Customer service was honestly a game-changer for me. When we bought our second home, I initially went with the builder's lender thinking it'd be simpler... but communication was painfully slow. Emails took days, calls went unanswered—it was stressful. Switched to a smaller local lender someone recommended, and the difference was night and day. They were proactive, responsive, and genuinely seemed invested in our situation. Made the whole process way less overwhelming. Rates and fees matter, sure, but don't underestimate how much smoother things go when your lender actually cares.
Customer service definitely matters, but I'd caution against dismissing builder lenders outright. Sometimes they offer incentives or streamlined processes tied directly to the build timeline. It's worth weighing convenience and potential savings against responsiveness...depends on your priorities, really.
Totally get your point about builder lenders offering convenience and incentives, but I'd still suggest at least checking out other options. From my experience, builder lenders sometimes rely on that convenience factor to keep you from noticing slightly higher rates or fees. Not saying they're all sneaky or anything—just that it's easy to overlook details when you're caught up in the excitement of finally finishing construction.
Also, if sustainability matters to you (and I hope it does!), shopping around can open doors to lenders who offer green financing options or special rates for energy-efficient homes. When we built our place, we ended up finding a lender who gave us a better deal specifically because we'd invested in solar panels and energy-efficient appliances. It wasn't a huge difference, but hey, every bit counts...especially when you're already spending so much on the build itself.
Bottom line: builder lenders can be great, but it never hurts to peek around the corner and see what's out there. You might be pleasantly surprised.
"it's easy to overlook details when you're caught up in the excitement of finally finishing construction."
Couldn't agree more with this. We almost went with our builder's lender too, but a quick look around saved us more than expected. Definitely worth the extra hassle in my book.
"a quick look around saved us more than expected."
Exactly. Always double-check the numbers yourself—builders' lenders aren't always competitive. I found better terms elsewhere, and the paperwork hassle was minimal compared to the savings. Worth the extra step, imo.
