Good points, but gotta say, I've seen plenty of cases where the builder's lender actually turned out better in the long run. A friend of mine recently built a house and initially dismissed the builder's financing as a gimmick. But after shopping around, he realized the rate from the builder's lender wasn't just competitive—it was slightly lower, plus they threw in closing cost credits that really added up.
A lot of this depends on timing and your specific situation. Credit unions can definitely offer attractive rates, but don't automatically assume they're always better. Sometimes those upfront incentives aren't just smoke and mirrors—they can genuinely save you cash if you're careful about reading the fine print.
Bottom line: crunch numbers carefully, but don't write off the builder's lender too quickly. You might be surprised...
Had a similar experience when we built our place a few years back. Initially thought the builder's lender was just another upsell, but after comparing rates, they actually came out ahead. Lower interest rate plus some decent closing credits made it a no-brainer. Still, always worth double-checking elsewhere—just don't assume the builder's option is automatically worse. Saved us a good chunk of change in the end...
Yeah, builder lenders can sometimes surprise you, but honestly, my experience was the opposite. Their initial offer looked great on paper, but once I dug into the fine print, there were hidden fees and some restrictive terms that weren't immediately obvious. Ended up shopping around and found a local credit union that beat their rate and had way fewer hoops to jump through. Definitely pays to look closely—sometimes the best deals aren't the flashiest ones upfront...
Had a similar experience myself. Builder's lender seemed convenient at first, but when I started asking questions, things got murky fast—fees popping up out of nowhere and some weird restrictions on early payments. Ended up going with a smaller local bank instead. They were straightforward, no hidden surprises, and actually took the time to explain stuff clearly. Definitely worth taking the extra time to shop around...
Yep, builder lenders can be sneaky sometimes. I almost went with mine too, but after some digging, realized their interest rate wasn't as competitive as it first seemed. Ended up with a credit union—way less hassle and felt good supporting local.
