If I were you I would look around for a mortgage broker who will shop around with different lenders to find the bext deal. I recently worked with Nate Jones with Cobalt Financial in San Diego. He made getting a loan a lot of fun and I will work with him again when I purchase my next home. His contact info is 760-481-3173.

Do your homework. Shop around and ask for everything in writing. do not accept verabl good faith estimates. If you deal witha bank you can save a bid as they are a direct lender. If you do not have time to shop around, find a mortgage broker. This will cost more as the broker must get paid, but they do have 100's of banks in the rolodex. Also ask friends, family and coworkers. Think...who do you know who reacently bought a home, ask them about their lender, their experience. Referrals are a GREAT resource.

Just be prepared to shop around and ask alot of questions. Get good faith estimates to compare different lenders.

Again Nice Dog, as I hae an english Bulldog. Financing options is your preference as to choosing a lender. I'm a Broker and have many options to provide, but most people are all taking the low risk and financing with a 3o yr. fixed rate. The loan amount is going to be a big part of the picture, if your in the Jumbo Arena for loan amount you can expect to be higher than what you read in the Sunday Paper. If you fall below 417,000 you will have pricing that reflects your credit score, your down payment, and the lock period of your loan. Fees associated with the mortgage will be 8 lines, Origination, discount points, Underwriting fees, application fees, processing fees, tax service, doc prep, Broker fee, All the rest of the loan cost are vendor fee's so truly look at the fees that I listed, as you will compare just those. Need a Good faith cdavis@statemortgage.net

The best way to get the best deal is to shop around and remember...if something sounds too good to be true...it probably is!. Ask freinds, family members and others you trust for a referral and do not be afraid to ask the loan officer for references. Remember you are hiring the loan officer to work for you.

Talk to a Realtor with mortgage experience. 210-826-2001 ask for Joe Garcia

Talk to a Realtor with mortgage experience. 210-826-2001 ask for Joe Garcia

There are quite a few qualified mortgage professionals in my area. Although I don't do loans personally, I can recommend some of the top people who can help you today. Give me a call 760-828-4474

JP: These are all valid answers, but you might want to check some of the leading mortgage blogs for answers to your questions. You could even find some answers to questions you haven't yet asked!

Is there really such thing as the best deal? What one has to do is educate themselves as much as possible and know what loan program works best for them. Once having the right information, the best thing is to shop around and look closely at the Good Faith Estimate and the Truth in Lending to see exactly what fees you are being charged and how much the loan is costing you. Also, talk to your Realtor since he will have a good relationship with lenders. You can also contact Jaime Castillo (619) 618-6400 http://www.sdHomeLiving.com for a referral.

I'll disagree with Mr. Shafran...a bit. He is mostly correct. Objectivity can be lost on a Realtor-referred lender. The very best lenders are often referred by the very best Realtors because of their objectivity and straightforward advice. This award-wining article might clarify things for you:

The very best lenders are the ones who have strong, established relationships with the strongest realtors in the city. These relationships hold the lender accountable by successful realtors that help hold these lenders accountable for the protection of the consumer.