Comparing mortgages
"The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said it will soon begin writing and testing a simplified mortgage-disclosure form aimed at making it easier for borrowers to compare deals from different lenders. The bureau expects by the end of the month to award a contract to develop the form, making it one of the first projects of the new agency."
(source: Denver Post)
I think the idea behind this is a good one; they are looking out for the consumer. However, how do you compare services among mortgage brokers with a form like this? Most of the time, you pay for what you get. You might get the lowest rate/cost in this particular transaction, but who is looking out for your interests after that?
A good mortgage broker looks at a client as a long term relationship, not a one-time deal. If rates and programs change, which they are guaranteed to do, who will notify you that a change should be considered? My guess is that the quality mortgage broker might charge a bit more on a particular transaction but will more than make up for that by communicating with their client in the future and saving them even more money by refinancing or changing loan programs.
We need to stop treating real estate and mortgages like a convenience store transaction. These are huge financial transactions and the cost of a certain agent/broker should be weighed against the quality of service and value they provide.