Working with Mortgage Lenders Has Benefits

In the simplest of terms, mortgage lenders are anyone who lends money for the purpose of purchasing a home. Typically, the financial institutions that most people think about are banks. Over the last few years, insurance companies and others in the finance industry have discovered the value in becoming a mortgage lender.

As more companies become mortgage lenders, the need for guides through the sea of options has emerged. Mortgage brokers are springing up to meet that need. Unfortunately, people who are unfamiliar with mortgages often get the brokers and lenders confused. They don�t always understand that the mortgage broker, who they have dealt with all along and who they have built a rapport with, is not the person who will be handling their loan. Often, the company isn�t even located in the same city. Mortgage brokers work with mortgage lenders from all over the country.

Mortgage lenders usually service a loan in house. On some occasions, they may sell a loan to another party, but this will be in the final print of the loan. If keeping your mortgage local is important to you, then make the condition that your loan will stay in house for its full duration part of the loan terms.

Developing a relationship with a lending agent can mean the difference between getting to close on that home of your dreams and just watching the dream slip past. Dealing with mortgage lenders directly is especially valuable when the property is unusual in some fashion (has more than one house, has lots of acreage, or is an unusual building � a church, mill, or fire station). The agent can help cut through red tape that a broker may not even know about.

Working with mortgage lenders could mean you pay a little more in interest rate. In the long run, it could save you a lot of headaches. Working directly with the lender means you build a relationship, not just make a business transaction. Working with the lender usually means your mortgage stays local and isn�t sold to some outside, unknown company. Working directly with a mortgage lender can be well worth the added expenses because of the benefits that it holds.

By: Kathryn Lang