NOTE: Having a great lender on your side makes the process of buying a home so much easier.  Your most important people in your real estate transaction are your agent and your loan broker.  Choose carefully.

The best place to find a lender is by referral.  Finding a lender through a TV commercial or the web is dangerous.  There are many who will sell your information, or offer a low rate to spark your interest and later you find that it is only available to perfect borrowers with spotless credit who make a lot of money.  Again, choose carefully, even with referrals. The best places to get referrals are from satisfied customers and real estate agents.  Realtors work with lenders every day and can tell you lenders who do their best jobs and which ones to avoid.