Is your loan broker or Realtor a sole practitioner? Yikes.

There are many, many wonderful mortgage lenders and Realtors out there who have only your best interests at heart.  There are some that are not so good, as well.  I'm sure that comes as no surprise.  I've been having lots of bad luck with sole practioner Realtors and loan brokers lately.  Why? Because they don't answer to anybody, not even you, their client.  They're in business for themselves for two reasons: they don't want to work with other people in the business (hey, we're all a little misanthropic sometimes, but...) and they want every. last. dime. for themselves.  Make sure that if you're interested in working with these folks, you check them out very, very carefully.  The neck you save may be your own.