When you are shopping for a mortgage, you can go through a direct lender, a bank, or a broker. A broker is a third party that can connect you with mortgage offers from multiple lenders. Not sure whether to go through a broker or a direct lender or bank? In this post, we highlight the differences between these options.
- Loan Variety. When you work with a lender or bank directly, they can only offer you the types of loans that they do. But a broker can shop around for you in a network of hundreds of lenders. That means they can connect you with a much wider variety of loan types. They also can save you time, since you do not need to shop around on your own.
- Finding Deals. With a direct lender, you only can take advantage of whatever deals that lender happens to offer. A broker, however, can shop all the deals in their network for you. They may even be able to give you access to exclusive deals that are not available to the general public.
- Saving Money. You can save a significant amount of money going through a broker as opposed to a bank or lender. This is partly because of the deals you can access, but also because overhead is low. According to 2021 HMDA data, brokers save their clients an average of $9,407 over the life of their loans. That alone would be reason enough to choose a broker. Add in the speed and convenience of working with a broker, and it becomes an easy choice.
- Ease and Speed of Application Process. Banks and lenders usually have a lot of extra rules called “overlays” that are part of the mortgage approval process. This can add steps and slow everything down. Brokers generally do not add these extra rules and steps, keeping the application and approval process moving forward.
- Adapting to Your Needs. If you walk into a bank or talk to a direct lender about a mortgage, and your situation is “atypical” in any way, there is a good chance they will simply tell you “no, we don’t do that.” An example of something “atypical” would be if you have self-employment income. That is not at all uncommon these days, yet many lenders and banks are completely unprepared for it, and will not be willing to work with you. Brokers are used to helping borrowers in a wide range of circumstances, and will be able to adapt to help you find solutions to overcome any obstacles you are facing. The entire process is personalized to your needs, and the broker will take as much time as needed to ensure they can match you with a mortgage.
Conclusion:
Brokers Offer Unparalleled Flexibility
If you are ready to shop for a mortgage the easy way, McGowan Mortgages can work with you in Missouri or 40 other states. To get started, please give us a call at (816) 631-9687.
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