I've actually had better experiences with smaller local lenders. When I bought my last place, the big banks were dragging their feet... paperwork got lost, calls weren't returned. Switched to a local lender and suddenly things moved fast, plus they were upfront about everything.
"Switched to a local lender and suddenly things moved fast, plus they were upfront about everything."
Yeah, I've seen this happen a few times. Big banks can sometimes get bogged down in their own bureaucracy—too many departments, too little communication. Smaller lenders often have fewer hoops to jump through, so things naturally move quicker. Still, I'd advise anyone to do their homework first: check reviews, ask around locally, and don't hesitate to ask tough questions upfront. Glad it worked out smoothly for you though... that's always a relief.
Local lenders can be great, but I've also seen them drop the ball big-time. Had a friend whose local lender missed some paperwork deadlines and nearly cost him the house... so yeah, smaller isn't always smoother. Always pays to stay cautious.
Had a similar experience with a friend too—local lender seemed great at first, but then got super flaky when deadlines started approaching. One thing I've learned from green building projects is to ask lenders upfront about their process step-by-step: how they handle paperwork, who checks it, timelines, etc. Sounds kinda tedious, I know... but you'd be surprised how many red flags pop up when you start asking detailed questions. Better safe than scrambling last-minute, right?
"Sounds kinda tedious, I know... but you'd be surprised how many red flags pop up when you start asking detailed questions."
Totally get this. It's like pulling back the curtain, right? I remember feeling awkward asking my lender all these nitty-gritty questions at first, but honestly, it saved me from a huge headache later on. Sometimes the creative side of me just wants to jump in and trust the process, but budgets don't lie... Did you ever feel like you were being too picky, or was it always clear you were doing the right thing?
