Similar experience. When we were buying our first house, I sort of envisioned just walking into a bank, exuding the aura of "looking for a mortgage", and the b

Similar experience. When we were buying our first house, I sort of envisioned just walking into a bank, exuding the aura of "looking for a mortgage", and the bankers would tackle me into the ground with quotes. But instead we had to fight just to get the time of day from a banker. Even SchoolsFirst, well regarded for its customer service, gave us hassle just getting basic info. Getting actual quotes was, as you say, quite tedious. Lots of questions and documentation. We were smart and had our bank accounts in order, but still had to produce a couple weird documents anyway for them. On top of that, real estate agents and sellers have gotten picky too. Most real estate agents we found wouldn't talk to us unless we had a mortgage lined up already. The housing bubble burned _everyone_, and now I feel the market has spun the other way in its paranoia. That's perhaps a good thing.