Athena Avis 4

Very impressed with the tools the Athena team have put together. I saw an ad on instagram and was able to get a quote for a refinance within a minute. After doing some research on Pete Amstutz's background (founder), I was ready to roll the dice and give them a shot.

We were quoted .75% lower than any other lender by Athena. The process was very smooth aside from a few bugs on the site. The Athena portal uses a smart AI to analyze documents and ask clarifying questions to fill out your application. This system is very much a plug and play - Athena's team handles the rest.

As a busy professional, I highly, highly recommend anyone use Athena for their next refinance! I will be back for my next one.

I am giving Athena 5 stars because the financial math is unbeatable. Their refinance rate was .875% lower than other AI-focused competitors. To get even close to Athena’s rate elsewhere, it would have cost me $8,000 in points plus an additional $750 in lender costs. Saving nearly $9,000 upfront while saving hundreds in interest each month is a massive win. We literally popped champagne once we closed!

The experience is unique and requires a specific mindset:

Fascinating Tech: Some of the tools are incredibly slick. For example, the system can read a 401k statement and ask clarifying questions instantly. It is a very guided digital experience that feels like the future of lending.

Total Independence: While the tech is guided, there is almost no human handholding. You need to be comfortable navigating a complex process on your own. If you need a person to talk you through every step, this is not for you.

Tech Glitches: The dashboard stayed at "40% complete" from day one until closing day. There were also moments where it asked for an upload but did not provide a button to do so and ultimately required a rewritten explanation.

Mobile Notary: A huge plus was having a mobile notary come to my house at my convenience for the final signing.

The Verdict: If you are a self-sufficient person who appreciates high-tech tools and wants to save a fortune, Athena is the clear choice.

Athena had the easiest application process of any lender I have worked with- was very seamless to apply for a refinance, upload my documents, and schedule the closing.

Once in process, the team and our Loan Officer Pete were great about keeping us informed throughout the process and helping us over any hurdles that popped up. Will use them again for future mortgages!

I was looking to refinance and got quotes from a few banks, but they were almost 1% higher than the rates that Athena offered. The process was completely online and way faster than my last mortgage. If you want to cut out the middleman fees, I highly recommend checking them out. Professional, fast, and it saved me hundreds per month.