has anyone ever used it? i'm a first time homebuyer...and am looking for the lowest interest rate I can find. I heard that LendingTree.com will have different banks offer me different rates....
Please, fill me in...
2006-07-07 19:16:47 · 9 answers · asked by _0_ 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Renting & Real Estate
All lendingtree.com does is connect you with up to 5 different lenders who will then contact you directly to go over financing options. It says you the hassle of contacting the lenders yourself. After you choose a lender, lendingtree is done with you. They are just a lead website and have nothing to do with the financing (I'm not sure what the real estate agent who answered this question earlier is talking about.)
I purchase leads off one of their sub-sites, getsmart.com. When I receive the lead, I call and email the applicant (I do not pull credit until I speak with the applicant.) Once I touch base with the person and attain their basic info (income, assets, credit report, etc) I then start looking for the loan that has the best rate and closing costs for their particular situation (I'm a broker and have access to 30+ wholesale lenders.) That's it. I call the applicant back and go over the options I've put together for them.
In the meantime, others lenders are doing the exact same thing. All you have to do is sit back and wait for the quotes to come in, then choose the best one, whether you go by the numbers or the gut feeling you have regarding the banker.
Do not worry about multiple lenders pulling your credit report. As long as the company that is pulling it is a mortgage lender or car loan company and the pulls are within 15 days of one another, it will only count as one hit on your credit.
2006-07-08 00:55:04 · answer #1 · answered by KL 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Lending tree is about as legit as they get for what they do. Once you have completed their on-line application they sell your information to brokers and lenders that are signed up with them to do home mortgages. You could be called by several different lenders and each will have a different rate for you.
If you want to purchase a home the first thing you should do is find yourself a mortgage "Broker" have the following items available for them 1 months paystubs for each of you, 2 yrs of W-2 and fed income tax returns, 6 months bank statements from each of your savings and checking accounts as well as any from each of your 401k plans or profit sharing at your present employer if any. Once your broker has this information you will be required to complete a loan application. He will run your credit report to find out your credit score, which will tell him what interest rate you will be qualified for. Also with your w-2's and pay stubs plus credit report he will be able to tell how much house you can afford based on the amount of income you have vs the amount of debts you have on your credit report. I could be a 100% or less depending on your credit score. Your broker will tell you what percentage you will need to bring in as well as the closing cost necessary. This will give you a pre-approval to purchase your home.
After your pre-approval he will find a real estate agent he knows to assist you in finding a home. After you have found your home the real estate agent will write a purchase contract for you and the seller to sign. He will give this to your mortgage broker as well as other documents.
Your mortgage broker will then order an appriaiser for the property to prove the value of the property, open escrow or a closing agent for the transaction. He might need some additional documentation from you,but not to worry this is common. It will take approximately 10-14 more business days to close your loan, sign your loan documents so your loan can close.
I hope this has been of some use to you, good luck.
"FIGHT ON"
2006-07-07 19:27:51 · answer #2 · answered by Skip 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a licensed realtor. Yes, Lending Tree is legit. However, you have to be extremely careful. They sell the loan to a mtg broker, they do not themselves do the loan. They also farm you out to sometimes 10 different lenders. Each of those lenders could pull your credit. If this is done in a short amount of time it can drop your credit score which will cost you in the long run. Do yourself a favor and go to a lender who holds the notes, not a mortgage broker who sells them!
2006-07-08 07:37:02 · answer #3 · answered by Sassy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Shop around, shop around, shop around. Lending tree is legit but most of the time it turns the closing into a nightmare. As a real estate agent I know that most agents out there cringe when they see someone getting financing through lending tree. They just tend to take forever to close. They will give you a great idea of what kind of rates you can expect to get... but don't stop there. You should shop for loans like you would a house. Find the one you want and don't overpay to get it.
2006-07-07 19:42:05 · answer #4 · answered by evan736 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lendingtree is owned by Ameriquest Mortgage one of the dirtiest mortgage companies out there. Lendingtree lets Ameriquest cherry pick the deals first then sells your info to 4 other lenders(of course they say 4 but will sell to many more). Ameriquest rates are not competitive and they will burn you with high fees.
http://www.lendermark.com
2006-07-08 09:18:33 · answer #5 · answered by lendermark1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes!
They really do shop your app to several banks, all who pull your credit and get back to you.
All of the top five banks are involved. Just don't go for an adjustable rate, that's a bad idea.
2006-07-07 19:21:11 · answer #6 · answered by Sara 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they are legit, but not very good. I used them a couple of years ago, but the quotes I got were high. Try starting with bankrate.com so you know what current mortgage rates are. Ask friends and family for referrals for a local mortgage broker.
2006-07-07 19:34:37 · answer #7 · answered by hotinla 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes lending tree is legit. However they don't do the loan themselves. they take the info you provide and sell the info to a mortgage broker or company and they contact you.
2006-07-07 19:20:48 · answer #8 · answered by ML 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are a screening company, they check your credit then funnel it to those lenders that meet your criteria. (up to 4) Then they in turn run your credit again to see if you meet THEIR criteria. If so, then they contact you and try to get you to use them. Go to your personal bank first, then to one like Countrywide Home Loans (I have them) Compare and choose. you have control.
2006-07-07 19:24:40 · answer #9 · answered by Newt 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are a legal company and thats as about much good as you acn say about loan sharks. STAY AWAY!
2006-07-07 19:20:39 · answer #10 · answered by rabatvilla 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋