words cannot describe how much I appreciate Jim's work. I took notes and dates on what he did for me as my appreciation: Sam K. 12/22/18 We recently bought our first house and highly recommend Holmgren Associates, specifically Jim Valler, who helped close on our home. Jim was super friendly, approachable, and very knowledgeable about the Oakland market. He made us feel like we could ask him anything and walked us through the entire lending process step by step. He would give us a regular update of market conditions and gave us tips and advice throughout our home search. In the end, we closed on a house that we absolutely love and appreciate all the work that Jim and the rest of the Holmgren team did for us! VanCedric W. | 8/21/2018 I am very appreciative to have to have met Jim. After a nightmare experience with a big bank mortgage underwriting. I was ready to give up and I was introduced to Jim. He gave me hope and boosted my confidence. Every step of the way Jim answered my questions in a thoughtful and timely way. He was Professional, Prompt and Personable. He was there to help and provided me with comprehensive explanation and guidance on options available to me, the process, the time frame and criteria. I felt like I made a friend. Thank you for helping me buy my house. Jamie L. | 8/17/2018 My husband and I just closed escrow last week on our first home (condominium). Jim Valler was introduced to us by our realtor. Jim and his team were amazing with efficiency with their communication and finding the best rates for us. Being first-time home buyers, this was indeed an intimating process but Holgrem & Associates were one of the parties that made us feel at ease and educated! Thank you so much to Jim and his team for being so efficient and providing such great service to us. We are excited to start our lives in our new home and we couldn't have done that without Holmgren & Associates. Rachael P. | 11/28/2017 Jim was very helpful and informative from the very beginning, even before he knew I would move forward with doing business with him. Throught the process, Jim constantly followed up with me to make sure all my questions were ansered and any concerns were addresses. he provided excellent customer support through the twists and turns of my refinance. Always friendly, always making himself available, and ready with back up plans when needed. It was great to be able to work with him. Finely W. Berkeley, CA| 11/21/2017 Holmgren & Associates are simply the best in the business. Jim Valler, especially, demonstrates an amazing knowledge of the industry as well as an unparalleled loyalty and dedication to his clients that goes far above & beyond the call of duty. Jim is amazing! I just did a refinance with Jim and am super happy with his work as well as his ongoing support. Peggy L. Oakland, CA| 9/29/2017 Jim Valler is the first mortgage broker that I have known who wasn't intimidating. I always Katy D. Concord, CA| 8/07/2017 We used Jim Valler for the third time (1 FHA, 1 refi, and now a conventional) and he was stellar! Honest, thoughtful, follows through, helpful, intelligent, knowledgeable and kind! I would recommend him to everyone! Also, Kristin did a great job filling in for Jim! Kept us informed with phone calls and updates. We could not have been more impressed with this team! Now that we are in our forever home, we likely won't be needing Jim's assistance, but I will recommend him highly, above anyone else, to everyone I know! Once again Jim, THANK YOU!!! Stephen W. Healdsburg, CA | 8/12/2017 Jim and his associate Kristin were very organized and detailed oriented. They responded to any questions we had and made sure we were informed at all times. They also provided us with the reasons why certain documents were needed. Excellent communication skills too! Tiffany Q. Castro Valley, CA | 07/16/2017 Prompt response to emails & keeping us on track and informed of the timeline. Mustafa Q. Castro Valley, CA | 07/12/2017 Jim and his team were professional, informative, and absolutely outstanding to work it! Thank you for all your help! Kiki D. Los Angeles, CA | 05/26/2017 Jim was incredibly helpful throughout the entire house-buying process. My husband and I are both first time homeowners and I'm a very type-A, detail oriented, and often anxious person. Jim was consistently kind, understanding, and most importantly, responsive to all of my questions and concerns. He never hesitated to take the time to talk to me and walk me through each step of the process. There's no one better out there! Angel S. San Leandro, CA | 04/02/2017 Jim Valler was the consummate mortgage advisor. He was patient, transparent, professional, knowledgable, and, all around, incredible to work with. He guidance was invaluable during the biggest decision of my family's life. I will be eternally grateful for the illumination he provided. Alex R. Castro Valley, CA | 2/11/2017 In September 2016 we were first-time home-buyers. We interviewed 3 different lenders who were highly recommended. We were not impressed with any of them -- they all acted like salesmen, using unnecessary lingo, proposing unnecessary services, such as piggy-back loans, HELOCs, etc. They just did not seem like players we wanted on our home-buying team. We found Holmgren, and Jim Valler specifically, through Yelp reviews. After working with Jim to complete our first real estate transaction, we must say that yes, all the reviews praising Jim Valler and the rest of the Holmgren team are accurate in their praiseworthiness! We scheduled an introductory meeting with Jim to discuss our needs and see if our personalities, attention to detail, and work ethic were similar, especially given our 3 failed attempts with other lenders. We thoughts that our introductory meeting would be about 1 hour long -- it ended up being 2.5 hours long -- and all of it positive. Jim really got to know us, our situation, our desires. Jim also provided all the answers regarding Holmgren, the transaction processes, and provided us with a detailed plan of all the documents we needed to gather. As we honed in on a property Jim and his team were right there. Everything we planned out 2 months before, was executed as explained to us and planned in advance. Jim was great at answering all the newby questions we had, and provided excellent explanations regarding actions of other players involved including the escrow company and insurance agent (we ended using Jim's home owners insurance recommendation). When it came time to lock in the interest rate, Jim sent us daily updates of the rates, as well as technical market analysis and interpretations. Jim was not some "money guy" you had you check up on all the time on, but was instead a proactive teammate and an adviser with excellent lending and market insight. Simply excellent! Detail-oriented, prompt follow up, clear communicator, and a professional. Sometimes you end up having your realtor over for dinner once the transaction is complete, but how often do you have your lending agent over for dinner? Yes, Jim Valler is that kind of a lending agent. Cheryl W. Walnut Creek, CA | 12/27/2016 I worked with Jim Valler to refinance my home. My situation was complicated and I know it was time consuming for Jim. Jim worked with me every step of the way, explained everything clearly and made very helpful suggestions. He responded promptly and throughly to questions and stayed in close touch throughout the whole process. I cannot recommend him highly enough! I worked with Jim Valler for my recent home purchase and he was a joy to work with. He clearly explained everything to me, provided advice beyond what he was required to and was always available even on evenings and weekends. I could not recommend him higher! Sean B. Oakland, CA | 7/14/2016 I highly recommend Jim Valler. He was great at explaining things to my wife and I, and gave us plenty of useful information. I feel a lot more informed and educated on home mortgages thanks to him. He was also very quick in responding to my e-mails and inquiries. If you're looking for a home mortgage broker, I certainly would encourage you to reach out to Jim. YELP Phil Y. Emeryville, CA | 6/6/2016 Jim Valler is a very trustworthy, hard working and skilled lender and got us great rates. I appreciated his straightforward approach to telling the layperson the components of the underwriting process and what the actual monthly and closings costs would be. We successfully bought a home in the Bay Area because we found a reputable skilled lender in Jim Valler. I highly recommend him. Bill W. Fremont, CA | 5/22/2016 Jim and the entire team at Holmgren did an exceptional job at guiding me through my options for a jumbo loan refinance of my home. Everyone's communications to me were always clear and accurate, and they answered all of my questions quickly and thoroughly. The online document signing made it easy to track and keep pace with the frequent requests for more documentation. They even arranged for a notary to come to my house to sign all of the final documents which was very convenient for my wife and I. I highly recommend Jim and team for their outstanding teamwork and professionalism! Sara N. Berkeley, CA | 5/10/2016 I wanted to drop you a note in order to express my thanks for helping us secure our dream house. Right now, while I'm not putting my shoulder to the wheel at Autodesk, we've been spending time packing and transferring things out to our new home, so this note has been a long time coming. Tim L. San Francisco, CA | 4/10/2016 Jim was very patient with us over the course of three years to finally purchase our first home. We were a tough case from the beginning, but found Holmgren and Associates to be very patient. We appreciate the frank approach, and conservative mindset, along the creativity it took to close our home we needed it. We've already recommended them to friends and family and will continue to do so in the future. Teagan W. Oakland, CA | 1/2/2016 I worked with Jim on my Mortgage. Everything went really smoothly as a first time buyer. Jim helped me close on a wonderful home in Oakland. Jessica B. 11/23/2015 Jim Valler helped us get our first home! He took care and attention to detail throughout the whole process. I highly recommend Jim Valler to fulfill your mortgage needs in an efficient and timely manner- we closed escrow on the projected date!. Jim was even sweet enough to come out to wish us well on our hectic move-in day. Katy D. 11/3/2015 We just got through using Jim as our lender for a refi - he is brilliant, dependable, kind, honest, punctual, has excellent follow through, and ALWAYS delivers as promised! He is personable and a real joy to work with! This is our second time having Jim as our lender and we will continue to use him for all lending needs in the future. His professionalism and knowledge is always above and beyond - he truly is the best! Emily D. 8/20/2015 We just finished our second refinance through Holmgren and used them for our original home loan. We were pleased to have yet another great experience. This was our third time working with Jim Valler as our loan officer (I specifically requested to work with him) and he didn't disappoint. Jim was thorough, sympathetic to any frustrations I had and easy to get a hold of. Preston G. 8/2/2015 Jim Valler gave me & my clients timely and accurate information. He was always very prompt and professional. The loan application process requires exacting attention to detail and Jim is superbly detail focused. Under pressure Jim remained cheerful and helpful. He made a point of sharing my clients' concerns to insure that I was aware of them. He was an active partner with me throughout a challenging process. I could not have successfully completed this transaction without Jim Valler's help. Sam S. 7/14/15 As first-time buyers, we spent more time than we may have needed before putting in our first offer: we went to dozens of open houses before selecting a Realtor, and we interviewed (and applied for pre- approval) with what was in hindsight way too many mortgage lenders (five!). When it came time to actually pick one to work with, though, Jim Valler stood out from everyone else we'd spoken to, and while in the end, we weren't able to get a mortgage through Holmgren, we would recommend Jim to anyone else who is looking to buy a home. Brad P. 5/24/2015 John Holmgren and Jim Valler helped steer us through the entire process of getting a mortgage. They were terrific at each stage. From the very first they answered all our questions, responded very quickly, and made us feel like we were part of a team with a common goal. Personable and professional in every exchange. The outcome worked out very well for us, but even before it was certain we could close on a property we felt we got their full attention. First-rate all around. Kara R. 5/12/2015 When buying a home, one of the things a lot of people don't realize is how important the mortgage broker is. Especially in this competitive market, we were always one of a dozen strong offers. We truly believe that having a well-regarded person like John Holmgren's name on our offer helped, but also having him and Jim Valler follow through on an extremely fast escrow period did wonders. Matthew D. 3/6/2015 Ayata Colbert and Jim Valler are nothing short of superlative. As a team, they will be present, patient, and persistent as you navigate the maze of mortgage procurement. Byron G. 10/13/2014 This is my first Yelp review ever. I signed up specifically so that I could write this review because Holmgren & Associates were amazing. Glen M. 9/30/2014 Jim Valler and everyone at Holmgren were excellent. I worked with John Holmgren for much longer in the process than I was expecting as he is the owner of the business. When I was transferred to Jim for the remainder of the process I thought for a moment that now I was going to get the flunkey. Man was I wrong, Jim was incredibly professional, patient, and above all a really kind and thoughtful person. I would never thought such a friendly sweet person would be responsible for taking care of all my paperwork. The process went so smoothly that we were ready to close a week before our actual closing date. I also think that due to doing so much online through their site and via email it seemed like the stack of papers to sign for the loan was quite small and manageable on the day of closing. It's funny to say about a mortgage provider, but I really enjoyed working with them, and would not hesitate to do it again. Chris L. 9/18/2014 Could not have asked for more from Holmgren & Associates! Secured funding with John for our first purchase, and again for our next home. John and Jim we're great. Personable, communicative, responsive. Closed quickly, even with the Labor Day holiday falling within the closing period. Will be back for whatever project comes next. Thank you!! (purchase)09/17/2014 Thomas S. 5/30/2014 We worked with Jim to refinance our mortgage. Jim was knowledgeable about all details and options. The entire process went smoothly. It was a pleasure to work with him. Brian B. 5/27/2014 These guys are FANTASTIC! I had what appeared to be an impossible property to purchase- John and Jim made it happen. It involved the sale of two homes to purchase a 100 acre ranch. Not an easy task when one of the properties is a rental property with two individual tenants (1031 exchange), and the purchase property is zoned for agriculture, that required a commercial loan. Finding a lender to loan on that much land with our down payment was almost impossible. Jim worked tirelessly to find a lender after I told him how much it meant to our family to be able to raise our children in the country. Janet G. 1/7/2014 Jim Valler was outstanding. Very knowledgeable and personable - he made the process as easy as possible. I recommend him very highly! (refinance) 1/03/2014 Finley W. 12/20/2013 Holmgren and Associates did a STELLAR job with our very complicated re-finance. This was our first loan, and we had numerous questions and hurdles to overcome, but John and Jim Valler and Co. were all incredible-- they patiently answered all of our questions, returned all of our calls and emails in a very timely manner, got us a super competitive interest rate and successfully completed all of the most important steps of the loan process for us quickly and efficiently where other brokers simply fell short. My wife and I recommend Holmgren and Associates wholeheartedly and unreservedly!!! Lisa R. 8/16/213 Jim Valler was able to do what Union Bank and Western Federal Credit Union were not -- re-finance my mortgage! Jim was pleasant, patient and effective...what more could you want? Thank you so very much Holmgren and Assoc.! Christina B. 6/4/2013 John Holmgren and Jim Valler were extremely responsive and timely as we both refinanced our home and bought a second home. Their excellent service made the entire process tremendously rewarding. Emily D. 12/8/2011 We got our FHA home loan through Holmgren and Associates. We worked primarily with John and Jim who were very knowledgeable and professional. I found them to be very responsive via e-mail and phone throughout the whole process. I was impressed by how smooth the whole process was and pleased that there were no unexpected surprises. I tend to have a skeptical attitude but they responded with full disclosure and patience.Testimonials provided by past clients.
You can find all of our Client Testimonials on:
When our offer was accepted on our house, Jim jumped in the loan approving process immediately. We were constantly impressed by his quick replies to any of our questions, and he was always on top of the process, always giving us the latest update and reminders that we needed. His non-stop dedication, patience, and efficiency completely put us at ease, and he was able to close escrow within 14 days!
It is so rare to find a mortgage lender as hardworking and patient as Jim, and above all, he is such a genuine person who never failed to give us comfort during the stressful process of home buying.
I can't recommend Jim enough, and we were very happy that we got to know him.
Dec 10, 2016: My close friend introduced me to Jim, as my friend just bought a house with Jim's help.
Dec 14, 2016: I contacted Jim and sent him all necessary documents to get pre-approval based on his advice. Jim processed my documents very quickly, pulled my credit reports, sent me a pre-approval letter just in a couple of days. Yes, it was back in 2016.
However, because my wife and I did not really like the area we got pre-approval at that time and we also wanted to save more money for a better home, we postponed the process for more than 2 years later.
Jan 17, 2019: I contacted Jim back. He still remembered me and quickly checked me in his records. I sent necessary documents to him as his advice.
Jan 21, 2019: He helped verify my wife's and my employment.
Feb 1, 2019: He had an estimated closing worksheet for us.
Feb 14, 2019: He had an amortization schedule for us.
My wife and I were looking for a house from this day.
Mar 14, 2019: My offer to a house got accepted (thanks to Jim for underwriting pre-approval).
Mar 15, 2019: Jim helped lock my loan.
Mar 20, 2019: Appraisal completed.
Mar 26, 2019: Appraisal acknowledgement.
Apr 1, 2019: As my wife and I wanted to lower the rate a little, so we asked for Jim's help. He sent us rates and detailed description/explanation every day from Apr 1 to 8.
Apr 10, 2019: We signed the title. Jim was there with us and (again) explained all details (together with the title officer) in the documents we signed.
Apr 16, 2019: Final closing update doc.
Another reason for timing here is, I wanted to show Jim really considers urgency. Trust me, a mortgage advisor like Jim is extremely hard to find. My wife and I are so lucky to have him along our first house buying journey.
Thuy and Thao
tell my clients to "get pre-approved". They respond with fear, but not with Jim Valler.
He is calm, positive and willing to wait for a long time for someone to establish their credit.
He is positive in his attitude and comfortable to talk with.
Jas J. Oakland, CA | 11/8/2016
Even though my wife worked directly with you most of the time, but I could imagine how much work that you had put into the process. Speaking of professionalism, we were impressed by how carefully and detailed that you looked at our application, you even pointed out some information that I could not think of, also helped me with my credit to have a better loan. On top of that, you was really patient with all of our "first-time home-buyer" questions and I know we have bunches of questions. I will never forget that you sent me emails almost every night to bring us up with the speed of the process, and even were there with us while we were signing off the documents with escrow.
Speaking of collaboration, we appreciated your willingness to coordinate with escrow company, our agents and other related parties to make the loan/purchase possible. Without your help, we would have to run back and forth between other parties to have all the required documents.
It was really a huge weight off our shoulders to know that we have you and the team looking out for us, especially it was our first time buying the house. Speaking of enthusiasm and friendliness, "Jim seems like he doesn't want to stop at all", :) you still help us with the post processes and all the related questions that we have after the loan was funded. You never know how much appreciated we were when you still keep researching for our questions, and gave us better suggestion.
We'll sure try to recommend my friends who are looking for a mortgage advisor. We also look forward to doing business with you in the future and would be happy if we could keep in touch. You earned our trust, totally!
To John, we just want to let you know how impressed and pleased we were while working with Jim during the process of our loaning. We dreaded the confusion and complication of it all but it couldn't have been an easier process, thanks to Jim.
Again, thank for your help!
What set Jim apart was his willingness to walk us through the details -- the differences between loan structures, every line item on the fee worksheet, and the way the industry operates (like I said, we were thorough). While we join the chorus encouraging you to work with local mortgage lenders instead of a Wells Fargo or BofA, Jim stood out even compared to the other locals.
We just closed on our first home and are extremely excited and relieved. We could not have done this with intact sanity had they not been so patient, clear, responsive and supportive during such a stressful time.
Months after our deal has closed, Ayata continues to make herself available for advice. It is clear that she is in the business of building lasting relationships, in addition to closing deals.
When purchasing a property, especially a first home, you want to be in the company of folks who can help you make split second decisions that will have dramatic impacts on your life for many years to come. You can trust Ayata and Jim--we did! And will recommend them to anyone who will listen.
I worked with John Holmgren and Jim Valler. They were excellent. I cannot imagine a better experience while buying our first home. They have great advice, clear instructions, were a pleasure to work with, and they are completely trustworthy.
When I felt all bets were off and we couldn't find a lender, ready to "pull the plug" on our dream, Jim called me around 7PM on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day. He told me he had just found a company that would carry the loan for us. I will never forget that moment, it has truly changed our lives and we are forever grateful the Holmgren staff.
Both John and Jim displayed an impeccable level of professionalism and knowledge throughout the five month process. Without any reserve I would recommend them to my family and friends. Thanks again guys!
(refinance) 06/03/2013
(purchase and refinance) 06/04/2013
The house we purchased was a short sale and the bank put a strict deadline on close of escrow. Not only did they get it closed in time, it would have been ready to close two weeks earlier had it been necessary. Their experience in the business made me feel confident that if anything were to go wrong during the short sale process, it wouldn't be at their end.