County Real Estate, Mike Bell

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This is the first step in shopping for a home, and maybe the most important. If you have the right loan, it will save you untold frustration after you have your offer accepted. If you wait until after you’re in contract, there’s too much pressure and not enough time to make a thoughtful choice. I just finished reading this article in the LA Times, recently summarized by the California Association of Realtors: “After shopping for a home, tired buyers often make poor mortgage choices” http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lew-20100606,0,1809394.story This is so true. Not all loans are equal, neither are they always what they seem. You should question everything, and everyone, relentlessly, and take your time. You would do as much if you were buying a car. When you buy a home, you’re really buying a loan. Do your homework. Choose your loan carefully, and choose your lender carefully. Talk to more than one lender. Ask them to help you figure out what you can afford, and for the two best loans they recommend for your situation. If you get the same answer from two or more lenders, then you’re getting close. Again, question everything. Understand your loan completely. Avoid surprise and frustration. Finally, work with a lender that you resonate with, one that is crystal clear and easy to understand. This is important, too. Most stressful moments in a transaction come in the last few days before close of escrow , and my experience is that these moments almost always things that were communicated poorly, or not at all. You don’t want to find out at the last minute that you need another $10K for mortgage insurance , or that your rate is actually 5.375 instead of 5, or that your origination fee is 4% instead of 1.5%. You need to be able to communicate clearly with your lender during escrow.

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