Went through something similar myself—initially thought I'd shop around, but honestly, the builder's lender streamlined things so much it was hard to justify the hassle. Sometimes convenience really does outweigh saving a few bucks... especially when you're already stretched thin with decisions.
I get the convenience thing, but honestly, it might be worth the effort to shop around a bit. When we finished our build, we initially thought the builder’s lender would be easiest too, but curiosity got the better of me. Turns out another lender offered significantly better terms—lower interest rate saved us thousands in the long run. Convenience is nice, sure, but spending a couple extra hours researching could pay off big-time down the road...
Totally agree that convenience can be tempting, but honestly, shopping around is almost always worth it. When we refinanced a few years back, I initially dreaded the hassle—paperwork, phone calls, comparing rates...ugh. But once I started digging in, it was actually pretty eye-opening. We ended up finding a smaller lender who not only offered better rates but also had way more personalized service. Felt like they genuinely cared about our situation rather than just pushing us through the pipeline.
I guess the real question is: how much is convenience really worth to you? Saving thousands over the life of your loan could mean extra vacations, home upgrades, or even retiring earlier. Makes me wonder if anyone here has ever regretted taking the extra time to shop around...or maybe regretted NOT doing it?
"Makes me wonder if anyone here has ever regretted taking the extra time to shop around...or maybe regretted NOT doing it?"
- Never regretted shopping around, personally.
- Builder's lender might seem easy, but they're usually not competitive.
- Plus, smaller lenders often have better green financing options if sustainability matters to you. Worth checking out.
I've found builder lenders convenient, but convenience usually costs you somewhere down the line. Last time I shopped around, ended up saving thousands. Curious though, anyone had luck negotiating better terms directly with the builder's lender?
