Good advice overall, especially about credit unions. When we bought our place, the builder's lender threw in some tempting incentives—covered a chunk of closing costs and even upgraded appliances. But when I dug deeper, their fees were noticeably higher, and the customer service was...meh. Ended up going with a local credit union instead. Slightly higher rate, but way smoother process and zero surprises at closing. Definitely worth crunching all the numbers before deciding.
Had a similar experience—builder's lender offered some flashy perks, but when I asked about specific fees, they got pretty vague. Ended up shopping around and found better transparency elsewhere. Always wonder how many folks just go with the flow without checking deeper...
Good call on digging deeper—it's surprising how many folks just take the builder's lender at face value. I've seen it plenty of times: flashy incentives upfront, but when you crunch the numbers, those perks rarely outweigh hidden fees or higher rates. Transparency is key, and lenders who dodge specifics usually have something to hide. Glad you trusted your gut and shopped around... more people should do the same.
Had a client last year who almost got caught up in the same thing. Builder's lender was dangling some pretty tempting upgrades—granite countertops, fancy fixtures, the works. But when she sat down and compared rates, it turned out she'd be paying way more in interest over the long haul. Good on you for doing your homework... it's easy to get distracted by shiny perks, but numbers don't lie. Glad you dodged that bullet.
Went through something similar when we built our place a couple years back. Builder's lender was pushing hard with some sweet upgrades—custom cabinets, upgraded flooring, the whole nine yards. Almost bit the bait too, but luckily my brother-in-law nudged me to shop around. Ended up saving thousands over the life of the loan by going elsewhere. Those perks look great at first glance, but man...they sure know how to hide the real cost behind shiny stuff. Glad you caught it early.
