Shopping on interest rate alone. Reputable lenders operate within a fairly narrow band of rates and fees, because the parts a lender actually controls are limited: on your Loan Estimate, the lender's own charges sit in Section A plus a slice of Section B. With everyone clustered that close, chasing the single lowest quote, or going with the smoothest salesperson, tends to backfire two ways. First, a rate quoted a hair below everyone else usually has something behind it: points baked into the number, a fee moved somewhere you did not look, or a quote that will not hold to closing. Compare complete Loan Estimates side by side, rate plus every fee, never headline rates over the phone. Second, and more expensive: plenty of loan officers are lightly trained, working limited hours, or running no real process. A file that stalls, misses a rate lock, or falls apart late can cost you far more than the few dollars a month a slightly lower rate would have saved. When we need heart surgery, we do not go looking for the cheapest surgeon. So weigh two things together: a genuinely competitive rate and fees, and a lender with a proven process who will actually guide you through it. The cheapest quote from someone who cannot close on time is the expensive option. If you want a clean read on an offer, we are happy to walk through your Loan Estimate line by line.