Let’s say you’ve got some names from friends, colleagues or your real estate agent. Let’s say you are confident that you are dealing with  well-respected, reputable lenders who can get you a competitive interest rate with reasonable closing costs.

How do you know which one will do the best job for you?  I suggest asking the following questions: 

1. How quickly do you return calls?  Emails?
   
   
2. Do you have evening appointments available?  Will you take calls after business hours and on weekends?
   
   
3. What if I find a house over the weekend?  Can you run scenarios and prepare a pre-approval letter on a Saturday or Sunday?
   
   
4. Will you attend my loan signing when I buy a house?
   
   
5. If you are out of the office, who can I contact as a back-up?  Do you have an assistant who can answer my questions when you are out of the office?
   
   
6. Can you write a pre-approval letter with minimal contingencies?  Will your letter say that all of my information has been verified and that you are committing to make a loan?  
   
   
7. Have you been employed full-time as a lender for at least 10 years?
   
   
8. Are you a top producer in your company?
   
   
9. Have you developed any areas of specialization?
   
   
10. Do you give back to the community?