There are options when it comes to mortgage loans

Price matching.

It's something so common in our society that there are websites and smartphone apps dedicated solely to helping you find the best price on virtually anything. From clothing to electronics, food to medical care — these tools not only find you the best price for a product right this minute but will even tell you if the price drops after you buy so you can get a refund for the difference.

"Yet even with all these convenient 'shopping assistants,' many people fail to realize they can do the same thing for major purchase decisions," said Rick Piette, owner of Premier Mortgage Lending. "And that includes buying a home. Although it's one of the largest investments many people will make in their lifetime, consumers often just accept the costs of high fees and commissions because that's the way it's always been done.

"In fact, the entire real estate industry has changed tremendously," Piette said. "Today, consumers not only have increased legal protections, but the wealth of data available online gives them access to previously unattainable information. Now, not only can people shop around for the best prices for every part of their home buying transaction — they can also compare product features, business reputations and customer experiences."

"The rise of the information age has increased competition so that now companies need to work harder to earn your business. Because customers are more in control of how and where to spend their money than ever before, they have more freedom to shop for the best value, the best service and do business with a company they can trust."

What does that mean when it comes to mortgage loans?

"It means that borrowers have options," Piette said. "Shopping around for the best loan value for your needs is one of the easiest ways that buyers can save literally thousands of dollars when buying a home.

"In fact, the savings with our No Fee mortgage alone can make the difference for some people — as it may allow them to obtain loan approval they might not qualify for otherwise. Because when we say no fee, it means exactly that. There are no loan origination, underwriting, document or other junk fees to pay — and that means less money out of your pocket at closing.

"At Premier Mortgage, we don't believe loans should be shrouded in mystery," Piette said. "So we make it easy for homebuyers to understand and compare our costs and our processes to other lenders. In fact, we want borrowers to know their options. That's the reason we launched our "Know Before You Owe Nevada" website, featuring our "Home Loans 101" videos. They're designed to help buyers know which questions to ask — no matter what lender they contact, and ensure they're able to do an 'apples-to-apples' cost analysis.

"The truth is that borrowers need to shop smart anytime they're going to be spending money, and mortgage loans are no exception," Piette said. "The days of having to use the only lender your builder or Realtor referred you to are gone. And just because a lender provided you with a "pre-qual" letter, it doesn't obligate you to them, or even mean they're your best choice for a mortgage loan. Our advice: Learn the right questions to ask, and then keep asking them until you get the right answers for your situation."

For more information, call 702-485-6600, or visit www.premiermortgagelending.com. For more information on mortgage costs, visit www.KnowBeforeYouOweNevada.com.

Premier Mortgage Lending, NMLS No. 393282, is at 701 N Green Valley Parkway, No. 125 Henderson.