Christina Thompson Realtor: Whether you work with me or another agent on your purchase, please keep this in mind. Once you identify a home, make an offer and it gets accepted, you may think that the most stressful part is over. But wait! Then you have the inspection and appraisal hurdles! Home free then right? No! Even at this juncture, things can come up. Remember, you have a conditional approval from your lender. Now they start digging in and getting final conditions from their underwriter removed. Time is of the essence! Communication and responsiveness on your lenders part is key. The competency of their loan processor will affect you. Their underwriters stringent stipulations will affect you. Things to consider when choosing a lender: - How is their responsiveness and timeliness been in your initial inquiry? - Do they offer their cell phone number for emergencies? - Where are their underwriters located? Likely they aren't in office, but they should not be in a different time zone! It will delay all communications. Just a few things to think about when thinking of purchasing a home.