Haha, the paint struggle is real. I remember standing in Home Depot, staring blankly at like 50 shades of "white," wondering how my life had come to this. Anyway, I went with the builder's lender too—mostly because I was just done making decisions at that point—but a buddy of mine shopped around and ended up saving a decent chunk. If you've got the energy left, it's probably worth at least checking out a couple other options.
Did your buddy mention how much paperwork hassle it was to switch lenders? I'm curious because saving money sounds great (always!) but honestly, after surviving the endless battle of choosing cabinet handles and paint colors, I'm not sure how much more decision-making I can handle. Did they find the process pretty straightforward, or were there hidden surprises along the way? Because if it's not too painful...maybe I should rally for one last round of comparison shopping.
Switching lenders can feel like yet another mountain to climb after all the build stress, but honestly, it's usually less painful than it sounds. My neighbor switched lenders mid-build and said the paperwork was pretty straightforward—mostly just resubmitting docs they'd already gathered. The key is staying organized: keep your financial records handy and double-check timelines with both lenders. There might be minor hiccups, but nothing compared to the cabinet handle saga you survived... You've got this.
Totally agree—switching lenders isn't as daunting as it seems. One tip I'd add is to clearly map out any potential fees or penalties from your current lender before making the jump. Saves you from unexpected surprises down the road... learned that one the hard way myself.
Good point about fees—those can definitely sneak up on you. Another thing I've been wondering is how much weight people put on customer service and responsiveness when choosing a lender... anyone had experiences where that made a big difference?
