Every loan officer is NOT created equal. Just as there are bad plumbers/mechanics, etc....there are bad loan officers. Some loan officers are happy just barely meeting their monthly goal and do not have much desire to actually work harder for the buyer. Just as any job you yourself have had, you too likely notice some employees are willing to go the extra mile while others are not. Loan officers are no different. I have seen people get denied for loans simply because the loan officer and/or mortgage processor doesnt know enough to make the deal work. Try to find reviews on the loan officer you want to work with - word of mouth or online.
As far as your builder, I dont have any specific information but I will say that every major national builder has complaints on facebook or twitter - its just the nature of the beast - consumers are more like to complain than compliment. Same is true for anything: restaurants, grocery stores - go read their facebooks as well - filled with complaints. It doesnt necessary make them bad, its just that complaints tend to be expressed more freely. This makes it hard to decide who to go with...look for major types of complaints over serious issues. Heck, if you are comfortable with speaking to strangers....go for a walk around the neighborhood you are interested in buying in and ask the other home owners you encounter (not necessarily saying knock on their door) but if you go to the neighborhood on a Saturday, you are bound to find people cutting grass or walking around the block or washing their car, etc. I have found that most are more than willing to tell you about their experience. And their comments are the best becuase they are dealing with the actual group of people building your house (not a general comment about someone elses experience with the group from a totally different state).
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