Mortgage lenders such as Washington Mutual Inc., and Bank of America specialize in making mortgage loans. Many, though not all, are associated with banks. Mortgage lenders typically deal with borrowers through one of their retail banking branches or through a mortgage broker.
Most mortgage lenders have both retail and wholesale divisions. Retail divisions offer loans to borrowers through bank branches or local offices. Wholesale divisions offer loans through mortgage brokers. Wholesale mortgage interest rates offered to brokers are lower than the retail rates offered to the general public.
Loan programs and qualifying standards will vary from one lender to the next, and it can be challenging for a homebuyer to shop around among many lenders. Mortgage brokers have easy access to a large number of lenders and can use their knowledge of the many mortgage offerings to find a loan that matches the borrower’s profile and needs at a favorable rate. Brokers do not approve the loan themselves; they find a lender who will approve the loan. The broker then adds his fee to the wholesale rate, and in the end the borrower should get a rate that is about equal to the selected lender’s retail rate.
In today’s market it’s not always entirely clear if you are working with a mortgage lender or a broker. Don’t be afraid to ask your mortgage company if they act as a lender or as a broker. Regardless of which type of institution you deal with, it is important to find an individual loan officer or broker that you are happy with, and can trust
Some lenders even advertise rates that are not real. You will often see such rates in internet ads and unsolicited e-mails. You’re better off ignoring most ads. You should choose your lender, don’t let them choose you. And be sure that you choose carefully. Many of the loan representatives that you are likely to talk with are not trustworthy. If given the chance, they will make choices that benefit themselves or their employer rather than you.
Part of the problem is that disclosure laws designed to protect consumers are not enforced. Take the Good Faith Estimate of Closing Costs that your lender is required to give you within 3 days of application. Let’s say that you read yours and it says that the lender will make 1 point (1% of the loan amount) as a Loan Origination Fee and an additional $1,000 in other fees. The form also discloses fees that are beyond the lender’s direct control, such as settlement fee and title insurance fees, your first year home insurance premium, and County recording fees. You think it looks pretty good because the estimate is slightly lower than what you believe other lenders are charging, so you feel confident.
Guess what? The lender is not bound by that estimate. He can change it at will, deciding, perhaps, to charge you 2 points instead of one, doubling his income. When you finally see the loan documents at closing, you may find out that you are being cheated, but what can you do about it at that point? Everyone expects you to close, and it’s unlikely they will be sympathetic if you say, “I need another 30 days to get another loan.” You’ll have to close and pay the extra fees. The bottom line is that when something like this happens, you were purposely misled from the beginning, kept in the dark through the process, and shielded from viewing documents until the last moment, at which point it’s too late for you to do anything about it.
So how do you avoid this terrible situation? The answer is that you have to ask questions designed to tell you what kind of person and institution you are dealing with.
“What are your rates?”
“What are your points?”
“What are your fees?”
First of all, some loan representatives purposely lie to phone shoppers about rates in order to lure them in. Secondly, up-front costs should not be your main concern. Your goal is to get trustworthy answers about loan choices and interest rates. That can’t be done with phone calls to strangers. I’d be surprised if one person in 100 even asked, “How Do I Know I Can Trust You?” Yet this is the most important question of all. So how can you find out if your trust is well placed? Begin with referrals and then make sure you ask the right questions.
Get referrals from friends who have recently gotten loans.
Ask these friends about how well they were treated. Ask the following questions:
Get referrals from real estate agents. Experienced agents can refer you to lenders they've worked with in the past. But don’t simply take the agent’s word as gold. Be sure to ask the same questions you'd ask if you were finding the lender on your own.
When you speak with a lender, ask questions about their experience.
Use the following list of questions to help you decide if you are satisfied
with a lender’s knowledge, experience, professionalism, integrity,
and commitment to service.
Additional questions for mortgage brokers
When shopping for a broker, you may want to look for one that is a member of the Upfront Mortgage Brokers Association. These are experienced brokers who promise to treat consumers fairly and to disclose compensation upfront. They won’t slip in extra fees when you are well into the process. You can search for a broker in your state at the website, www.upfrontmortgagebrokers.org.
By following these simple steps, you can develop a trusting relationship with your lender and move forward with confidence.