Sara

I'm a buyer just like you, closing escrow on my fourth house. Here's my 2 cents.

Someone lower in this answer list mentionedhttp:// www.mortgageprofessor.com. I love that site. It really helped me organize my thinking when approaching lenders.

I suggest you read about certified upfront mortgage lenders on the site. Basically, these are lenders that guarantee the fees they list on their initial GFE. I actually only looked for GFEs from certified upfront lenders (betterchoiceloans.com,aimloan.com, nationalmortgagealliance.com.) I swore to myself after my last home loan fiasco (endless junk fees and broken promises at the end) that I would never let them take me again.

The best price ended up coming from betterchoiceloans.com. My loan manager was really kind and not pushy and didn't play dumb like most others do. His name was Daniel Lidgi. Aimloan.com had a competitive rate too, and really great customer service (Linda) though I didn't go with them in the end because betterchoice had better overall lender's fees. Good luck! - Fri Jun 13 2008, 12:07

I know how you feel. I felt I didn't get direct answers when shopping with Ditech, Countrywide and Quicken. I suggest you read about certified upfront mortgage lenders athttp:// www.mortgageprofessor.com. Basically, these are lenders that guarantee the fees they list on their initial GFE. I actually only looked for GFEs from certified upfront lenders (betterchoiceloans.com,aimloan.com, nationalmortgagealliance.com.) I swore to myself after my last home loan fiasco (endless junk fees and broken promises at the end) that I would never let them take me again.

The best price ended up coming from betterchoiceloans.com. My loan manager was really kind and not pushy and didn't play dumb like most others do. His name was Daniel Lidgi. Aimloan.com had competitive rate too, though I didn't go with them. Good luck! - Fri Jun 13 2008, 08:38

Huge gratitude to everyone who answered my question. I'm overwhelmed by the professionalism, eloquence and generosity of your responses. You are the gold standard of this industry. It really says a lot that you are willing to help an anonymous buyer. I know you'll reap the rewards of your kindness. - Tue May 13 2008, 07:56