Haha, did we have the same loan officer? Mine once called me at 9:30 pm to ask if I'd ever tried kayaking—still not sure how that related to my credit score. Maybe smaller lenders just get lonely...?
Haha, sounds like your loan officer was trying to build rapport... maybe a little too enthusiastically. Smaller lenders do tend to get more personal, but kayaking at 9:30 pm is next-level random. Did they at least get you a decent rate after all that?
Kayaking at 9:30 pm... that's definitely a new one for me. I've seen loan officers get creative with rapport-building, but usually it's more along the lines of chatting about weekend plans or favorite sports teams—not late-night water adventures. But hey, if it worked and you got a decent rate, maybe they're onto something.
Speaking of smaller lenders, did you find they were more flexible with your situation overall? Sometimes those out-of-the-box loans can be tricky with bigger banks since they're so rigid with their guidelines. Curious if the personal touch actually translated into better flexibility or if it was mostly just quirky conversation.
I've found smaller lenders often do have a bit more wiggle room, especially if your situation doesn't neatly fit into the standard guidelines. Bigger banks tend to stick closely to their checklists, which can be frustrating if your scenario is even slightly unusual. Had a client recently whose income was mostly freelance—big banks weren't having it, but a local lender took the time to understand her finances and made it work. So yeah, quirky convos aside, sometimes that personal touch really does translate into actual flexibility.
Yeah, smaller lenders can definitely be more flexible, especially with freelance or self-employed income. Big banks usually just tick boxes, and if your situation doesn't fit neatly, they're quick to say no. But I'd still advise caution—sometimes that flexibility comes with slightly higher rates or fees. Had a client once who got approved by a smaller lender after being turned down elsewhere, but we had to carefully weigh the costs. Still, it's great when someone actually listens and tries to make things work...
