I work for one of the biggest mortgage lending software company in both America and Canada. The best thing you can do is haggle each and every little thing. I see the stuff bankers pull from hundreds of branches. Appraisal fee? Lenders Title? Owners Title? Credit Report? All of these things are uspicious most of the time. They basically make up a number. An example I can give, some banks average credit reports at around 12-20 bucks per person and maybe 30 for a joint account. When I see someone charging 100 bucks for a credit report.... it throws up a red flag. I see the shit bankers write in, half the time they don't even know what they are charging for certain fees. Their goal is to make the bank money so they can make their expensive car payments and then buy another expensive car.

I've seen some banks rob people on origination charges (2% origination fee? 1% underwriting fee, 1% loan processing fee etc. for something that is automated by Freddie or Fannie and oh so much more... When the closing costs get to be 10% of the total cost of the house or more...................). The nicest thing I've seen lately are the changes coming in October. New laws are requiring the fees to be more open to the buyer instead of hidden in tons of disclosures. It prevents banks from trying to hide fees.

Also, be wary of no-cost or lender paid mortgages... they try to trick you into thinking you aren't paying any closing costs, but they will find a way to work that into the rate.

Final tip, note fees that can be shopped for. Just because a bank says fees are what they are, ask what fees you can shop for and do your research. OH, you are charging 600 bucks for an appraisal? I have someone who will do it for 100. Question every fee, ask how they got to that number.