I went through something similar when our build wrapped up. Initially, I leaned towards sticking with the builder's lender because it seemed straightforward. But being the spreadsheet nerd I am, I couldn't resist crunching numbers and shopping around a bit. Ended up finding a slightly better rate elsewhere—nothing huge, but enough to feel justified. Honestly though, if the difference isn't significant and you're already comfortable, simplicity can be worth a lot. Just don't beat yourself up either way...you've already tackled the hardest part.
"Honestly though, if the difference isn't significant and you're already comfortable, simplicity can be worth a lot."
Totally get this. I went down the rabbit hole myself—spreadsheets, calculators, the whole nine yards. Ended up switching lenders for a slightly better rate, but looking back, the hassle factor was real. If the savings aren't substantial, sometimes it's nice to just keep things simple and move on. But hey, at least now I can justify all those hours spent nerding out over interest rates, right?
Yeah, I hear you on the hassle factor... but did you find the builder's lender was actually transparent about all their fees upfront? Sometimes simplicity seems great until hidden costs pop up later. Curious how your experience was with that.
"Sometimes simplicity seems great until hidden costs pop up later."
Totally get what you're saying here... when we first got the builder's lender quote, everything looked straightforward, but as we dug deeper, a couple of "processing fees" magically appeared. It wasn't outrageous, but still enough to make me pause. Did you already get quotes from any outside lenders to compare? Might be worth it just to see if the convenience is really worth the extra cost in your case.
"Sometimes simplicity seems great until hidden costs pop up later."
Yeah, this resonates with me big time. When we wrapped up our build, the builder's lender seemed like the easy route—everything neatly packaged and ready to go. But once we started comparing, it turned out those little fees added up more than we expected. Honestly, I was surprised how competitive outside lenders could be once we shopped around a bit.
It's tempting to stick with what's convenient, especially after the stress of construction, but taking that extra step to compare can really pay off. Even if you end up sticking with your builder's lender, at least you'll know you're making an informed choice. Plus, having another quote in hand sometimes gives you leverage to negotiate down those sneaky "processing fees." Just my two cents from experience...
