Honestly, I haven’t seen much of a speed difference—small banks and credit unions still have to jump through the same regulatory hoops. The only real advantage I’ve noticed is that personal touch, like you said. Ever had them lose your paperwork and just ask for it again, no drama? That’s never happened with the big guys for me... they usually make it a whole ordeal. I’m curious if anyone’s found a lender that actually moves faster, or if it’s just wishful thinking.
I get what you’re saying about the paperwork—had a similar thing happen at my local credit union, and they just shrugged it off, no big deal. But in terms of speed? Honestly, the only time I saw a real difference was with an online lender last year. They moved quick, but their rates weren’t great and they wanted a mountain of docs anyway. Feels like unless your credit is spotless and your ducks are all in a row, nobody’s really fast these days.
Yeah, I hear you on the paperwork mountain—my last refi felt like prepping for a NASA launch. Here’s what worked for me: 1) triple-check your docs before you even start, 2) ask the lender up front for their “full checklist” (they always have one), and 3) don’t be shy about nudging them if things stall. Honestly, even with all that, it still took longer than I hoped, but at least I wasn’t scrambling for surprise forms at the last minute. Rates are a whole other headache, but sometimes the local banks will match online offers if you ask... worth a shot.
Honestly, I’ve seen deals stall for weeks just because someone missed a single line item on the lender’s checklist. Even when you think you’ve got every doc, they’ll ask for something random—like a utility bill from two years ago. My advice: don’t trust the “initial” checklist, keep bugging them for updates, and don’t assume online rates are always better. Sometimes the local credit unions surprise you... but yeah, paperwork is always a beast.
Totally get what you mean about the paperwork grind. When I refinanced, I thought I was done and then they wanted a copy of my HOA insurance policy—never even crossed my mind. Here’s what worked for me:
- Kept a running checklist in Google Docs and updated it every time the lender asked for something new.
- Made digital copies of everything, even stuff that seemed irrelevant.
- Checked in with the loan officer every couple days—sometimes they’d flag things before they became an issue.
Curious—has anyone actually had better luck with big banks vs. credit unions? My local CU was way more flexible, but maybe that’s just my area...
