Quick poll for anyone who’s shopped for a mortgage: what’s the one thing in a quote that makes you nope out immediately? For me, it’s when the lender can’t (or won’t) explain all those random fees. Like, if I see “processing fee” and “admin fee” and “miscellaneous fee” all stacked up, I’m out. I just want to know what I’m paying for, you know?
Curious if others are more worried about the interest rate suddenly changing, or maybe weirdly high closing costs, or even just pushy sales tactics. Or maybe you’re chill as long as the monthly payment looks good? Vote below and feel free to vent about any sketchy quotes you’ve gotten—sometimes I wonder if they just make up half this stuff. What’s your biggest red flag when you get a mortgage quote?
Interest rate jumps are my main dealbreaker, honestly. If I get a quote and the rate isn’t locked in—or worse, the lender can’t give me a straight answer about what could make it go up—I’m out. I’d rather know exactly what I’m signing up for, even if it means paying a bit more upfront. Those “introductory rates” that magically disappear after you sign? No thanks.
I get your point about fees, though. Some of those line items feel like they’re just testing how closely you’re reading. Once, I had a lender try to sneak in a “courier fee” for $150. For what, sending an email? That’s when I started asking for a full breakdown in writing.
Does anyone else get nervous about prepayment penalties? I always check for that fine print, just in case I want to pay things off early down the road...
Prepayment penalties are one of those sneaky things that can really catch people off guard. Have you ever noticed how some lenders bury them deep in the disclosures? I always ask why a penalty exists in the first place—what’s their reasoning? Sometimes it’s just a leftover policy that doesn’t even make sense for most borrowers. If you’re planning to pay extra or refinance early, it’s definitely worth pushing for a clear answer. Ever had a lender actually try to justify one to you?
Totally get where you’re coming from. When I was looking at my first mortgage options, I nearly missed a prepayment penalty buried in the fine print. It’s wild how easy it is to overlook unless you’re combing through every page. I asked the lender about it and got a pretty vague answer—something about “protecting their investment.” Honestly, it just made me more cautious. You’re right, though: always worth questioning anything that doesn’t make sense, even if you feel a bit awkward pushing back. Better safe than sorry.
Totally get where you’re coming from. When I was looking at my first mortgage options, I nearly missed a prepayment penalty buried in the fine print.
Title: When A Mortgage Quote Makes You Go “Hmm…”: What’s Your Dealbreaker?
The infamous “miscellaneous fee” strikes again… I swear, sometimes it feels like they just toss darts at a board labeled “random charges” and see what sticks. The prepayment penalty thing is another classic—like, congrats, you’re financially responsible and want to pay off early, so here’s a punishment fee? Makes zero sense.
For me, the biggest red flag is when the lender gets cagey about locking in the interest rate. If I ask for a rate lock and they start dancing around the question or say it’ll cost extra but can’t explain why, I get suspicious fast. I’ve seen quotes where the “rate lock fee” was higher than the actual appraisal. At that point, I’m half-expecting them to throw in a “breathing air in our office” surcharge.
Honestly, if I can’t get a straight answer in plain English, I’m gone. There are too many lenders out there to waste time with the ones who treat transparency like a state secret.
