The best course of action when considering a mortgage is to contact a local Mortgage Broker, such as Bert Carpenter. Many times when you deal with the big banks, you are dealing with an order taker. When you work with a Mortgage Broker, you are working with a professional who has been trained, tested and licensed. A licensed Mortgage Loan Originator can help you identify the most appropriate loan program, from a variety of lenders that best suits your needs, pointing out the pros and cons of each option. Did you know that bank employees are not required to be licensed? That's right. Bank Loan Originators are not required to take any licensing classes, they are not required to be tested and are not licensed. They simply get registered by the bank in the National Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS). You read that right. No Education, NO Testing, NO Licensing. Just Registered. So the question remains... Who do you want to trust your Mortgage Loan to? An Order taker or a Licensed Professional? You should always check out the qualifications of your Originator at www.nmlsConsumerAccess.org . You should look for one who has been in the industry a while so you're not stuck with a rookie. Check me out ~ Bert Carpenter NMLS 40586. You'll be glad you did.