We’re approaching closing and haven’t locked in a mortgage rate yet. Our broker is now quoting us a higher rate than he did when we first sat down with him a month ago (it went from 6.3% to 6.8%) and a higher rate than my idle search of bankrate suggests we ought to be able to get.

I have two questions. One is about whether we can stop now and start shopping, since he’s sitting on all of our paperwork. The other is about whether there is something we ought to know about bankrate, like that I’m missing something.


Comments

  1. We filed an application directly with the bank and had it approved in 10 business days. Appraised, the whole nine yards.

    And, yup: at a much lower rate than our broker was coming up with.

  2. He wasn’t sitting on our originals but we did pay a fee and he did have everything in a file that he could have flipping walked over to the bank had he chosen to. We had to spend a lot of time at the copier preparing another application.

    Though … we did give him originals, originally. We sat down with him turned over the originals and he was like “my copier is really slow. instead of making you wait I’ll fed ex these to you.” He did FedEx them (he’s not a scoundrel at all) but if I had it to do over we would have shown up at his office with originals and copies side by side. Hopefully, I won’t have to do this over!

    I’ll let you all know how it plays out.

  3. Take a look somewhere else. Wells and that Brian scott cohen closed my loan in 15 days. Anyway, bankrate has rates that are not amrket rates they are a week old and go by national avergaes. Try the major banks or a broker, but a broker has to go to the bank anyway go direct..Next time if you like the rate lock it try wells 718 780 9132

  4. seabag21 how many mortgages have you gotten?

    I mean, if you’ve gotten mortgages often enough to have a representative sample, you’re probably somewhat special, no?

  5. Is it common for a broker to go outside his firm?

    We’ve got a rate on offer from a bank that is much lower than what our broker came up with, but we did pay him ($450) and he’s got all our paperwork in a nice stack. I want to say “Please fax the stack to Chase.” I have no idea whether or not that is “done” though.

  6. Mortgage broker endorsements are trolls. Every mortgage broker still has to go through a bank and the banks’ qualification process. Especially now after the ol’ meltdown. Trust me, all a MB does it add another layer to the process. F*** ’em. Complicated does not matter, it’s not like the MB can vouch for you. The bank is going to see the same thing, or require the same thing

  7. You are best to check out both. A large mortgage broker will have information on way more lenders, their requirements and rates, than you could possibly contact yourself. See the best they can get you, and see what banks offer you directly – there’s no obligation to go with a broker who’s quoted you a rate anymore than there is to go with a bank you’ve talked with.