Written By: Jenna Bennett, Assistant Editor

I am getting married this September, and my fiance and I have been talking about buying a home. I asked Karen Deis' advice about getting pre-approved for a mortgage.

To kill two birds with one stone, I decided to not only shop around for my personal use, but also write an article about my experience in calling loan originators in the Minneapolis area.

I thought, "How hard can this be?"

My "control" outline (with each company) was:

1. I called mortgage companies from the yellow pages.
2. I was purchasing my first home.
3. I did not want to put any money down.
4. I wanted to purchase a townhome or a condo.
5. I could afford a home priced around $150,000.
6. I asked each company to send me information in the mail.
7. I left my phone number for each loan officer to call me back.

I chose 6 mortgage companies (randomly) and started out by telling the receptionist that I was buying my first home and wanted to talk to a loan officer about 1^st-time homebuyer programs.

What I found during my shopping expedition was both surprising - and a little unsettling. I speak with loan originators all day long who I would consider extremely professional - and I could not believe how my inquires were handled.

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