James W. Argo

Senior Loan Officer - San Francisco - Montgomery St. Guarantee Mortgage NMLS #257031 / 1850 - CA DRE #00869591 / 01215943
I have been providing personalized mortgage advice since 1984 and I am passionate about my work. I love what I do. I am an advocate for clients, not for banks.

Early in my career, I observed and realized that my clients needed financial advice on more than just their mortgage - advice that included the best ways to save for retirement, save for college, pay off debt, build a rainy day fund and properly invest for future needs. Today I uniquely advise each client holistically on how to handle their money and their mortgage, so they can achieve financial security faster.

Other things I am passionate about are my family, making wine, cooking amazing food at home, canoeing the rivers & lakes of Northern California and blowing the room away on my tenor sax.

Equal Housing Opportunity
NMLS #257031 / 1850
CA DRE #00869591 / 01215943
May 7, 2021
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Jim spent plenty of time walking us through all of our options, and made the right recommendations to get us into the loan and rate that made sense.
May 4, 2021
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
James Argo demonstrated an in depth and thorough understanding of the mortgage re-finance process. He was supportive and very courteous.
May 4, 2021
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Jim was a great partner when dealing with our mortgage. Everything went smoothly and we closed quickly!
Apr 20, 2021
Senior Scientist
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I would enthusiastically recommend James and his team when embarking in the process of requesting a loan. He was always very clear and informative throughout our interactions. He was very prompt in answering all my inquiries, and walked me through the process of obtaining financing with thoroughness and punctuality. As a first time home buyer, that was very helpful for me, and I was very impressed by his knowledge, his professionality and his kindness.
Apr 1, 2021
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
James is a bit of "old school" while demonstrating an outstanding ability to walk dinosaurs through the new technology which seems to dominate all financial transactions. "Old school" in that he follows through consistently. He was able to quickly provide us with both the mortgage package and the HELOC which exceeded our expectations. Made a difficult and tenuous process worthwhile.

Thanks James
Mar 11, 2021
President at A.J.O. Group Inc
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Great job again by James' team on my refinancing application, thank you!
Feb 24, 2021
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Jim was attentive, thorough, and kept us informed at all phases of the process. The process went very smoothly and our loan was approved and funded promptly.
Feb 9, 2021
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I was just starting a fairly routine refinance with Jim when my 79 year old mother finally decided she was ready to downsize. She wasn't sure whether to buy a smaller place or move into a retirement community. I asked Jim to talk to her and help her with loan options, and he was patient, kind, and clear in explaining them, ranging from when to sell her house vs. buying the new one, options for bridge financing, how sellers view contingencies, how preapprovals work, and so on. He saw her all the way through . . . and then she decided she would rather move into an apartment, and rent instead of buy. Jim was totally fine with having spent the time even though there was no transaction in the end - he is first and only about service to clients. In doing so, he has earned a loyal client and referral source in me.
Feb 8, 2021
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
James Argo came to our rescue after we spent several months trying to refinance our home mortgage with our current company. The Nationstar folks were running us in circles and did not offer us the best rate or terms. They had terrible customer service which was no customer service . James was patient, knowledgeable, professional and efficient. I would not hesitate to recommend him to my friends and family. Thank you, James.
Jan 14, 2021
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Jim was recommended to me for home mortgage when we first purchased our home years ago. He was able to help with our initial financing and was answered all our questions during this stressful process. When it was time to refinance, Jim was the only person I considered for this task. Just as before, the process was smooth and painless. It took a little longer during COVID times, but the loan was set up and closed without any issues. Whenever anyone I know needs help with their home mortgage needs, Jim is always the first person I recommend.
Jan 12, 2021
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Jim has helped me with a number of loans and has always made the process easy. I would recommend him to anyone.
Jan 1, 2021
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
James did a fabulous job navigating a very tricky refi. He was great at communicating and was there with every step of the way - he's the best!
Nov 7, 2020
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I met Jim many many years ago as a wide-eyed twenty-something, long before I was ever ready to consider real estate in San Francisco. And, I am so grateful that I thought to contact him as I explored the prospect of putting an offer on a house.  Jim not only carried us through the challenging task of learning to become first time homeowners but he always took the time to really educate us on the nuanced process.  He went above and beyond to find suitable financing when other lenders weren't available to us. Jim was very diligent about anticipating complications and kept in constant communication with our wonderful real estate agent.  And, despite a rushed close date during an already chaotic time of Covid, Jim was able to pull all the pieces of the puzzle together seamlessly. We couldn't be more excited about the home we closed on and its in large part to Jim that any of it was possible. He fought for us throughout every step of the process. I am so grateful we had him on our team!  You can trust that with Jim you will be in the best hands.  Thanks for leading us through the whirlwind, Jim! Perfezione Qualificata!
Aug 20, 2020
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I came to Jim after already having had made an offer on a home at that offer having been accepted. I was not prequalified and was not even planning on buying a home. Jim went out of his way to make sure we got everything done on time and set everything up to put me in the best possible situation as far as the loan went. He guided me step by step throughout everything and made sure we met every deadline. Looking back now I must say the situation I put Jim in was almost unfair to him. At the end of the day he was able to get everything done perfectly and there was never a doubt in my mind he wouldn't. I will definitely be back to get all my financing done in the future with Jim. He is a stand up guy and always looks out for your best interests.
Thanks Jim!
Aug 1, 2020
Teacher
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
James did an outstanding job. He kept us informed about the steps we needed to take, and he was always available to answer any questions that we had. He’s honest and reliable, and I highly recommend him!
Jun 1, 2020
Assistant Professor
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Can't tell you how lucky I was to be able to work with James. He helped me navigate through a couple of real estate transactions, one of which was quite a bit involved. He also put in a lot of extra time getting me the best loans I could get for my specific circumstances. I'm sure it would be hard to find that kind of customer service elsewhere. I can't recommend him highly enough.
May 1, 2020
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
We love Jim! He has helps us with many loans and refinances over many years. He is always quick to respond and always has answers to my many questions. Everything goes smooth when we work with Jim and I look forward to working with him on our next loan.
Mar 30, 2020
Sr. Manager
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Jim was incredibly responsive throughout the process & got us an amazing rate. We were working with Jim when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the US, and throughout the chaos of that time, Jim kept us informed and I always felt like he kept us a high priority. We got a beautiful home in a timely manner thanks to Jim & his team.
Mar 30, 2020
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
We had a fantastic experience working with Jim and his team. It was our first time buying a home and we were surprised at how smooth and stress-free the process was. He is clearly very experienced, and still takes the time to patiently spell each part of the process out for you if you need it. He and his team worked so hard to get us to close on time during the covid-19 crisis, and we really felt his care and compassion the whole way through. He's also just a fun guy to talk to!
Mar 11, 2020
Consultant
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Jim is a great professional. From the very beginning he was forthright about the reams of paperwork demanded by lenders today. This made the process, if not palatable, somewhat easier to swallow. Other than the paperwork, he was very clear in his explanations of various options and scenarios and prompt in his responses. Thanks to Jim, I was able to quickly pivot from a clearly undesirable lender to a much better one in a matter of a week. So that we lost at most a few days in closing on the new loan. Thanks, Jim!
Feb 26, 2020
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I would definitely recommend James Argo as a mortgage banker. From the initial informational call, he displayed endless patience answering questions and was committed to educating us on the entire process. He was always affable and responsive (and got us an excellent rate). In addition, he worked seamlessly with our agent throughout the offer and escrow period.
Dec 8, 2019
Loan Recipient
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Jim came highly recommended to us for our financing needs, and he did not disappoint. He is experienced and knowledgeable and is a pleasure to work with. Jim kept us informed every step of way on our loan process and strategically procured the best interest rate, with the lowest amount of associated fees. His combination of business savvy and availability made us feel extremely confident that our needs were top priority. We would definitely use him again for any future transaction.
Nov 12, 2019
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Jim was awesome from the beginning. In the beginning, he spent time getting to know us and explained to us how he can help us succeed in purchasing our home. I worked closely with Jim on my goals. He was available to answer all my questions. When we were ready. Jim and his team was on top of getting everything pushed and finished as soon as possible. He made this an easy process and we will definitely work with Jim again. Thank you Jim for your expertise and knowledge in the Home lending business. You will hear from us again.
Sep 19, 2019
Sr. Mortgage Broker Retired
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I was a successful mortgage broker for approximately 25 years. Mr. Argo is the most professional loan officer I have ever met. His knowledge and caring for his clients is beyond anyone I have met in our industry.
Aug 7, 2019
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Wow. Jim and his team really went the extra mile for me. My loan was a bit 'out of the ordinary' and had quite a few moving parts.
Their ability to get the deal done was amazing, their communication outstanding, and I was quite pleased to work with them.
I recommend James W. Argo for your mortgage needs.
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My Associations

Equal Housing Opportunity | NMLS #1850