In each state there are thousands of mortgage brokers. How do you know which one to choose so that you will end up at the closing table on time with the interest rate, loan terms and fees promised to you? Here are some tips and data that hopefully will give you the information and tools needed to find the right mortgage broker, how to work with them and to help minimize the risks before you get to the closing table.
First let's eliminate some of the ways borrowers typically choose a mortgage broker. This may just remove most of the problems before they occur.How Not to Shop for a Mortgage
As a lot of people do, you could go to the Internet and call the first few mortgage brokers that pop up, check the local Sunday Real Estate Section to see who has the best rate, or call someone from out of the Yellow Pages. However these should be defined as ways NOT to shop for a mortgage:
Searching On-Line
Most every mortgage broker is listed on the Internet. While it is a great resource, it is not the best way to shop for a mortgage. It may be obvious to some, but just because a mortgage broker's Web site shows up high on search engine listings does not mean they have the lowest rates or have the best service or are even reputable. High search engine rankings do not speak to these factors, but rather to the fact that the webmaster who built the Web site probably spent hundreds of hours building and fine-tuning their site to show up on the Internet listings when you type in certain mortgage "keywords". Search engines do not rank listings by the quality or reputation of a broker but more by the amount of other similar Web sites that link to that Web site, the amount of visitors it receives, how much the broker may have paid to be listed there and many other factors.
Once I had a customer call me and say "You must be reputable as you showed up #1 in Google." Yes, I am reputable, and I do like to think we offer very good service and low rates, but that is not why my broker was listed at the top. (Number one out of over 275,000 listings for the term "atlanta mortgage".) It was because the webmaster spent hundreds of hours building and fine tuning all of the pages within the site to show up with high rankings.
There are many Web sites that list mortgage company's rates on-line. I don't put too much stock in sites that list these company's rates online. Typically mortgage brokers pay to be listed on those sties and some are "affiliate" sites. Which means they are charged a fee when the visitor goes to the link that was clicked on. To find out if you are on an "affiliate" site, click on the link it takes you to and examine the web address. If it has a code at the end of the domain name, such as "http://www.anybroker.com/source=2519" it is generally an affiliate. There is nothing wrong or illegal about this, just realize some of the sites may be biased by the companies that pay or give an incentive to be listed on their site.
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| Finding the Right Mortgage Broker for You |
Another tip is not to waste time in clicking on sponsored links. On Google they are listed in the right column, (and recently at the top of every page in a shaded box) while AOL's links are lightly colored boxes at the top and bottom of the page and on Yahoo they are listed in the column on the right side and at the bottom of the page in a colored box. As they name implies they are "sponsored" links which means to be listed the broker has paid to be there.
Be aware that if you complete a form on a mortgage Web site concerning wanting more information prepared to be flooded with calls or emails from mortgage brokers wanting your business. There are a lot of Web sites that are only "lead" sites. They get your information and then sell that information to mortgage brokers across the nation. Only submit information on the Web site of the mortgage broker that you know you will be working with.
The bottom line is the Internet is a great way to find out more about a mortgage broker that you are considering using but it may not be the best way to find one you can trust.
Choosing a Mortgage Broker Based Solely On Rate
The interest rate obtained on a mortgage is one of the most important factors of a loan, but it is not everything. There can be over 30 separate closing fees that can factor into the total cost of obtaining a mortgage loan.
Don't be fooled by brokers advertising that they have the lowest rates. Most mortgage brokers and lenders have about the same rate on comparable programs on any particular day. They may quote them with or without Loan Origination fees and/or Discount Points, which makes it even more confusing. When selecting a mortgage broker the interest rate is an important factor but let's take it a step further to get a better picture of the total cost to you.
Sometimes when a prospective client calls me asking "What's your rate?" I ask them what they would like 6%, 5% or even 4%. The fees to obtain such a low rate may be exorbitant, but we offer it. So again, rate isn't everything. It is the total cost that the borrower ends up paying that makes the difference.
Be aware that if you complete a form on a mortgage Web site concerning wanting more information prepared to be flooded with calls or emails from mortgage brokers wanting your business. There are a lot of Web sites that are only "lead" sites. They get your information and then sell that information to mortgage brokers across the nation. Only submit information on the Web site of the mortgage broker that you know you will be working with.
The bottom line is the Internet is a great way to find out more about a mortgage broker that you are considering using but it may not be the best way to find one you can trust.
Choosing a Mortgage Broker Based Solely On Rate
The interest rate obtained on a mortgage is one of the most important factors of a loan, but it is not everything. There can be over 30 separate closing fees that can factor into the total cost of obtaining a mortgage loan.
Don't be fooled by brokers advertising that they have the lowest rates. Most mortgage brokers and lenders have about the same rate on comparable programs on any particular day. They may quote them with or without Loan Origination fees and/or Discount Points, which makes it even more confusing. When selecting a mortgage broker the interest rate is an important factor but let's take it a step further to get a better picture of the total cost to you.
Sometimes when a prospective client calls me asking "What's your rate?" I ask them what they would like 6%, 5% or even 4%. The fees to obtain such a low rate may be exorbitant, but we offer it. So again, rate isn't everything. It is the total cost that the borrower ends up paying that makes the difference.
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| Finding the Right Mortgage Broker for You |
You have probably seen mortgage brokers advertise rates at 1%. Do you really believe that 1% money is available? The answer is No. This is what the monthly payment is based. Don't be deceived by just rate.
The Liar's Rate Sheet
Another way some borrowers shop for a mortgage broker is by comparing rates in the Sunday Real Estate section of their local newspaper. In the industry this is referred to as the "Liar's Rate Sheet". Here is how it works. Mid-week the mortgage companies forward rates and APR (Annual Percentage Rate) to the newspaper for the different loan programs. They may quote the actual rate for that day or they may be quoting what they think it will be on Monday. All mortgage companies know you can't call them until the first business day of the week so they may hedge the rate a little to get the phone to ring on Monday. I am not suggesting that all or even a majority of the mortgage companies that list their rates in the newspaper do this. Most mortgage brokers and loan officers that I have met over the last 20 years are honest and ethical. But this is a very competitive business and there is a lot of money to be made on every loan.
Another flaw in the Liar's Rate Sheet is in the APR's that are listed. A simple definition of APR is, the true cost of the loan including certain designated closing costs. There are some loan officers that do not know how to calculate APR correctly. So do not base your decision on choosing a mortgage broker solely on the APR quoted.
The Liar's Rate Sheet
Another way some borrowers shop for a mortgage broker is by comparing rates in the Sunday Real Estate section of their local newspaper. In the industry this is referred to as the "Liar's Rate Sheet". Here is how it works. Mid-week the mortgage companies forward rates and APR (Annual Percentage Rate) to the newspaper for the different loan programs. They may quote the actual rate for that day or they may be quoting what they think it will be on Monday. All mortgage companies know you can't call them until the first business day of the week so they may hedge the rate a little to get the phone to ring on Monday. I am not suggesting that all or even a majority of the mortgage companies that list their rates in the newspaper do this. Most mortgage brokers and loan officers that I have met over the last 20 years are honest and ethical. But this is a very competitive business and there is a lot of money to be made on every loan.
Another flaw in the Liar's Rate Sheet is in the APR's that are listed. A simple definition of APR is, the true cost of the loan including certain designated closing costs. There are some loan officers that do not know how to calculate APR correctly. So do not base your decision on choosing a mortgage broker solely on the APR quoted.
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