That's a great point—having a lender who's upfront like that can really make or break the whole experience. When we renovated our kitchen, our lender was pretty vague too, and we learned the hard way... Transparency truly matters in these situations.
Transparency is definitely key, but honestly, even when a lender seems upfront at first, it's wise to stay a bit skeptical. I've worked with plenty of lenders over the years on various projects—big and small—and I've learned that initial impressions can be deceiving. Some lenders are great at putting on a friendly face and giving you all the right reassurances early on, but when push comes to shove, they conveniently "forget" certain details or gloss over important fine print.
A few years back, I was involved in developing a small residential community. Our lender seemed fantastic initially—responsive, clear communication, everything you'd hope for. But halfway through the project, we hit some unexpected zoning delays (typical bureaucratic stuff), and suddenly their attitude shifted. They became less responsive, started adding conditions we hadn't discussed clearly before... it was frustrating to say the least. We got through it eventually, but not without some headaches and extra costs.
My point is: transparency matters, sure—but consistency matters just as much. A lender who's transparent at the start isn't necessarily trustworthy if they don't maintain that openness throughout the entire process. It's always smart to do your homework: check references thoroughly, talk to others who've worked with them recently (not just their hand-picked testimonials), and don't be afraid to ask tough questions early on.
And hey, sometimes even after all that due diligence, things still go sideways... that's just life in real estate development for you. But at least you'll know you did everything possible to avoid surprises down the road.
That's a really good point about consistency. Reminds me of when my sister and her husband were building their dream home a couple years ago. They thought they'd found the perfect lender—super friendly, responsive, and seemed totally transparent at first. But once construction started, things got weirdly quiet. Calls took longer to return, emails went unanswered for days... and then suddenly there were these unexpected fees popping up that nobody had mentioned before.
They eventually sorted it out, but it was stressful watching them go through that. Makes me wonder if there's a way to spot those red flags earlier on. Like, are there specific questions or scenarios you guys bring up early in conversations with lenders to test how they'll handle tricky situations later? Curious how others approach this...
One thing I usually do early on is ask lenders how they've handled unexpected delays or cost overruns in past projects. If they get vague or dodge the question... that's usually my cue to look elsewhere.
Yeah, that's a solid approach. I've seen lenders who talk a good game upfront, but when problems actually hit, they're nowhere to be found. I usually ask for specific examples or references from past projects—if they're hesitant about sharing those, that's a red flag for me too.
