1. Choosing a home loan lender for the wrong reason (i.e., the lowest rate, your existing lender.) People choose home loan lenders for all the wrong reasons. Getting a low rate is important, but it’s not the only consideration. Lenders may offer the lowest rate but charge extra fees (loan fees, origination fees, copy fees) so that in the end you will pay more for the refinanced home loan even though your rate may be lower. The only way to protect yourself is to wait for the Good-Faith Estimate (GFE) which should list all the closing costs. Compare the GFE’s from a number of home loan lenders.