Referrals are always a great place to start. The number one way to choose a Broker is by personally interviewing them. Pay attention for signs that your broker is interviewing you! You want someone who actually cares about how the loan turns out and wants to shape the loan to meet your specific needs and requests. Ask for any referral notes he or she might have from past clients. Most importantly, ASK QUESTIONS AND EXPECT QUESTIONS, "why" and "why do you suggest that" are good places for you to start.

Get an idea what current rates are and get a bid from your prospective broker, knowing that it is only a good estimate and may change. Remember, if you only give general information, you'll only get a general answer. If you shop for the cheapest rate first, you may miss the most important aspect of your loan, a good broker with the best program to meet your needs.

An excellent broker can propose a plan tailored to your needs and advise you along the way. Many people shop rates first, without even knowing what type of loan that they might need or what type of lender that will accept their specific situation or loan amount. Choosing a broker poorly may cause you to regret the learning curve of someone just quoting pleasing rates in order to get your business. Inexperience may cause them to guess in order get your loan, without really knowing which loan will work for you. When shopping by rates first, many times it will pay off with surprises & aggravation later. Shop for depth and experience first, not price!

An experienced broker will know which loan works best for you, saving you time & frustration and that is worth every penny. Keep your eyes on the big picture; get the job done fairly and done right the first time. Anyone can quote the cheapest loan in town, follow through is where it counts.