"Big lenders sometimes forget that not everyone fits neatly into their boxes...guess that's why it feels like rocket science when it really shouldn't."
Haha, exactly! Had a similar experience recently with a client who owned a successful food truck—great cash flow, solid savings—but the big lender acted like we were trying to finance a moon landing. Switched gears and went local; suddenly, things moved smoothly. Smaller banks just seem more willing to see the person behind the paperwork, you know? Makes all the difference when you're dealing with unique situations.
"Smaller banks just seem more willing to see the person behind the paperwork, you know?"
Totally get where you're coming from, but honestly, my experience was kinda the opposite. Went local first thinking it'd be easier—small bank, personal touch, all that good stuff—but they got hung up on every little detail. Felt like I had to explain every single line on my tax return. Switched to a bigger lender and things actually sped up. Maybe it depends more on the specific loan officer or branch rather than just big vs small? Or maybe I just got lucky with someone who knew how to navigate their own red tape... Either way, seems like it's always a bit of a gamble. Glad yours worked out smoothly though!
Went local first thinking it'd be easier—small bank, personal touch, all that good stuff—but they got hung up on every little detail. Felt like I had to explain every single line on my tax return.
Yeah, I've seen it go both ways. My first mortgage was with a small local bank, and it was nice dealing with someone face-to-face, but they weren't exactly speedy. Bigger lender the second time was quicker but felt less personal. Seems like there's always a trade-off somewhere...
I totally get where you're coming from. When we refinanced last year, I thought going local would mean less hassle, but honestly, it felt like they were digging through every receipt I'd ever saved. At one point, I had to explain a random freelance gig from three years ago—talk about tedious. But hang in there...once you're past the paperwork marathon, things usually smooth out pretty quickly. Seems like no matter who you go with, there's always some hoop-jumping involved.
We had a similar experience when we bought our current place. Thought we'd breeze through since we had everything organized, but nope...they wanted explanations for every little deposit in our account. I remember having to dig through old emails to prove a PayPal transfer from selling some furniture on Craigslist—like seriously? I get they need to be thorough, but sometimes it feels like they're just making busywork. Makes me wonder if it's really about risk assessment or just ticking boxes. Anyway, once we got past that stage, things did move pretty quickly. Guess it's just part of the process, annoying as it is.
