Effective Mortgage Shopping

One of the keys to getting a great mortgage is to know how to shop for one.  But the problem most home buyers run into is that they think that shopping for a mortgage means finding the "best" rate.

The supposed "best rate" is only part of the story.  It is abolutely critical that you find a lender who knows what they are doing, is honest from the start, and will get the job done in a professional manner.  Finding the wrong person to handle your financing can lead to thousands of dollars of additional costs and delays in your closing, costing you more in the end.

Worse yet is the possibility that you will find a broker who will promise you an incredible rate only to change it on you in the end (see Buyer Beware: Mortgage Scams).  Luckily, most states are starting to put laws in place that will prevent fraudulent activity like this, but the bottom line is that if you call enough people, eventually you will find someone who will promise you the too-good-to-be-true rate.

So if rate isn't the entire picture, then what else should you be looking for in a lender?

Quick Quote

privacy policy