As industry veterans who have helped countless clients through the best and worst case home-buying experiences, we highly recommend against getting a quick pre-approval from a big online corporation.
Instead, invest a little more time to find a trusted local mortgage lender or broker. Odds are, they'll answer your phone calls, care about their local reputation, understand your city’s rules and norms and pull strings to ensure your loan closes because they’re a real person who cares about customer satisfaction. Your loan is what makes or breaks your home purchase, so don't skimp on the first, easiest option! It will be well worth the extra little effort in the long run.
The best three ways to find this person are to...
1. Ask your Realtor who they recommend. They’ve already seen this person in practice and trust their skills.
2. Ask your friends, family and colleagues who they’ve used locally and if they enjoyed their experience.
3. Yelp or google. Read as many reviews as possible and look for mentions of individual Lender’s names so you know you’re getting that personal touch!