When I started, I was ready to just go with the lender who advertised the lowest rate. Seemed obvious. But when I actually pulled loan estimates from a few of them side by side, the "cheapest" rate wasn't the cheapest deal once the fees were added up. Two lenders quoted me nearly the same rate and were still a few thousand dollars apart.
The other thing I underestimated was speed. Dallas moves fast, and a couple of lenders I talked to were clearly going to be slow. In a competitive market, a slow lender can genuinely cost you the house, because sellers lean toward buyers who can close on time.
What ended up mattering most:
- Ask for a full loan estimate and compare fees line by line, not just the rate
- Ask how fast they realistically close, and what tends to cause delays
- Go with someone who knows the local market — they just move quicker
Wish someone had told me the fee thing earlier. Hope it saves someone else the headache.
